Open Back Cabinet with Roadster?

[TheBlackman]

Anyone take the back off speaker enclosure of their roadster combo before? Just wondering what difference it would make. I've got the combo and a 2x12 cabinet so I'm just wondering if opening the back up will make much difference, the amp stays where we practice so i only see it once a week....i need better visitation right to that amp! At practice i have to have the extension hooked up to point at some of the band so i'm thinking opening the back up or making a 1/2 back enclosure might make some difference or at least send the sound in more directions.

 

[SonicShredder]

I never tried it with my Roadster. But I used to try and acheive heavy distorted tones from my dad's old Fender Deluxe Reverb combo. I'm not sure if it was just because that amp was open back, or if there was much more to this reasoning...but there's no way it could ever sound as tight for overdriven stuff. I find that even though I always get told that open back is better for cleans...I find John Petrucci acheives the most beautiful clean tones...and he's playing a LSC though Rectifier standard 2x12" cabs with closed backs. I say try it if you like, but you'll probably find it sounds better closed up.

 

[TheBlackman]

i'll give it a try next practice, i still would have the close-back 2x12 extension so it may just broaden the sound.......now I just have to wait til practice!

Oh, i was just remembering, doesn't the roadster 1x12 have a semi-open back? Anyone ever compare them side by side?

 

[gitbuddy]

I'm very interested in this topic too and am faced with deciding between the 1x12 (ported) and 2x12 closed Roadster combo. Would love to hear any viewpoints on sound differences.

Also, anyone know how much these babies weigh? How much is the 1x12 compared to the 2?

Cheers

 

[TheBlackman]

The 2x12 is a shade over 100 lbs, but with the side handles and castors moving it around is not too too bad. If you just buying now, go for the head though and try it with different cabinets. I still didn't get around to taking the back off.

 

[eventide_awakening]

yeah there's about 4 - 6lbs or so difference between the 2x12 and the 1x12. not a lot. however, can anyone confirm that the 1x12 has side handles as well? i thought that it does but it's been so many months since i last saw the 1x12 i can't remember if it did or didn't. i ask this because you don't want to be using the top handle only when moving these combos. i've heard others mention that continuous use will put too much pressure on the top and rip the tolex around the handle and possibly worse. i stay away from the handle on top completely.

 

[MusicManJP6]

FWIW, I love my 3/4 back 1x12 with my Roadster head. It's a very large sounding cab. It has the C90 in it. Wouldn't mind to hear a EV in it or even the 2x12 3/4 back for that matter. I bet the 2x12 would sound killer with V30's...

 

[SonicShredder]

Just a query...the Roadster is capable of putting out 100 watts. The 1x12" is only 1 CV30 speaker, which is rated for 60 watts. How is that ok?

 

[MusicManJP6]

Woah - I didn't realize that! If it is safe to run one V30 with the Roadster I might swap out my C90 for a V30! The 3/4 back cab I played through at the music store sounded killer with the V30 in it. The standard 3/4 back 1x12's come loaded with a C90. I traded a EV loaded thiele for my 3/4 back and it has the C90... Still sounds good, but the V30 really sounded better in the 3/4 back IMO.

Hopefully someone will chime in and let us know how it is safe to push a 60 watt speaker with 100 watts... I'm very interested to know now.

EDIT: Looks like the 1x12 Roadster cabs are V30 loaded as well... Must be safe!

 

[eventide_awakening]

Yeah it's safe to run mismatched lower-wattage speakers but it's not safe to run mismatched lower-impedance speaker load. The mismatched lower wattage was a big reason I went with the 2x12. Why limit yourself with a single 60 watt speaker when you can have 120 watts of speakers and better match the 100 watt poweramp section? The question may arise, "why then did they put a 100 watt amp with only a 60 watt speaker?"...well the first thing that comes to mind is that they realized you would use other speaker cabs in addition to the combo. The single speaker option would also have less surface area and move less air than the 2x12...a lower volume combo perhaps? Something to think about.

Hope all that makes some sense.

 

[domct203]

Yeah it's safe to run mismatched lower-wattage speakers but it's not safe to run mismatched lower-impedance speaker load. The mismatched lower wattage was a big reason I went with the 2x12. Why limit yourself with a single 60 watt speaker when you can have 120 watts of speakers and better match the 100 watt poweramp section? The question may arise, "why then did they put a 100 watt amp with only a 60 watt speaker?"...well the first thing that comes to mind is that they realized you would use other speaker cabs in addition to the combo. The single speaker option would also have less surface area and move less air than the 2x12...a lower volume combo perhaps? Something to think about.

Hope all that makes some sense.

+1

Besides, if you need more room filling volume you're going to add an extension cab anyway.

I'm sure that my 100W Roadster head w/4X12 moves a hell of alot more air then the 1X12 combo, and will be perceived as louder because of that even though both amps are the same output wattage.

Dom

 

[phyrexia]

You can order the cabs with C90s or V30s.

 

[Mr_You]

however, can anyone confirm that the 1x12 has side handles as well? i thought that it does but it's been so many months since i last saw the 1x12 i can't remember if it did or didn't.

My Roadster 1x12 combo came with side handles.

I found the Roadster ported 1x12 combo to be too directional and the V30 was harsh. But it may record great? I think its also partly Mesa expecting most customers wanting the V30 regardless. It seemed to match better with the C90 to my ears.

My Mesa 3/4 1x12s are over all better for me. In general they sound much larger than their size (fill the room). Most closed/ported 1x12s or 2x12s are pretty directional. So you might have to point them at your head (tilt back).

I recommend a head and 3/4 1x12 w/ C90, two of these stacked is killer.

 

[MusicManJP6]

I recommend a head and 3/4 1x12 w/ C90, two of these stacked is killer.

So I'm not alone in thinking this cab and head combo work extremely well together! I heard a 1x12 3/4 back with a V30 at a local music store and it sounded good as well with my Roadster. I traded a thiele for a C90 loaded 3/4 back after I heard the V30 loaded cab at the store...

I'd like to hear two of these cabs stacked!

 

[TheBlackman]

Ok, finally got the amp home again...14 1" drywall screws later and i got the back off, not much difference in tone overall, but what you hear in front is what you hear behind instead of a muted muffled version, so i think it's gonna stay off. The rest of the band will thank me for turning down (this thing downs out the other guys solid-state marshal head and 2 4x12 cabs!) You do lose a bit of the bottom-end rumble, but i've still got the closed back 2x12 to add that back in if i need it, but it still sounds great. I thought that back piece was glued in at first but its just a tight fit, also had the date Dec 29/06 and DQ initials written on inside of back. I'll probably just velcro it in to be able to not worry about speaker damage during transporting. Now i just have to debate over to keep the fx-loop in or not.....so many tones, so little time!

As a side note, i was using ch3 vintage, spongy, tube, 100w with everything at 3 o'clock except treble adjusted to about 1 or so, and presence at just shy of max, sounded very nice with the wolfgang, lots of clarity, also sounded good with treble down to nothing and also treble at 3 o'clock.

And I could just go on and on about the tone difference with the fx loop off.....wow! How come people without a mesa just don't get it?

 

[MusicManJP6]

Not everyone has a good ear for tone or sound quality. I admit i've had my share of solid state amps when I was first playing guitar and 'didn't know any better'. I guess being a judge of good tone comes with experience for most. It took me 15 years of playing before I found that Mesas offer some of the best tones I've ever heard and Ernie Balls help to better my tone tremendously. It wouldn't have mattered if I knew this when I was first starting anyway coz I was in high school and didn't have any money. Haha.

I swapped the C90 in my 3/4 back with the V30 in my F-30 combo and it sounds SICK now.

Don't turn off the FX loop and you won't know the difference.

 

[gumbymage]

When I got my Roadster, I had a Stiletto cab and a Recto cab. I did not like the recto cab. I saw the specs on the Roadster cab and noticed that it's basically the same cab as the stiletto (there's a thread in the forums discussing this).

I tried the Stiletto cab with the Roadster and it was good. However, when I returned the Recto cab, the guy told me they just got in two Road King cabs. So I exchanged for a Road King cab and tried it with the Roadster.

Outstanding! The RK cab sounded so much better to me. A lot fuller than the Stiletto cab. I was about to order an Avatar cab, but I don't know now. Maybe I will anyways out of curiosity.

 

[mlockett]

I love my Roadster with my 3/4 back 1x12 Mesa cab (w/C90). I also have an ENGL Vintage 4x12 with V30s. Despite a huge difference in cost, I often like the little 1x12 better. It has a more "open" sound which works very well for a lot of styles (not too good for a tight bottom though). The 3/4 back also seems to be more affected by placement in the room--no surprise there.

 

[MusicManJP6]

You should try a V30 in the 3/4 back. I think it sounds awesome.