Speaker Cab advice needed

[Stu]

Hi,

I'm going to be ordering a Mesa Transatlantic TA-15 Head once I have sold my existing combo on Ebay. I am looking to replace my current combo of 22Kg with a light weight head and cab rig as I have recently had back problems.

The obvious choice for the cab would be the Mesa Transatlantic Cab but I am not sure how much it weighs and can't find any details online. Any one have any idea how much these weigh? If similar to the other Mesa 1x12's I guess it will be a minimum of 12Kg.

The other option I've found is a DV Mark 1x12 cab C 112 which weighs 6.9Kg. I haven't tried this cab and don't have any experience with this make as I think its quite new from the makers of Mark Bass. It has a custom B&C Neodymium speaker.

I have tried the Mesa Cab and wondered if you think the DV Mark cab would sound much different as it is the clear winner on the weight front but might lose out on tone.

Thanks,  Stu

[Matt77]

I was using a Jensen equipped neodymium 1x12 today and it sounded pretty good next to my 1x12 with a Celestion Gold in it.
They are very light.
I'd go with Zilla or MJW for a cheap, good, light cab if you are in the UK

[Stu]

Thanks, Custom would be a good option but I really need to get a new rig sorted as soon as I sell my current amp so am ideally looking for something off the shelf. It also means better resale value if I want a change in the future given I don't have much experience with separate head and cab setups.

[Matt77]

Just looked at those DV cabs again.
Crikey that's light!
Bit steep for a 1X12 though, but then again, how much is a new back?  :)

[Stu]

Yeh, I only looked at the DV Cab as the Mesa one isn't much cheaper and is heavier so I figured if the DV sounds good then it would be the best choice due to weight.

Both Cabs are fairly expensive (Around £400) for a 1x12 and I'd be really happy if I could find a light cheaper alternative. I'm tempted to go custom if it would work out cheaper whilst staying light but I wouldn't have a clue what speaker I'd want.

I guess the Mesa is the safe bet as I've tried it but given the cost I don't want to make the wrong decision.

[dave_mc]

i haven't tried it, but thomann has a good deal on the traynor dark horse 1x12 with a greenback for around £150 at the moment. That's assuming the greenback is the speaker you'd want, and that it can handle the wattage of the transatlantic.

[Stu]

Thanks, That dark horse cab is really good value given it has a green back. Just looked on the Traynor site and unfortunately it weighs about 15kg. It seems like there's not much choice when it comes to light cabs. There's a light and cheap cab for the Vox night train but I don't think it will handle the output from the Mesa as the night train is only 15W where the Mesa is 25W.

[dave_mc]

ah ok, i forgot about the weight, sorry. :oops:

And yeah, it looks like awesome value, so much so that I want one too- made in canada, birch ply, open-backed or closed-backed and already with a decent stock speaker- if you buy a cheaper chinese-made 1x12 cab like a valve junior or vht cab and budget for the new speaker and it'd cost you more than the traynor!

[Stu]

Yeh it's amazing how similar quality products can be priced so differently depending on the badge and shop.

I've just emailed Zilla Cabs to get their advice on what they may be able to make that would be similar to the Mesa cab but hopefully lighter and cheaper if I'm lucky.

[dave_mc]

yeah, it definitely pays to shop around, especially now with the internet and places like thomann.

Good luck with the cab :)

[St.James]

 8)

[Stu]

Thanks for your input. Used would definitely be a good way to go but I have just sold my amp so will need to get a cab sorted ASAP so that I can be ready to gig but I will keep my eye on ebay etc.

Paul at Zilla Cabs has recommended the Celestion Century as a neodymium  speaker with some similar qualities to the Dark Shadow C90 in the Mesa cab made to go with the transatlantic. Any one tried this speaker? Reviews online look good.

[St.James]

 8)

[Stu]

I'm based in the UK so don't really have access to as many places for used gear unfortunately.
Thanks for the suggestions.

[St.James]

 8)