Thoughts on these cabs?

[WarBeer]

I'd be interested in hearing some opinions on the differences between these 2x12s.

Darkglass DG212NE (1000w...43.4 lbs)
Gallien Krueger NEO IV 2x12 (800w...43.4 lbs)
Mesa/Boogie Subway 2x12 (800w...52 lbs)
Aguilar SL 2x12 (500w...45 lbs)

(listed in order of cosmetic appeal)

 

[S-Bigbottom]

All different versions of good, each with their own flavor that you may or may not dig.

 

[WarBeer]

All different versions of good, each with their own flavor that you may or may not dig.

Do you have any thoughts on the type of sound/style that these cabs might favor?

 

[Shlabotnik]

I recently had the same issue. It was settled for me when a TB'er near me was selling his DG212NE for a good price and I went for it. I have not compared it to the others though I'd love it if someone could. I can tell you that I am VERY pleased with my DG so far. Won't be playing with others in a room until a couple more weeks so I won't comment on how it sits in a mix but the horn really sings the high end if you want that, or you could turn it down in the back of the cab. I mean that in a good way. The mids are quite prominent. The lows are nice but not boomy. Can't tell if they're TOO nice or not until I get in a room with others.

 

[musicman556]

I will only chime in on the Aguilar/Mesa options.

I HAVE the 4ohm SL212 in Poseidon Green, and it's really just because it looks so dang good and is the perfect mate for my Tone Hammer 500.

I also have Mesa Subway 115 and 210 cabs to go with my TT800. Judging by those cabs in comparison to the Aggiecab.... it's Subway all day every day and thrice on Sunday. The build quality, better connectivity (2 SpeakOns on the Subways, 1 on the Aggie), and higher power handling are undeniably all better. I haven't wrung out the SL212 in the way I've tested the Subways yet, but in the 5 minutes I have played the SL212, it didn't blow me away. It was good, don't think I'm saying it's a piece of junk. It's not. But it should be cheaper than the Subway, and it ain't.

Mesa/Andy really know their manure when it comes to the Subway cabs.

 

[Paul Weekes]

You really can't go wrong with any of those choices. Personally I like Aguilar because they're all about the Bass player, Darkglass rocks my world though!

 

[Drummerboy2]

I'd be interested in hearing some opinions on the differences between these 2x12s.

Darkglass DG212NE (1000w...43.4 lbs)
Gallien Krueger NEO IV 2x12 (800w...43.4 lbs)
Mesa/Boogie Subway 2x12 (800w...52 lbs)
Aguilar SL 2x12 (500w...45 lbs)

(listed in order of cosmetic appeal)

I know it's not on your list but I highly recommend the Hartke HyDrive HD cabs. The have a HD112 that is supposed to sound really nice. I have the HD210 cab and just love the way it sounds. I will be getting a HD112 next.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Do you have any thoughts on the type of sound/style that these cabs might favor?

Darkglass or Mesa

The others don't compete.

212av is a great cab too though. It's not on your list, but it's pretty beast.

 

[pingvuiini]

Also not on your list, but I am really enjoying the GR Bass Aerotech 212 Slim. 900 watts @ 4ohm and 28.5lbs., 5 year warranty, made of carbon fiber. The ridiculously light weight allows me to carry everything in one trip. Kinda pricey and hard to get (from Italy), but I think Sonata marketing actually has two available at the moment. They also make a wood version with identical specs but weighs 42lbs and is a lot cheaper. The founder of GR Bass is a TB member and is very responsive.

 

[rodl2005]

I will only chime in on the Aguilar/Mesa options.

I HAVE the 4ohm SL212 in Poseidon Green, and it's really just because it looks so dang good and is the perfect mate for my Tone Hammer 500.

I also have Mesa Subway 115 and 210 cabs to go with my TT800. Judging by those cabs in comparison to the Aggiecab.... it's Subway all day every day and thrice on Sunday. The build quality, better connectivity (2 SpeakOns on the Subways, 1 on the Aggie), and higher power handling are undeniably all better. I haven't wrung out the SL212 in the way I've tested the Subways yet, but in the 5 minutes I have played the SL212, it didn't blow me away. It was good, don't think I'm saying it's a piece of junk. It's not. But it should be cheaper than the Subway, and it ain't.

Mesa/Andy really know their manure when it comes to the Subway cabs.

I've heard that the Aggy SL cabs sound great in a mix, more so than solo'd.
That's just what I've heard. I've not heard them personally tho

 

[WarBeer]

hmmm....

If I lean towards a more "vintage" sound...should I go with 10s? Are 12's going to be inherently more "mid-heavy"?...or is that completely dependant on the individual cab?

Also not on your list, but I am really enjoying the GR Bass Aerotech 212 Slim. 900 watts @ 4ohm and 28.5lbs., 5 year warranty, made of carbon fiber. The ridiculously light weight allows me to carry everything in one trip. Kinda pricey and hard to get (from Italy), but I think Sonata marketing actually has two available at the moment. They also make a wood version with identical specs but weighs 42lbs and is a lot cheaper. The founder of GR Bass is a TB member and is very responsive.

Boy, those are really light and they look solid as heck. What kind of bottom do they produce...and are they mid-heavy?

(probably matching this up with a 500w@4ohm amp)

 

[chris_b]

IMO Aguilar have the "vintage" sound sown up. Many of the players I rate use Aguilar rigs, but I went for Barefaced. On a gig BF just sounded better to me. None of the cabs mentioned so far in this thread have any downsides.

It's interesting that many players end up sounding pretty similar, but get there using totally different gear. When I read some reviews I wonder what people are hearing, but at this level there is no bad gear, and personal preference is everything.

 

[WarBeer]

IMO Aguilar have the "vintage" sound sown up. Many of the players I rate use Aguilar rigs, but I went for Barefaced. On a gig BF just sounded better to me. None of the cabs mentioned so far in this thread have any downsides.

It's interesting that many players end up sounding pretty similar, but get there using totally different gear. When I read some reviews I wonder what people are hearing, but at this level there is no bad gear, and personal preference is everything.

I've been looking at the Barefaced as well. What model do you have?

 

[msb]

You might add Bergantino to the list .

 

[chris_b]

I've been looking at the Barefaced as well. What model do you have?

Hi WB, I've had em all. After a couple of years with both, I sold the Two10's and focussed on the 12" cabs. I used 2 SC's for 3 years, then replaced one with an SM, for a year. Last year I bought the BB2 but only got to play it twice before lockdown. So that cab is still a bit of a mystery!

I'd say my goto 1 cab solution is the SC, just sounds great with either amp or bass, but particularly good with my TH500 and P bass. Mostly I'll use 2 cabs (SC, SM) because they sound so good together. That is with my AG700 and Jazz bass.

As I said you have no bad cabs at this level. It's a nice dilemma to have.

 

[Eddie LeBlanc]

the best period

 

[Lobster11]

If I lean towards a more "vintage" sound...should I go with 10s? Are 12's going to be inherently more "mid-heavy"?...or is that completely dependant on the individual cab?

It depends entirely on the individual cab. Choose your speaker size based on how much air you want to move and/or the physical dimensions of the cab(s). For example, my ideal rig is a pair of vertically stacked 2x10s -- not because I prefer 10-inch speakers but because I like the physical (tall) arrangement.

 

[Yummy Notes]

To the OP,

Have you had an opportunity to hear/research available YouTube demo videos on each cab? I think your cab choices are solid, high quality options. I don't think you can go wrong with any.
I think it is worth mentioning that Aguilar and GK offer 8 ohm and 4 ohm versions of their 212s, whereas Mesa and DG only offer their cabs in 4 ohms. Just food for thought, if you are considering two cabs and your amp does not go down to 2 ohms.

 

[electricGstring]

All different versions of good, each with their own flavor that you may or may not dig.

This should be the standard answer for almost ANY “which (X) should I choose?” question... especially all the questions I’ve personally asked....

 

[Skip Chucker]

I've got the SL212 with my AG700. I came from SWR/Eden (still use it, but much less).

I really like the SL212.

But the questions you're asking as akin to- what's the best ice cream flavor between vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and mint chocolate chip. They all taste great for different reasons, (and none of them taste like salmon...)