Comparison: Cabs (Mesa/Marshall/Engl)

[Lasse Lammert]

Ok, it's LSD-clipweek

here are three clips through the following cabs:



Marshall JCM900 1960 (G12T-75)

Engl Pro (V30)


Mesa Boogie Rectifier (V30)


Amp was 5150. 1xsm57


DISCLAIMER:
I used the same Ampsettings and Mic-Position on all those cabs, OF COURSE I'd use a different ampsetting and micposition on the 1960 in a real mix, but I just wanted to show the general character of the speakers and I thought it could be best compared with the very same ampsettings.
I did NOT try to get the best sounds out of those speakers(!!!), so it's useless to say (the Mesa sounds way better than the marshall (although it does ), because the ampsettings suit the mesa better of course.
What you CAN say is that one cab has more/less mids, is fizzier etc...that's why I used the same settings and mic-pos.

NO post eq whatsoever of course

 

[::XeS::]

I like very much the Marshall cab! The Mesa sounds good but I think it's a little close in this clip. Engl is beetween the other 2, a litte nasal.
Marshal is the fizzier (but personally, in a good way)
Engl has more hi-mids and less fizz than the marshall and a little more bottom end.
Mesa is the more scooped.

 

[Metaltastic]

Wow, I honestly kinda prefer the Engl's cut/presence, though after importing the files into Reaper and directly snapping between it and the Mesa I can still hear the Engl's front-mounted cloudiness/boxiness, so I'm gonna vote Mesa cuz I'm sure you could get more cut/presence with different amp settings (cuz right now it's kinda muffled sounding IMO). And the T75's in the Marshall have presence up the wazzoo, but definitely feel significantly more scooped than the other two, as expected. Cool comparison dude! Did you mic a top or bottom speaker on the Engl and Marshall? (I think I remember your Engl being slant, dunno about your 1960)

 

[Lasse Lammert]

I miced the best sounding speaker in each cab.

for the mesa it's top left, marshall: top right, engl: bottom left.

Marshall and engl are slant.

but it's NOT the position the speaker is in, it's the actual speaker that makes the difference

 

[Metaltastic]

Hmm, that's not been my experience in my slant Stiletto cab Lasse (or in the clips James/TheShred posted of his slant Framus cab), but I guess the best way to tell would be to switch the speakers around!

 

[::XeS::]

I think marshall and mesa could fit well togheter....marshall with gt75 can add those trebble/gritty frequencies that could put some life in an hollow mesa tone

 

[J.DavisNJ]

I prefer the Mesa by a mile. It seems the most "intact" of the three. Not as much fizz, real solid midrange, just the best overall.

I have a love/hate relationship with those G12T-75s. I used to own a 1960A 4x12. While they have a nice low end and are fun to play (they saturate nicely!), I wouldn't choose them personally. Although I do think they work well for an old school thrash tone. Sodom "Agent Orange" if you will! I think the reason I make this comparison is because a lot of the 80's bands probably used 65's in JCM 800 cabs which are a precursor to the G12T-75s.

The Engl sounds good as well, but a bit muffled and a bit too much fizz for my liking.

You are making it easy for me to hold onto my Mesa Oversized!

-Joe

 

[Lasse Lammert]

but I guess the best way to tell would be to switch the speakers around!

yep, I've tried it...it's the speaker, not the position

 

[Jaymz]

Damn that Marshall is bright/fizzy! The ENGL has a vowelyness to it...Mesa is kinda scooped and quite dark, but the least fuzzy/fizzy I guess.

Its between the ENGL and the Mesa for me. Both sound good.

 

[J.DavisNJ]

yep, I've tried it...it's the speaker, not the position

100%

The 4 speakers in my straight Oversized sound quite different! I'm gonna do another test one of these days. I was really surprised.

-Joe

 

[Soundlurker]

They all sound good, just need different cuts:

Marshall: 5khz and 7,6khz
Engl: 1,2khz
Mesa 3,8khz

Overall, however, I liked the Mesa most: smooth highs, no nasal character and solid sound.

 

[JonWormwood]

hot damn i love the 75 cause I got fucked up hearing and like black metal

 

[Lasse Lammert]

They all sound good, just need different cuts:

Marshall: 5khz and 7,6khz
Engl: 1,2khz
Mesa 3,8khz

Overall, however, I liked the Mesa most: smooth highs, no nasal character and solid sound.

yeah, that's pretty much where I place the notches.

notice the very narrow and deep notch at around 2.9-3k that the engl has got!

 

[Petrocker]

Mesa wins for me.

 

[Sickan]

Mesa > Engl > Marshall.

 

[mr.L.]

I think the ENGL sounds best. Marshall has nice character but the amp settings kinda work against this cab as stated. Mesa sounds allright, just really not my taste.

 

[poidaobi]

Wow, I honestly kinda prefer the Engl

Yeee Haw....that's good enough for me!

 

[Metaltastic]

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

Holy crap didn't realize the Engl would be that different from the Mesa. Was the Mesa an oversized?

 

[Lasse Lammert]

Holy crap didn't realize the Engl would be that different from the Mesa. Was the Mesa an oversized?

yep