are mesa heads and marshall cabs a really bad combination

[cpepper]

Ok I admit I have not had the chance to buy a mesa cab yet most of my mesa's I have owned I have paired with a marshall 1960 lead cab with what I believe are celestions gt 12 75 watt speakers. I notice that when I turn my amp up the sound of my mesa's get very brittle and especially on the higher gain settings it sounds when the amp is turned up it doesn't sound like high gain but brittle almost horrible broken up tone. I have always tested the heads on mesa cabs at the store but of coarse never allowed to crank them their. I am just looking for advice before I shell out
$1200 canadian on a cab.

Gibson Sg, cry baby classic wah, eh small clone, stilleto duece head, marshall 1960-A cabinet

 

[Bobbypols]

I have the mesa stiletto and trad. cab. I would say sit on it, dont be too quick to buy one. Deal with making your 'brittle' sound less brittle, as it should be like that on any cab. FYI mesa have celestion vintage 30's so i wouldnt expect it to sound much different then 19060 AV cab.

 

[redmax61]

Hey Cpepper, Welcome to the Boogie Board!

I'm kinda partial to that particular combination. My Dual Recto is aimed at two Marshall cabs. Both cabs have two V30's and two Greenbacks in them in an X pattern.

 

[oyster]

I play an SG / Les Paul and a single recto with a crybaby wah, similar rig to yours.
The cab i use is a mesa standard 4x12 but I also have a 1960A marshall cab like you... you are right, this contains G12-75s and the freq curve of these is VERY different from that of the V-30s that are in the mesa cabs. Not to mention that the added size of the standard mesa cab gives extra room and a different resonance. I can tell you firsthand, get yourself a mesa standard 4x12, this is a huge huge difference. I know the brittle thin sound you are talking about with the marshall, but with the mesa cab this will be a thing of the past, you will get a full thick dreamy tone - the stuff of legends and your mesa will sound like it was supposed to! 8) 8)

 

[oyster]

I have the mesa stiletto and trad. cab. I would say sit on it, dont be too quick to buy one. Deal with making your 'brittle' sound less brittle, as it should be like that on any cab. FYI mesa have celestion vintage 30's so i wouldnt expect it to sound much different then 19060 AV cab.

As I mentioned above, the marshall has G12-75s and the mesa has v30s which are very different sounding speakers, in addition to that the mesa standard cabs are larger than either the mesa traditional or normal marshall cabs which of course also changes the sound. So sorry to disagree but, these two options do sound very very different indeed - with the mesa cab presenting a noticeably smoother less "brittle" sound than the marshall in my experience.

my 3c worth...

 

[jbird]

You want good advice! Buy two Celestion V30's and place them in an X pattern in the cab! One of em top left, the other lower right!

 

[Bobbypols]

dont get a recto std. , the bass will be flabby.

 

[fatboy135]

I play a triaxis and a 20/20 boogie with a 1936 and it sounds a bit british, but I think that is by the el84 tubes, I like marshall cabinets, are cheaper than mesa and souns enough good for me

 

[Botch]

You want good advice! Buy two Celestion V30's and place them in an X pattern in the cab! One of em top left, the other lower right!

Agreed. Very good advice!

 

[Marshall_Fascist]

Well first off...


The V30's in the mesa cabs are custom made to Mesa's specs. They have a heavier magnent and higher power handling than a regular V30.
So buying a Mesa cab is alot different than a marshall cab. It is going to be alot better!
However, I perfer Eminence red coat/Patriot series speakers over celestion.

 

[no soul]

You want good advice! Buy two Celestion V30's and place them in an X pattern in the cab! One of em top left, the other lower right!

I second this idea.

I have one of the old Marshall 4x12s which Jim Marshall actually signed, and Im thinking about tossing some 30s in her.

There is nothing wrong with using a Mesa amp an Marshall cabs.
I prefer that set up any day of the week. I have 2 mesa amps, and 2 marshall cabs and a whole lotta other crap, the point is Im serious about gear. I just dont care for Mesa cabs (at least the 4x12s) very much. Especially for use with a Recto, Ive always prefered Marshall 1960 cabs.
Ive almost been crucified upsidedown for saying so, but the vintage30s weak bass response + plus mesa amps heavy bass voicing =s flub. Throw some G12t75s in the mix, and we have a different story.

 

[no soul]

Well first off...


The V30's in the mesa cabs are custom made to Mesa's specs. They have a heavier magnent and higher power handling than a regular V30.
So buying a Mesa cab is alot different than a marshall cab. It is going to be alot better!

prove it

 

[fatboy135]

about the origins of the celestion speakers mounted on marshall cabs and boogie cabs is another topic, please refer to it and leave your opinion

 

[Marshall_Fascist]

prove it

It's all over mesa's site and I have talked to Mike B several times for long periods of time. I will give a example right off their site.

1x12 Rectifier Cabinet Design

Additional Features:
1x12, 70 Watts, Closed Back, V30 Speaker, 8 Ohms

Dimensions: 18-5/16in x 18-11/16in x 14in Weight: 46lbs

Ummm....

A regular V30 has a power handling of 60 watts. Do the math and you will find out that this is true for all their recto cabs.(4x12, 2x12 etc) Point taken, a regular V30 is not the same as a one in a recto cab. They made for Mesa's specs which they wanted more head room and low end.

 

[no soul]

prove it

It's all over mesa's site and I have talked to Mike B several times for long periods of time. I will give a example right off their site.

1x12 Rectifier Cabinet Design

Additional Features:
1x12, 70 Watts, Closed Back, V30 Speaker, 8 Ohms

Dimensions: 18-5/16in x 18-11/16in x 14in Weight: 46lbs

Ummm....

A regular V30 has a power handling of 60 watts. Do the math and you will find out that this is true for all their recto cabs.(4x12, 2x12 etc) Point taken, a regular V30 is not the same as a one in a recto cab. They made for Mesa's specs which they wanted more head room and low end.

no, I meant that its better.
If you think a 10w difference is going to be huge on a speaker...

 

[chennie]

No, Mesa/celestion v30 are the same as celestion v30. The difference is just another label and different power ratings. The latter is because the power rating of a speaker is not only dependable of its own construction, but also of its housings: the cabint (volume, construction, baffle size etc)
Due to mesa cab construction, it is possible to rate the mesa/celestion v30 higher. But it is the same. Really.

 

[jbird]

Actaully, Mesa uses 8ohm Celsetion V-30's still made in England! Most other cabs are loaded with 16ohm Chinese made Celestion V-30's! There is according to Mesa's Doug West a noticable difference: a crisper attack and tighter sound! Refer to the June '05 issue of GP, the Stilleto review!

 

[Marshall_Fascist]

no, I meant that its better.
If you think a 10w difference is going to be huge on a speaker...

It can be a big difference. The magnent is also several Oz heavier.
Did I prove it to you yet? I was just throwing out useful info, so what is the challange for?

 

[Marshall_Fascist]

No, Mesa/celestion v30 are the same as celestion v30. The difference is just another label and different power ratings. The latter is because the power rating of a speaker is not only dependable of its own construction, but also of its housings: the cabint (volume, construction, baffle size etc)
Due to mesa cab construction, it is possible to rate the mesa/celestion v30 higher. But it is the same. Really.

that can't be anymore wrong.

Actaully, Mesa uses 8ohm Celsetion V-30's still made in England! Most other cabs are loaded with 16ohm Chinese made Celestion V-30's! There is according to Mesa's Doug West a noticable difference: a crisper attack and tighter sound! Refer to the June '05 issue of GP, the Stilleto review!

You can't be anymore right.

 

[no soul]

no, I meant that its better.
If you think a 10w difference is going to be huge on a speaker...

It can be a big difference. The magnent is also several Oz heavier.
Did I prove it to you yet? I was just throwing out useful info, so what is the challange for?

because you claimed its a lot better, so I asked you to prove it.
All you did was tell me things I already knew.