Mark IV combo with Thiele or 3/4 back?

[Monsta-Tone]

I have found some tones that I really like on my Mark IV. But......

I have the narrow body combo, which sounds a little boxy and thin.
I will most likely need to ad a cabinet under it.

I have a 1x12 narrow body half back cab w/C-90 - This cabinet pretty much sounds just like the combo cab. Great, but small, not enough bass response.
- I have tried an EVM 12L in this cab too, but it did not sound very good at all. Too narrow and focused. I'm not really a fan of the EV speaker. The cleans are just too tight and stiff for the volumes that I play at. I have no place to really open up the amp and move the EV cone like it should move. This speaker wants to be loud!

I have a 1x12 Stiletto closed back cab w/Vintage 30 - This cabinet really helps ad bass, but is muddy sounding.
- I might try a C-90 in it though......Most guys swear that V 30's sound way better in a closed back than the C-90.

So.....I need to keep a super small footprint, but sound freakishly huge at tiny venue volumes......

Should I go with:
Thiele w/EV speaker
Thiele w/C-90 speaker
1x12 Wide body open back w/C-90
1x12 Wide body closed back w/C-90
2x12 3/4 back

Other things to consider:
I do not like closed back cabinets for clean tones. They just seem too muffled and lack sparkle.
I do not want a 4x12.
I play lots of sparkly cleans, bluesy cleans & leads, and super heavy Incubus, Rush, Santana inspired tones with gobs of distortion.
I want to hear every note in every chord.
I use a lot of harmonics and sustain/feedback.
I need to be able to achieve great sustain/feedback and sparkly cleans at a reasonable volume.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[major7th]

Nothing better than the old metal grill vertical 2x12 thiele bottom EV with open top, c90 or vintage 30!

Loving mine!, thanks rvschulz!

I play mostly R&B, funk, jazz, and rock.

Lots of Chicago, earth wind and fire, tower of power, and rage against the machine!

This cab does it all. Really great at the single note funk stuff, each note is thick and powerful, even with the Tom Anderson in split coil mode.

I've been playing mark I've for 15 years, like the recto 1x12 for small gigs as well.

 

[lockbody]

Mark IV combo w/ C90 + EVM-12L Thiele = magic

I never use my 4x12 Halfback anymore, I don't miss it one iota, and I'm not sure if I'm going to be in a band anytime soon that I need that 4x12 for "the look", so I think it's going to hit the chopping block.

For me, that combo/Thiele pair sounds great at "Don't wake Mama and the kids" volume, to hanging with either of the two power drummers I know. Just keep in mind it's not a 4x12, and they aren't going to sound like one, and you can get some really choice sounds out of them.

Oh, the 2x12 isn't really a Thiele, although they do sound nice.

 

[Tuna141]

I have my Mark V combo sitting on a 1x12 3/4-back cab w/C90. It sounds a lot better than just the combo alone, but it's still not perfect. The 3/4 cab can get a little woofy and doesn't have a lot of thump.

Like you, I also tried a Thiele (compact model) and that didn't really float my boat either. If I was going to buy a new cab for the Mark V, and money wasn't a factor, I'd probably try a full-size Thiele which seems like it would work a little better and would fit under the Mark V well. I'd like to pick-up a used one myself at some point, but they are not that easy to find.

 

[igfraso]

Tuna141,

I assume you have a Mark V combo with a C90 speaker in it. You say you would pair it with a full-size Thiele.

Wide Thieles come from factory with a C90 speaker. What speaker would you use in there... would you keep the C90 or change it to an EVM12L?

Thanks and regards

 

[igfraso]

Has anybody tried the "Wide Thiele" with an EVM 12L speaker and compared it with the factory C90 speaker?

 

[Tuna141]

I assume you have a Mark V combo with a C90 speaker in it. You say you would pair it with a full-size Thiele.

Wide Thieles come from factory with a C90 speaker. What speaker would you use in there... would you keep the C90 or change it to an EVM12L?

Yes, my Mark V has the stock C90.

I have never actually played through a wide body Thiele. But since it is physically bigger than the compact Theile, I assume it will give a bigger sound too. It would also fit better under the Mark V combo than a compact Thiele which is narrower.

I presently have three compact Thieles. Two of these have EV's and one has with a C90. I have EV's in my Mark IIC, III, and IV (all combos). From experience, the EV12L sounds slightly more punchy and cutting/clearer than the C90. Therefore, I assume the wide body Thiele sounds good with the C90, but would probably sound even better in wth an EV, especially if you are looking for some thump.