Avatar 4x12 vs Mesa 4x12

[GuitarGuy]

I'm in the process of upgrading my gigging rig and I'm trying to decide which cab to go with. Anyone have any experience with the Avatar cabs? I've been looking at their cabs vs a traditional Recto Cab. I've always like the sound of the traditional Recto, but I'm having a hard time spending the $$ on a new cab. I've been looking for a used cab, but not having much luck in my neck of the woods. Anyway, I'm wondering if Avatar is a viable alternative. Thoughts?

 

[Johnson]

I have heard really good things about the Avatar cabs here (although I've never heard one my self). I'm not sure what area your from, but I would scour craigslist for a good deal on a mesa 4x12. I've seen quite a few in the Baltimore/DC area in the past few months for $400-500 dollar price range, which isn't too bad.

 

[Anonymous]

I imagine that an Avatar cab and a Mesa cab would sound exactly the same with the same speakers. I mean think about it; same dimensions, same wood, and same speakers. It's not like the Mesa has any "magic" wood that makes it sound better than anything else. The only difference you'll see really is the build quality, which I imagine would be better on the Mesa.

If I were you, I'd just look for a used Mesa cab for the same price as a new Avatar one.

 

[RawkerMan]

I've owned an Avatar and currently own a Mesa Traditional cabinet.

Standard Avatar cabinets with 70W V30's don't have as much bottom end, and aren't as smooth in the highs as a Mesa Traditional.

Personally, I attribute this to three things:

-internal volume of the cabinet
-grille cloth and cabinet covering
-materials and assembly techniques

I was leaning toward the Vintage Avatar cab because it has similar dimensions to the Bogner Ubercab, but I was able to pick up a Mesa Traditional for only $500. If you're going to buy an Avatar, I would suggest shelling out for the Vintage cab.

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

Sorry for the surprise, but there is a difference between the Mesa and Avatar cabs.

I owned a Avatar 4x12, and then upgarded to a Traditional Mesa 4x12.

In one word...IMMEDIATE Difference.

Build does make a difference on how the cabinet sounds and reacts. The Mesa sound bigger, clearer, and smoother. The Celestions in it are also custom made for Mesa, and have 10 more watts to each speaker (in the older models...I believe they recently phased this out).

If you can, go for the Mesa. It's worth the cost.

 

[petrucci111]

Mesa cabs look better :lol:

 

[madryan]

I have the Avatar Vintage Oversized 212 and it's great. It's closed back and has one V30 and one C90. Sounds bigger and better than the Marshall 1960 I used to play through. Much easier to lug around than most 412's. That being said, my Mesa 212 sounds killer also, but it's an open back so I really can't compare them.

If you go with the Avatar make sure to take advantage of the fact that you can mix the speakers.

 

[chemten]

if you do get an avatar, don't forget to buy casters for it. they don't come with them.

 

[cellardweller]

I have two Avatar 2x12's and am satisfied but I do not have a basis for comparison against Mesa cabs....

However, if I'd spent 2x as much buying a mesa cab...I'd be inclined to believe it sounded better :lol:

YMMV.

 

[sixtonoize]

I'm firmly convinced that spending more on a cab doesn't get you a better sound. A different sound, certainly...but not necessarily better.

A Mesa traditional cab SOUNDS bigger because it IS bigger. It's got an inch in ALL of the dimensions, and (obviously), that extra air volume leads to a bigger bass response. That doesn't mean that the cabinet sounds BETTER...just bassier.

Now, Mesa puts a lot of time into making their cabs, and they certainly DO put out some quality gear, and it holds its value EXTREMELY well. However, Avatar ALSO puts a lot of time into their cabs. I have one of their 2x12 bass cabs, and it's made VERY well. Personally, I think that Avatar gear is a great value for the dollar. It's well-made and very well-priced.

Now, don't think that ALL cheap speaker cabs are as good as all expensive cabs. My first two 4x12s were Crate (I was young and stupid), and I have friends who bought Marshall MG-series cabs. I don't know anyone, however, who's hung onto their cheaply-made cabs for more than 2 years. Why? because there's a certain level of quality that's necessary before a speaker cabinet can really perform. All of the cabs I've mentioned in this paragraph were cheaply-made and sounded BAD. They were absolutely NOT worth the money that was spent on them, and, as a result, they had very low resale value.

So, do your research. Avatar makes great stuff, and it's backed up my thousands of positive reviews. Crate does not. Avatar cabs sound different than Mesa cabs, which sound different than VHT cabs, which sound different than Diezel cabs. Don't let anyone talk you into buying Mesa gear because this is a Mesa forum, and Mesa gear costs more. The cab that's the best for you depends on what amp you're playing, and what you want to hear come out of your speakers.

 

[GuitarGuy]

Thanks for all of the feedback. I decided to go with the Avatar and a mix of Hellatone 30s and 60s in a stereo cab. We'll see how the triaxis and 50/50 sound through there in a couple of days. I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

[kmanick]

I run my rectoverb thru a mesa recto 2X12 cab and an Avatar 2X12 cab loaded with Mesa C90's. (I bought the cab empty and scored the speakers on Ebay). They do sound different but I would attribute that more to the V30's vs C90's than the cabs themselves. I've owned several Avatar cabs (all 2X12's) and liked them all.
I've never owned an Avatar 4 X 12 or a mesa 4 X 12 so I can't comment on those but the Avatar 4X12 cabs don't seem to get the glowing reviews that the 2X12 cabs do.

 

[mikeymike]

Now, Mesa puts a lot of time into making their cabs, and they certainly DO put out some quality gear, and it holds its value EXTREMELY well. However, Avatar ALSO puts a lot of time into their cabs. I have one of their 2x12 bass cabs, and it's made VERY well. Personally, I think that Avatar gear is a great value for the dollar. It's well-made and very well-priced.

I don't know anyone, however, who's hung onto their cheaply-made cabs for more than 2 years. Why? because there's a certain level of quality that's necessary before a speaker cabinet can really perform. All of the cabs I've mentioned in this paragraph were cheaply-made and sounded BAD. They were absolutely NOT worth the money that was spent on them, and, as a result, they had very low resale value.

Avatar doesn't make their cabs in their building they're outsourced. Look it up.
From their FAQ:

" FAQ's

Please read before emailing questions. Thanks.

1. Can you make a custom cab for me? Sorry no, because we have our cabs made for us and our cab suppliers only do large production runs so the cabinets are only available as they appear in the website. "

Crate and MG cabs suck not because of their construction (although i'm sure that has some role in it) but because of the garbage *** speakers they put in them. I know.. I have 2 crate 4x12s and a mesa recto oversize 4x12. The speakers are what make the biggest difference.

 

[sixtonoize]

Ok...then whoever makes the cabs for Avatar does a **** good job. I don't care where the're made - they're good quality.

And for what you'd put into a Crate or MG cab AND swapping the junk speakers for something good, you could have easily bought a Mesa cab. The difference is that a Mesa cab will have a good resale value, and a Crate cab will not, regardless of the speakers inside.

 

[siggy14]

I think you are thinking of the oversized mesa cab, the traditional size cabs are just that, traditional in size like a marshall cab etc... If they are actually bigger then the avatar then it is because avatar is making there cabinets smaller then traditional size.

A Mesa traditional cab SOUNDS bigger because it IS bigger. It's got an inch in ALL of the dimensions, and (obviously), that extra air volume leads to a bigger bass response. That doesn't mean that the cabinet sounds BETTER...just bassier.

 

[sixtonoize]

That's exactly what I said.

 

[mikeymike]

Ok...then whoever makes the cabs for Avatar does a **** good job. I don't care where the're made - they're good quality.

And for what you'd put into a Crate or MG cab AND swapping the junk speakers for something good, you could have easily bought a Mesa cab. The difference is that a Mesa cab will have a good resale value, and a Crate cab will not, regardless of the speakers inside.

Well Celestion v30's are 109 bucks a piece. It's cheaper to put good speakers in a crate cab than to buy a mesa 4x12. New mesa 4x12's are $899. Yes it will hold it's value but it isn't cheaper. You can pick up a used mesa 4x12 for around $550 to $600 bucks on craigslist or ebay. If someone didn't have the money to buy a mesa cab i'd tell them to put good speakers in their crappy cab.. but if they can spare the extra 150 200 dollars then go ahead and get the mesa cab but it will be used and not new...

 

[sixtonoize]

I didn't say it was cheaper...it said it was comparable.

A used Crate cab usually goes for $150-$200. Add $440 to that for speakers, and you're at $590-$640.

It's not too hard to find a Mesa cab in my area for around $500, and if you want to wait, you can occasionally find one for less than $400.

So tell me which is the better deal.

 

[mikeymike]

I didn't say it was cheaper...it said it was comparable.

A used Crate cab usually goes for $150-$200. Add $440 to that for speakers, and you're at $590-$640.

It's not too hard to find a Mesa cab in my area for around $500, and if you want to wait, you can occasionally find one for less than $400.

So tell me which is the better deal.

The mesa is a better deal if you're telling someone who doesn't have any cabs dude. But if you already have the crate cab then it's cheaper to get the speakers.

 

[Zoomzilla]

One main difference between the Avatar and say like a Marshall and possibly mesa is that the Celestion speakers used in the Avatars are made in China. The speakers used in the Marshalls are made in England. I cannot tell you what if any difference it makes, but that is one thing that people tend to forget when looking at an Avatar cabinet. I am going to guess that the tone is quite different. The only reason I say that is if you look at 2 cabs with the same specs, the Marshall is 1079 and the avatar is 488. Before you flame me, I realize you are paying for the Marshall name, but retail on most speakers are 100 and up. Well do you think that the cab only cost them a small amount. Again, I also realize that they are not paying retail, they are paying wholesale, but dude must not make much money on his Avatars then. They are much cheaper for a reason. The quality is not as good as a Mesa or Marshall. I am not saying it makes it Terrible, but that is the main difference.