Who's playing through Mesa cabs?

Deadpool_25

Fractal Fanatic
Anyone playing through a Mesa cab? Especially at home or in a small (not mic'd) situation? Especially wondering how a 1x12 recto cab would be. Maybe even a pair to go stereo using a Matrix GT1000FX or similar.
 
I actually just picked up my Mesa 2x12 Vertical the other night and tried it out last night with my 120w JJ clone for the first time... Sounded insanely good!! Very happy with it. It kept up with my friend's OJ 4x12 without any issues, also loaded with V30s.. The amp sits perfectly on top of the 2x12 - it's the same width so they look and work really well together.

 
I have a gig tomorrow and plan on using my Mesa 1x12 recto straight cab w/ Freyette Power Station. Sounds glorious. I have all my patches built with fxloop out before the cab so I can run this along side CLRs, or FOH. But it sounds fantastic by itself. I absolutely love this cab and speaker with the Axe.. Cuts nice on cleans, and leads. YMMV
 
Sh
Off topic here, but who built the JJ clone Georgy?
How does she sound?

Hi Shaun,

A guy here in Melbourne, Don from Southern Cross Audio (Ringwood). It's basically a Friedman JJ with a couple mods. Sounds NUTS. Diverse, flexible, and growly! You're in Melbourne yeah? That pic up there that you see; it sounds every bit of a 4x12 setup - it thumps.
 
Anyone playing through a Mesa cab? Especially at home or in a small (not mic'd) situation? Especially wondering how a 1x12 recto cab would be. Maybe even a pair to go stereo using a Matrix GT1000FX or similar.

I own this very rig: Axe II, Matrix GT1000FX, Furmann, and a pair of mini rectifiers (one straight, one slant). What exactly do you wanna know?
 
I own this very rig: Axe II, Matrix GT1000FX, Furmann, and a pair of mini rectifiers (one straight, one slant). What exactly do you wanna know?

Cool. Have you tried any of the FRFR options? Do you always run with cabs off anddo you feel limited at all by having actual cabs? How do different amps translate? Like the sound of a Twin, Vibroverb, Marshall, Recto, etc...do you feel like they retain their character through an actual cab vs. using a cab sim? And where do you normally play? Home or out? Lastly, what are your general impressions thoughts on that setup?
 
I have a gig tomorrow and plan on using my Mesa 1x12 recto straight cab w/ Freyette Power Station. Sounds glorious. I have all my patches built with fxloop out before the cab so I can run this along side CLRs, or FOH. But it sounds fantastic by itself. I absolutely love this cab and speaker with the Axe.. Cuts nice on cleans, and leads. YMMV

Nice. I'll pose the same questions to you as in the above post. Thoughts?
 
Nice. I'll pose the same questions to you as in the above post. Thoughts?

Well it sounded great for the show. Many many compliments. Pink floyd tribute show so the cleans were key. I'm using the 65 Bassman Axe Amp Block right now on my Floyd presets. But I change the clean amp from time to time, and use the Twin and such. No issues whatsoever for me using the cab. All my presets are set up for FRFR and/or REAL CAB using the fxloop(output 2) into the Freyette PS, and then one Mesa mini rect 1x12 straight. Output 1 goes out to FRFR or FOH. I have two CLR's and sometimes use those(or one) instead of a cab. Either way is fine. Although I prefer the feel of the CAB better, but also sometimes like the versatility of CLR's(FRFR). Its nice to have options. I never know what I'm bringing when I go play out. lol All my Axe CAB blocks are setup for the CLR with High Cut at like 7k and low cut at like 80. Feels more like a cab to me. With this setup, my same presets translate well either way, whether I use the real poweramp and CAB or modeled into the CLR's. I should add I have a GEQ bock right before the fxloop out to "flavor" the cab a bit to the room. IN front of the AXE CAB block I park a PEQ with a mid range hump for a better cut when I FRFR with a CLR.

Anyhow last gig (using just one Mesa real cab) sounded killer. Cleans were creamy and thick. The leads were crazy good. Couldn't be happier. Whats even better though, is running output one out to 2 CLRs along with output two into the PS and Mesa Cab. Talk about a wall of sound. I do that at home sometimes... Its crazy addictive.
 
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Cool setup. Sounds fun and flexible. Gotta love Pink Floyd. I recently bought a course from Truefire on Gilmour style. I'm only an early intermediate player and I haven't had a chance to dig into it yet but I'm looking forward to it.
 
Sh


Hi Shaun,

A guy here in Melbourne, Don from Southern Cross Audio (Ringwood). It's basically a Friedman JJ with a couple mods. Sounds NUTS. Diverse, flexible, and growly! You're in Melbourne yeah? That pic up there that you see; it sounds every bit of a 4x12 setup - it thumps.

Yep, I'm burkey from Melband (Ausband).
Very nice pickup there.
 
“Cool. Have you tried any of the FRFR options? Do you always run with cabs off?”

Not yet, so I´m not able to make such a comparison real cab versus FRFR. Cab sim must always be off when using a real cab, imo. If I turn cab sim on, the tone really sucks. On the other hand, Powersim is on all the time.


“do you feel limited at all by having actual cabs?”

Obviously, considering that I haven´t tested any FRFR cab, my opinion itself is limited, but I´d answer this question telling you I don´t feel any limit regarding these cabs, they perform very well all Axe models, from a Fender Blues Junior to a Diezel VH4.


“How do different amps translate? And where do you normally play? Home or out? Lastly, what are your general impressions thoughts on that setup?”

I´ve already tried the Axe through Mesa 2:90 and GT1000FX, both connected to the mini recto pair. It works well with both poweramps, but GT1000 translates much better Axe amp models (2:90 kind of adds its own tone – and this effect gets strong as you increase 2:90´s presence – on the other hand, if you´re using Axe Mesa models…you get awesome tones!!). Many people say FRFR translates even better, but I´m so satisfied with my minis. I ended up using the 2:90 in another rack (ENGL E530 as the preamp) with the same cabs. Both rigs are killer!!

Unfortunately, I can´t tell you how is this rig live. I´m 45 (playing since I was 14) and I´ve played a lot of gigs, but it´s been 2 years that I´ve been playing just at home, so, as I own this rig just about a year and a half, I´ve never used it live. Having said this, I assure you can´t go wrong with this rig live, although I don´t know you in person and what´s your tolerance level regarding the precision of the Axe amp simulations versus the real ones. I´ve done several comparisons at home with some of my amps – Mesa RK II and Marshall DSL50, both through a Mesa Recto 212, EVH 5150 III + EVH 112, Stiletto Ace 112 combo, Fender Dlx Reverb Reissue (this one I´ve sold a time ago, but remember exactly how it sounded) – and the Axe is as precise as the real ones (and I´ve analyse a bunch of parameters: dynamics, envelope, attack, clarity, and so)…believe me: I can dial in the same tones these real amps give me – tonematch block don’t help me in this task, as my tm´s are almost always an “out of phase sound”, so I tonematch “by ears”. I can even get that Road King EL34 + 6L6 sounds with the Axe FX (using 2 amp blocks – one recto modern with 6L6´s, and one recto vintage with EL34´s).

Last but not least, GT1000FX and a pair of 112 rectos have plenty of power to beat a heavy drummer…I´ve read your questions yesterday and when I came home, I made a 2 hours tone and power test. I´ve turned the power to band levels I´m used to and almost became deaf! The power of this rig rivals a Mesa RK-Mesa 212 rectifier cab. Of course, if you plan to play at extralarge stages you´ll eventually need some 412´s. The tone test consisted in choosing a basic preset and browse through the main amps and using 2 different guitars:

- Using a Fender Ash Custom Shop, I tested these models: Fender: tweeds, bassmans, twin, dlx rev, vibrolux; matchless (boutique1), AC30, Marshall Plexi 50W and 100W, USA Clean.

- Using a Peavey USA Wolfgang, I tested these models: Marshall: Plexi 50W, 100W, 1970, 6550, 1987, JCM800mod; Euro: blue, red; Diezel: VH4, Einstein; Mesa: USA Lead, MK II, Dual Recto.

All of them sound so good I can´t believe what I was hearing. Well, in fact, I can´t find a word to express what I feel about this setup. The words awesome and incredible are less than what it deserves. You can do what you want with this rig: amp in the room tone? Got it; match an amp when side by side? got it; recorded amp? Got it; your favorite guitar player´s recorded tone in a certain music? Got it.

One thing I must say is tube amps tone gets fullbodied as you increase its volume, and if you intend to use the Axe (+ GT1000 + pair of mini rectos) to recreate this effect, you must use an expression pedal to control master and volume at the same time in your amp block. I mean, it could be strange sometimes to play at low volume and get a full body tube amp sound – in this situation, you loose the amp in the room feel. Another thing I haven´t discovered yet how to reproduce (and don´t know if the Axe can do) is that kind of scratchy sound you can hear on Van Halen´s Panama intro – don´t know if a FRFR could solve this, I´d bet it can´t – well, I´ll post this question in a thread.

Sorry for the long text! Any additional questions, or video requests, feel free to ask for. I´ll try to do my best.
 
RecifeShark,

That's a wonderful response and great info. Exactly the kind of information I was looking for. I really only play at home so I'm not worried about how the setup would work playing a live gig but there's comfort knowing it's quite capable of that. I did end up ordering the GT1000FX. Instead of the Mesa cabs I ended up getting the Matrix NL12s. Your post makes me even more confident about playing the Axe FX through non-FRFR cabs. I expect the NL12s will be different from the Mesas (of course) but no less capable.

Thank you again for the detailed response!
 
I´ll bet NL12s will be better than my Mesas. Everybody says Axe+FRFRs are better than Axe+real cabs.

In my case, as I live in Brazil and it´s almost impossible to find gear to test before buying it (in this particular case, a friend of mine owns an Axe - he was a great influence on my decision to buy it too - but not the FRFRs - and even when I find it, the price is so high here), so whenever I go on vacations to the USA (I was in Orlando last october) I took the opportunity to buy gear - this time, these rectifiers - and I decided for them because I need to use them with the other rack I´ve already told you (2:90 is stereo the cabs I owned won´t fit it), and it would be nice to make a mini full stack paired with the 5153 50W I own ;) and if I bought FRFRs, I´d be able to use them only with the axe-gt rack.
 
Well the NL12s aren't quite FRFR, but my impression is that they are somewhere between FRFR and a traditional cab. Like a traditional cab that can produce a wider frequency response maybe. They should be in tomorrow. Can't wait.

I used to own an EVH 5150 III 50W head and matching 1x12 cab. Sounded great overall but nothing beats the versatility of the Axe. :)
 
I run a GT1000FX into a Mesa 2x12 Vertical cab. This has been my main gigging setup for a few years now. Prior to that I had a QSC K12 powered speaker and did the FRFR thing for a while but didn't really dig it. I feel absolutely no loss at being restricted to the sound of a real cab. In fact it makes the process of dialing in great tones SO much easier.

That being said in the studio, I love having the option to play with different cab sims. The tonal variety from swapping cabs is huge and sometimes is the deciding factor in deciding what tone fits well in a song.
 
Anyone playing through a Mesa cab? Especially at home or in a small (not mic'd) situation? Especially wondering how a 1x12 recto cab would be. Maybe even a pair to go stereo using a Matrix GT1000FX or similar.

I own an early 2000's 4X12 "Traditional Recto" (or Stiletto if you prefer), a 2010 2X12 Recto, and a late 90's closed back 1X12 recto cab.

all of them sound great. The 1X12 is a little bright compared to the other cabs. You have to dial it differently (and consider putting the smaller cabs up on blocks at rehearsals and shows).
 
I actually ended up with a Mesa 2x12 Rectifier cab. Loving it along with the GT1000FX 2U.

I'm sure there are some settings I should be tweaking in the Axe to adjust for running a real cab but I have no idea what they are lol. Regardless, it sounds great.
 
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