Best cab for RA-100?

Hello,

Maybe someone can help with choosing cab for RA-100 head?. Rather 2x12" but 4x12" would be option also.

I´ve tried RA-100 through Rectifier overzized 4x12" and it sounded quite good. Couple of low budget 2x12" cabs with V30 speakers sounded awful. Way much brighter in bad way, very harsh!. I think i stick to Mesa

Anyone tried RA own cab, i think it was 3/4 open back with 2x V30 speakers?. I´ve heard good experiences V30 speakers with C90 also?.

Even i like bright and British characteric sound, what RA offers indeed, i prefer little bit smoothier middle range especially higher volumes. Rectifier was good but maybe something smoothier choice from Mesa?.

I´m still on honeymoon with my RA but have to say it´s very very great sounding and versatile amp so far. Takes pedals nicely.

Cheers and please forgive this poor english from finnish guy!

I'm using the RA-100 head with a older mesa traditional 4x12 straight cab which i swear by.
I had the oversized years back and thought it was too boomy to the point of my losing tone on low end chords/riffs/drop tunings etc..The 2x12 unless matched with another 2x12 sounds thin to my ears.
I get all the tightness i need from the traditional.
good luck and cheers
Richb

I like the traditional cabs too. I have the 2x12, it is punchier and has more low mids and less highs than the Recto 2x12. The bass is not as deep. The only thing I've found not to like is the small cab can get a bit boomy in the bass. The fix is to turn the bass down :mrgreen:

The C90 is a lot smoother in the mids. I usually prefer the crunch and punch of the V30 for what I play, but mixing a V30 and C90 can be a great match. Eventually I plan to swap out a V30 for a C90 in my cab.

The Road King 2x12 with its mix of open back C90 and closed V30 would also be worth trying if you can find one.

I tried the RA on a few different cabs and I think I liked it paired with a Rectifier 2X12 over the Rectifer 4X12. For heavier rhythm stuff the lowend seemed too boomy, and heard more hi-end spike with the 4X12, however, it being a newer cab in a GC, chances are the speakers were not broken in. In general everything felt more balanced with the 2X12. I own the Road King 2X12, I still need to try it with a RA, but I would assume it would help smooth out the hi-end with the C-90.

Thanks for answers so far...

It´s good to hear someone likes more 2x12" with RA. I prefer lighter choice to carry around, maybe inexpensive also..

I have noticed too that there is a big difference between new or used speakers what makes compareing cabs sometimes very hard. I´m really excited to hear experiences from you Dwako with RA-100 and Road King cab!.

timop82 said:

Thanks for answers so far...

It´s good to hear someone likes more 2x12" with RA. I prefer lighter choice to carry around, maybe inexpensive also..

I have noticed too that there is a big difference between new or used speakers what makes compareing cabs sometimes very hard. I´m really excited to hear experiences from you Dwako with RA-100 and Road King cab!.

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+1 :mrgreen:

What are some opinions out there for the best 2x12 extension cab to run with an RA combo that comes with V30's? I was thinking the TA 2x12 that comes with the Black Shadows (C90's?). Any thoughts? I am looking to play mostly rock/metal...maybe in the vein of High on Fire or others in a similar 'doom/thrash' style...

I love the port city 2x12 OS for my MarkV, but for the RA it is just too boomy. Anybody try the RA 2x12 cab (as the original poster asked about..)? If the combo is them same configuration can combo owners chime what they like/dislike about it?

I think V30s are a really bad match for the blue channel especially, the last thing it needs is a lift in the upper mids and the bottom end can't get tighter than it is already. I have tried mine through a Recto 2x12 with V30s and it really did not work, and by anyone's standards that's a very nice cab that makes almost anything else sound good.

My main cab for it is a Recto 4x12 with EVM's and Emi RWBs in an X-pattern which sounds very good, except the EVMs make the RA even less forgiving than usual. I think someone on the board said something about the RA not just being unforgiving, but actually laughing at your mistakes and telling your girlfriend you suck. With this cab, hoo boy, yeah. Great cutting, singing leads and crunchy, punchy rhythm, just no room for error or slop at all.

With this rig I find my tone knob is my best buddy, though it's worth noting I am playing an old Yamaha SBG where the tone knob is actually just a treble cut. This setup records really well and sounds good at the wide volume range the RA works in.

My favourite cab to actually play through is my little custom 1x12 birch halfback with a single RWB in it. With the attenuator set fairly high it makes the RA a lot spongier and more forgiving than it usually is, and cleans sound amazing. But it doesn't record well, the bottom end is quite loose, and it has shitty dynamics.

CoG said:

I think V30s are a really bad match for the blue channel especially, the last thing it needs is a lift in the upper mids and the bottom end can't get tighter than it is already. I have tried mine through a Recto 2x12 with V30s and it really did not work, and by anyone's standards that's a very nice cab that makes almost anything else sound good.

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I agree this and thinking also V30's are too much with RA which got already plenty of upper mids.

My cab searching project ended to Bogner 2x12" OS. I bought it used with G12H30/G12-65 speakers and nice vintage-white colour!

Before buying the cab i already got thoughts for different speaker combination, so first i tried to change speakers to V30/G12H30 combination what seems to be a common mix. The original G12H30/G12-65 mix wasn't good because there was too much difference between speakers sensitivity and G12H30 took over too much.

The result with V30/G12H30 wasn't good at all, i found it way too harsh and spikey especially on blue channel like "CoG" said. Tuning the EQ didn't help much... So after one gig and few rehearsals speakers had to go. Next thing i tried G12-65/G12-65 and THERE IT WAS!. Now it sounds how i like it, no more harsness with mids or treble and lows are still punchy enough for any genre.

There is many threads on web about the G12-65 speakers and some says its too smooth speaker but i think its fitting with RA perfectly. Depending of course your other rig and music...

And some words about Bogner cab. It seems to be very strong builted woods and materials and finishing is high quality. I think its about same level with Mesa. What comes to the sound its handling lows very well without getting boomy, just punchy kickass bass. Overall i'm very pleased for it and it was definitely worth of money.

timop82, we need pics!

Hollis said:

timop82, we need pics!

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Okay, then you should have one....



Here is my brand new girlfriend, say hello to her!

Gorgeous. Do the casters come off the Bogner cab?

timop82,
I recently got the Mesa Electra Dyne 2x12 cabinet.
It is basically the RA 2x12 (3/4 back)
Mine has 2 Mesa V30's
It actually sounds really good.
I am going to put one Mesa C90 in the cab with the V30 to see what happens.

I have no complaints with the 2 V30s but I do want to experiment with the combination of a V30 and a C90 in that cab

By the way...my mom was Finnish..so I'm half Finn!! Suomi!!

Not a big fan of mixing speakers. I like to have about 3 cabs to cover any situation. I have a Bogner 212 with V30s, a Stone Age 212 with G12K-100s and a Splawn 412 with the Celestion Creambacks. So I have the V30 thing covered, the beefy modern high powered speaker thing covered and the high powered Greenback thing covered.

timop82,

rather than the G12H30/G12-65, you can also try the Celestion G12K-100s which to me are amazing speakers for any style. Personally, V30s are my favorite speaker with amps like the Royal Atlantic. Not a big speaker mixing guy myself. In a band, you will be glad to have V30s, trust me.

I tried the RA100 on a traditional Mesa 4x12 with V30's and it sounded perfect, Blue channel sounded great. Mids are a good thing in a mix and I never found Mesa V30's to have the nasty mid spike as the other regular V30's.

I was going to ask this same question. I am getting ready to pull the trigger on the head with cab but may just get the head and build up something different. (Empty cab and speakers separately). I am not a huge V30 fan. I could not tolerate them with the Mark V. At least I have a 412 cab with EV's in it (I did not mind taking out the V30's since they were 13 years old, they still work and sound just as they did new (I am being kind here)).

Since there is not much info on sweetwater website on the half stack option, If I dislike the V30's with the RA I could always throw a blanket over the cab when I play it. Mostly the beaming effect and the early breakup is my main complaint. What the heck I will get the complete half stack. If I fry one of the v30's at least I have 4 extras I can use as replacments.

Does any one have a suggestion other than Celestion brand? I would go for the Fane Medusa 150C but not cost effective solution at the moment. I may just bit the bullet on them anyway (shipping for all 4 should not be that bad). I will have to check out Tonic Amplification and find out if the company is still operating. Website has not been updated since 2006 but the store is still open.

Have been looking into the speaker thing in more depth. I will get the RA100 without a cab. In the long and short run, it would be cost effective to have a custom cab build and stuff EV classics into it. At least I can try it out before I commit to speakers since I already have EV 412 for my Mark V.

Does anyone have any experience with the RA-100 paired with a Marshall 1936 2x12 (G12-T75 speakers)? or an Orange PPC closed back 2x12 (Vintage 30's)? Is the Orange cab even compatible with the RA-100? It's a 16 ohm cab, and the Royal Atlantic only has 4 and 8 ohm options. That means it wouldn't be able to take the Orange cab, right? Thanks, guys. I'm saving up for my first tube amp, and the Royal Atlantic is a very strong contender for me. If I get it, I want to make sure it's paired with a good cab.