Yeah, I'm starting another thread today, and this one's on the DG 2x12 ported cab.
I love this cab with my DG30 amp, but was less enthusiastic about how it sounded with the HXDA 50 watt amp. The HXDA 50 of course pushed more low end than the 30. So I didn't think the combination worked as well. The HXDA 30 is a different sounding amp from the 50 in certain ways. And one of them turns out to be how it sounds with the DG cab.
I'm guilty I suppose of making the assumption that I wouldn't really want to pair the DG cab with the HXDA 30. So I got a 1x12 PRS closed back cab to go with it. But I'm not really a 1x12 kind of guy. Yes, it works well for recording, but even for that, I like 2x12s better, and always have, going back to my teenage years in the 60s when I had a 1x12 Ampeg Reverbercocket II combo and just couldn't wait to replace it with a 2x12 anything (I replaced it in 1968 with a '67 BF Bassman head and cab and stayed away from 1x12 cabs and combos for most of my time on this planet with few exceptions).
Long story short, today I decided to revisit the HXDA/DG Cab combination. And you know what? I found that the DG cab sounds stellar with the HXDA 30! What made me think of trying it was recalling that the HXDA 30 1x12 combo is ported. I figured that same thing should work for a 2x12 cab with this amp.
Sure, with a closed back cab, the HXDA 30 sounds more like the tight closed back sounds we often expect from a Plexi. But there are times and situations where a player just has to be open to different tones, and this turns out to be a terrific combination. I actually prefer it to the 30 with a closed back cab.
Anyway, the combination gives me really nice tones. I'm seriously considering ordering a second DG 2x12 so that I don't have to swap heads and cab or use a switcher.
Intellectually, I know that head switchers usually work fine. But emotionally, all I think is "OMG, what if some $200 box goes down and ruins an amp I really, really love? And what if I can't replace that amp with one that sounds as good?!?"
Because a head switcher has to put a resistive load on the amp you're switching away from instantaneously -- or the amp could be toast.
I know, lots of players use them for years and years. But I dunno. I just can't bring myself to do it.
"Well, why don't you just plug and unplug a cable manually, then, Les? It ain't all that hard!"
Yes, I do that.
But sometimes during a session I just want to switch to another amp while the creative juices are flowing, and don't want to interrupt a musical thought making sure I plug the cable into the right tap, waiting for it to warm up, or really, dealing with it at all. So I have two heads and two cabs. But only one of them's a DG30 cab, and I want two.
I love this cab with my DG30 amp, but was less enthusiastic about how it sounded with the HXDA 50 watt amp. The HXDA 50 of course pushed more low end than the 30. So I didn't think the combination worked as well. The HXDA 30 is a different sounding amp from the 50 in certain ways. And one of them turns out to be how it sounds with the DG cab.
I'm guilty I suppose of making the assumption that I wouldn't really want to pair the DG cab with the HXDA 30. So I got a 1x12 PRS closed back cab to go with it. But I'm not really a 1x12 kind of guy. Yes, it works well for recording, but even for that, I like 2x12s better, and always have, going back to my teenage years in the 60s when I had a 1x12 Ampeg Reverbercocket II combo and just couldn't wait to replace it with a 2x12 anything (I replaced it in 1968 with a '67 BF Bassman head and cab and stayed away from 1x12 cabs and combos for most of my time on this planet with few exceptions).
Long story short, today I decided to revisit the HXDA/DG Cab combination. And you know what? I found that the DG cab sounds stellar with the HXDA 30! What made me think of trying it was recalling that the HXDA 30 1x12 combo is ported. I figured that same thing should work for a 2x12 cab with this amp.
Sure, with a closed back cab, the HXDA 30 sounds more like the tight closed back sounds we often expect from a Plexi. But there are times and situations where a player just has to be open to different tones, and this turns out to be a terrific combination. I actually prefer it to the 30 with a closed back cab.
Anyway, the combination gives me really nice tones. I'm seriously considering ordering a second DG 2x12 so that I don't have to swap heads and cab or use a switcher.
Intellectually, I know that head switchers usually work fine. But emotionally, all I think is "OMG, what if some $200 box goes down and ruins an amp I really, really love? And what if I can't replace that amp with one that sounds as good?!?"
Because a head switcher has to put a resistive load on the amp you're switching away from instantaneously -- or the amp could be toast.
I know, lots of players use them for years and years. But I dunno. I just can't bring myself to do it.
"Well, why don't you just plug and unplug a cable manually, then, Les? It ain't all that hard!"
Yes, I do that.
But sometimes during a session I just want to switch to another amp while the creative juices are flowing, and don't want to interrupt a musical thought making sure I plug the cable into the right tap, waiting for it to warm up, or really, dealing with it at all. So I have two heads and two cabs. But only one of them's a DG30 cab, and I want two.
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