Change Speakers on Road King 2 Combo or get 2x12 cab?

Hi all, I have a Road King 2 2x12 (2006 i think) with a pair of C90 speakers in it and for recording I was toying with the idea of Celestion V30 speakers like in the dual 12 cab. But I also wonder given the cost perhaps it would make sense to just plop them into the cab and swap when it makes sense. But with so many ways to go with this Im curious what others have tried and if modifying speakers has any real impact or if its not really worth it. I spent a lot of time digging around on the forum and found one post where someone asked about adding one v30 to their combo and was answered that its a very common and applicable scenario but there never was any more feedback on the results. I wonder about mixing a 90w with the smaller and perhaps even going to the vintage 30 etc. Im space concious in my home studio and I also cant really just crank it up to 8 either to get the speakers thumping. So im reviewing a lot of options. I dont really want the RK 2x12 because my amp has the 90s already so a second cab with different speakers for the money seems a better option. But again should I even really consider another cab or just swap speakers. Id hate to spend the money just to decide that it didnt really make any discernible difference but somehow I think it just might make a huge difference. So I am pretty torn and hope some of you can share some experiences and feedback on what did or did not work for you. Thanks. Peter

1) The difference between a C90 and V30 is significant. The former has lots of highs and lows with a relaxed midrange while the latter is all midrange without a lot of high or low end. Both sound great.

2) If I was in your position I'd add a 2x12 Recto cab as it will give you the most versatility, particularly with the RK's ability to assign cabs to each channel. You could have the more open sound of the C90 open back for cleans, switch to the punchy thump of V30 closed back on high gain rhythm, then combine both for leads.

Hi thanks for the input. I started out with that idea of a second cab and from there direction devolved. But its really the smartest option. That said though there are many different options out there and I wonder how the mesa would compare to say a H&K 2x12, EVH 2x12 or Fender 2x12. There are not a lot of mesa dealers conveniently in the Seattle area anymore and those we have are usually out in the middle of nowhere or have limited stock so getting to try amps is not as easy as the old days of MF & GC having them so its a risky proposition to know if I will even like it though Im sure I would. But I would be interested if anyone has compared them to any competitor brands of these and what they thought. Thanks. Peter

The biggest thing to note is that Mesa's OEM V30 is custom voiced. It's darker and smoother than the V30 used in other cabs.

I'm biased towards Mesa cabs with Mesa amps... they just work well together.

As for competitor brands, I have an Orange 4x12 and I hate it with a Recto. Too bright, fizzy, and a midrange spike that drives me in the ear. However, it does sound nice with dark voiced mid-gain amps.

Good to know. Im biased myself to mesa. My RK combo is a relatively new acquisition Im still growing into. I have my trusty Rectoverb 50 that replaced my Tremoverb Half Stack from way back when. I planned to sell that when I got the RK but just have not brought myself to part with it having used it for almost 15 years and its nice to have a spare and I certainly dont miss lugging a 4x12. Thanks for the input on the Orange stuff. I see those at the same price point and I sorta wondered since no one I know plays that brand. The H&K I think I would like to demo as well though.

Update. I drove to a local mesa dealer to evaluate the cabs. They had a RKII combo so I was able to put it on top and it sits perfectly. I actually think its **** sexy now. Its was enlightening discussing different cabs with the guys. They said that Mesa has the UK celestions vs pretty much everyone else who uses the chinese ones which sold me there. I was a bit surprised the H&K and Orange are supposedly using Chinese ones as well. Ill have to review my manual to make sure I plug things in right but screamingdaisy I think you were dead on with stick w mesa. Looks and feels amazing. More to come soon. Peter

Yeah blended with a recto 212 it will be golden.
I'd just leave it blended for everything myself, except maybe for recording applications.

Found some really interesting things here. The original 90W speakers are really clear and bright, the v30s are very bassy and boomy. Im sure I gotta dial in the recording but I was a bit surprised how different they are for the same tracks. Ive got a bunch of different microphones setup as I sample different settings looking to dial in. Sounds great combined as I play but the recording playback is a bit shocking. It will take some time to get it just right and find the sweet spot for these but my ribbons dont lie. Im still keeping it and I do like it but Im definately going through some teething pains here. Im experimenting with a FatHead II on each cab, 57 as control on each and then a room Apex 205 and a Bet85a just because it was sitting around. Peter