Speaker choice for Axe-fx ultra with Tone Junkie 2x12 cab?

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NoahNoah

Member
I was wondering if anyone could help me in choosing speakers to use with my Axe-fx Ultra, ART-SL2 power amp and this Tone-Junkie 2x12 cab. I really want to use it on stage because I love this cab. Hopefully with the right speaker choice it can sound great with the Axe. Any speaker suggestions are appreciated.

Here's the makers description:
This Mighty-Tone model has an Under/Over speaker baffle design to accomodate 2X12 speakers. The baffle is mounted from the inside to the 3/4" tung-oil finished solid oak trim. This helps to couple the vibrations from the speaker directly to the 3/4" Birch plywood cabinet. The back panel has 2 open or closed sections and is ported for greater projection options and sound dispersal.

ToneJunkie.jpg
ToneJunkie2.jpg
 
That's a tuff question to answer. It really needs to be your selection as your the one that's going to be playing through it. Everyone has their fav when it comes to speakers and cabs. I think a good place to start if you really want some answers is to first let everone know what kind of tone your looking for and what style of music you like to play. Another factor is your amp how much power are your going to push? through that info out here and you will get all kinds of ideas.
 
Thanks for the reply. Most of the time I'd be going for a classic hard rock/modern rock type sound. Thick and chunky, but defintely not metal. I also like a very smooth Gary Moore/John Sykes Les Paul type sound for leads. I'm using the ART-SL2 for power in bridged mode into a Bogner OS 2x12 cab right now, but I really want to use the other cab.

Here's a sample of what I recorded with my Axe-fx straight into a board. http://www.myspace.com/rulersmusic Check out the song "under my soul" for an idea.

I'm really confused about speaker choice!
 
First time laying eyes on that cab, very unique. Personally, my first impression says vintage alnico warmth. :shock: Based on the cab alone. But I think tonally they might fit for a good part of your tonal pallet.
http://warehousespeakers.com/proddetail ... =blackhawk
BlackHawk_1_big.jpg


I own these and use them from time to time, but not nearly as much as I'd hoped. Bought them right before I discovered the axe and have been recording direct over spdif alot since I don't play out... at all at them moment. Boo I'm sad now. :?
 
Thanks for the response. I checked out the website. I've never heard of those before...high dollar speakers! I'll look more into them.
 
Your speaker choice is very subjective and the only way to truly know what sounds best is to buy about 15-20 different speakers and use your ears. However, that is rarely practical for most of us.

I have been through more than a few speakers in the past and my current setup is simple and something that I wanted to be good at both vintage and modern and I understand it is nearly impossible for any cab to be great at both (I haven't played much FRFR).

I use a Genz-Benz G-Flex 212 box because it was inexpensive used I really like the closed-back and ported fullness to the sound and I do believe the flexed baffle makes it a little less directional. I made a custom grill, covered it with salt/pepper cloth for a vintage look, and you would never know it was a G-Flex.

As for speakers, I currently use a 75W Weber Alnico Blue Dog and a 75W Weber Alnico Silver Bell in stereo and I can coax some very good vintage and modern British tones out of this rig. I am a sucker for that sweet Alnico compression (although I'm not getting as much with the higher wattage versions) and by judiciously using the EQ, even the high-gain stuff sounds pretty darn good. And yeah, it can provide as much volume as I would ever need.

If I were you, I would keep the Bogner for the modern hard rock tones (that cabinet sounds great) and consider a couple 30W Alnico blues, 50W Golds, or even some reissue Greenbacks. Run that rig in stereo.

I really think you can get the AXE to do just about anything with almost any speaker.

Just my $0.02 from an Alnico junkie.
 
Thanks for the advice. Wow, stereo! I hadn't even really thought of doing that...sounds like something I'll have to try out.
 
cool cab.

are you going to disable the speaker cab & mic sims in the axe-fx and then mic the cab thru the PA?
or are you going to leave all sims on, run direct to the PA (using the cab as onstage monitoring only)?
 
I'll most likely be using just the cab miced and not running direct to a P.A. I'm still kind of old fashioned that way I guess.... I should mention I've done lots of very small clubs and punk rock type shows where the band is lucky if anything is mic'd other than vocals. I might try to go direct in a bigger club.
 
i hear ya, half our gigs are like that (nothing but vocals thru the PA).
i read yesterday that you can set one output w/ sims (to FOH),
and the other w/o sims (to your onstage rig).
 
NoahNoah said:
Thanks for the advice. Wow, stereo! I hadn't even really thought of doing that...sounds like something I'll have to try out.
Click to expand...

Stereo is cool but most of the time no one but you is going to appreciate it. I run in stereo when noodling around in the house and in certain songs when playing out but most of the time everything is mono. Where it really comes into play is if your running two different amp sims at the same time and have them panned hard over ie: hotrodded Marshall on one side and say a Mesa mark series on the other. This way you can get two totally different tones on stage run one with effects and one with out. Once you really get to know the Axe the possibilities are endless as to how you can set things up. Booth of my cabs are 412 and running some old Vintage 30's amped with the ART SLA-2.
 
been building my axe-fx rig and experimenting for the last 2 weeks.

when i 1st got it, all i had was a crate powerblock and a closed back 1x12 w/ a greenback in it.
i used the GB spkr the 1st night, but was afraid of damaging it, so i swapped it w/ a celestion gt-100.
then i built some patches for use w/ my band (w/ cab sims off), while combing the internet for pieces for my rig.
i found a padded rack, a carvin single space SS amp, and a weber michigan spkr (100w, fairly neutral).
played the new power amp and tweaked settings for a few days.

installed the weber last night and immediately missed the 100w celestion.
thought maybe the weber was too new, so i hooked the ipod up and blasted the cab all day to break it in.
still sounds lifeless. hooked up a 1x10 cab w/ 70w eminence copperhead, while lacking bass it sounded better.
decided to turn the cab sims on. not so great, until i hooked up a full range crappy monitor.
scrolled thru the cab sims, i like the 20w 4x12 best for gainy rawk tones.

i think the key here (at least for me) is to have a speaker and cab onstage similar to the
cab sim that will be used FOH/recording.

because i've played celestions most of my life, the weber just sounds "wrong"
(same thing happened when i had an EV awhile ago).
i hope to score an angled vertical 2x12 cab,
when i do i'll put the celestion in the top (angled at my head)
and the fuller/duller sounding weber in the bottom of the cab.


Stereo is cool but most of the time no one but you is going to appreciate it.
Click to expand...
true. reminds me of when i was talking to my die hard "tubes & stompbox" buddy last week about the axe-fx;
he said "sure, it may sound real, but it won't feel real"...
 
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