Warm and Transportable Cab?

Budget?

 

Phil Jones Suitcase... unsurpassable.

 

I know that you said 2x12, but I have a Fearless F112 that I had built for me, and it is the best cab I've ever owned. It weighs about 35 pounds, and I use it on gigs from small to medium rooms without FOH support, to large stages and it really pushes air. I mean I've had seasoned musicians look at the cab, and smirk, but then say, WOW all that coming from that little cab? @popgadget was my builder, and he's located in PA.

Here's his website: fEARless

 

The F112 can take whatever you put into it. If you put tubey goodness in, then that's what you will get out. That's what transparent means. @Tom Gotsch if you're near NJ, you are more than welcome to come try out my F112.

 

Mesa used to make 212 cabs that had a nice round sound. Might be able to find one on the used market. Aguilar makes a vertical 212 that’s nice (and expensive), avatar 212 cabs can be found pretty cheap used if you’re on a tight budget.

 

Gonna buck the system.

See if you can find a Mesa Scout 15" used.

Sounds warm. Moves a ton of air. No lack for definition whatsoever.

By the way, bass speaker cabs are tuned to sound they way they do. Driver (speaker) size has little or nothing to do with it. Other stats regarding individual drivers and cab tuning play a larger role in the overall sound of a cab.

I would wager that @agedhorse (or someone equally qualified) could design a cab around 10s that would he a muddy mess and another one around a 15 that would be brittle and harsh sounding.

There's more math.... and.... junk.... than driver size. You gotta have a pocket protector though, I think.

I know none of this math. But I'm glad there are people who do.

 

Why not the matching Subway cabs? With that budget you can get pretty much anything you want.

 

Likely a slide rule too

 

115s sound too muddy? I wonder which 115 cabinets you have tried with a Mesa D800? Honestly Tom, speaker size does not determine tone color. I have no doubt you can find a "too muddy" anything, if you look.

I'd advise you too just get any top quality 212, 115, or even 210 cab that is in your budget. It will have a good likelihood of doing what you want, and will be attractive to others should you decide to sell it. If you want to skip a step or two, get a fEARful, Fearless, Audiokinesis, or Barefaced. They are all capable of making essentially any sound you want in that they deliver what is put in.

On the other hand, if you want the cabinet to produce a significant part of your tone, you will find yourself with something that works well for that, but less well for when your ideals change.

There is no substitute for experience, Tom. You need to spend less time listening to opinions (IMHO, LOL), and more time listening to speaker cabinets. Since you have not filled out your profile, no one can advise you about where and how to hear some perspective cabinets, so you might consider fixing that.

 

Take your head to a music store and try it through some Fender Rumble cabs if you get a chance. They don’t have a 212 but you might be surprised at the tone and volume out of the 115 or 210 and they’re well within your budget. Or you might hate it! But it’s worth checking out.
P.S. I’ve never played thru that head but my Rumble combo has all the warm tone I could ever want

 

Raise your hand if you have know idea what that is.

(I bet more than half here don't )