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Matching (brands) Head and Cab(s)?

#21
Just be sure the two different brands use the same watts reference, else you could smoke something, thinking you had a 400 watt rms cab when you really had a 400 watt peak cab.
I think all the top names make their cabs respond pretty flat across their bandwidth with some minor harmonics changes to get that brand's sound.
My Ampeg cabs are very flat across the bandwidth. I was using a Marshall IBS 200 with a DIY cab I made, did a sweep test a few months ago and ended up getting the Ampegs. The DIY cab's bandwidth had many peaks and nodes, and poor definition from A down to E. I just didn't get the nice sharp harmonic ring I do with the pro cabs.
 
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#23
DD Gunz said:
Been running a GK head and an Ampeg 810 for years. I have ran GK cabs in the past but there is just something about that combo. I prefer the standard 810E over any other cab As I can get my tone anywhere.

That said, I also have a Heritage SVT head I run as well. I attribute much of the Ampeg tone to their cabs. Running the GK head with the 810 gives me everything I like from both.
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Yes, I did this years ago. Was very happy with GK and the fridge. Then, I got old..
But, over the years, I used GK with ampeg, Yamaha, Eden and peavey cabs with good results. Never owned a GK cab though.
 
#25
Oh, I forgot to add that if it sounds good it is good, but sometimes mismatched combinations don't work.

I couldn't figure out what people loved about G-K amps, because the overdrive of G-K sounded like super-rapid-fire farting on my MarkBass 2x10".
before you start, the 2x10" sounded great with an Aguilar head or Hughes & Kettner tube amp

When I sold the MB Fusion 500, the guy tried it on a Aguilar 4x10" & it sounded fan-bloody-tastic!
 
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#26
Paging Aged Horse, Paging Aged Horse:

OK, so when designing amps, how much are the cabs a part of the design of the amp? When Mesa did the D800 / 800+, how much of it is tweaked (if at all ) for the matching Mesa Neo cabs vs. what else could possibly be used with those heads? Are the loads / cabs any part of the design brief, or is it just down to making them perform with a specified 2, 4, 8 ohm load at the outputs with no consideration of the cabs?
 
#27
JW56789 said:
Paging Aged Horse, Paging Aged Horse:

OK, so when designing amps, how much are the cabs a part of the design of the amp? When Mesa did the D800 / 800+, how much of it is tweaked (if at all ) for the matching Mesa Neo cabs vs. what else could possibly be used with those heads? Are the loads / cabs any part of the design brief, or is it just down to making them perform with a specified 2, 4, 8 ohm load at the outputs with no consideration of the cabs?
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I cannot speak to what Agedhorse will bring to the conversation RE Mesa.
However, I would imagine that beyond rated minimum impedance, and having cabs that will handle the power, that designing an amp to work optimally, as in creating a signature sound only with certain cabs would be counterproductive. If I had an amp, I would want it to work well with different brands of cabs. If for instance, a Mesa amp head only sounded good (whatever is your definition of good) with Mesa cabs, then I'd be less likely to want to buy a Mesa head. YMMV.
 
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#28
Killed_by_Death said:
Oh, I forgot to add that if it sounds good it is good, but sometimes mismatched combinations don't work.

I couldn't figure out what people loved about G-K amps, because the overdrive of G-K sounded like super-rapid-fire farting on my MarkBass 2x10".
before you start, the 2x10" sounded great with an Aguilar head or Hughes & Kettner tube amp

When I sold the MB Fusion 500, the guy tried it on a Aguilar 4x10" & it sounded fan-bloody-tastic!
Click to expand...
Do you have a sense for the difference being something about the 4x10 compared to the 2x10 other than twice the speakers "sharing the load" so to speak. We're they actually voiced differently as well?
 
#32
Old Garage-Bander said:
We're they actually voiced differently as well?
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This is what puts people off MarkBass, because apparently they are particularly voiced. Most say that they are strong in the mids, which gives them pronounced distortion with overdrive.
even though one TBer heard mine personally & claimed it was lacking mids :roflmao:

I have no idea how the Aguilar is voiced, but if I were to guess it's probably flatter than the MB or possibly scooped a little.
Going forward I'll probably avoid both G-K & MB.

I loved my MB cab once I fixed the craptastic tweeter in it, but I wouldn't buy one of their new ones (not made in Italia).
and since my other amps sounded fine with the MB I'd also like to avoid G-K going forward, nothing like tube o/d at all
 
#33
Old Garage-Bander said:
I cannot speak to what Agedhorse will bring to the conversation RE Mesa.
However, I would imagine that beyond rated minimum impedance, and having cabs that will handle the power, that designing an amp to work optimally, as in creating a signature sound only with certain cabs would be counterproductive. If I had an amp, I would want it to work well with different brands of cabs. If for instance, a Mesa amp head only sounded good (whatever is your definition of good) with Mesa cabs, then I'd be less likely to want to buy a Mesa head. YMMV.
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... That being said, I play all DNA gear now, cabs and head designed to work with each other ...
 
#35
At one time I didn't care about matching heads, and cabs. But lately I've changed my mind. My Ampeg setup sounds better to me, matched up than other heads I've had with the cab. Ampeg V-4B / SVT-212AV.

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#39
west al said:
It really does sound great! I'm locked in with this Ampeg.
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No doubt - even though I'm not a huge fan of Ampeg *in general*, I've always liked their SVT and V4B amps - and really like those SVT-212AV cabs, too... As long as it met my volume requirements - and it probably would these days - I'm sure I would find gigging that rig to be most enjoyable... I'm sure it sounds great, and the look just oozes class, IMO...
 
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