Mesa Boogie 4x12 or 2 2x12's ? sound difference?

[Sparkle]

Mesa Boogie 4x12 or 2 2x12's ? sound difference?

Looks like I am getting a Roadster in the next week or so,....

It seems boogies sound best thru boogie cabs....

So I need a 2x12 for smaller shows and a 4x12 for bigger....

I was thinking maybe getting two 2x12's instead of a 4x12....will there be a noticeable sound difference?

 

[YellowJacket]

If money is no object, get a 2 x 12 and a 4 x 12. If you have a use for a 4 x 12 get one, NOTHING sounds this big or this 'right' for distortion tones. You can even shop used since people have been unloading 4 x 12s for relative cheap.

 

[Adambomb]

^^^^ agree. Nothing sounds as big as good as a Mesa 4x12. Get a 4x12 and a 2x12. Use the 2x12 mic'd at smaller venues. The 2x12 does sound a hair more scooped in the mid range, and the 4x12 just sounds like a huge wall of luciuos guitar tones. Good to have both though.

 

[kdorsey]

^^^^ agree. Nothing sounds as big as good as a Mesa 4x12. Get a 4x12 and a 2x12. Use the 2x12 mic'd at smaller venues. The 2x12 does sound a hair more scooped in the mid range, and the 4x12 just sounds like a huge wall of luciuos guitar tones. Good to have both though.

I've stacked a pair of old Boogie 2x12s for years and they sound huge. 4 speakers are the magic ingredient, not so much in the same box. And it's easier to transport!

 

[khingpynn]

+1 on what kdorsey said... sure a 4x12 is a 4x12 and so on but at the end of the day the Mesa tone stack is very versitile...

I just changed out my rig after a year with a Roadking half stack to a Roadster 2x12 combo and a 2x12 recto cab... there is very little difference... sure there is difference but for my money the true test of any rig is the live element. If you stand in front of your 4x12 at home jamming by yourself and then take that same set up out to a full band gig it's going to sound different.
My new rig sounds very very close to my old rig and I'm hearing greater detail in the Roadster over the Roadking. I do miss the CM90 but still with the V30's in my current rig I'm very close to what I had before. In fact it cuts through with equal clarity... hell it's a Mesa right?!?! Plus the changes are subtle for the most part and certainly not negative.
When I play live and at rehearsals it's there 100%.

 

[screamingdaisy]

Two 2x12s will sound like two 2x12s and not like a single 4x12.

Reason being is that the 2x12 does sound different. The 16ohm speakers used in the 2x12 are a tad more scooped with a bit more top and bottom end than the 8ohm speakers used in 4x12, which have a bit more midrange.

Does that mean one sounds better than the other? Depends on your point of view. Andy Timmons is an example of a guy that uses two 2x12s because he likes the way they sound better than the 4x12.

Myself, I prefer the sound of the 2x12 with my Mark V and the 4x12 with my Recto. But, as mentioned earlier it's almost splitting hairs. The sound difference is there, but once the bass and drums kick in the nuances will mostly be destroyed. A Recto will still sound like a Recto, regardless of which version of the cab you're playing through.

 

[Norseman]

I have a Solo 50 and a Roadster, and I have a 2 X 12 and a 4 X 12. The Roadster just doesn't sound that good through the 2 X 12. Anyone ever heard that before?

The Solo 50 sounds fckn awesome through either ...the Roadster kicks *** all day out the 4 X 12 only though. It's way too bassy/boomy out the 2 X 12.

I was always a Marshall guy and then about 4 years ago a guy in my band let me use his Mesa Triple Rec and I was hooked. I bought the Roadster and 4 X 12 for gigging. Then I wanted to lighten the load a little so I bought a used 2 X 12. The seller would NOT sell me just the cab and insisted I buy the Solo 50, too. So I was going to put it for sale online until I played around with it. Now I use the Solo 50 + 2 X 12 for gigging and sadly the Roadster + 4 X 12 mostly sits in the studio except for like 4, 5 times a year when we play a huge room. (God willing it'll be coming out more in 2013 ...things are picking up!)

 

[screamingdaisy]

I use my Roadster with the 2x12. It doesn't sound as good as the 4x12... but it's still more than usable.

 

[Norseman]

I use my Roadster with the 2x12. It doesn't sound as good as the 4x12... but it's still more than usable.

Do you have to turn the bass all the way down? When I tried (and admittedly I only tried one time) it was SUPER bassy ...so that's why I just stick with the 4X12 when using the Roadster.

 

[screamingdaisy]

I use my Roadster with the 2x12. It doesn't sound as good as the 4x12... but it's still more than usable.

Do you have to turn the bass all the way down? When I tried (and admittedly I only tried one time) it was SUPER bassy ...so that's why I just stick with the 4X12 when using the Roadster.

I usually run the bass between 9:00 and 10:00 on the modern channel. It's a little higher on the others, but modern is the one that tends to get out of control.