Thinking about ditching my other cabs and getting Thieles

[Whoopysnorp]

I love the tone from my Mesa Roadready cab, but it's really a ridiculous piece of gear for somebody in my position. I am not gigging at the moment, and when I do get back into gigging there are not going to be any massive venues involved, and I don't have roadies to move this beast around for me, etc etc. I'm considering getting a couple of Mesa Thiele cabs, or maybe a Thiele cab and a half-open back 1x12. I like the 'bigness' I get from the 4x12 compared to my 2x12, which is a Lopo cab with a V30 and a G12T-75, but on the other hand the 4x12 is sitting on the floor and the 2x12 isn't. I wonder whether that might be making all the difference, and whether I'd be just as happy with a pair of 1x12s stacked vertically. I'm not trying to own the bottom end of the spectrum; that's the bass player's job. My music has some chunky palm muting in it, but it's not metal and doesn't need to have that Rectifier thump. For reference, I mainly play a Studio Pre + Simul 395 rack rig. Has anybody ever made this kind of a switch and been happy, and does anybody have any advice to give? If I can ditch both my 4x12 and my 2x12 and have a couple of cubes and still dig the tone, I will do it.

 

[GIG4FUN]

I giged for years with 4x12 cabs. Then a few open back 1x12 and 2x12 combo's and then the boogie open backed and Thiele and then the 2x12 vertical.... (I have kept all of this stuff by the way LOL) Considering my experience, I will go on to say:

I've had a lot of flavor but I just keep the closed back (2x12 or 4x12) near and dear in my pallet of best sounds for my backline. I think if you do the Thieles (a pair) you will be happy BUT don't mix it up or go to open backed at all. Keep them both closed back (front ported) and you could be happy about it. There are times I use 1 open back and 1 closed back but it is not very easy to get the same smile out of me, that's all.

My opinion, that's all.

 

[Whoopysnorp]

Good information, gig--I was basing that idea on a review I read on HC by a person who didn't think two Thieles were suitable for use together because they are so directional. I'm definitely interested in hearing other opinions on that, because my gut idea would be the two Thieles.

Alternately, I would consider doing one of the old-school metal-grille vertical 2x12s in place of the 4x12.

 

[lockbody]

I went from two 4x12s with 4xEVM, and 2xC90 and 2xMS12s, to two EVM loaded Thieles with my:

Mk IV combo w/C90
Triaxis
Roadster

And wasn't happy until I sold the Thieles and went back to a 4x12. Nothing sounds or feels like a 4x12... nothing. I won't make the mistake of selling my 4x12 again, even if it just sits unused most of the time.

That said, if I had one of those RoadReady cabs I might sell it for something like I have now, a Celestion-loaded half back. Mine is managable enough to load in the car or truck by myself, and I can even schlep it alone up and down from the basement if I have to. I'm not sure I could do it with a RoadReady.

 

[Whoopysnorp]

I'm also glad to hear that kind of opinion...I hate to let go of gear that I like, and I do like this cab (just not its mass). If I could flip it for a non-Roadready version I probably would. I may also experiment with orienting my 2x12 vertically to see if having one speaker near the floor helps out in the low end department (with the aim of seeing whether perhaps what I really want is a vertical 2x12).