Upgrade the speaker in my combo, or buy a 412...

[UltraGary]

I can't help but wonder what stages these guys voting to "just get a 4x12" are playing on, how often they're playing on them, what size vehicle they're driving, who's moving their gear, or if they've ever plugged a small combo in for an informal session.

A great sounding 1x12 combo is a beautiful thing in so many situations. I have a MesaBoogie MkV:35 that keeps up with any drummer volume-wise and kicks the crap out of some of my friends' 1/2stacks. It's only with certain bass rigs I need an additional cab with it. Same goes for sessions. Not all engineers want your big 4x12 involved, plus many studios have killer 4x12s all over the place.

Still though....I understand the lust for running it through a 4x12 sometimes, but having that be the only option for your 1x12 combo to be heard well is ludicrous.

I think it may be material dependent. I just checked out your video- which I really liked btw! Cool audio and video, great vibe. What vocal mic are you using? It sounds gnarly. Cool solo too.

But back to the point, I dig a 1x12 but if I tried that with some of my drop C & dropA riffage, it wouldn't work very well for rehearsal. It would be loud, but likely fart out on the low end and get congested. The riffs you play based on that video would likely work well with a 1x12.

Hey thanks man! Great point on the down-tuning thing, which is a world I obviously know nothing about. I guess if alllll you're doing is that in a full-band environment...then the 4x12 would make sense.
Oh..and PS: No special vocal mic there, just compression for that megaphone/radio sort of thing.

 

[Monomyth]

Go 3d, 412

 

[Racerxrated]

I can't help but wonder what stages these guys voting to "just get a 4x12" are playing on, how often they're playing on them, what size vehicle they're driving, who's moving their gear, or if they've ever plugged a small combo in for an informal session.

A great sounding 1x12 combo is a beautiful thing in so many situations. I have a MesaBoogie MkV:35 that keeps up with any drummer volume-wise and kicks the crap out of some of my friends' 1/2stacks. It's only with certain bass rigs I need an additional cab with it. Same goes for sessions. Not all engineers want your big 4x12 involved, plus many studios have killer 4x12s all over the place.

Still though....I understand the lust for running it through a 4x12 sometimes, but having that be the only option for your 1x12 combo to be heard well is ludicrous.

Only way I would gig with a 1x12 is if A. My drummer is surrounded by soundproof shielding or B. See A.

My last band, our drummer was THEE LOUDEST one I've ever played with. Even when I had my little Jubilee combo, I put it up almost ear level and still couldn't hear myself. Yes, I ran my guitar through the monitor and could barely hear myself. These aren't big clubs either....no option but a 4x12. 4x12s always sound better than a 1x12, even if you have an EV. My Coliseum combo has a 1x15 400w EV...and I'd bring the halfback 4x12 to gigs because it just sounds better in every way. And I've always found a way to haul them to gigs, even when I didn't have an SUV.
More power to you guys who can gig with just a 1x12..my back would have been much happier if I did!

 

[stephen sawall]

4x12 isn't much louder than a 1x12. It's the tone and feel difference is why I use 4x12 cabs 98% of the time.

 

[GuitarGuyLP]

4x12 isn't much louder than a 1x12. It's the tone and feel difference is why I use 4x12 cabs 98% of the time.

This is exactly what I found. My combo, and 412 has the same speakers, but the 412 has a much better low end at all volume levels. I just play in my music room at moderate to quiet levels depending on if the baby is sleeping or not.

 

[crankyrayhanky]

I find that it is best to blast babies with (2) 4x12s to properly prepare them for how life is going to be

 

[Scumback Speakers]

When my ears need a break it's an old Gibsonette 9w combo through a 68 Marshall straight 4x12 with a mix of 55 and 75 hz G12H30's. When they don't, then I hook up something else to the cab. Rarely break out the 100w amps anymore since it's just mayhem...

Not that there's anything wrong with that. LOL

For the OP: a 412 closed back just has more depth, bass and feel than a 1x12, even using the same speakers.

 

[ke2]

I would upgrade the speaker and get a 1x12" cab. Get a 10 foot speaker cable, space it apart and call it a day.

A EV 12L is a hell of a speaker.

This.... My thoughts exactly. Personally, I'd go for a Mesa Thiele, and put the combo on top. Or, do as mentioned above.

I love those Thieles, as well as the MC90's that come in them. Huge sounding cabs. I ran 2, for several years, with many amps. Best 1x12 ever made, IMO.

Same here, and if it's an older version with the EVM, they can take just about anything you throw at them. And they sound massive.

 

[GuitarGuyLP]

I find that it is best to blast babies with (2) 4x12s to properly prepare them for how life is going to be

The guy I bought the 412 off is also selling the B cab, and I have been tempted. Something about a small 25 watt combo powering a full stack would be pretty funny.

 

[GuitarGuyLP]

When my ears need a break it's an old Gibsonette 9w combo through a 68 Marshall straight 4x12 with a mix of 55 and 75 hz G12H30's. When they don't, then I hook up something else to the cab. Rarely break out the 100w amps anymore since it's just mayhem...

Not that there's anything wrong with that. LOL

For the OP: a 412 closed back just has more depth, bass and feel than a 1x12, even using the same speakers.

Yup, the difference is crazy!! I have always tried to get away with small 1x12, or 2x12 cabs. I just play at home, so moving equipment isn't really an issue, the difference a 412 makes is crazy.

 

[cardinal]

I generally prefer a 4x12 for the reasons mentioned here (not really louder than a 1x12 but tend to sound fuller and thicker; don't take up any more floor space than a 2x12).

But, I've found that I really like the sound of an open-backed 1x12 in certain rooms. If you can get the cab near a wall in a room with a hard floor and not much else in it, there's something really nice going on. Keeping the cab near a wall seems to keep the low end under control but there's some type of resonance/reverb/something that just sounds very sweet.

In an old apartment, I use to pull my 1x12 rig into a hallway because it sounded amazing in that space. Now I keep some small amps in a living room with wood floors and the open back 1x12 cabs in that room sound massive.

 

[UltraGary]

Somehow this turned into whether or not a 1x12 sounds better than a 4x12, which most all of us would agree would be a 4x12. The original question was how the OP should handle his speaker being out on his 1x12 combo and where to prioritize his $$ first. I stick by my "put a speaker in that combo so you can use it in some situations without a huge damn cabinet" answer, the OP bought a Traynor 4x12, and everyone else is preaching how stacks sound better than small combo amps. I love this site sometimes...

 

[crankyrayhanky]

I find that it is best to blast babies with (2) 4x12s to properly prepare them for how life is going to be

The guy I bought the 412 off is also selling the B cab, and I have been tempted. Something about a small 25 watt combo powering a full stack would be pretty funny.