MT15 Cabinet; 1x12? Speaker choice?

[bigcountry]

New member, and I have had a MT15 head since they released it, and absolutely love it. I had it paired with a Mesa 2x12, and just sold the Mesa. The 2x12 was nice, I just didnt dig the V30's in it, plus the size of it.

I am now on the hunt for a 1x12 for the MT15. I have looked at the matching cab, but alas it has a V30.

I am looking hard at an Avatar 1x12, and with that in mind I am considering for speakers:
G12T75
Greenback

Any help or feedback on my choices? I dont gig, just fiddle around at home.

 

[elvis]

What do you want tone-wise?

Greenback is a good bet, but not enough power capability. You might want a 2x12 if you go that route. The MT is rated 15W, but I bet it can push way more than that.

 

[andy474x]

I’m kind of in the same boat - I have a 2x12 with V30’s and it sounds ok with the MT15, but I think it could be even better. I think something with a broader midrange than the very focused spike of V30’s, and with less woofy bass, would be a good choice. I have a PRS 2x12 with OEM Emi drivers, and they’re better in that way, but maybe a little too much so with regard to top end grind. I’m looking for speakers too, and current contenders are WGS Vet 30 or Retro 30, Lead 80, or WGS British Lead. Also want to look at some if the Weber Grey Wolf/Silver Wolf speakers.

 

[bigcountry]

What do you want tone-wise?

Greenback is a good bet, but not enough power capability. You might want a 2x12 if you go that route. The MT is rated 15W, but I bet it can push way more than that.

Good question. I like to play hard rock and metal, so something punchy and bass-y is nice. The V30s, to my ears, had to much mid-range and I couldn’t get it to level out.

Hope that makes sense. I’d like to try to stick with a 112 if possible.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

Depending on the tones you’re wanting...

I’d go with a 1x12 avatar but with a higher power greenback type speaker, like an Eminence Private Jack or Warehouse ET65 or better...

Get a Mesa Thiele cab and from an Eminience EM12 in it. This would be a great setup. Unfortunately, Mesa raised the price of the Thiele cabs $100 this year so used prices have gone up. The EM12 is their version of an EVL type and it is great! No V30 spike. Dial just what you want EQ wise with the amp, and it sounds bigger than many 2x12 cabs.

 

[bigcountry]

Depending on the tones you’re wanting...

I’d go with a 1x12 avatar but with a higher power greenback type speaker, like an Eminence Private Jack or Warehouse ET65 or better...

Get a Mesa Thiele cab and from an Eminience EM12 in it. This would be a great setup. Unfortunately, Mesa raised the price of the Thiele cabs $100 this year so used prices have gone up. The EM12 is their version of an EVL type and it is great! No V30 spike. Dial use what you want EQ wise with the amp, and it sounds bigger than many 2x12 cabs.

I’ll def give that a go. Always liked the Avatars. Years back I had one of their 2x12s loaded with a Swamp Thing and Texas Heat combo.

 

[Van Noord]

Greenback wattage will be fine but it will still have a lot of mids like a V30, and it will have less clarity when pushed and more crunch.

I've actually found that the G12T75 sounds really good with the MT15. Its a speaker that sounds huge in a 112 cabinet.
Even though it's mids are scooped out, it allows you to really turn up the mids and hear the amps midrange voicing much better. The highs are crisp and the lows are both tight and fat.

I use two 112 cabinets stacked on top of each other with my MT15. I live in an apartment, so in the bottom cabinet I have a 75w WGS G12C in the bottom cabinet because it has pulled back lows so that there isn't a lot of bass thump going through the floor. The G12C has great clarity, crunch and a nice present treble. The mids are also very nice, prominent but not grating or in the upper frequency range like the V30.

In the top cabinet I have a G12T75. The mix of the two speakers that is quite something. Lots of clarity with high gain, a nice snappy, crisps high-end that's never harsh, and a pleasing mid-range that never gets fatiguing. The low-end is also great. I actually have to keep it turned down on the amp.

 

[elvis]

Fair points about the G12T. I would probably put in a creamback if it were me. Plenty of per handling and a good cross between a green and g12.

 

[andy474x]

Greenback wattage will be fine but it will still have a lot of mids like a V30, and it will have less clarity when pushed and more crunch.

I've actually found that the G12T75 sounds really good with the MT15. Its a speaker that sounds huge in a 112 cabinet.
Even though it's mids are scooped out, it allows you to really turn up the mids and hear the amps midrange voicing much better. The highs are crisp and the lows are both tight and fat.

I use two 112 cabinets stacked on top of each other with my MT15. I live in an apartment, so in the bottom cabinet I have a 75w WGS G12C in the bottom cabinet because it has pulled back lows so that there isn't a lot of bass thump going through the floor. The G12C has great clarity, crunch and a nice present treble. The mids are also very nice, prominent but not grating or in the upper frequency range like the V30.

In the top cabinet I have a G12T75. The mix of the two speakers that is quite something. Lots of clarity with high gain, a nice snappy, crisps high-end that's never harsh, and a pleasing mid-range that never gets fatiguing. The low-end is also great. I actually have to keep it turned down on the amp.

Thanks for your thoughts on this... what you said was something I thought may be the result with the G12T’s, but they’re so often disliked that I have been hesitant to go that way.

 

[elvis]

The g12t does have a lot of high frequency content, so if you're trying to tone that down, it may still be an issue there.

 

[bluenova]

I would have thought a 2x12 Recto cab would be a hard rock/metal players dream setup??

 

[bigcountry]

I would have thought a 2x12 Recto cab would be a hard rock/metal players dream setup??

I thought so too, and finally was able to get one. But for some reason it didn’t do it for me; to my ears the V30s just had too much mid spike.

 

[bodia]

I thought so too, and finally was able to get one. But for some reason it didn’t do it for me; to my ears the V30s just had too much mid spike.

I had a Recto 2x12 with my MT-15 and I wasn't a fan of the V30s either. I pulled on out and replaced it with Avatar's Alnico 50. Really liked that Recto can after that.

 

[elvis]

My vertical recto 2x12 is still my favorite. All my amps sound better through it.

You do have to break in the V30s to soften the highs.

 

[Black Plaid]

You can go up to Celestion's site and see the frequency curve of each speaker.

If you are looking for something that can take anything you throw at it, check out the EVM 12L

It's a monster.

If you aren't getting the frequency response out of the amp you are seeking (but love the distortion character), you might consider trying an EQ in the loop. The metal focused Mesas have a built in eq for a very good reason.

 

[Van Noord]

I should add that as you can tell, I'm using these two speakers in order to create a wider and larger layered tone. A modern voiced speaker and a vintage voiced speaker used together.
If left with only wanting to use one, or only having one...
I can't say that I'd use either one alone.

Look for a Mesa MC90 maybe? Sort of a Classic Lead 80 variation. The WGS version is out of production I think, The British Lead BL80. Or look at a CELESTION Creamback?
WGS VET30, good speaker better choice than V30 with the amp. But a little too dark sounding with it. ET55 would be ok instead...but they lack in the highend dept. IMO. The Invader 50 would be good too. A stout, beefed up Greenback.

EMINENCE, maybe try the V12 Legend? Sort of a V30ish vibe with more clarity.
The Wizard would be wicked...it'll take your head off tho...some tone colorization from the crunch though like The Green & Creamback.

I liked my Mesa 412 with my MT15, but everything sounds good through that though. The Mesa V30s are smooth, tight and just dark enough.
I'd be interested what a K100 would sound like with the amp too.

 

[elvis]

In my experience the g12t, cl80, c90 are slight variations on the scooped theme. V30 is described as an attempt at a higher power greenback, but is not. It has its own tone. I'd describe g12t as similar to 6L6, V30 as similar to EL34.

The greenback breaks up a lot with strong mid harmonics and lower per handling. Sort of the EL84 of speakers.

Creamback is sort of in between V30 and greenback.

 

[andy474x]

I just ordered a Torpedo load box and Cab M from Sweetwater, so I should be able to try a nice variety of speakers with the MT15 very soon. Would be happy to keep you guys updated.

 

[elvis]

Sweet!

 

[markd21]

I just ordered a Torpedo load box and Cab M from Sweetwater, so I should be able to try a nice variety of speakers with the MT15 very soon. Would be happy to keep you guys updated.

You'll enjoy that! I have the Suhr Reactive Load and I use it with the Helix and the Torpedo Wall-of-Sound plug-in to mess with different speakers when recording my Bad Cats and Riveras. It has opened a whole new world. I like having the amps, but get bored with the same sound they have. I like the Helix, but don't always want to program a tone. So having the load box with IRs gives me the best of both worlds.