[sanchez]

Hi everyone.

I thought I'd just throw something on here for your comments/ideas.

I have been looking for a new amp for a little while now. I currently have a Fender Prosonic that I love but because it only has 1 eq, both channels have to share, I am not able to do things that I would like to.

So far I tried pretty much everything Mesa Boogie has to offer and none of them have really captured me.

I also tried pretty much everything Marshall has to offer. I will say that I actually hate the JCM-800 tone. However I did like the DSL a lot but it too only has 1 eq. The TSL wasn't as good as the DSL was.

I also tried Engal and Laney.

I believe that if the DSL has separate EQ's I think I would have walked away with it.

However. When I went to test the DSL it was plugged into a Mesa Rectifier Cab. When I tried the TSL it was in a Marshall 1960 cab. The TSL in that cab sounded pretty terrible. Then I had an idea and asked the guy to plug it into the mesa cab. Let me tell you that we are talking chalk and cheese. The Marshall cab was flubbery while the Mesa cab was tight and direct. Also more bottom endy. I still didn't really like the TSL even in the Mesa cab but I had no idea that a different brand of cab could make that much difference. There is no doubt that my next cab will be a Mesa.

Has anyone else noticed a big difference between cabs with their amps??

Also what other amps can I try that have separate eq's for each channel. Now I will state that here in Australia we are limited to the most popular brands. I would like to try the Peavey XXX and JSX but so far the rep hasn't turned up to my city yet. Maybe in 6 months or so.

Thanks Guys.

Sanchez.

 

[Gex]

Yeah, cabinets and speakers make a huge difference in tone, and it gets overlooked ALL the time.

I believe the main reason you didnt like the Marshall 1960 is because its loaded with Celestion G12T-75 speakers, which are very bassy and are midrange scooped, with a high harsh end.

The Mesa should have been stocked with Celestion Vintage 30's, which have a nice smooth fat midrange, pleasant highs, and tight lows.

That was probably the biggest difference in tone. I played my new Laney Pro Tube 100 head at the store on a 1960AV (the V stands for Vintage, which means it has Vintage 30 speakers, its an upgraded, more expensive cab than the standard 1960A.)
When I got home, I was completely dissapointed in the tone of my 1960B (stock G12T-75's) Im not real mad though, all I need to do is get some better speakers in my cab, and ill have a real nice sounding setup.

Cabinets can have a large effect on the sound too. There is a ton of physics behind the construction of a cab, too small and its too trebly, too big and its too bassy, and many other features.


And the JCM 800 is a pretty rough overdrive, and really needs a boosting pedal like a mild overdrive or distortion in front of it.

 

[revsharp777]

Yeah, cabinets and speakers make a huge difference in tone, and it gets overlooked ALL the time.

Indeed, it does.

For my main band, I play in Drop A with lots of gain. In order for this to sound great, I needed a cab that could keep the low end super tight & still retain clarity in the mid-to-high end spectrum. I took the "Zakk Wylde approach" by using an oversized cab with high wattage speakers. What a difference it made! I've owned Mesas, Marshalls, Peaveys, & Genz Benz cabs, but my Behringer 412 straight cab (suprisingly) beat them all out. It's 15" deep & it houses 100w speakers (400w cab). Since all my breakup is coming from my rack & NOT my speakers, the clarity is maintained & very controllable at all volumes.

I also play in a cover band from time to time. They supply me with a Marshall 412 so I don't have to lug my cab to gigs. Out of the Marshall, I get a drasticly different sound from my rig. I usually have to boost the low end on my BBE because compared to my Behringer, the Marshall is more midrangy with a looser bottom end.

Overall, speaker cabs make a BIG difference in tone.

 

[nightfiend14]

yes, another fan of berhinger cabs

 

[red5]

Yeah, cabinets and speakers make a huge difference in tone, and it gets overlooked ALL the time.

I believe the main reason you didnt like the Marshall 1960 is because its loaded with Celestion G12T-75 speakers, which are very bassy and are midrange scooped, with a high harsh end.

The Mesa should have been stocked with Celestion Vintage 30's, which have a nice smooth fat midrange, pleasant highs, and tight lows.

That was probably the biggest difference in tone. I played my new Laney Pro Tube 100 head at the store on a 1960AV (the V stands for Vintage, which means it has Vintage 30 speakers, its an upgraded, more expensive cab than the standard 1960A.)
When I got home, I was completely dissapointed in the tone of my 1960B (stock G12T-75's) Im not real mad though, all I need to do is get some better speakers in my cab, and ill have a real nice sounding setup.

I totally agree. We are on the same boat here. I had 2 Marshall 1960 cab with the G12M75s. I never liked those speakers so I took a complete gamble and put Celestion Classic Leads in the angled cab (the only one I really use) based on what a few people told me about them. The difference in sound is beyond words.

First, I never knew what a difference speakers could make, second I never had a clue how much of a difference getting those ****ty speakers out of there would make, and third, I love the way the Classic Leads sound. I also like V30s a lot which was my second choice (not because they don't sound good but because I need high power because of my Marshall Major!) but I like these better with my SL-X (although I do not think I could beat a V30 in my Studio 15).

I have a straight cab with G1275s in it, so I can compare them. There really is no comparison. The G1275s lack a lot of midrange and have ear piercing highs (and if you turn it down on the amp end, not enough!) and have this sort of fizzy sound to them that I really hate. The Classic Leads are very smooth - everything I wanted for the speaker swap and then some!

I am not a JCM 2000 fan at all, but I have always found DSLs sound a little better than TSLs when I am to play one.