All this I’m hearing about early 2000’s Mesa Cabs

  • Thread starter Thread starter frontline205
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The block letter and silver screw versions are the best. I believe Mark Johnson, uncredited designer of the Mark series, told me that.
 
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I have a few cabs and a few random v30s I’ve came across over the years, I have no clue where or any of them are made
 
frontline205 said:
So you guys will probably know here. There’s been a lot of internet hype that might’ve been around but I’m only just noticing it saying that the early say 2000-2004 Mesa v30’s are the “holy grail” V30 speaker. I also hear that that’s true for that particular 2000’s metal core tone and is the tone that most people say is becoming generic.
I know my friend has a 2002 Mesa 4x12 traditional all original I could buy, but is it worth it to get that those particular years? I always myself liked the Marshall 1960BV from the late 80’s
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Is there a noticeable difference in quality and sound between English V30s & International labeled speakers ???
 
Nigel said:
I do believe most 4x12 enjoyers would benefit from trying S/P wiring for cabs they love AND hate. Get those tone sucking jacks and switch plates out of your circuit and profit! Put a SPST switch on the back to go P/S and call it “Rock/Metal.”
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Can you elaborate P/S wiring a little more?
 
JackBootedThug said:
my avatar with v30's is killer. I assume they are his hellatones. My Marshall mode 4 sucks ass. So dark sounding. Might be better cranked. I usually play at lower volumes in stereo with both cabs. I did reorganize the "boom boom" room and separated the cabs from each other as much as possible and it did make a big difference. Sounds much better now. The v30's Marshall used in those cabs were specced for the mode 4 head so they are not standard v30's. Not really related to your first post but not all v30's are created equal.
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Get me the Marshall mode 4 please
 
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I use the Mesa oversized cabs with the straight front face, but angled speakers. I'm not certain of the year, but those cabs have always sounded best to me.
 
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Posting this one again...

This is all the versions I have found so far...


T3896 8 ohm Original Marshall Labeled


T3897 16 ohm Marshall labeled


T3903 8 ohm Celestion Labeled


T3904 16 ohm Celestion Labeled


T4335 8 ohm Mesa Labeled


T4416 16 ohm Mesa Labeled


T5321 16 ohm Marshall Mode Four


T5794A G12-60 S.E. 8 ohm

Special Edition


T5489 16 ohm

Relic 30


T5401B Vintage 30 8 ohm

Bad Cat version


T5731B G12- Vintage 30 16 ohm

Dave Mustaine V30


T5225 16 ohm 1777 cone

Hughes and Kettner


T5273 8 ohm 1777 cone

Hughes and Kettner


T3904A Vintage 30 16 ohm

25th Anniversary


These are all slightly different sounding Vintage 30.


"When you change the impedance rating of the speaker, you also change the inductance of the coil which changes the resonant frequency among other things. So if you have 2 identical amps and 2 identical cabs - one cab loaded with 8 ohm speakers and amp set to 8 next to one loaded with 16 ohm speakers and amp set to 16, they will sound noticeably different. The 16 ohm rig will usually sound brighter and deeper."


T3896 G12V 8 Ohm Vintage 30, Marshall label, 70w, 444 cone


T3897 G12V 16 Ohm Vintage 30, Marshall label, 70w, 444 cone


T3903 Vintage 30 8 Ohm cone stamp – 444 (standard specification)


T3904 Vintage 30 15 Ohm cone stamp – 444 (standard specification)


T4335 Vintage 30 8 Ohm cone stamp – 444 – Old original spec – now Mesa OEM


T4416 Vintage 30 16 Ohm cone stamp – 444 – Old original spec – now Mesa OEM


T5321 G12 Vintage MF 16 Ohm Custom designed for use in Marshall MF series cabs. G12-CV60.


"What I was referring to was the construction of the speaker itself. Taking a 16 ohm vintage 30 for example, if you simply decrease the speaker voice coil turns to make it an 8 ohm speaker, the chances that it would sound the same in all other respects are slim. By playing with other factors such as wire gauge and doping, they can me made to sound similar, but not identical.


So, it's important to know that when you are comparing cabs. Comparing two identical cabs operated by identical amplifiers, but one cab loaded with 8 ohm V30s and the amp set to 8 ohms vs one cab loaded with 16 ohm V30s and the amp set to 16 ohms, you are going to hear a pronounced difference in sound and performance. The differences will be partly the difference in electrical characteristics of the speakers and partly the resulting change in reactance of the amplifier.


Even so, I think you'll find that two 8 ohm speakers wired in series for a 16 ohm load will produce a deeper wider sound."


Both quotes are Steven Fryette.
 
VonBonfire said:
There is a rumor going around here about using water to subtly change the tone on your v30's if you are concerned with it sounding generic. Not sure exactly how it's done but if and when you try it, I'll be watching you.
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OK that's enough buddy. I was telling the truth when I said my speakers all got sabotaged though, it's no bullshit... i'm really pissed about it too.
 
There are no better years to be honest with you, they're all good. Some may say those early 2000's cabs sound rather dark, some like them though, it's all taste. The later cabs are brighter sounding... nothing you can't fix with a little adjustment of your presence control.
 
I have an early 90’s oversize cab…leather like covering. It has been my main recording cab for quite awhile now. Replaced one of the speakers with a new v30 a year or so ago. It sounds very different and is the one that gets mic’d up the most.
 
anomaly said:
There are no better years to be honest with you, they're all good. Some may say those early 2000's cabs sound rather dark, some like them though, it's all taste. The later cabs are brighter sounding... nothing you can't fix with a little adjustment of your presence control.
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While I'm cool with the idea that there are "no better years" (since "better is in ear of the listener), I will disagree with the presence comment. I've had multiple of each cab from each "generation" in the room at the same time and no amount of knob turning will take away the "fizz" from the 05-19 speakers and make it sound like an older version.
 
GJgo said:
While I'm cool with the idea that there are "no better years" (since "better is in ear of the listener), I will disagree with the presence comment. I've had multiple of each cab from each "generation" in the room at the same time and no amount of knob turning will take away the "fizz" from the 05-19 speakers and make it sound like an older version.
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Well it depends on the amp too, right? I can take all the fizz away out of my '06 cab with the presence control, or a little bump down on the 6600 slider on my Mark IV. I got some 2021 speakers too and they do have less of those frequencies though. I gotta say though. sometimes you want some of those 5 - 6k frequencies, at least I do, makes the tone sound more in your face sounding, ya know?? and with cleans, they sound better IMO.
 
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