Speaker recommendation for Mesa 2x12

[Ratou]

I have a 80s/90s vertical Mesa 2x12 (metal grill, top part is open back and bottom closed/ported) currently loaded with a V30 in top/open position and a EVM12L at the bottom.

While I have an EVM in a 1x12 Thiele cab that sound great, it sounds really harsh and brittle in the cab so was looking to try something different. The V30 up top sounds fine IMO.

What would you guys recommend I check out? The bottom section is sealed and ported, previous owner had filled it with foam but I removed it.

I use the cab most of the time with a Mark IIC+ or Mark III, I play a fair bit of heavy stuff/leads but also some 70s rock / cleans.

Thanks a lot!

 

[SpiderWars]

What power handling do you need? That might eliminate a bunch of speakers.

It sounds like you are describing a vertical half-back 2x12. If so, it seems like a V30 in the top will tend to overpower many/most speakers in the bottom. I wonder if putting the V30 in the bottom and something else in the top is the way to go? In any case, others here have had that cab and can offer suggestions. I'd prob start with a G12H30 or Greenback in top, or another V30 FWIW.

 

[blackba]

If its the vertical metal grill halfback 212 that you have, I would recommend the tried and true Mesa Custom 90 (MC90) and EVM-12L pairing. Another option is the MC90 and Eminence MS-12, though they are a bit hard to find.

I would recommend you keep the bottom speaker in the EV family as when I had the 212 halfback back, wish I would have tried the EV or MS12 in the bottom, as I bought the cab with 2 WGS Green Berets and then put in 2 MC90's and later sold it. Still have my metal grill halfback 412.

 

[Ratou]

Thanks for your reply, yes I meant vertical, don't know why I said horizontal, edited post.

In terms of power handling nothing crazy, running 80-90W heads into but not close to full volume. Thanks for suggestion, if I can't find a direct replacement for the EVM I'll switch the V30 to bottom position position and try something else as you mention up top

What power handling do you need? That might eliminate a bunch of speakers.

It sounds like you are describing a vertical half-back 2x12. If so, it seems like a V30 in the top will tend to overpower many/most speakers in the bottom. I wonder if putting the V30 in the bottom and something else in the top is the way to go? In any case, others here have had that cab and can offer suggestions. I'd prob start with a G12H30 or Greenback in top, or another V30 FWIW.

 

[Ratou]

Thanks for your reply, that's indeed the one I have.

Was thinking about a MC90 to replace the EVM (V30 top/C90 bottom), do you think it will work well in closed back section?

Well I bought the EVM (used from 80s I believe) on purpose for the bottom section but I really don't enjoy the sound in this particular cab (maybe just a bad speaker?) so was trying to replace it. Would like to maybe try out a different EVM12L in its place to see if it's something wrong with my specific speaker

If its the vertical metal grill halfback 212 that you have, I would recommend the tried and true Mesa Custom 90 (MC90) and EVM-12L pairing. Another option is the MC90 and Eminence MS-12, though they are a bit hard to find.

I would recommend you keep the bottom speaker in the EV family as when I had the 212 halfback back, wish I would have tried the EV or MS12 in the bottom, as I bought the cab with 2 WGS Green Berets and then put in 2 MC90's and later sold it. Still have my metal grill halfback 412.

 

[bubucci]

If front loaded V30 in open-back half is ok and EVM in closed sound harsh, there is something wrong with EVM. It has to give some balls to the cab. But I have seen some broken EVM's in past so it should be this case.
On the other hand these cab were always on bright/harsh side and there are much better 2x12 cabs out there so why bother Ditto old half-back 4x12 with EVM/C90. Rearloaded Mesa cabs sounds much better, even for Marks.

 

[SpiderWars]

Also, since you have another EV and the speaker leads are push-on type you might try swapping EVs just to make sure it's not that speaker. I've had EVs sound markedly different from one another.

 

[Ratou]

Agreed with you, I have a 1x12 Mesa Thiele w/ an EVM and it's one my best sounding cabs. Was expecting the bottom part of the 2x12 to sound similar but it's way different. Will have to check the EVM and the wiring, could be some issue there...

Noted on these 2x12s, will try to see if a new/different speaker will make it sound good otherwise will have to move on

Thanks for the advice!

If front loaded V30 in open-back half is ok and EVM in closed sound harsh, there is something wrong with EVM. It has to give some balls to the cab. But I have seen some broken EVM's in past so it should be this case.
On the other hand these cab were always on bright/harsh side and there are much better 2x12 cabs out there so why bother Ditto old half-back 4x12 with EVM/C90. Rearloaded Mesa cabs sounds much better, even for Marks.

 

[Ratou]

Unfortunately, I don't have that cab available right now (different country) but I'm looking out for a used EV I could maybe grab for not too expensive to see the difference. It's a speaker I usually like so it won't hurt to have another one, I can always load it in another cab one day,.

I'll also double check all the wiring, previous owner did make some soldering so maybe something is fucked up there...

Also, since you have another EV and the speaker leads are push-on type you might try swapping EVs just to make sure it's not that speaker. I've had EVs sound markedly different from one another.

 

[Ratou]

I haven't been able to find any diagrams for wiring such a cab, would anyone have one handy by any chance?

The back plate has 3 inputs, one to connect to both speakers and then one input for each individual speaker

 

[skullfxr]

Maybe a K100/K85? I like EVM12L's a lot in Thiele cabs too. Leave that in the bottom for sure. K100's compliment them great, but I have never tried that cab.

 

[blackba]

I haven't been able to find any diagrams for wiring such a cab, would anyone have one handy by any chance?

The back plate has 3 inputs, one to connect to both speakers and then one input for each individual speaker

I would just use a handheld DMM and measure the resistance you get from tip to sleeve for each connection. For the 2 individual speakers should get around 7ohms and for the 2 in parallel should get around 3.5ohms.

I am also thinking something is wrong with your EV. It should add the thump and shouldn't sound harsh.

 

[Ratou]

Thanks for suggestion will check them out. Issue with EV in this cab is that it really doesn't sound like expected, pretty shrill and not much bottom end...

Maybe a K100/K85? I like EVM12L's a lot in Thiele cabs too. Leave that in the bottom for sure. K100's compliment them great, but I have never tried that cab.

 

[Ratou]

I had checked these and all measured close to your numbers, also made sure that speakers where in phase. Would that rule out any wiring issues? If yes, then it's maybe just a bad speaker? If it's useful I can take it apart and send some pictures of the speaker and the wiring

Thanks for your help!

I haven't been able to find any diagrams for wiring such a cab, would anyone have one handy by any chance?

The back plate has 3 inputs, one to connect to both speakers and then one input for each individual speaker

I would just use a handheld DMM and measure the resistance you get from tip to sleeve for each connection. For the 2 individual speakers should get around 7ohms and for the 2 in parallel should get around 3.5ohms.

I am also thinking something is wrong with your EV. It should add the thump and shouldn't sound harsh.

 

[blackba]

I had checked these and all measured close to your numbers, also made sure that speakers where in phase. Would that rule out any wiring issues? If yes, then it's maybe just a bad speaker? If it's useful I can take it apart and send some pictures of the speaker and the wiring

Thanks for your help!

I haven't been able to find any diagrams for wiring such a cab, would anyone have one handy by any chance?

The back plate has 3 inputs, one to connect to both speakers and then one input for each individual speaker

I would just use a handheld DMM and measure the resistance you get from tip to sleeve for each connection. For the 2 individual speakers should get around 7ohms and for the 2 in parallel should get around 3.5ohms.

I am also thinking something is wrong with your EV. It should add the thump and shouldn't sound harsh.

Since your speakers are in phase, the next thing to do is just to check 1 speaker at a time, which it sounds like you might have already done. After that, I would probably conclude that you just have a bad speaker, maybe needing of a recone.

You can always move the V30 to this section and see how it sounds on the bottom. I still think long term that an EVstyle whether its a EVM-12L,WGS version, Eminence MS-12, etc would be your best bet. Mesa does put MC90's in their thiele cabs now, so that would be the 2nd choice. I think I might have kept my 212 cab had I tried an EV in the bottom with an MC90 on the top.

 

[Ratou]

I had checked these and all measured close to your numbers, also made sure that speakers where in phase. Would that rule out any wiring issues? If yes, then it's maybe just a bad speaker? If it's useful I can take it apart and send some pictures of the speaker and the wiring

Thanks for your help!

I haven't been able to find any diagrams for wiring such a cab, would anyone have one handy by any chance?

The back plate has 3 inputs, one to connect to both speakers and then one input for each individual speaker

I would just use a handheld DMM and measure the resistance you get from tip to sleeve for each connection. For the 2 individual speakers should get around 7ohms and for the 2 in parallel should get around 3.5ohms.

I am also thinking something is wrong with your EV. It should add the thump and shouldn't sound harsh.

Since your speakers are in phase, the next thing to do is just to check 1 speaker at a time, which it sounds like you might have already done. After that, I would probably conclude that you just have a bad speaker, maybe needing of a recone.

You can always move the V30 to this section and see how it sounds on the bottom. I still think long term that an EVstyle whether its a EVM-12L,WGS version, Eminence MS-12, etc would be your best bet. Mesa does put MC90's in their thiele cabs now, so that would be the 2nd choice. I think I might have kept my 212 cab had I tried an EV in the bottom with an MC90 on the top.

Yep have tried playing through speakers individually, and it's then pretty clear that the EV sounds really harsh. I've been trying to find an MS-12 or an MC90 for a while actually but haven't been able to find one on used market here in Europe unfortunately. I just bought a used Mesa branded EVM12L from ebay (camefrom a Mesa 4x12 I believe) to replace to one in my cab and see how it sounds.

Thanks again for the help!

 

[thiswaythatway]

Redback 150 watter. Really huge sounding speaker. I have one with a loose dust cap but I can tell it sounds great.

 

[harddriver]

You can't go wrong with the Mesa spec'd Celestion Vintage 30 made to mesa's specs and Made in England and priced right. It does not have the shrill mid spike the regular V-30 seem to have, it's tight on the low end with nice highs...at least to my ears. It's my favorite version of the V-30.