Renegade 1x12 versus 2x12

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ledvedder

ledvedder

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I'm saving my pennies to get a Renegade, but I'm not sure which one to get. What are the differences, tonally, between the 1x12 and the 2x12? Which would you choose?
 
The 2 X 12 will be bigger and fuller sounding and will project a little more BUT... the 1 X 12 is one of the few Egnater combos with front mounted controls. I don't know if that matters to you or not.

:rock:
 
I have the 1x12 and looked far and wide before I bought. Narrowed it down to a Mesa somethingdyne, the 1x12 and 2x12 Renegade. Bought the 1x12 and never looked back. Amazing amp. A diamond hidden in the mass of amps out there. Truly an amazing tone monster. Clean, dirty, EL34, 6L6 - every part of this amp is what I've always searched for and I've em all. Mesa, Marshall, Fender and this blows them all away. Had a Fener Supersonic. What a joke.

Get the 1x12 - I thought it had a better tonal sound than the 2x12.

Love this amp!!

Wish I could have had this when I was younger!!! argh!!
 
guitar54":1bv2o13y said:
I have the 1x12 and looked far and wide before I bought. Narrowed it down to a Mesa somethingdyne, the 1x12 and 2x12 Renegade. Bought the 1x12 and never looked back. Amazing amp. A diamond hidden in the mass of amps out there. Truly an amazing tone monster. Clean, dirty, EL34, 6L6 - every part of this amp is what I've always searched for and I've em all. Mesa, Marshall, Fender and this blows them all away. Had a Fener Supersonic. What a joke.

Get the 1x12 - I thought it had a better tonal sound than the 2x12.

Love this amp!!

Wish I could have had this when I was younger!!! argh!!

Do you gig with the 1x12? That's the only thing that concerns me. Will it be enough to gig with?
 
Any reason not to go head/212?? I'd either go 112 combo (if the combo thing is your deal) or a head and 212. THose 212 combo's are big/heavy.

You could gig with the 112 easily.......unless you were playing really big venues and needed a ton of stage volume. I gigged with my PV Classic 30 for a few years and it was fine. I would usually tilt is back a bit on a stand and mic it through the PA. Worked great so I know the Renegade would do the same and even better with more power than the classic 30.

I'm all about heads/cabs these days. Just easier and more fun when you can swap cabs around and mix and match. Take whatever cab you need to tailor to your gig.
 
I actually have a possible deal pending for the head/tm212. I've also got another possibility to get the 112 combo at a decent price. Decisions, decisions.
 
I've not had a real gig yet, but kind of a half gig - and used it at many grueling rehearsals - no issues. This thing is solid.
 
Do you forsee many gigs?? YOu going to be hauling it around a lot?? Stairs?? If so, I'l likely go for the 112.

The 212 does have nice casters, so that helps, but if you have a lot of stairs, then maybe not. Do you have someone to help you carry the 212? Will it fit in your car?

Just throwing stuff out there to consider. For the biggest tone man, the head/212 rules.

Convenience and portability, then I'd go 112.
 
I guess the head/cab wouldn't give me much more portability than the 212 combo. The cab is like 70lbs. by itself.
 
So which one did you choose ledvedder and how do you like it?

I am struggling with the same decision...112 versus 212. :confused:
 
The 212 has two different speakers that would presumably blend together to make a more interesting tone. That's probably the only reason I can say that I'd choose the 212 over the 112. Playing live you can use the direct out to the board so there really wouldn't be much difference between the 112 and 212 otherwise.

Other than that, it probably won't change your life to have the 112 over the 212 other than the lighter weight. When I was shopping, I seem to remember that the weight wasn't that much different - 20 lbs I think. The 212 has great spring loaded handles on the side which make it easier to carry compared to the top mounted handles on an amp like a Vox AC-30. Also, the 212 comes with removeable casters which is nice. I'm also not sure the 212 is necessarily that much larger than the 112. It certainly isn't twice as big.

A head-cab situation gives you some versatility, but can be even harder to transport when you factor in that you're moving 2 things instead of one. And the combos can function as heads themselves anyway. So there's nothing stopping you from adding a cab to your combo eventually. It is a slightly different arrangement though so there may be some advantages there.

I'm happy with my 212, but I don't imagine that getting the 112 would have been a mistake. Sometimes I like the extra beef. Other times, sometimes when I'm moving it, I wouldn't mind it being smaller.
 
Excellent post hbucker and thanks!

Yes, I do like the side handles and casters of the 212. Very handy when transporting.
I don't gig all that often......so......the extra weight of the 212 isn't all that big of deal to me. Also, the slightly larger footprint (which isn't much at all looking at the manual) isn't a problem either.

However, I do like the front controls of the 112.

One more question......can you rebias the tubes on the 212 without taking the chassis out of the cabinet? The bias pots are clearly not as easily accessible on the 212. I am thinking probably so, but the task would be a bit more tedious...correct?

Thanks again, and any others please chime in!
 
You don't have to remove anything to bias the 212. It's all underneath in the back with the other jacks.

As far as the front mounted controls, this may or may not be an issue, depending on where your amp usually sits. If it's on the floor, I would contend that neither will change your life. You'll get use to whatever you have. The top mounted controls on the 212 would not be an issue in this regard.

The higher you have the amp, presumably sitting on something or on a stand, the top mounted controls become more of an issue. When on a stand tilted back, they aren't as easy to see. I'm 6' tall and unless the amp is on a table 3' or more tall, I can still see the controls and don't think much about how convenient it is. But arguably, in that scenario, front mounted would improve the visibility of the controls from a distance.

I thought the top mounted controls might be a pain, but I've been plesantly surprised in that regard.
 
Quick comment - As I said, I have the 1x12. It lighter and much easier to move around. The sound is amazing - I played a 2x12 and thought it was too harsh and too loud. The 1x12 can be cranked a bit more and you get that great Engater tone. You can prob do the same with the 2x12, but that thing is a monster to haul around. 50 lbs versus 70 is a bunch. Just my thoughts - 1x12 is perfect for me! Also I get compliments from people every time I play the thing...
 
Both amps can be as quiet or loud as you need them to be. :confused:

The 20 lb difference is either significant or not depending on the person. It isn't really for me now, but I'm still young (ish) at 44. Talk to me when I'm 80. Maybe I'll change my tune... ;)

Harsh or not also depends on the person. I defy anyone to hear my 212 as harsh. But I'm sure someone could.

Neither is a mistake IMO. Weigh the options and your needs and choose which works best for you.

Good luck. :thumbsup:
 
Thanks hbucker, guitar54 and all other posters!

Very useful information has been provided to help me make my final decision.
This is a very helpful and awesome forum!

Rock On! :rock:
 
I'm thinking of getting a 1-12 myself. I had the head when they first came out. At the time, I thought it was a great amp, but didn't think it measured up to my current rig so I sold it. I'm no longer actively gigging and looking for a great "grab 'n go" amp that can also support a gig if needed. This amp seems to fit my needs.

As far as the 2-12 vs 1-12 decision... I really dislike 2-12s because I have always have stairs to deal with and usually have limited / confined vehicle space. I know that tone considerations should take top priority; but I will avoid the hassles of transporting a 2-12 amp if I have access to a smaller amp that can do the job (even if it's a lesser amp). Maybe that's the wrong attitude, but at least I'm self-aware enough to know it. It will be a 1-12 for me!
 
I told my salesman at GC to order a NIB 112 for me. This decision was simple for me after he told me that if I wasn't as happy with the sound of the 112 as my current 212, I could swap bring it back for a NIB 212!! :D

My salesman at GC has always worked with me on all of my purchases. Needless to say, I am very pleased with being offered this option in the event I truly prefer the sound of the 212. :thumbsup:
 
I received my NIB 1x12 Renegade about a week ago. The great news is that it works flawlessly and sounds very good! However, I do prefer the overall sound of the 2x12 significantly better for my needs. I feel that the combination of speakers in the 2x12 really allow the features of the amp to shine......especially the tube mix knobs and to a lesser extent the toggle switches. IMO the 2x12 also offers a fuller sound in both channels....and I am able to more easily achieve a good volume balance between both channels. Additionally, I feel that a brighter tone in channel 2 is more easily obtained with the 2x12.....once again....most probably because of the 2 different speakers that in my mind work very well together for clean and lead tones......but that is just my opinion.

All that being said....I do prefer the tone knobs in the front and connections being directly in the back of the 1x12....and of course the lighter weight of the 1x12.

However, all things being considered, I have opted to swap out my NIB 1x12 with a NIB 2x12 combo from my friendly salesman at GC. I don't gig very often...so it isn't as if moving this thing around is really a problem. And even if it were....the 2x12 includes removable casters and high quality side handles that make this task very manageable when I do need to haul it off to a gig. IMO....the fuller tones of the 2x12 versus the 1x12 are worth it.

Still.....the 1x12 combo is a great sounding amp as well.......so others will just need to decide which works best for them if they are shopping for one of the Renegade combos.
 
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