Choosing a cab - advice needed!

[hhcave]

Hi,

Basically im going to pull the trigger on a Mesa/Boogie F-50 head and i know nothing about cabinets so i've made a list of the ones in the shop that i can get hold of and could you suggest one? Because i will only be using it for home use i would prefer a 2x12 but there were only 2 2x12s there. The choices are:

Marshall 1960 A (or B) 4x12

Fender MH 4x12

Genz Benz ts212bk 2x12

Marshall tslc212 2x12

Please suggest which one i should get!


PS: Im pretty sure im going for the F-50 but i haven't tried the Rect-o-verb or the Stilletto Ace so if anyone feels that one of these amps are notably better than the F-50 please say so! (I'm looking for a simple, fairly versatile amp with both nice cleans as well as high gain, though i mainly play metal i also venture in Jazz-fusion and instrumental rock... Oh and i did NOT like the sound of the gain on the Dual Rectifier Roadster - i way prefer the gain on the F-50)

[maverickf1jockey]

Marshall cabinets are somewhat of an acquired taste, judging on people's opinions of them. They would be recommended if you really are going to crank the thing and you feel the amp lacks treble.
Fender cabs would be quite bright as far as I can tell from when I've heard them.
Don't know anything about Genz Benz.

What budget have you got?
I ask because it would be possible to use an Orange (Black tolexed if you would prefer) which would be better (looking and sounding) and cheaper than a MESA cab but are still quite pricey (worth it IMO).

[noodleplugerine]

Not sure about the Genz Benz numbering system - But the G Flex is meant to be an amazing cabinet.

[shaman]

before I bought anything, play the Stiletto Ace first!!!!it may cure your tonal quest
the gb cabs,esp. the 2x12 ported cab, is well liked by many a boogieman
-the speaker will be a key ingredient , but I cannot brag enough about the Thiele designed 1x12,as seen here-

its amazing how one of these puppies sounds like a 4x12-its all about the port!!

[ailean]

I have an orange 4x12 and I love it. I would say if you can fit a 4x12 in your room then go for it, I just don't think you can beat the sound of 4 speakers pushing air. Added bonus is that if you ever do want to jam / gig with it you've got a cab that will give you presence (if you can get some one to help carry the thing!). Check the dimentions, I know the Orange is a small cab for a 4x12, might be a factor?

I have heard that marshall cab construction can be off, but I'd do more research on that before I pulled the trigger.

I doubt that any of those choices will disappoint, and if you are anything like me you will always wonder if you should have bought another no matter how happy you are with what you have.

[Will]

I am not in a position to compare about cab construction, but I would seriously question the speakers in the Marshall cab. To me atleast, they are very harsh, and you either live with that, or take out a lot of treble from your sound (this is G12T 75's).. No experience with V30s, but if you are going for the bog standard 1960, you may want to include a larger budget for speakers.

[hhcave]

Hmmm, well i do have access to orange cabs and they are definately cheaper than the Mesa Recitifer 4x12!
Would a mesa amp go well with an orange cab? Hmm either the 4x12HP or the 1x12 if money is an issue...

So yeah sounds like the most popular choice is the orange then?

[maverickf1jockey]

Hmmm, well i do have access to orange cabs and they are definately cheaper than the Mesa Recitifer 4x12!
Would a mesa amp go well with an orange cab? Hmm either the 4x12HP or the 1x12 if money is an issue...

So yeah sounds like the most popular choice is the orange then?

Orange cabs go with most things, especially where you want a midsy thump and MASSIVE bass resonance and a MESA should be just that.

My experience is limited to the 1x12" but if the rest of the range is anything alike you are going to have IMMENSE projection and clarity.

I cannot recommend them enough.

As to the speakers in Marshall cabs I believe it has more to do with being open backed (and therefore needing to be at a high volume before they find their proper singing point) than the quality of the speakers; My Orange has a GH and it is anything but trebly due to the closed back.

[hamfist]

Hmmm, well i do have access to orange cabs and they are definately cheaper than the Mesa Recitifer 4x12!
Would a mesa amp go well with an orange cab? Hmm either the 4x12HP or the 1x12 if money is an issue...

So yeah sounds like the most popular choice is the orange then?

Bear in mind that virtually any 4x12 is pretty much impossible to load in and out of a car on your own. The Orange 2x12 is a particularly large and heavy 2x12, and is virtually a heavy as some 4x12's.
    From the list you gave at the beginning, Personally, I would be most interested in the Genz benz 2x12. It will be very well constructed. However, the speakers (Emi Private Jacks) are greenback copies, and not ideal for metal.
  For someone who doesn't have roadies, I always recommend 2x12s. They have reasonable portability, yet are still gutsy enough to gig comfortably with. For metal and heavy rock you need a closed back cab (or a ported cab). Open backs do not have the "thunk" required.
  The TSLC212 cab you mentioned is really not bad at all. It has good speakers, and is several tiumes better than a Marshall 1936 or 1922 2x12 cab.

  BTW, what is your budget for a cab ?  If you have plenty of cash, I'd be looking at a Bogner oversized 2x12, or a Dr.Z 2x12, or a THD 2x12. The THD in particular is a great combination of size, presence and portability - thoroughly recommended.  The Marshall 2061CX is another very, very nice 2x12, which is easily available.

[HTH AMPS]

Hmmm, well i do have access to orange cabs and they are definately cheaper than the Mesa Recitifer 4x12!
Would a mesa amp go well with an orange cab? Hmm either the 4x12HP or the 1x12 if money is an issue...

So yeah sounds like the most popular choice is the orange then?

Bear in mind that virtually any 4x12 is pretty much impossible to load in and out of a car on your own. The Orange 2x12 is a particularly large and heavy 2x12, and is virtually a heavy as some 4x12's.
    From the list you gave at the beginning, Personally, I would be most interested in the Genz benz 2x12. It will be very well constructed. However, the speakers (Emi Private Jacks) are greenback copies, and not ideal for metal.
  For someone who doesn't have roadies, I always recommend 2x12s. They have reasonable portability, yet are still gutsy enough to gig comfortably with. For metal and heavy rock you need a closed back cab (or a ported cab). Open backs do not have the "thunk" required.
  The TSLC212 cab you mentioned is really not bad at all. It has good speakers, and is several tiumes better than a Marshall 1936 or 1922 2x12 cab.

  BTW, what is your budget for a cab ?  If you have plenty of cash, I'd be looking at a Bogner oversized 2x12, or a Dr.Z 2x12, or a THD 2x12. The THD in particular is a great combination of size, presence and portability - thoroughly recommended.  The Marshall 2061CX is another very, very nice 2x12, which is easily available.

you mean you physically can't load a 4x12 in/out the car? :?  They're heavy for sure, but I don't have that much problem - even carrying one up a flight of stairs ain't too bad.  Now a Fender Twin with JBLs or EVs, thats a heavy amp (ouch!!!)

I'd personally order a 4x12 from Matamp with their old vintage styling and load it with G12H-30s or G12M-65s.

[hamfist]

you mean you physically can't load a 4x12 in/out the car? :?  They're heavy for sure, but I don't have that much problem - even carrying one up a flight of stairs ain't too bad.  Now a Fender Twin with JBLs or EVs, thats a heavy amp (ouch!!!)

I'd personally order a 4x12 from Matamp with their old vintage styling and load it with G12H-30s or G12M-65s.

HTH, you're obviously stronger than I. Even in my prime, I wouldn't have wanted to carry a 4x12 up a flight of stairs.  I'd actually rather carry a twin or an AC30 combo because, even though they are heavier than a 4x12, they are a slightly more convenient shape to lug around - easier for me anyway.

I do have chronic problems with tendonitis in my hands and wrists though, so I do have to be more careful than most.  Some cars are also a lot easier to load than others. In general though, for me, I've always considered 4x12's more hassle than they are worth. I've also never played in a really super loud heavy rock/metal band either (which also may have had something to do with it !!).

 Just as an interesting aside, I went around to Rich & Sue's (Ailean & Prozacbear on the forum) house the other day. We compared his tiny terror through his Orange 1x12 and also his Orange 4x12. I was expecting a pretty big difference but, to be honest, the amp really didn't sound too much different  (at home volumes). The 4x12 was slightly fuller and deeper, but not a huge difference at all.  At gig volumes, the difference may have been more pronounced, but at home I would have been happy with the 1x12.

[hhcave]

Right, well the problem is not so much my budget rather i live in Hong Kong (study in the uk) and want an amp for hong kong and so i have limited choices because they don't stock very many brands here...

I think what i'll do is go into the shop and see if they would be able to order in an Orange 2x12 because i know they stock orange gear...
If they can't then im going to have to choose between the genz benz or the marshall...

So final decision - could you tell me what you think is the most suited for me out of:

Orange 2x12

Genz Benz 2x12 ts212bk

or Marshall 2x12 tslc212

Thanks

[hamfist]

So final decision - could you tell me what you think is the most suited for me out of:

Orange 2x12

Genz Benz 2x12 ts212bk

or Marshall 2x12 tslc212

Thanks

Not the Genz Benz - wrong speakers for you.

Out of the Marshall and the Orange, I'd go for the Orange every time (it's built better and the speakers are ideal for your style), unless portability was a big issue for you, and then I'd consider the Marshall.

  Marshall - 46 lbs,  Orange - 61 lbs !!

[noodleplugerine]

Orange cabs are AMAZING.

If you can get the ones with the K100s in - then do so - Amazing speakers.

The thing about orange which has allready been mentioned, they're amazing cabinets, but heavy as hell...

[horsehead]

just as a quick side issue, someone had a black orange pictured on here the other week, where did they get it from please...anyone?