What cabs are you using with your TA-30/TA-15?

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MadAxeMax

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Hi,

New to the Boogie Board so apologies if this thread has been done before.

I'm a long time Duel Rec owner, but recently bought a TA-30 head and instantly fell in love with it.

I have a few cabs, but nothing seemed like the "right fit". I have TopHat 2x12 closed back, loaded with G12H-30 70th Anniversaries, but found it a bit stiff or too direct, in your face. Hard to explain. Plus that cab is 16 ohm and the TA-30 only has 8 ohm or 4 ohm outputs. My Blackstar open back 1x12 loaded with a 16 ohm G12T-75 was also (perhaps not surprisingly) not the best fit either. My 16 ohm Marshall 4x12 loaded with Celestion Goldbacks (25W each, don't know much about them). It was good, but the 4x12 was a little authoritative and in your face for the tones are wanted.

I really wanted a 1x12 or 2x12 that was specifically for the TA-30.

I ended up with an Orange PPC112 1x12 for an entirely different reason. I tried a V30 before, but had had the hots for one for ages for that metal sound (with other amps), albeit it, not in the normal 4x12/V30 setup. To my surprise, I was quite disappointed with the V30. The vocal, prominent midrange peak I thought I'd love was WAY too much and totally uncontrollable and unbalanced. Both with the amps I'd bought the Orange cab for, and with the TA-30. It was ALL midrange, and completed lacked bass and and lacked top end in contrast to the overbearing midrange. This could have been heavily exaggerated by the fact the V30 was in a small, closed back 1x12 enclosure. Perhaps the V30 needs to be in a much bigger cab like a 4x12 to be appreciated? (And I know the Chinese and Mesa V30's sounds quite different too.)

I then bought a used 8 ohm Mesa C-90 Black Shadow and put it in the Orange 1x12. The improvement was incredible. Even better than I hoped for. It was clear to me the C-90 was THE speaker the TA-30 was designed to be used with. Warm. Balanced. Rich. Vocal and clear. Lovely! But I still wondered if my bass was a little stiff and a tad lacking, owing to the fact I'd popped the C-90 in a small (19" wide) closed back cab.

I recently bought an old, empty Mesa 1x12 cab with a 3/4 back (from the same guy I bought the speaker from). This thing is massive for a 1x12. About 26" wide! Surely the increase in size and the slightly open back would fill in and round out my bass end?

Last night I popped the C-90 back in the Mesa 3/4 back 1x12, sure enough, the bass was huge. Everything was huge for that matter. And it sounded a lot loudly too.

After a fairly rigorous play-through, I began to think, on the same control settings as the Orange cab with the C-90, the Mesa cab sounded a tad more scooped. This have the apparent feel/sound of more gain on the same settings, but I was wondering if I'd lost some of that lovely "vocalness" to the tone I felt with the Orange 1x12 with the C-90? That vocal quality was particularly nice for Vox-y sounds and the Marshall-y Hi-1 mode. And was there now a fuzzy quality that wasn't there before?

I played with the EQ a bit but haven't got it quite there yet.

I'm curious what experiences people have had with TA-30/15's with different cabs. I guess the obvious choice is a matching Mesa Transatlantic cab. So I'd be particularly interested in hearing about good results with non-Transatlantic cabs, Mesa or otherwise. I guess in part I'm trying to belay my intial concerns that perhaps the oversized Mesa 3/4 back 1x12 might not be a well suited as I'd hoped it would be.

Cheers everyone.
 
I have a 15 and had a 30 for a while. I have V30s, (Mesa 1x12 Recto cab + 1x12 Avatar cube semi openback), and then all Emi speakers. I have a Red Fang Alnico in a custom built open back cab, a Private Jack (greenback type) in an Avatar cube closed, a Governor (V30 type) in an Avatar cube closed, and a Wizard (G12H type) in a Lopo closed back 1x.

I found that each voice "prefers" and sounds best, with the speaker you'd use if you were using the actual amp type that is simulated. Meaning, the first channel Vox voices sounds THE BEST with the Red Fang Alnico. The Tweed also sounds great with that speaker. The Hi 1 Marshall, of course sounded best to me with the Private Jack/greenback type speaker. The Hi2, is just enough different than Hi1 to be Boogie, and I found for aggressive Boogie tones, a V30 worked best. But if you want smooth Boogie tones, like Santana, the Red Fang was great with Hi2.

I don't have a C90 so I can't compare that. My TA15 sits on top of the Red Fang which is on top of the Private Jack. V30s on one side, (under my Mini Rec and V25) and Wizard and Governor on the other. I simply plug it into whatever cab, based on which amp channel/voice I intend to use.

My all around favorite... the Private Jack. Kills with the Marshall, but also sounds very good (second in my speakers) to the Alnico on the Vox voices, and even sounds good on the Tweed and Hi2.

My opinion, is that while a C90 might also be a good "all around" choice for all the voices, it would not match the individual tone of the right speaker being matched to the right amp voice, so I haven't bothered purchasing a C90/cab.

I use the Marshall voices the most on the amp. Great classic to hard rock tones, great with my fuzz boxes and strat, etc. TA15>Private Jack is my #1 combination. I'm going to try a Scumback soon, and that should be even better!
 
Nice speaker collection!

It didn't occur to me in that way before but you're probably quite right that each mode would sound best with the speaker that works best with the original amp the mode is based on.

With that in mind, it wattage wasn't a consideration I'd probably go for a Greenback or similar variant. The modes I dig the most are both the Green channel Vox modes, and the Hi-1 Marshall mode. I prefer the extra bark/bite from Hi-1 over Hi-2, and while I any really starting to love the Tweed mode, I've never owned a Fender amp, so I don't have as much appreciation/exceptions for that that channel should sound like. A Greenback makes the most sense for Hi-1 on paper (and from your experience). I know something AlNiCo should be the choice for the Vox side, but I have a Greenback in my Vox AC15C1 and I think it's fantastic, so I think the Greenback is a good choose for the Green channel.

But if I want to stick with a 1x12 I think I'd be asking for trouble running the TA-30 into a single Greenback. I guess you're a bit safer doing that with the TA-15. How did you rate the Wizard G12H type with your TA-15? Clearly is wasn't your favourite. Did you find it a bit stiff like I did? My G12H 2x12 worked fine enough, but it seemed to me the amp and speakers weren't best friends in that case.

I don't know if you ever swap your speakers around in your different cabs? But I'd be interested how much you feel cab design (size, open vs closed back) contributes to your preferences for your TA-15? If your Private Jack is your fav with the TA-15 have you ever felt the urge to pop the Private Jack in your open back cab?

Baring a pair of Greenbacks (or similar) in a 2x12 (which I may do one day), I think I'll stick with the C-90 for now. I think that's a good speaker to show off the amp's range. I was surprised though what a massive difference the C-90 in the Orange cab vs the Mesa made. I knew there'd be a difference, and I hoped for more bass (which I definitely got). I think what surprised me was the apparent scoop to the mids which I didn't expect or particularly want.

I may end up moving the C-90 back to the Orange cab, and maybe just making a new, semi-open back to increase the bass and sound dispersion a bit. But as vein as it is to admit, the TA-30 just looks soooooo much better sat on top of the Mesa cab vs the Orange.
 
The Private Jack handles 50 watts, so it's more than enough in a 1x for the TA30. I loved it with mine. And like I said, I bet a Scumback M will sound even better, and you can get a 50 watter.

I was surprised at how well the Greenback type speakers worked for the Vox voices. I know some Vox amps use Greenies, so they acknowledge the synergy as well.

Cabs are a significant difference as well. Open vs. close affects the tone in more ways than people think actually. My wizard is not only fine, I actually prefer it to the stock Celestion and would love to "head to head" test it against the Mesa spec V30 but I'm not really inclined to switch both of them into different cabinets at the moment (reason below). I will say this. The Wizard in the much deeper Avatar has significantly more depth and bottom than the Mesa V30 Mini Rec cab. That cab doesn't have the bottom end of the Avatar. Yet... I've got some polyfil and will soon be doing some things that should make it sound much bigger and hopefully better.
 
I'm using a ZillaCabs open back 1x12 with a Celestion Creamback 65 speaker (basically an up-rated Greenback) with my TA-15. It sounds great, particularly with the Vox and Marshall modes. I had previously used a V30 loaded 1x12, but I found the top-end to be much sweeter with the Creamback.
 
So glad to find a thread on this. I swear my TA 30 combo Hi 1 and 2 aren't near as high gain as the day I bought it and the online videos. I have been looking at different cabs. A JHS Angry Charlie used on Channel 1 without Top Boost is spicy but I don't like giving up the Top Boost clean live. I have been looking at 1x12 or 2x12 V30 or G25 cabs. This helps narrow the focus. Thanks. Let me know if any tube replacement actually helped.
 
I have a TA-15 that I purchased recently, and I just love it. It can do just about anything I need it to do. Overdrive solves all other issues. I like metal for the most part, and I live in an apartment, which I swear has tea bag style walls, so playing really loud through cabs at home, can be an eviction generating event.

The best experience I have had so far, was with a wide body, Rectifier 2x12 cab that I tested the amp with in the shop. It really did sound great and had lots of bass response. I'm not sure it is the right choice for cleaner tones though. The TA-15 has lots of bass on tap, so if that is what you are looking for, look at the recto cabs.

I have used the TA-15 with the single Black Shadow 12" built into my Studio .22 +. This also has a pleasing sound when going for higher gain sounds. However, I found that cleans were a lot more rich and had fuller midrange than with the recto cabinet. Not a bad option there. I have always like the sound of the Black Shadow.

Given that I am in an apartment, I have also tried the Mesa CabClone. 8 ohm version. First, let me say, that if you are expecting a simulated "cabinet" from the CabClone, you are going to be somewhat disappointed. If you read the documentation, you'll see that the device is intended to simulate a cabinet, mic'd with what I think is a SM57 given some side by side comparison with a real SM57 and an e609. Running the CabClone into Pro Tools, I find this both convenient and pleasing to the ear once my expectations were set properly.

The two mode CabClone modes that I enjoy most with the TA-15 are the open and closed back speaker + mic simulations. To my ears, the closed back sounds closest to the Rectifier 2x12 sound. More compressed, with better bass and treble response. The open back mode reminders me more of the sound of the Black Shadow speaker with a more pronounced mid-range sound.

EDIT:

I ended up purchasing a Mesa Wide Body Closed Back 1x12" cabinet with the Black Shadow (Celestion C90) speaker. Here is a short clip recorded with the TA-15 on Hi 2 running through that cabinet. It was recorded with an Apogee Mic 96k condenser microphone.

http://downloads.jamlocker.ca/Mesa-Boogie_2016-04-09_20.44.22_T001_In1.wav

If you want any more sound samples, you can drop me a line.
 
I am new to this board and I picked up a TA15 last week (see TA15 inbound thread).
I must say how pleased I am with the tones and versatility of this amp. I usually garb my tweed Deluxe as a grab-n-go for jams but I think I will take this one now.

Anyway, dreamtheaterrules is spot on, all amp circuits prefer a speaker and cab that enhances that particular circuit.
Here's what I am using and experimenting with on my TA:

1. Partial Open back pine 1x12 can loaded with my trusty Red Fang alnico...the Green channel of course loves it, but then so does everything else. I have never had a circuit sound bad through the Fang, but it sometimes is not the #1 choice. It sure is for the Voxy channel though...chime, grit, and pleasing alnico compression for days. Perfect match for the green.

2. Closed back ported TRM oversized 1x12 pine cab with an EV SRO coffee can alnico. This works with everything, but the tweed mode and especially the Boogie/h2 mode rock here. These are rock solid, tight, and musical speakers. Not much speaker breakup which is why it works so well with H2. Smooth is the word. With gain down, I was in 70s Stones land...think Some Girls album or Love You LIve El Macambo side.....tweed cleans were beautiful through this speaker.

3. 2x10 partial open back cab with 2 10" Celestion Greenbacks. Made for H1 and no disappointment here! This is the sound of 70s rock and roll! Only issue is the cab is wired for 16 ohms so I can run it with my Marshall JMP1h....may have to rewire to 4 ohms for the TA or run the safe mismatch into the 16 ohm cab....regardless, this is a perfect tone for H1. I will try it tonight through the green channel.

4. Partial open back 1x12 5e3 cab with a Weber 12a125a.....and there is the perfect match for the red tweed mode! The Weber is a clone of a vintage Jensen p12q and it is the sound of Fender! The Vox tones sounded cool in this one too, but not like the Fang.

5. Lastly, I have a closed back 2x12 loaded with V30s that I use with my blonde Bassman. Surprisingly enough, every mode and channel sounded good, although the hyper-aggressive v30s seemed out of place with the green channel and the tweed mode. But H1 and H2 rock hard through this cab and when I cranked the Top Boost gain, that channel worked too. But it is really all about H1/H2...

That's what I am using.
 
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