Straight vs. Slant Cabinet

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Straight vs. Slant Cabinet

Ah, I did not know that. I figured they went with the cube cabinet for both top and bottom and just did the angled baffle on one.

Mine only came with one panel, on the bottom half. But then, as I said, it was used.


As far as the reasoning behind the angled top, I always heard it was to help with self-monitoring on cramped stages more than to "bounce the sound off the ceiling to the people in the back", as most stages are already elevated so you can see the band (well, in the good places anyway) and to let sound flow over their heads rather than be diffused by the bodies.
Then again, in bowl-shaped venues, the people in the nosebleeds also get a pair of speakers aimed at them just like the people on the floor do.

 

[dystrust]

Re: Straight vs. Slant Cabinet

Well, since this thread was already zombified, and if you're still wondering, the Mesa Halfback did come with EVs and Black Shadows. Not sure which ones went where, though, as mine has Peavey Sheffields in it (bought the cab used).

The Halfback was a square/flat cab but the top half of the baffle is slanted, unlike the typical 1960A-type cab where the whole top half (cabinet and baffle) are slanted. Plenty of room for a head on it.

The standard speaker configuration for those Mesa metal grill cabs from the mid/late 80s onward is Celestion Black Shadow 90s in the top and EV-12Ls in the bottom. They were also available special order with all C90s or all EVs.

Earlier cabs used 150W Eminence speakers instead of the Celestions, but I'm much less familiar with those.

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Straight vs. Slant Cabinet

I was able to pickup up a pair of Black Shadow 90s last year, and almost got the EVs from someone here a while back, but my reply to the ad never advanced.

 

[speed2dirt]

Re: Straight vs. Slant Cabinet

Since this topic was resurrected, might as well post a comparison video.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Straight vs. Slant Cabinet

The standard speaker configuration for those Mesa metal grill cabs from the mid/late 80s onward is Celestion Black Shadow 90s in the top and EV-12Ls in the bottom. They were also available special order with all C90s or all EVs.

Earlier cabs used 150W Eminence speakers instead of the Celestions, but I'm much less familiar with those.

They actually came with a bunch of different speaker loads. Mine came with V30's and C90's. Ive seen others that had C90's and Mesa VS12 vintage black shadows.

A guy i used to gig with had one that had the all EV12L's, 800watts power handling and weighed more than armored personel carrier. That thing was a good 25 pounds or more heavier than my celestion loaded one and was double the weight of my marshall 1960 with black backs in it.

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: Straight vs. Slant Cabinet

Well, since this thread was already zombified, and if you're still wondering, the Mesa Halfback did come with EVs and Black Shadows. Not sure which ones went where, though, as mine has Peavey Sheffields in it (bought the cab used).

The Halfback was a square/flat cab but the top half of the baffle is slanted, unlike the typical 1960A-type cab where the whole top half (cabinet and baffle) are slanted. Plenty of room for a head on it.

I know that, you must have missed my post that I used to own one. If I remember right Jeff had another thread asking about the halfbacks because he had found one for sale.

I never had the back panel for mine either, and it was a slant with MS-12's in the top. To this day one of the best cabs I've ever heard, but yeah, it was miserable to move.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Straight vs. Slant Cabinet

Incidentally boogie also made the oversize recto cabs in the straight side slant baffle format

 

[Wattage]

Re: Straight vs. Slant Cabinet

I like straight cabs they seem to have better low end response IME. I do use a slant 4x12 though because I like that it is generally easier to hear.

 

[everdrone]

Re: Straight vs. Slant Cabinet

whoa, thread from the walking dead! Im in.

I really like slanted cabs if I cant stack em up really tall. I have two 212s and I stack them vertically on top of each other which is very tall, so no need to have slant cabs since its as tall or taller than a full stack.

Here is the slanted cab of my dreams, can be very light and disperses the sound:

http://www.billfitzmaurice.com/XFCabs.html

brilliant!

 

[Van Noord]

Re: Straight vs. Slant Cabinet

If high and mid freqs intimidate/scare you, then go straight.

 

[Jeff5]

Re: Straight vs. Slant Cabinet

Too funny that this was resurrected! For the record I still have the over sized Mesa 4X12 straight cabinet. I bought a 2X12 but it just didn't compare and I really didn't need it so I sold it. It wasn't the one with the EVM 12/V30, it was a newer one with two V30s.

I mainly play in my basement, and if I gigged I would either enlist help or get another smaller cabinet. The cabinet sounds fantastic, but as others have said is a beast! I will say that the mesa mini recto cabinets are great. I have a 1X12 slant left over from when I owned a Mini Recto and I see no need to sell it. Portable and sounds great.

 

[some_dude]

Re: Straight vs. Slant Cabinet

I have two straight 4x12s and one slant.

If we're talking halfstacks then I prefer the slant as it's easier to hear.

If we're talking fullstacks then I prefer straights because they look sweet and hearing them isn't an issue.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Straight vs. Slant Cabinet

Given the chance, I prefer mic'ing the speakers that are in the angled half of a slanted cab, FWIW. Usually less boomy more controlled low-end, and they usually have a midrange that's focused slightly different. That has been my experience with both my 1960A and a friend's Orange PPC412AD.

 

[Securb]

Re: Straight vs. Slant Cabinet

I prefer a straight cab but that doesn't mean I am slantaphobic.