Avatar 1x12 cab ?

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rambleon223

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210
Any of you with experience using the Avatar 1x12s, is there any noticeable difference in sound between the various models (traditional, vintage, contemporary)? Obviously open or closed would make a difference but considering each had the same back.

I'm going to order an open back 1x12 and possibly a closed back 1x12 down the road but am curious if there is a difference in sound quality or are we talking cosmetics only between the various models? Thanks!

:rockin
 
jimmyohio75

jimmyohio75

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5,536
rambleon223 said:
Any of you with experience using the Avatar 1x12s, is there any noticeable difference in sound between the various models (traditional, vintage, contemporary)? Obviously open or closed would make a difference but considering each had the same back.

I'm going to order an open back 1x12 and possibly a closed back 1x12 down the road but am curious if there is a difference in sound quality or are we talking cosmetics only between the various models? Thanks!

:rockin
Click to expand...

I have lots of experience with 1x12 cabs. My favorite by far is the Avatar Vintage 1x12 open back cab. That cab sounds HUGE! I have played many 2x12's that couldn't hang with this cab. My current favorite cab is the Vintage 1x12 with a Hellatone 60 speaker. Great hard rock cab IMO.
I am going to get another Vintage 1x12 with a Hellatone 30 in it and if I play any large gigs I can run the two cabs together to create the hugest sounding 2x12 ever!! I have played through the Avatar (wide) 1x12 Traditional cab and it sounded small in comparison to the Vintage.
Never played through the Contemporary!
 
johnny5

johnny5

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I recently downsized from a 2x12 cab to a Avatar Vintage 1x12 (open back) and am liking the results. I think it's not HUGE sounding but big enough. It's very balanced. Part of the reason I switched was that alot of 2x12 cabs are overly bassy, kind of choking the sound. The 1x12 Avatar is very open. I occasionally miss some low end but over all very happy.
 
thosk

thosk

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The Vintage 1x12 cab is larger than the Contemporary and the Traditional cabs, and so will sound different, tho all 3 are "oversized". As to open or closed back, Avatar offers a piece to convert an open back to a closed back for an extra $15(I think). I've got 2- a Contemporary and a Traditional. Great cabs for the $$.
 
david(j)

david(j)

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i've got a contemporary closed back 1x12 w/a wgs green beret. i like the cab quite a bit. adds some tight low end when using it under my classic 30, and makes a nice travel sized cab with my carvin head. nice, tight lows. sounds pretty big for it's size, especially once you get the amp cranking.

i have an avatar vintage 2x12 sitting next to it with hellatone 60Ls in it, and that thing thumps and moves some air. very large for a 2x12, though.

i would love to try out a vintage 1x12 with an open back.
 
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rambleon223

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210
Thanks for the responses guys, that's what I was hoping to find out. I have a pair of WGS ET65s in an old Fender 2x12 (the big late sixties one that matched the Bassman head) that I run with my '71 Bassman and I am looking to lighten my load. That cab is pretty "woofy" too as many people have described so I'm looking for something to lose a bit of that as well.

I will likely order the cab empty and put one of the ET65s in there to start since they can handle the watts. Plus I like the sound of them pretty well too.
 
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rambleon223

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210
You know I didn't realize the Lopoline cabs were so reasonably priced, that may change the game here if their sound quality is up to the same standard as the Avatar cabs. Hmmmmmmn...........
 
ronmail65

ronmail65

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3,870
I have a 1x12 Avatar closed-back Contemporary cab (bascially a thick walled cube) with a Celestion G12H30. I got it for a small head that I ended up selling after 3 months. Very low use - in home only. The cabinet sounds great - no issues. But it's just sitting around so I need to sell it.

It's wired at 8ohms, black tolex, white piping, wheat grill. Very low use, excellent condition - PM me if you're interested.
 
Blue4Now

Blue4Now

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5,235
I had an Avatar 1X12 with a greenback in it and it was OK. It was heavy as hell but sounded good not great. I bought a Mesa Lonestar 1X12 that is smaller and lighter and sounds much bigger than the Avatar cab I had.

Not a cheep cab though, that Mesa.
 
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skills4life

Member
Messages
11
I recently picked up a Lopoline vintage 1x12 and like it better than the Avatar 1x12. The build quality is top-notch, similar to a Divided by 13 cab I was looking at. Tonally it is similar to the Avatar giving the fuller 1x12 sound without an overly woofy bottom end. In the end I decided to keep the Lopo cab largely due to craftsmanship but you really can't go wrong with either.

I also got the closed-back option and, Blue4Now, I'd be curious what you think about the greenback in a closed-back cab. I liked the greenback better with the back closed, but preferred a Vintage 30 in the open back.
 
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pula58

pula58

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Blue4Now said:
I had an Avatar 1X12 with a greenback in it and it was OK. It was heavy as hell but sounded good not great. I bought a Mesa Lonestar 1X12 that is smaller and lighter and sounds much bigger than the Avatar cab I had.

Not a cheep cab though, that Mesa.
Click to expand...

was the comparison with the same speaker in both cabs?
 
Unadan

Unadan

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3,896
thosk said:
The Vintage 1x12 cab is larger than the Contemporary and the Traditional cabs, and so will sound different, tho all 3 are "oversized". As to open or closed back, Avatar offers a piece to convert an open back to a closed back for an extra $15(I think). I've got 2- a Contemporary and a Traditional. Great cabs for the $$.
Click to expand...

I would really like to get this extra piece so I could experiment with my Avatar 1x12 Vintage making it closed back with my V30 in place. I'm thinking, especially with a Vintage 30, closed back is the way to go. Does the extra piece work pretty well making it closed back?
 
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rambleon223

Member
Messages
210
I picked up one of the Avatar 1x12s and so far really like it. I bought it with two backs so so I could go closed or open but haven't put the closed back on it yet. Didn't like Hellatone (V30) I got in the cab with the open back but have switched to an ET-65 (WGS) and it sounds great. I have another 1x12 with a closed back that I'll throw the Hellatone/V30 in and run them both.

Dan
 
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rambleon223

Member
Messages
210
I put an 8 ohm speaker in there. I can run it with my Carmen Ghia at 8 ohms and my Bassman at 4 ohms with the help of a Weber Z matcher (converts from 4 ohms at the amp to 8 ohms at the cab). I can also run that and another 8 ohm cab with my Bassman via the two 4 ohm outputs.

Dan
 
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