• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

POLL: Amps & Cabs - Mix brands or use same brand?

POLL: Amps & Cabs - Mix brands or use same brand?

  • Use the same - those manufactures know best

    Votes: 19 9.1%

  • Mix brands - Amp makers are clueless about speakers & vice versa

    Votes: 67 32.1%

  • Depends / carrots

    Votes: 123 58.9%
  • Total voters
    209
#21
I have had several different amp heads (Fender, GK, BBE, Ashdown) with my SWR cabs, with pretty consistent (positive ) results. My Tecamp Puma 900 sounded really good with them, but I bought a matching Tecamp S212 cab (because of weight savings) and I am blown away by them together. I loved my SWRs but they pale in comparison. I would now really have to rethink mixing cab/amp brands after that.
 
#23
Almost always matched. I typically build a rig around the head, and take into account what cabinets are available from that manufacturer when deciding what to get. The only way I wouldn't match is if I'm certain the head I want is from a manufacturer that doesn't make cabs - and then I'd probably end up buying a cab from someone that only makes cabs.

I'm weird, I think.
 
Last edited:
#26
I've never found a good cab that didn't work with every head, you just have to adjust the eq to counter whatever the baked in shape (or lack thereof) of the head if it doesn't sound ideal right off the batt.
 
#27
MOTORHEADBANGER said:
I've never found a good cab that didn't work with every head, you just have to adjust the eq to counter whatever the baked in shape (or lack thereof) of the head if it doesn't sound ideal right off the batt.
Click to expand...

I've certainly encountered heads that were better than others - same with cabs - no matter *how* much EQ was applied. But I take your point.
 
#28
I'm gonna show you all my shallow side. I don't know if brand-matched rigs actually sound better, they may indeed do just that. I don't use 'em

Mismatched rigs look awesome (especially de-badged and/or with custom painted grills) and sound just fine to my ears. I'm not getting paid or endorsed by any manufacturers and I want my rig to be unique and cool.

Excuse me, I have some posing to do....

SanDiegoHarry said:
That brings up another interesting question: Who actually is concerned with how their rig looks like? Is how a rig looks more important than how it sounds? I'm guessing some folks believe that how it looks is VERY important.
Click to expand...

How the rig sounds is #1. And my rig sounds great

Tone Hammer 500 > either Glasstone Lil G 2x12 OR Eden 2 x 10 with red grill and Avatar 15" both debadged. Cool and professional looking :bassist::thumbsup::cool:
 
#33
My main rig is all Eden. But I do own a Mark Bass Little Mark III head and a Hartke Hydrive HX112 cabinet that I also very pleased with. If I had to choose, I would have to go with my all Eden rig.

I have owned other rigs that were all one brand, but most of my favorite rigs through the years have been mixed, Back in the 70's and 80's I mostly used Fender and Peavey rigs. Then I switch over to GK rigs. Then GK heads with Mesa Boogie cabs. For the last 15 or more years, it has been Eden.

Way back in the early 70's and late 60's I used Acoustic and Ampeg rigs, about to forget about them. :)
 
#34
In my 25 years of gear experience (retail & performance) I have found Peavey cabs to perform best with amplifiers of a different label, same with David Eden. Hartke tends to match itself up (cab & head) rather well, so does Ampeg and Mesa Boogie. It's a mixed bag with Aguilar and Epifani as you have to get the "right" head (generally the pricier ones - DB359/750, UL502/902 etc) to really capitalize on a nice match. All in all I like mixing the two. Bergantino makes some first class cabs and even though he's tinkering with heads now I have come to really love James Demeter's work so find the two to work together nicely.

One man's opinion.
 
#37
For me, the choice of amp and the choice of cab are two separate decisions. Of course, the combination has to work--meaning the tone from the complete rig has to get me close to my tone goal (a/k/a the "tone in my head"). And some combinations work, while others don't.

As my sainted granny used to say, "Some horses are slow, and some horses are fast--but most are just half fast."


Added: I voted _carrots_, because I don't think manufacturers are clueless about tone. I figure their tone goals are not identical to mine, 'sall.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Omega Monkey
#38
I have heard mixed heads / cabs work great together, but it just seems like the MFGs in their R&D would spend some time making sure their stuff is tuned to work best together, one of the appeals of a well designed combo is that the built in head is, or at least should be matched to the cab. Not saying it always, or even often is, but it should be...
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back