What Cab?

[Re_e_ve_s]

Hey guys, I'm looking to get a head/cab amp... ever only ever used solid state 😳🤫... and a line 6 for that matter... anyway looking to get low watt heads like the DSL 1R... tiny terror or micro terror (not sure about the hybrid tho)

but before I buy the head I was going to search out cabs... now I play in my basement, do not gig so I do not need any 412's... I want to get a 212 (basically they look better and more full sound) but i am not opposed to a 112... so anyway...

was wondering if i should grab a cheaper cab like the

Bugera 212TS Classic 160W 2x12 or the Marshall MX212AR 2x12 Angled and swap out the speakers for the V30'sat a later date.

not looking to spend a tonne as again I play in my basement only... any help would be great!!!

play hard rock "metal"... BLS BB Godsmack Disturbed Monster Truck Zep etc

thanks

[Re_e_ve_s]

Maybe even the Harley Benton G212 Vintage?

[daddymack]

with a low wattage head, why do you feel the need of a 2x12?

A1x12 cab should be more than adequate [or a 1x10 with a really good speaker], and the key is the efficiency of the speaker, not the size or how many.

[Re_e_ve_s]

From reviews on other sites I believe the 212 will give a more full sound. I've never owned a head/cab so do not know personally. Also I like the look of the 212 better.

[daddymack]

At the wattage you are considering, I honestly wouldn't bother with a 2x12...plus, you are playing in your basement....how full a sound do you think you need?

I realize you are used to mediocre solid state amps, but I think when you try something like a Tiny Terror, you will realize a single speaker is plenty. YMMV, and it is your money and your tinnitus...

[Re_e_ve_s]

I was considering the Marshall DSL 1hr the tiny terror Bugera G5 or the micro dark just not sure which...

I'm not opposed to a 112 just looking for opinions and options

[Phil O'Keefe]

You can drive a 2x12 with a one watt head, so if that's what you prefer, there's no reason why you can't go that route, but as Daddymack said, a single 12" is more than enough for home practice with a amp head like that. The speaker efficiency rating will be what determines how loud the rig will be able to get - even using the same 1W head, you can get quite a bit of variance in volume, depending on what speaker(s) you use with it.

[DeepEnd]

Look around for a used cab of some sort. 4X12's aren't very popular these days and you can probably find one cheap. Any head will drive it. The only issue will be getting it into your basement.

[Re_e_ve_s]

Lol.. ya a 412 is too big for my use.

A 112 is enough but I like the look of the 212 🤷‍♂️

[WRGKMC]

The thing to keep in mind is, the bigger the cab, the air that needs to be moved to get the speakers moving. Bass response is usually much greater too.

 

If the head is small, its likely got a tone stack that's voiced to make a small speaker sound bigger then it actually is by scooping the mids a bit. When you connect it to a larger cab, you typically find the head has too much bass and lacks the power to get the speakers moving enough to sound good.

 

My advice is when dealing with low wattage heads, avoid buying speakers that are more then double the amps wattage. You'll find the sound is overly tame when the speakers are barely moving. Ideally you want to power the speakers with at least 1/4 to 1/3 of their maximum RMS levels and will sound best when they are between 50% and 100% RMS match.

 

Typically people don't run their amps maxed out, but if you do then having some reserve wattage is simply a safety factor. Double the RMS is more then enough plus it allows you to run a louder head at some point. You'll get the most tone and aggressiveness from a speaker matching the wattage and even a little drive from the speaker cone itself which can sound amazing in comparison to Preamp and power amp distortion.

 

If you're getting one of those Orange amps, you'll likely get the best tones with the matching cabs. If I was building a head I'd tweak the tone stack to make the amp sound its best with the matching cab. How the amp winds up sounding with other cabs is pure pot luck. There are so many different speakers and cab types you cant possibly build one amp that sounds good through all of them. Ideally you should get the ideal tone with all your EQ settings in the center and then you have plenty of range up or down to tweak it for different guitar and pickup types.

 

I have at least a dozen different cabs at home from 8" all the way up to a full 8X12 stack. Matching a head to the cab/speakers is always a challenge. If I were to guess you'll get your best tones from those little orange amps from a single 12" or a 2X10" cab. The 160W cab for a 15 or 20W head is overkill and I suspect you'll loose some of the tone you're trying to obtain in the process.

 

I suggest you buy the head first, then take it to a music shop and try it out on some cabs (or maybe a shop in your area has the head and different cabs to try out. No sense in buying something that doesn't work well together. you may like the look of big tires on a small car, but if they don't fit on the rims, what good are they. same thing with amps and cabs. Make sure they work together and you wont regret spending the money on them.

[DeepEnd]

A Vintage 30, for example, is going to sound pretty much the same no matter what cab it's in. Guitar amps don't produce much below 150 Hz or so. If you do find your amp producing too much bass, that's what EQ controls are for. A really cheap amp might be EQ'ed for extra bass but a quality head won't be. Sure, if your amp is putting out 1 Watt each speaker in a 4X12 will receive 1/4 Watt but those four speakers are also working together. Any used guitar cab that hasn't been trashed will work fine for what you need. In the case of Orange amps, for example, most of their cabs use Celestion Vintage 30's, from the 1X12 to the 4X12, which means it doesn't matter that much which cab. Another random cab with Vintage 30's will produce similar if not identical results.