Need advice on a 2x12 for my VH4.

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GiorgioV

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I have a 2010 VH4 that is in dire need of a cab.

When I got it I didn't realize just how big this head is. I plug it into my mesa vertical recto cab 2x12 with V30s and it's much much wider that the cab, it's ridiculous. Sounds great tho.

I don't want to buy a 4x12 because the size is overkill for the stages that I play and it's too much hassle to load in the car, I know I'd end up gigging something else instead out of laziness..

I'm looking for a big 2x12 that sounds good. Again, I love the sound of the vertical mesa, I could get the horizontal one but I'm afraid it would be hard to hear on stage.

I wanted to buy a Diezel 2x12 but they're so hard to come by used. Bogner would be a nice alternative, also with V30s.

Anybody can recommend if a Bogner OS 2x12 closed back with V30s would sound nice? Especially compared to the Mesa vertical 2x12. Or should I just go Diezel? I'd get a retro loaded anyway, I don't play much metal, mostly hard rock stuff.

Thanks!
 
Sell my 2x12 diezel Front loaded in V30 one week ago .......in France so don't be disappointed ....only reason to sell it....buy a 4x12 FL in V30 .....always heard they match particulary well together ...and have to admit that's the case and they worth the price .....
 
Pierre said:
Sell my 2x12 diezel Front loaded in V30 one week ago .......in France so don't be disappointed ....only reason to sell it....buy a 4x12 FL in V30 .....always heard they match particulary well together ...and have to admit that's the case and they worth the price .....
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The G12K-100 FL Cabs sound huge.
 
Just get a FL 4x12 and be done with it
Good to go forever . Or a Marshall BV cab
 
I know a 4x12 would flat out sound better but it's just too impractical for actual gigging.
 
I thought my G12K-100 FL sounded bad with my VH2, but V30's sounded amazing 2x12 or 4x12 - just IMO.
 
acceptance said:
The diezel? Any other manufacturers doing this configuration? Interested in the 212-FK...
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Yeah all Diezel. I know many people dig the G12K-100's. In my experience, they didn't jive the VH2. I probably shouldn't have said they sound bad. The V30's were just clearly better for what I was going for (Tool ish sounds).
 
I’ve been using a Friedman horizontal 2x12 with my VH4 for four years. Sounds fantastic and is lighter than my Diezel 4x12 (which I leave at home).
 
Friedman's very hard to come by here (I'm in Europe).

Anbody has an opinion on the ENGL pro 2x12? Sounds more mid-heavy than the Mesa.
 
Maybe look into Zilla cabs? I've a couple of Super Fatboys with 3-piece rears so can be variably opened/closed. Excellent cabs.
 
Any reason why you wouldn't just turn the veritcal 2x12 on it's side? I've done this before and it worked well. The VH4 shouldn't extend over too much, and it might be worth a test to see if you'd be ok with a horizontal 2x12 on stage. Otherwise you're going to be working with trading the sound of the mesa cab for another brand.
 
I have both the bogner OS 2x12 with v30s and the diezel OS 2x12 FL with G12k100s. I had a VHX and preferred the Diezel cab with the VHX to the Bogner.
 
platyman said:
I have both the bogner OS 2x12 with v30s and the diezel OS 2x12 FL with G12k100s. I had a VHX and preferred the Diezel cab with the VHX to the Bogner.
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What was your take on the k100's vs v30's with a Diezel head?
 
GoingDeafProbably said:
What was your take on the k100's vs v30's with a Diezel head?
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The k100 cab had more bass and was more boomy, sounded a little larger and fuller than the v30s. Seemed to do things like the intro to Stinkfist better than the Bogner.

That said, I'm a blueslawyer so take my opinion with at least a pound or two of salt. I don't have the VHX anymore so I'm just going off memory.
 
Mr. Chainsaw said:
Any reason why you wouldn't just turn the veritcal 2x12 on it's side? I've done this before and it worked well. The VH4 shouldn't extend over too much, and it might be worth a test to see if you'd be ok with a horizontal 2x12 on stage. Otherwise you're going to be working with trading the sound of the mesa cab for another brand.
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I ended up gigging the Mesa 2x12 but I'm not in love with the tone at higher volume. I felt like I had too much highs and too little lows.

I wonder if I should just get a 4x12 with V30s, either a Mesa or a Marshall 1960av.
 
platyman said:
The k100 cab had more bass and was more boomy, sounded a little larger and fuller than the v30s. Seemed to do things like the intro to Stinkfist better than the Bogner.

That said, I'm a blueslawyer so take my opinion with at least a pound or two of salt. I don't have the VHX anymore so I'm just going off memory.
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Thanks for sharing! I'm considering doing a 2x12 of just k100's for tracking, but also considering doing a 2x12 with one k100 and one v30. The fun never ends.
 
Mr. Chainsaw said:
Any reason why you wouldn't just turn the veritcal 2x12 on it's side? I've done this before and it worked well. The VH4 shouldn't extend over too much, and it might be worth a test to see if you'd be ok with a horizontal 2x12 on stage. Otherwise you're going to be working with trading the sound of the mesa cab for another brand.
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I'm surprised that Diezel doesn't have a 2x12 vert cab option from the factory. Mesa, ENGL, Friedman, and others do. IMO it is my favorite format because then the head is higher off the ground to interact with but the cab is also smaller and lighter to take gigging than a 4x12. Converting a horizontal 2x12 into a vertical one is a compromise because then you can't really have the recessed handles on the skinny side, which I love for transportation.
 
Everybody is different. I will say that I have a very specific cabinet/speaker that I prefer, and I find the sound to be a tad smoother when I use two of these 16 ohm 4x12 cabinets (instead of just one).

With that being said, if I were in your situation, I would look into a higher-wattage 2x12 where the speakers won't "move" as easily. But everyone is different, so you're going to have to experiment a little I think.

Start first by finding a 2x12 cabinet made with decent material (birch) where you can easily access the speakers to install/remove, and then you can start swapping speakers in and out until you are happy. The wood is important, but not as important as the speakers. You don't want particle board- compressed saw dust and glue doesn't resonate as well as actual wood.

Like I said- everyone is different. Very rarely does one get exactly what they are looking for the first time. It helps to be a little handy and have some mad scientist in you. For me, I found speakers to be too bright or too dark until I found something in between that could also handle the higher distortion of the VH4 without soundy abrasive/grainy.

The chase isn't necessarily better than the catch, but what is life if not just one big chase? Enjoy the tone chase!
 
GiorgioV said:
I ended up gigging the Mesa 2x12 but I'm not in love with the tone at higher volume. I felt like I had too much highs and too little lows.

I wonder if I should just get a 4x12 with V30s, either a Mesa or a Marshall 1960av.
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The Mesa V30s I heard in person are dark sounding to my ear, and in a 2x12 they are going to "move" and break up easier which will make them dark at low volume and possibly too bright and distorted when you turn up. Imagine running a 1000-watt car stereo through two speakers (instead of 10). The speakers would fatigue and wear out quick. And lose low end and warmth.

Are you mic'ing your amp playing live? If so, you can get away with a 2x12... just don't crank it up too loud and make them run proper sound to your stage monitor/ear piece.
If not, you really need to use at least one 4x12 to minimize speaker break up.

A lot of people do not like the Marshall AV/BV cabs, and they are totally different speakers depending on year of assembly. First: the V30 speakers used in them are special formula made just for Marshall... not the same as off-the shelf V30 or what goes in other V30 cabs. Second: those special-formula speakers changed in tone when they "moved" production from Ipswich, England to China around 2000. They didn't just "move"- they also localized the sourcing of materials, which changed the sound.
Third: the sound of an AV slant cab is brighter than a BV straight cab (this is true for all slant vs. straight) because the top two speakers are pointed up to your ears in an AV, which is a better representation of sound (unless you play guitar sitting crossed legged in front of your striaght cab... then you are hearing the sound straight on). In any case between the two, they sound the same when properly mic'd, but to the human ear the sound emanating from the AV will sound brighter, making it easier for you to know how much you want to trim your Treble and Presence. With a straight cab, it can sound good to your ear and then sound piercing to people standing slightly lower than you on a dance floor.

If you go with a 4x12, I recommend a slant cabinet. The brand/type is going to depend on your ear. I highly recommend you go to a decent instrument store with a variety of speaker cabinets and try them out until you find what sounds right to you. Make it clear that you are serious and spending $. If they won't entertain your request, fuck 'em. They're not really supporting musicians and don't deserve your business. This would be quicker and more cost effective than blowing $ and time on swapping speakers.
 
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