I tried a Mesa M6 going through a Mesa PH 410. It sounded incredible! I'm wondering how it compares to a PH 212?? Anyone have a M6 and a Mesa Powerhouse 212? What do you think?? What other Mesa cabs work well with the M6?
I play mine through two PH 1x12s (I like modularity and flexibility) when I'm at home and it stomps. (My GB Shuttle 6.0 spanks through those 12s as well.) At rehearsal with my band I play it through an Ampeg 8x10 -- run for cover, Godzilla's coming and he's p*ssed. I'm itching to get a PH 8x10 from Mesa, which would be game over. But I've unfortunately got more pressing uses for $1000. I have a feeling that the M6 through any Mesa cab or cabs is going to sound phenomenal, btw.
I have a Mesa M6 AND a Mesa PH410 AND a Mesa PH212. Sounds great in every and all combinations, and is extremely loud with lots of headroom. For a gig with a single cabinet, I tend to use the 212 for no other reason than it's lighter than the 410.
well if the 410 and 212 sound great then so too should the PH810 and PH412. The PH1200 is my pick though I use a Bergantino NV412 with the M6. Subscribe to the free Mesa newsletter 'Amplitude', this month they have video's comparing the cabinets. Just what you need, here is the link from the newsletter http://mesaboogie.com/news/2010/08/...udes_September_2010_9_2_2010&utm_medium=email wow ! that's long link
Yeah, I hear you Cap'n Crunk. I thought that Mesa 4X10 sounded great. That amp is 'clear' but I got a real nice grinding tone with a Geddy Lee Jazz Bass through that M6 and Mesa 4X10. I was thinking that while the 4X10 might be louder than the 2X12, I might get more of the lower mids and maybe some more bite with the 2X12. I really wish some store near me had a M6 Carbine and a couple of the Mesa cabs including the Powerhouse 2X12 so I can really hear the differences. I just dont understand sometimes how major chains like GC and Sam Ash dont have this stuff. You would think that they might sell a few more things (and you knoiw the bottom line is #1 there as like any business) they might have this stuff. How am I supposed to really know how the 2X12 sounds as compared to the 4X10? Or the 2X15 for that matter? Am I supposed to just 'imagine' how another enclosure will sound or do i just say, "OK, order the M6 and let's start with one 2X12 cabinet since I've heard the 4X10 and we'll see where it goes from there, just incase you know, because you don't have the stuff here in this 'megastore' for me to check out". So much easier to stock a good selection of amps and cabinets because after all, you'r ea friggin' authorized DEALER of the things!!
There is literally TONS of discussion on this in the M6 thread. http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=502435&highlight=mesa+carbine Mesa cabs seem to be one of the favorites but I love mine with my Bergantino AE410.
Thanks for the links, mentalpatient and Jerry J. Not shocked to see that most everyone likes that M6 head. I thought it sounded great. Like one person said that the M6 sounds great flat maybe a tweak on the bass, and perhaps clicking to #4 on the mid dial, and you're good to go. One thing I notice is that a lot of folks say that the amp works great for their style. Well, I have no idea what style most of them play. The videos were cool. Thanks for that 'mind reading' link. 2:00 into the second video the 2X12 is discussed/played through with the M6, which is used as the reference head for the entire product line. And, that's all cool , and everyone seems happy, I know the M6 head is fantastic, it's just that i really want to hear it with my own ears in a room with the 2X12 and a few others before I plunk down a ton of coin. Thanks for your replies, everyone.
I was able to compare the PH410 with the PH212 using a LMII with a Stingray. If I were doing more traditional/laid back(blues, southern rock, etc) I would go with the big low mids of the 212. For everything else, the 410 got my rocks off with it's punch & grind. Great match with the 'Ray.
I have a PH212 and, until recently, I also had an M6. They sounded very well matched to each other though I thought that this combination was missing some of the low-mid punch that you get with 10" speakers. The combination had a great focused sound, squeaky clean with gobs of clean headroom and lots of projection. It didn't have the thickness of a tube amp that I love so much, which was especially noticeable when I used it in trio settings. Despite being a great sounding amp, I sold my M6 recently. For reasons above, plus I had trouble taming the string noise, regardless of eq settings. Great sounding amp for the right person, astounding build quality, but not for me.
I just read your profile and I have to say that if you're into Geddy and Squire, you might have a hard time getting this amp to distort the way they do. Also, with that kind of playing in mind, the 212 is probably not the right cab for you. Go with the 410, IMO.
Perhaps this link might help you decide... http://mesaboogie.com/news/2010/08/mesa-engineering-powerhouse-bass-cab-demo/ There are 3 separate videos that walk through a demo of all the cabinets in the line up. The 2 x112 uses the Walkabout, but for the rest of the line up they use an M6 set flat.
I reviewed the PH212 with the M6 back in issue #1. I liked that combination well enough that I bought it for myself, and then I added a PH210 to the equation. This remains one of my favorite rigs. I also really like the M6 driving my AE410 or and AE210/AE410 stack. That video from the M/B website showing all of the various PH cabs with the M6 is very useful, for sure. Tom.
Hi Tom, great review on the PH212!!! I'd like to know which particular Mesa only rig you think would be optimal for a working bassist (using only 5 string basses) covering everything from the smallest rooms to a few large outdoor gigs - the PH212/M6 combination or the 2 x PH112/M6 combination or finally the PH212/PH210/M6 combination? For my tone, I have found that most 4x10 cabs get pretty boomy, however the few 2x12 cabs that I have used seemed to stay much tighter with better overall B string clarity and definition. Ideally, my preference is with 12s these days. Portability is very important to me, too many load-ins from hell have sealed that fate so the less cabinets I have to haul around the better. I play everything from country and reggae to rock, funk and disco in loud bands and not so loud bands, usually with PA support. Cheers, Paul http://www.myspace.com/paultheriault
I would have to say that if you want the most flexibility, and the ability to carry a big, outdoor show, I'd roll with the M6/PH212/PH210. For smaller shows, the PH210 might do just fine. It's quite beefy for a 2x10 (but of course it is a bit larger than some of the other 2x10's currently on the market). The PH212 will probably be able to cover most of your gigs, solo, but add in the PH210 when you need a bit more oomph (or just want a tad more clarity - which the PH210 also provides). Tom.