My Mesa Boogie Thiele

[MetalManiac]

I picked this up very recently from the illustrious JTougas. It had small screw holes for the smaller Mesa Speaker, but AFAIK, its a normal Thiele Small Parameter Cabinet.
So I drilled out the holes, and put in a EV12-L speaker into the Thiel with 10-32 Srews and T-nuts, and its tight as could possible be.

It also came to me without a grill, so I took some little framing strips I had and made a frame, wood glued the strips and countersunk the screws and put them onto the front. Now I will have a Metal grill cut, so I can put it on the front.

I also used Carpet insulation to dampen the cabinet quite a bit. Some like it damped,other do not, but I know I will. I may remove a little of that foam to expose more wood if the sound starts to wanna stay in the cabinet. The 3M stuff is great , I haven't used it before, but its so easy and sticks amazingly well. I have new cabinet feet and a new handle on order.

This thing is going to blow doors;

 

[jtougas]

Re: My Mesa Boogie Thiele

Glad it's working out for you. :-D

 

[sixstringsamurai333]

Re: My Mesa Boogie Thiele

Interesting... why dampen the inside of the cab?

 

[jtougas]

Re: My Mesa Boogie Thiele

Basically, it makes the speaker think it's in a slightly larger cab.

 

[sixstringsamurai333]

Re: My Mesa Boogie Thiele

I'm struggling to see how damping the reflections/resonance inside the box would make it sound bigger... or did I misunderstand that?

In any case, Thiele cabs kick ass! I gigged a Mesa Mini Rec + Thiele 1x12" rig for awhile, and it sounded so much bigger than it had any right to!

 

[DankStar]

Re: My Mesa Boogie Thiele

is the dented speaker the one you're using? wouldn't that affect the sound?

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: My Mesa Boogie Thiele

I'm struggling to see how damping the reflections/resonance inside the box would make it sound bigger... or did I misunderstand that?

In theory, dampening the inside of a space where sound travels (whether its a cab or a room) prevents standing waves from forming inside that space. Standing waves are sound waves whose wavelength is a factor of one or more of the dimensions of the space (e.g. if you have two rigid walls that are 20 feet apart, you will get standing waves with wavelengths of 20 feet, 10 feet, 5 feet, 4 feet, 2 feet, 1 foot, etc.) If the speaker produces a sound at that wavelength, it will echo off the other end of the space and either completely reinforce or completely cancel out the original sound, depending on where in the space you are.

In practice, that foam isn't going to do **** for anything but the highest frequencies. You need several inches of high density fiberglass or rockwool to dampen anything under 1k. Also, standing waves that form in a space that small are a minor concern at best.

In any case, Thiele cabs kick ass! I gigged a Mesa Mini Rec + Thiele 1x12" rig for awhile, and it sounded so much bigger than it had any right to!

Agreed. I'd love to have a Thiele for gigs where my 4x12 doesn't fit.

is the dented speaker the one you're using? wouldn't that affect the sound?

The dent is in the dust cap, not the speaker cone, and should have no noticeable effect on the sound.

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: My Mesa Boogie Thiele

I don't know about foaming a theile, those cabs are already bass heavy. I would've passed on that myself.

Even small bass cabs usually have dampening in them, it does work. You just have to be selective about what you're trying to accomplish with what cab.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: My Mesa Boogie Thiele

I forgot there is another reason for dampening the inside of a cab: to prevent the cab from resonating at certain frequencies. I doubt this is necessary in a Thiele though. You can bet that if it were, Randall and co would have done it.

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: My Mesa Boogie Thiele

Yep.

 

[xxxplorer]

Re: My Mesa Boogie Thiele

I've experimented with the foam in a 4x12 and it wasn't for me. Sound got stuffier and somewhat reminded me of my old cheap Peavey 4x12 made of fiber board. Some people love it though.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: My Mesa Boogie Thiele

I've experimented with the foam in a 4x12 and it wasn't for me. Sound got stuffier and somewhat reminded me of my old cheap Peavey 4x12 made of fiber board. Some people love it though.

The original golden age Marshall Cabinets were foamed/insulated. The also had solId old growth Birch backs. I made a replica ( STARTING WITH A NORMAL mARSHALL 1960 cABINET ) with metal handles, solid Birch back, and a mixture of old Blackback G12m-25's and the new g12-m ( "20 WATT") Hertitage speakers to try and capture some of that fateful tone, and of course I heavily insulated the cabinet.I've yet to run it through its courses with a souped up Plexi though..

 

[xxxplorer]

Re: My Mesa Boogie Thiele

I never heard of the old Marshall 4x12s having the foam... but I have never seen one in up close inside either, but I know the guy that makes Scumback speakers doesn't put it in his cabs. I just know I didn't like it, but a lot of people do and Bogner cabs have it and a few bands around here run those and it works for them.

 

[everdrone]

Re: My Mesa Boogie Thiele

cool brutha, congrats! I dig the home mods too, hopefully Ill get a smaller cab soon too ...GAS