What are the biggest-sounding 2x12's?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rex Rocker
  • Start date Start date
Rex Rocker

Rex Rocker

Well-known member
Thinking about downsizing. I love my Marshall 1960, but I rarely get to use it. I want to replace it with a good 2x12. I don't want to lose the low-end or bigness of my Marshall (which in itself, is not the fattest-sounding 4x12 anyway). Wondering what my options are.

What are your recommendations? I'd rather have V30's or other efficient speaker that mics up well. That's my priority, TBH: Mic-friendliness. I find that if it mics up well, it generally sounds good in the room, but it's not always the case the other way around.

I'm dubious of Orange as I've had problems mic'ing up my 1x12 and my friend's 4x12, but they are well-regarded, and they look cool. I'm also looking into the Mesa Horizontal Recto. Is there anything else I should be looking at?

Thanks
 
I don’t have a ton of experience with 2x12’s, but the Mesa horizontal I had sounded small to me.

The G-Flex I had sounded HUGE, but somewhat artificial to my ears.

The old school Mesa Vertical, metal grill 2X12’s I’ve owned all sounded quite good, but I don’t know how hard they are to find these days.
 
mctallica1":2ka51gdd said:
I don’t have a ton of experience with 2x12’s, but the Mesa horizontal I had sounded small to me.

The G-Flex I had sounded HUGE, but somewhat artificial to my ears.

The old school Mesa Vertical, metal grill 2X12’s I’ve owned all sounded quite good, but I don’t know how hard they are to find these days.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I used to gig with a G-Flex and had a "huge" sound but agree that wasn't as great tone-wise as some of the other cabs I've owned. If I got a 2x12, I think I'd get a Friedman.
 
i have one of these and it rips, so much i bought an old randall 4x12 thinking it would be even better but its not.

iu
 
i have an avatar
it's deeper width than my jcm cab and really 3/4 the sixe
thing sounds fucking massive with a v30 and a scumback
 
Why downsize at all. Get a DV Mark 4X12 that only weighs 50 lbs. if not, port City 2X12 OS Wave, Mesa 3/4 back 2x12 and the standard Bogner 2x12 are great cabinet choices For big sounding 2x12’s.
 
I've owned a Mesa Recto 2x12, Port City 2x12, Bogner OS 2x12, & and Avatar 2x12. The Recto beats them all, imo. It sounds as good as a great 4x12 with all the punch and low end you could want.
 
Could you tolerate two Mesa Thiele cabs? They sound great, especially with the EVM-12L.

But I have never mic'd one.
 
I'm real curious about the BluGuitar TwinCab. It's ported like a thiele, and the proprietary speakers are supposedly between Vintage 20 and Greenback.
 
I wish that someone made a 2x12" comparable to a Thiele. I suppose it could easily be tune with the port tuning/volume, etc.
 
swamptrashstompboxes":yfn9p3pt said:
Could you tolerate two Mesa Thiele cabs? They sound great, especially with the EVM-12L.

But I have never mic'd one.
Click to expand...
I have 2 Thiele cabinets and stacked they get more low end than my 1960B’s
 
If and when I go into the market for another 2x12 I want a Zilla fatboy. I've never played one but every time I've played something with a zilla cab IR(kemper, plugins, etc) I love it.
 
Man the V-Boutique Euro 212 is the biggest sounding 212 I’ve ever used. Sounds every bit as big as my 412’s.
 
Bogner OS 2x12 which is not a huge amount smaller than a 4x12. Great cab though and the best 2x12 I have used and like. I am a 4x12 cabinet user.
 
I’m not as experienced in 212’s, but I agree that the Bognet 212 OS I had sounded great and as big if not bigger than many 412’s. I did find it though a bit dark sounding for my taste (even though it had V30’s in it), but otherwise very good

Honestly though it was still big and heavy to the point where you may as well just get a 412 IMO. Not all of them are crazy heavy. My Diezel 412 is made of okoume, so it’s a lot lighter than my other cabs, but still seems to sound just as good
 
ISP Vector 2x12...if you can find one. Far and away the biggest sound you will get in a 2x12. But that's cheating....
 
My Mesa vertical 2x12 (not the metal grille version) with a G12-65 top and Vintage 30 bottom sounds quite big.

Also, if you put proper sound-dampening wool (not foam!) inside the cab, it will add some girth and heft to it, as the speakers act as though they're mounted inside a larger cab than they actually are.
This is what I've done with my Marshall 1966A & B (both diagonal 2x12's, 24" high and 24" wide, 12" deep) and it really helped.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top