ditch the halfstack for a combo?

[Derelict]

i never play my head + 4x12 out b/c it is just too much of a pain to haul around. we mic everything too, so its just unnecessary. i want to go back to a 112.

should i do it?

[JimH]

i never play my head + 4x12 out b/c it is just too much of a pain to haul around. we mic everything too, so its just unnecessary. i want to go back to a 112.

Sounds like you're answering your own question there. Or get a smaller cab.

[Miles]

Yeah, you could. For all practical purposes, a 1x12 combo (depending on the combo) will serve just about every need you have. I prefer 2x12 combos as they have a little more room and dimension to my ears and because I'm almost always the only guitarist and I need to hit the mix a little thicker, but the difference is somewhat subtle if you're using the same model of amp in a 1x12 vs. 2x12. Some 1x12 combos sound like a boxy shrill mess and some are really good. If you are set on a 1x12 but you want a larger tone, there are great oversized 1x12 combos by various makers that sound nice and fat on stage.

I used to be a half stack player as well, but I have ditched that setup. Any decent sized stage will want your guitar through the house PA, so a half stack on stage really is overkill. I can't understand the mentality of them anymore.

[Phil M]

I like heads and 2x12s. Maybe that would be the happy medium for you (and a lot cheaper than ditching your amp for a combo). I presume you're happy with your amp, just not the size of the 4x12.

[Derelict]

i am ok happy with my current amp but the head itself is a beast. our band has a great PA if we play somewhere that doesn't have one, so its all good. i just want to walk in with a guitar on my back, an amp in one hand, and my efx board in the other.


... i am growing up..... :(

[Phil M]

i am ok happy with my current amp but the head itself is a beast. our band has a great PA if we play somewhere that doesn't have one, so its all good. i just want to walk in with a guitar on my back, an amp in one hand, and my efx board in the other.


... i am growing up..... :(

OK, then I agree with JimH. You've answered your own question. Sometimes you just need to say it (type it) out loud!

From what you describe, sounds like you want a 1x12 combo, or maybe even one of the Line 6 POD or Digitech floor boards to run direct to the PA. Bypass the amp scenario altogether.

[Chuck Snider]

This might be worth a look into.... Finest 1X12 amps I've ever played through by far .. super flexable .. sweet and soulful to all out rock with a flick of the vol knob on your guitfiddle!

http://snideramps.com/

I'm not affiliated to Snider amps except for the occasional payment to jeff for another amp!
Great amps and outstanding customer service...

[valen]

I like heads and 2x12s. Maybe that would be the happy medium for you (and a lot cheaper than ditching your amp for a combo).

+++1 on that. I have a Mesa Tremoverb Combo and I curse at it every time I have to move it to and from a jam or show. Its sounds killer but its almost always a 2 person lift. A real heavy S.O.B. I am now looking into getting a head and 2X12 cab or getting a head shell and put the electronics into the shell and keep the combo as a cab. I regret not going the head and 2X12 cab route when I bought it.

I also agree also with getting a 2x12 instead of a 1X12. Much fuller sound and a good bottom end.

You could keep your current head, and get a 2X12 cab and load it with the Weber old Celestion clones that people are raving about and be done with it rather cheaply.

[Pearly Gator]

i am ok happy with my current amp but the head itself is a beast. our band has a great PA if we play somewhere that doesn't have one, so its all good. i just want to walk in with a guitar on my back, an amp in one hand, and my efx board in the other.


... i am growing up..... :(

I tried that. Had a 1X12 combo, pedal board and guitar. Then, I needed spares so I have a sports bag full of "possibles" batteries, cables, spare tubes, duct tape, SM57, guitar slides, tools, etc., etc. So, now I have a 4 wheeled cart to haul all that. Now that I have a cart, a Twin Reverb fits as well as a 1X12 combo. Still it's easier than a 4X12 half stack.

PG

[uldhppi]

The only thing you will miss about the 412 is the burst of air hitting your legs when you stand in front of it. It is a great feeling all that power. A 112 will do just as well miked.

[coreybox]

i would recommend keeping the heads and going with a smaller cab (1x12). Much lighter, but you still retain the flexibility of being able to use other heads without having a separate speaker cab.

[mcgriff420]

Moving a 212 cab any distance still requires 2 people -usually.

I went from the half stack thing to a 212 cab/head.

Now I use a 112 combo with a 112 extension cab.

This allows alot of flexability, you can stack them behind you or have one behind and one in front beside the monitor. I use different speakers too so I can mic one or both depending on how many strips I get at a show.

[ReddRanger]

Moving a 212 cab any distance still requires 2 people -usually.

I went from the half stack thing to a 212 cab/head.

Now I use a 112 combo with a 112 extension cab.

This allows alot of flexability, you can stack them behind you or have one behind and one in front beside the monitor. I use different speakers too so I can mic one or both depending on how many strips I get at a show.
I like this idea (having already done it myself). I'm over the half stack thing. I won't consider using one of those again until I can afford a roadie (which is likely never). There are so many great 1x12 combos of all varieties, and most have the ability to use an extension cab. With the right wattage 1x12 combo and cab, you would be all set.

[Jim S]

This is TGP. The obvious answer is keep your head and cab. Purchase a combo to supplement.

[localmotion411]

Get a Bogner 1x12 cube. It's tuned and ported and has the most incredible bass response for a 1x12 I've ever heard. At gig levels, it sounds very much like a 4x12 when mic'ed (the audience, other than visually, would not be able to tell the difference). Mine has a Vintage 30 and can handle 60 watts or so. Get a higher powered speaker if needed and rock out. Can't recommend them enough. And they are sooo easy on your back!

[billm408]

+++1 on that. I have a Mesa Tremoverb Combo and I curse at it every time I have to move it to and from a jam or show. Its sounds killer but its almost always a 2 person lift. A real heavy S.O.B.

I've got a jcm800 2x12 combo and my back much prefers the head + 2x12 cab configuration. Although I do still use 4x12's for a lot of shows. I love the look of a big backline!

:dude

[bosstone]

I have tried just about every speaker/cabinet out there. Open back, closed back, detuned. 10"s 12" and 15"s. Single, pair and quads. I just sold my Hiwatt 4 X 12" cab with Celestion G12-65s. I am keeping some dutuned cabs. Though I have two combo amps, I much prefer the bigger sound you get with bigger, usually multiple speaker cabs. My latest discovery is the Marshall 1965B, 4 X 10", cab. It is much lighter (about 45lbs) and way more convenient than any 4 X 12" cab an most 2 X 12" cabs and has 25% more cone area than a 2 X 12" cab. You can usually find them for about $300.00.

[Mark Robinson]

With the use of wheels a four x 12 moves well, unless you move it a ton and there are stairs. I've got two, and if I'm lucky enough to be busy, I'll leave one in the garage or in my car for while. I've messed around with 2 x 12" configurations, open, closed, and slotted quite diligently, the resulting sound still neither as woody or as rich as the 4 x 12. The guitar and amp just do my bidding better with the larger radiating area.

So yes it is possible to habituate to a single 12" or a compact 2 x 12" but claims that it sounds the same, are going to be wishful thinking IMHO.

[mcgriff420]

Yep pretty tough to replicate a 412 with a single 12 cab, no matter how good the build quality, tuning, porting etc.
Nothing can replace those 4 cones moving air.

In a live mic'ing situation your usually only reproducing the sound from one speaker, so i think it's more asthetics than what the audience is hearing from a big cab vs. a 112.

I like to let the PA do the heavy lifting :AOK


+1 on a good 410 cab for compromise. I recently sold a Bogner 410 with eminence speakers. That sucker had huge bass response for an open-back.

[JamesHealey]

some combos can be seriously weighty, for instance a Mark IV or a Fender Twin..

I find a head and 2x12 cab especially if you get a light cab are much more portable, ok it takes two trips into the gig room but it's much easier on your back I use a Splawn head and an open back 2x12 made from 1/2 inch 13 birch ply.. and it's light enough for me to move it on my own both seperatly of course.. and im not the biggest of blokes im only 5,9ft.

[ford]

Can I call my head and 2x12 cab a " quarter stack"... :AOK

rock

bford

[Lou Brush]

I recently ditched my half-stack. As a replacement, I put casters on an Avatar 2x12 cab (V30s). I place my Marshall head on top and just roll the entire rig in. I can get everything with just 2 trips to the vehicle. The only thing I miss are the 2 angled speakers in the 4x12 cab that worked great as monitors.

[enharmonic]

why not just get a 1x12 cab to save some $$? If you love the 4x12 for recording or something like that, it would be a shame to get rid of it.

I use a 2x12 piggyback rig for just about everything. My current 2x12 sounds as big as many 4x12's, so I can get away with the smaller setup. My old guitarist used a Hiwatt 1x12 combo, and feared no man (or rig). Louder than most gigs ever needed, that thing.

[Derelict]

for those who are interested, i am keeping my halfstack. :Devil it just sounds too dang good to get rid of and i need to quit being a wimp and just cram it in the camaro and deal with it. i think i am just going to save and get a combo like a mark I.

[StevenS]

I'm in the same boat as you actually. I've got a Marshall head on a 4x12 cab and I'm coming to the realization that it's just too much for the places I play. I generally have to stand right in front of it and it's just a waste. Anyone standing 10-20 feet away usually gets the full benefit though. :BEER

I've got a Shiva 1x12 combo that I use quite a bit as well and I can tell you that I'd much rather haul the head and cab around than that combo. The head is easy, and the cab has casters so it just rolls along except for the odd set of stairs but the Shiva is a heavy awkward mo-fo to get around.

I'm thinking strongly about a 2x12 as it's smaller and I can use the head through different speakers from time to time.
I'm keeping the 4x12 though. Sometimes nothing else will do.:D

[Chicago Slim]

I kept my 100 watt heads and bought a 2X10 cabinet. It's rated for 150 watts at 8 ohms, and weighs about 36 pounds. Although I got a 1X12 combo (Kustom '36 Coupe), that I use for practice.

[bosstone]

I kept my 100 watt heads and bought a 2X10 cabinet. It's rated for 150 watts at 8 ohms, and weighs about 36 pounds. Although I got a 1X12 combo (Kustom '36 Coupe), that I use for practice.

My Marshall 1965B, 4 X 10" cabs weigh only 45 lbs. They have double the cone area and because of the bigger cab will have more available bass (all other variables being equal).