Anyone using a high gain head and open back cabs??

[Lampshade1973]

I asked this on TGP but its the wrong forum as this is the High gain forum, anyway anyone using a 5150 or 6505 etc..with an open back cab or partially open back?? opinions if you do??

 

[cardinal]

It sounds good, particularly if the cab is somewhat close to a wall, unless you tune down. Then it can turn boomy real fast.

 

[Brandon Breeze]

I've never been a fan of open back cabs with high gain, and I've tried loose all bottom end tightness, to me defeating the ourpose of high gain. IMO you use open back for lower gain stuff,mor to get more volume than you have currently

 

[some dude]

I've done it with a Mark V. It sounds pretty good, tracks super fast and produces a decent amount of low end, but it doesn't have that closed back thump.

In a perfect world I think I'd use closed back for rhythm and open back for clean and lead.

 

[TrueTone500]

Depends on the amp, cabinet, and drivers... A Boogie Mark IIC+ 1x12 combo, loaded with an EVM is sure to please. That said, I'm running my 100 watt head into a matching 2x12 semi-open pine cabinet, and I don't like the sound. Pair that same cabinet with a Vox AC30, and it's the sound of (now here's a term...) angels dancing on clouds!

 

[RockyStar]

I have never had a good experience in doing so in any scenario. Closed back for gain tones, open back is nice for cleans and very very slight dirt IMO.

 

[motomoto]

A frind of mine uses a 2x12 Orange open back with a 5150, a krankenstein and a Mark II with quite impresive results.
The cab is close to the wall and the room is bedroom size.

 

[Dopethrone]

it depends, as said, what you're looking for. there's a certain "sound" (for fear of using any of the apparently wayyy overused adjectives cited in another thread, i wont say any of them!) that you get...it depends if you like it. some would call it farty sounding, and some would say it fills the room better than a closed back, and disperses better.

personally, i dont like an open back cab for higher gain either, BUT, in a stereo setup, or 2 amp setup, i have used the open back on the cleaner amp, and the closed traditional setup on the higher gain amp. for recording and gigging purposes. phase, as usual, can be an issue too with different amps.

nothing to hurt by trying.

 

[JerEvil]

I am actually looking at a Splawn oversized 1x12 with semi-open back. This is for my Kemper. Most tones I use aren't any heavier than Ratt/Dokken type tones. My Jet City 1x12 w/V30 was not cutting it.

 

[xGYPSYx]

I can say definitively that as far as output from the speaker, open back has less. Perceived volume...that's all subjective. Try this, mic your closed back cab with a loop playing or just doing a straight chug...have someone remove the back while you record. Watch your levels drop.

There's no perfect recipe but in general, a closed back cab is going to deliver more thump and (iirc) be slightly darker than open back (as well as louder at the driver.)

Some high gain tones sound great through open back though....all depends on what makes your ears go all a dance party.

 

[firejack]

Combine them for the best of both worlds; use a closed-back 2x12 on the bottom, and an open-back 2x12 up top.
IME this gives you the best qualities from each cab for any application.

 

[halebox]

I started using and oval open back dumble style 2x12 with my slo and its the best it's sounded

 

[Racerxrated]

Combine them for the best of both worlds; use a closed-back 2x12 on the bottom, and an open-back 2x12 up top.
IME this gives you the best qualities from each cab for any application.

This. I had an old school Mesa 4x12 with the EVs on bottom, C90s on top. Top was open. Sounded nice with the Deliverance and Mesa MKIII I had at the time, both set with gain up high. Tightness was there but also really filled the room in a different way than my closed back cabs. My son has that cab now..so I can go grab it when I want..

 

[xGYPSYx]

Combine them for the best of both worlds; use a closed-back 2x12 on the bottom, and an open-back 2x12 up top.
IME this gives you the best qualities from each cab for any application.

Even cooler, set them up left and right of you, a few feet out so you are the tip of the triangle and aim them at your ears........dear god....what your brain does at that point is nothing short incredible.

 

[blackba]

Combine them for the best of both worlds; use a closed-back 2x12 on the bottom, and an open-back 2x12 up top.
IME this gives you the best qualities from each cab for any application.

This. I had an old school Mesa 4x12 with the EVs on bottom, C90s on top. Top was open. Sounded nice with the Deliverance and Mesa MKIII I had at the time, both set with gain up high. Tightness was there but also really filled the room in a different way than my closed back cabs. My son has that cab now..so I can go grab it when I want..

I have one of those metal grill Mesa 412s. I ended up liking it best with both sections closed. The clean was better with the top open, but the r2 and lead on the mark IV just worked much better for me with both sections closed.

 

[Lampshade1973]

Having just watched some videos on youtube Im really digging the partial open back cabs, but I can see for metal riffing and chugging you need a closed back.....but it appears the loss of lows can be dialed back in with the amp possibly?

 

[aftec]

I'm gigging regularly with an EVH5153 100watter and a Framus semi open back cab with 2 V30 in it. CB212 is the name if I remember correctly. You can remove approx 1/3rd of the top section. Love it. Not as good as the EVH 4x12, but does the job in a lot smaller package.