Underwhelmed by a Boogie cab

[Rob Livesey]

Hi Chaps,

I scored a Boogie Hardwood 1x12 with EVM12L on ebay and collected it today. I thought this would make a nice compact 1x12 for either my Fuchs ODS or my Ceriatone Overtone Special.

My first impressions are that these cabs really aren't great. It has harsh high end overtones on the OD and a pronounced mid honk on the cleans which I really don't care for. When compared with my Fuchs 1x12 with EVM12L, the Fuchs floors it, no contest.

Does anyone else have experience of these cabs? Do I have a duff speaker? I really want to like this cab but I'm having a real struggle with it.

Here it is:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... :IT&ih=012

Cheers,
Rob.

[leaveitalone84]

Cool Elvis Costello!

Beautiful cab too.

From my experience I always thought Mesa's sound shrill, similar to how you heard yours.

You could always throw in a different speaker...

I think it depends on the amp thats going into it.

[Rob Livesey]

Yes, Elvis Costello ! The cab is genuine, I got the story from the seller about how he got it and he couldn't have made it up.

Shrill is the word. But I normally love EVM's with Dumble style amps. I'm thinking of pulling the speaker and keeping it then selling the empty cab!

The cab looks gorgeous indeed, if someone can suggest a way I could use this I'll try it out.

How does having the speaker front mounted affect it?

Cheers,
Rob.

[jaysg]

It needs a beam blocker. Lightly gaffer tape a coffee can lid in front of the dome to test it.

[leaveitalone84]

Beamblockers are great. I had an extra lying around and wanted to see how it sounded in my 2x12 express. I put it on the Bluedog speaker and it helped spread out the highs a lot.

But the speaker did loose some of its "swirling" vortex like character that guitarplayer noted in their review.

I originally had it in a 1x12 Crate Palamino combo for a while, it worked quite well in that application, so as Jaysg said try it out.

A CD on a string is also a good idea, you can hang it right in front.

[908ssp]

Could the speaker be a EVM12S not an L?

[lastwinj]

1)close the back
2)get a round piece of foam and put it in the middle of the speaker, on the grill. use tape. will work as a beam blocker, but more effective.
try different tubes?

the natural wood is going to be a lot more lively than a tolex covered cabinet.

germ

[jaysg]

Rob -- you don't have a pm icon or I'd do that.

Any joy yet with the EV and attempts at a temporary beam blocker? I keep looking at the cab, thinking that it's just a litte too small and that the same cab six inches wider might sound better.

[Funkalicousgroove]

alot of those Mesa cabs had an EV 12S (Not L) perhaps you have one with a different open air resonance?

[Rob Livesey]

Hi Chaps,

Thanks for the suggestions. I've checked the speaker and is is an EVM12L not an S.

I'll try the beam blocker route and see if that helps.

Cheers,
Rob.

[fusionbear]

I don't mean to pop your bubble, but I have never liked those small open back cabs from Mesa. I much prefer the Theile ported cabs.

[snofal]

Rob ,

I took my EVL speaker out of my acoustic GT100 and put it into a detuned cab , Kevin O'Connor design and I thinks it sounds fabulous.
I have another one in a completely closed cab , it' s okay but not as "big "sounding as the detuned one.
I can attach whatever size and different material beamblocker to the wooden part in front of the speaker.

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/461/ ... allbj0.jpg


You should try it but I have to say I only use it at home and don't have to take it on the road.

I think not tolexing the cab keeps the sound more open.

In my latest cab with two alnico speakers I made the wooden struts a bit bigger .

http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/3341 ... tsmwb8.jpg

Alf[/img]

[jelle]

+1 on the detuned cab. Rumour goes that both Knophler and Clapton used 4x12 cabs with only two EVM 12L speakers in them.
To my ears this sounds great but it is not convenient to carry.

If you want things to be portable I'd go with what Germ said.

I have seen Santana once live in the Netherlands and he used a small wooden Boogie cab as well. Killer sound, IMHO. I did not see the back of the cab but the amp was very loud.

Jelle

[Ron Worley]

Boy would that look killer under my Bubinga MKIV Boogie....

Ron

[dartanion]

Detuned is a very nice way to go. I do this with my 212 closed back cabs. Love the tone.