Mesa vs Mesa vs Mesa vs Mesa

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The title is no joke. This clip includes four different Mesa cabinets with the same exact brand of speakers. They've aged differently and show you how different a V30 can sound when compared to another V30. All are just a single SM57 on a Mesa V30 speaker.



And in case you missed my porn thread here's a shot from the live room:

MESA%20ORANGE%20FEST%20(1%20of%201).jpg
 
rsf1977_again said:
Which do you prefer? Also, I have an avatar orange clone cab. Would you put v30s in that?
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Let me start by saying that my favorite speaker is the older custom 70w Mesa V30 speaker. I make sure that all the Mesa cabs I have in the studio have these speakers in them. They are less phasy and more direct sounding. Also knowing that they've got some wear to them really helps make the IRs more pleasing. So if you can find those speakers somewhere then go ahead but it's going to be really hard to find them. If you find a Mesa cab that says 4FB (4x12) or 2FB (2x12) behind it then those have the older 70W Mesa V30s in them.

One of my least favorite speakers is the Chinese V30 speaker. Just to give you an idea of how big the difference is. :)
 
No wittu, kolmas oli ihan selkeesti sopivin mixiin niin ettei basarit ja bassot sekaannu suoriltaan, vähän liian kirkas mut mixissä tosiaan hyvä! :D And same in english, third one was my favorite, a bit too bright but the lows and midds seem to suit best in mix, whatever that cab was then :D
 
Clark Kent said:
Let me start by saying that my favorite speaker is the older custom 70w Mesa V30 speaker. I make sure that all the Mesa cabs I have in the studio have these speakers in them. They are less phasy and more direct sounding. Also knowing that they've got some wear to them really helps make the IRs more pleasing. So if you can find those speakers somewhere then go ahead but it's going to be really hard to find them. If you find a Mesa cab that says 4FB (4x12) or 2FB (2x12) behind it then those have the older 70W Mesa V30s in them.

One of my least favorite speakers is the Chinese V30 speaker. Just to give you an idea of how big the difference is. :)
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I have an older mesa 4x12 from around 2000 or earlier and recently I swapped its v30s for current production v30s because I wanted the cab to run at 4ohms instead of 8ohms. I immediately noticed the new v30s were way brighter and fizzy. Would that be the sonic difference. I may put them back.
 
rsf1977_again said:
I have an older mesa 4x12 from around 2000 or earlier and recently I swapped its v30s for current production v30s because I wanted the cab to run at 4ohms instead of 8ohms. I immediately noticed the new v30s were way brighter and fizzy. Would that be the sonic difference. I may put them back.
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Well essentially yes. Also in your case you would be comparing worn speakers to brand new ones. Worn speakers tend to sound more pleasing but I feel like you can sometimes wear speakers out. It's just a different sound though. The 3rd clip in my comparison has the oldest speakers in it and that cab has been toured seriously for years. But sure... essentially the 60W Mesa speakers are for some reason a bit more fizzier and growlier. I like them also.
 
Clark Kent said:
One of my least favorite speakers is the Chinese V30 speaker. Just to give you an idea of how big the difference is. :)
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Amen to that. I've a H&K Grandmeister 36 with it's matching 2x12 Chinese v30 loaded cab ...... the H&K is a fizzy amp at best of times (I've since swapped all the Chinese power tubes and the v1 pre tube which helped) - V30s were used I suppose to be more mid range and early breakup of highs etc - but those v30s do not appeal to me.

A FX8 '4 cabled' with that H&K is my plan someday for a conventional light weight alternative rig .... an eq block at the start of the blocks used in the loop between pre and power amp would be a great asset to tame and tune the little beast. (Plus better speakers)
 
I likes number ## 2 the best . I have a Road King cab with what I assume are the c90s and v30s when I run it with both at 4ohms HSB it sounds amazing I suppose one could approximate this with a cab lab mix from one of your cab packs . But I have not gone down that rabbit hole and purchased a cab pack as its just too much of a good thing what would I ever do with that many choices ! Now if you could make some ( Preset + custom cabs ) with the new functionality this I could really get into !
CK Mark IV presets + custom Mesa cabs this would be a HOT product !! Just an Idea
 
I like 4 the best. Each one got progressively darker, and I liked each one better than the last (for THAT riff and style of play though.) I play a sound closer to #1 myself. Interesting post!
 
Pinkycramps said:
I like 4 the best. Each one got progressively darker....
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So you thought 4 was darker than 2 or 3?


From lightest to darkest, I would say: 1, 4, 2, 3.



Edit - Re-listening, I think 4 sounds brighter than 1. Regardless, 4 to me sounds the fullest and not muddy at all like 2 or 3.
 
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The taste of which is best can be very case sensitive, the fourth is just closest to the "ideal" tone that i currently have in my head. If i start tweaking some other patch and need something else done, my choice would offcourse vary.
 
I preferred them in this order: 3, 1, 4, 2. "Broken-in" speakers, especially the various models of the V30,/always sound better to me than brand new ones.
 
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