Stupid Question (Mark III)

[Kid Howren]

I guess I'm still new to this, but whenever I plug my Mark III into just my 4X12 it sounds kind of muddy and bassy. I guess it's fine. However, when I plug the amp into two speakers, the sound changes drastically. It sounds more trebeley, bright, and overall just better. I don't understand why the sound would change so much just from using two speakers. Anyone who can clarify what this is all about, I'd appreciate it. I'm sure it's really basic anyway.

 

[Red Barchetta]

By nature of their design, a 4 x 12 cab is going to be "darker" or more bassy. It's a bigger enclosure, and usually closed-back, which equates to deeper bass and more low-midrange. If your 2 x 12 is an open-back or even a 3/4 back, the difference will be even more drastic.

It also depends on the kind of speakers loaded into each of the cabinets. Even if the speakers are identical in both cabinets, the situation I describe above would still apply. If they are different type speakers in each cabinet, then that introduces all kinds of variables.


The simple answer is that usually, if I change cabinets, I've gotta change EQ, and in my experience, when I jump to a 4 x 12, I usually have to cut the bass.


Hope this helped.

RB

 

[X-1]

I have found that my Red Stripe MkIII can pummel a lot of bass if attached to a 4x12 cab. As R.B. says, you will probably need to tweak the EQ when changing speaker box types.

 

[Bren10]

What two speaker cabinet are you using?

 

[Red Barchetta]

I go between the 3/4 back Road King 2x12 combo, a 2x12 closed back Marshall, or a borrowed 4x12 Recto closed back.


RB

 

[Kid Howren]

Well, I'm using a 4X12 Mesa Cabinet with Celestion 90s. The other speaker is some home made wooden one my friend gave me but it only has one 12 inch speaker. Even though it isn't that loud or great, it just completely changes the sound.

 

[Bren10]

I'm with Red Barchetta on this one. The Mesa 4x12 cabs are especially darker sounding, in my opinion. I do like the sound of them, though.

I'm assuming that the 1x12 cab that your friend made has an open back and that is why it's so much different sounding. In this case the low frequencies are partially being cancelled out and thus there's less of them to be heard making for a brighter sounding cabinet.

Anyway, you'd said that you're using two speakers? I guess you mean that you're plugging in to both cabinets (The 4x12 and the 1x12)? If this is true, then the 1x12 is probably getting a lot more juice than the speakers in the 4x12. That's probably a factor as well.

 

[Kid Howren]

Yeah, that's the thing. I haven't tried plugging through just the 1X12, but when I plug both speakers in, both the 4X12 and the 1X12, the new trebeley sound comes out of both speakers, including the 4X12. Thanks for the help by the way. This has just been bugging me. I wish I could get this sound of just my 4X12 without needing to use the 1X12. I have a 3/4 back I can put on it, but I never thought it would change the sound that much.

 

[Red Barchetta]

that trebely sound you describe when you use both cabinets may simply be a speaker phase problem. On the home-made cabinet, take the speaker jack out and reverse the wires..switch sides. this should fix that phase cancellation.



Try it and let us know....

RB

 

[Bren10]

He's right, I bet. Switching the wires on the homade cabinet is a really good idea.