Speaker Types & Cabinet Advice!!!!!!

[asandman]

All:

I am new to the whole speaker types and details, hence this post. The band I’m in is hard to label however, the tones I like and what I am after could be defined as a mix somewhere in between Slash’s early Guns and Roses classic rock tones and Tool ‘s Adam Jones modern tones. I prefer “good” high gain tones. Not ice picky highs, or dumped mids metal, or big hair metal gain tones but fat harmonics, deep bass response, thick mids , and not ice pick highs. I currently have a Series 1 Mesa Single Rectifier Solo 50 head, which I switch between, both, clean and od channels however both the clean and od channels gain is set pretty high. I have 2 cabinets (both I am looking to sell). One is a mid 90's Hughes & Kettner cabinet with 35 watt greenbacks and an oversized 2x12 semi open back Soldano with 2-12" Eminence Legend V1216 speakers. My main guitars are all humbucker loaded and the pickups are fairly high outputs.
1. Should I look for a new 4x12 cabinet? I would like a closed back cab or one that can be open or closed back. My friend has a Mesa Standard (oversized) Rectifier Cabinet that is rated at 240 Watts, V30 Speakers, Wired for Mono or Stereo, 8 Ohm Mono / 4 Ohm Stereo. It sounds sweet (probably since it was made for the rectifier amp series). My hunch is that I am looking for tones that depend too much on speaker breakup but not sure. Do you know any other cabinet models that I should look at? VHT, Vader, Orange, etc?.................OR.................
2. Should I buy new speakers for both cabinets? Maybe Mix speakers across cabinets? When it comes to speakers, I know there are variables such as wattage, cones, breakup characteristics) but what speakers would you recommend for the tones I am seeking? The candidates I am have been looking at are G12T75's, v30's or mixed in an X pattern in one cabinet. Any suggestions or advice?
Thanks in advance for everyone's help.
ASANDMAN

[guitardan]

For starters, I personally would take my head into the nearest store and try out some different cabs and speakers. You could start trying different speakers in the cabs you have, but that can get expensive and take quite a bit of time. Maybe start calling places like Avatar, Ear Candy, Splawn, Mesa, etc.. to see if they can reccomend something.

[hamfist]

Originally Posted by guitardan

For starters, I personally would take my head into the nearest store and try out some different cabs and speakers.

This is excellent advice.

[mike80]

Originally Posted by guitardan

For starters, I personally would take my head into the nearest store and try out some different cabs and speakers. You could start trying different speakers in the cabs you have, but that can get expensive and take quite a bit of time. Maybe start calling places like Avatar, Ear Candy, Splawn, Mesa, etc.. to see if they can reccomend something.

+1

What makes you think that the tone you're after requires speaker breakup? I would think, for the sound you're describing, you would want a high wattage speaker that won't breakup, and just depend on the amp's tone, with the speaker to help accentuate the tone.

[asandman]

Perhaps I stated it worng. I meant that I am not looking for speaker breakup.

[BeauZooka]

What is it about your current cabs that you don't like? That might help us to pinpoint what might be better for you.

[jay42]

You should attempt to contact Soldano about the 2-12". Different speakers and/or going closed back might do it for you.