I Think I’m Over Mesa Cabs

Ok, so I didn't exactly ditch my Mesa Cab for an Engl, but maybe I should? Let's shoot them out to decide...
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0:00 Why The Engl Standard vs My Mesa Oversize cab?
2:28 Engl Standard Cab
7:27 Mesa Oversized Cab
9:29 In a Mix Shootout

[@TaylorDanley]

Join us for BTS and early access! www.patreon.com/taylodanley

[@Jak_Low]

Finally a full ENGL setup! Super happy you finally did ths man, my dream setup right there

[@TaylorDanley]

Me too. As little as all the analog gear gets used, it's still really nice to walk into my studio and look at it lol.

[@sb6232]

Literally just went through this a few months back..I replaced my V30 (1x12) with a Cream back. Less ice picky, more pleasing highs, still nice and tight for high gain. That V30 ice picky thing is very noticeable now..I think my ears may be changing

[@steffkeirn5017]

With which creamback did you replace the v30s? 65, 75, Creamback NEO? Very important info...

[@sb6232]

Creamback 75 Made in UK.@@steffkeirn5017

[@JimmyTorque]

Damn dude. That savage 2 is the shit.

[@Sugman123]

Man, this is so damn enlightening. The amp doesn't really matter after all if it does have a great preamp distortion section, you're just showing the difference between old school american metal vs european one. The cones make the difference

[@TaylorDanley]

They definitely play a major factor!

[@Sugman123]

@@TaylorDanley It would be also really cool if you could do an A/B comparison adding a guitar with passive pickups. I play an ltd ec 1000 with Seymour Duncan JB on the bridge, when I play through plugins using rectifier IR through them it sounds pretty much similar to yours (Shure 57?) even being passive pickups. Talking with a sound engineer/producer, we were discussing if pickups do also make a great difference in terms of IR recording, therefore IR's recorded with active pickups applying it's compression in certain percentage into your output tone (making modern plugins like Neural ones sounding that brutal out of the box and/or with a few tweaks because of this matter).

[@MichaelDespairs]

That is the sexiest looking half stack. Your Mesa Impluses are the BEST I always still feel your tone through your actual cabinet beats the impulses though!

[@Gate11Studio]

Both are amazing! I would love to hear them both on each side in stereo.

[@dylangadwa3119]

I literally just sold my Mesa 2x12 Recto Cab w/ V30s last weekend. This was mainly due to space considerations but also the fact that IRs are a big part of my workflow now. Kept my Marshall 2961CX but took out the Scumbacks I had in it... The big deal here (for me at least) was discovering the joys of the Celestion G12-65. Absolutely LOVE it. It's the secret sauce on Ride the Lightning and I'm also pretty sure on Morbid Tales, as well. They make it sound like a dad rock speaker but that's nonsense. Lows are tight and the highs feel rolled off but the core tone and balance is pure class. Only trouble now is finding what, if anything, to pair with it.

[@smeemusic]

Haha the way it sounded when you went back the the Mesa cab sounded like those old digitech rp100’s from the early 2000’s. That Engl standard kinda really kicked ass. Like I use the Engl 412 pro with v30’s from 2003 as my main cab. This standard kinda has me questioning my entire existence!!! Like I REALLY like it.

[@djabthrash]

I've always an ENGL (and Marshall also) cab person but never got into the whole mesa cabs until recently, and now i get the Mesa stuff and dig it too. It's just different flavours that your learn to get to know and enjoy. Maybe I'd be burnt out on Mesa cabs if that's what i had always known :)

[@Hagstrom4ever]

This is the prove that in some cases a matching cabinet is the way to go, but not in all cases. In my experience I loved my Mark IV with a 90s Marshall 1960B but hated it with a Mesa Traditional, loved the Recto Multiwatt with the Traditional and hated it with a Marshall and hated a VH4 with a Traditional but I'm in love with a matching Diezel 4X12 Front loaded. By the way I've never liked Engl cabs. Sounds good in this case.

[@buttholesniffers]

Recently picked up an oversized mesa 4x12 with the intention of swapping the speakers out but it just sounds so good. I'm keeping it the way it is.

[@alexanderdahlhoff1303]

I've combined two of the V60 with two V30 in an Engl Standard Housing...this as a Fullstack... Killer!!

[@djabthrash]

05:21 that tone is brutal... Gives me Skinless and Cannibal Corpse recto vibes, and also Dehumanized "controlled elite" album

[@TVoltG]

These sound very similar to the G12K-85'S. Which are my favorites. BUT.. I do like them mixed with V30's either in the same cab or two separate 412's with one the V30's and the other the 85's. They bring out the best of both combined.

[@needsLITHIUM]

I've noticed I like Seismic Audio Quake12 speakers, Swamp Thang, DV-77, and Cannabis Rex/Private Jack parings from Eminence, and Hempback/G12T75 pairings, G12K100's, and 70's/80's/early 90's vintage G12H100's from Celestion. Darker speakers are generally easier to work with, especially with high gain, double especially for boosted tones or amps that lend well to brighter voicings. It's usually easier to compensate for the low end than to fix ice picks or yuck fizzies.

[@redsilverjack]

got my engl pro B straight cab and its really good .love it this is how you should test cabs and not change speakers or cabs or whatever , cabs are made to make a specific sound which the companies think its better. that's why mesa cabs are amazing for metal etc. if you can get an Marshall MF cab get some acoustic foam on the back of the cab{inside} and use on a X v30s chinese and dv77s . i find it very balanced and not to harsh on that highs . we people who are crazy about sound we must be lucky with speakers , they alllllllll sound different. get an engl pro , you will be happy.

[@88Nikoli]

An X pattern would have all four drivers the same , diagonal pairs is more accurate. Dv 77s are great though especially when mixed with v30s or something as you said .

[@rodreyes8436]

Cool comparison. I am not super familiar with the Engl cab. I’m much more familiar with the Mesa cab. Loved the end where you went back to back with the mixes and iso’s. Both sounded great to me. For that style, you can’t go wrong.

[@TaylorDanley]

Thanks for watching!

[@Nickdoomofficial]

That Engel cab 😍

[@brrblack497]

I have an ENGL and Mesa 2x12, both have V-30's, they sound slightly different. The ENGL is a year old, and I have no idea how old the Mesa is. The Mesa has more of a "singing" quality, Santana-ish, while the ENGL is a chug enhancer, for lack of better descriptions.

[@TaylorDanley]

Those are great descriptions

[@MaximusAdonicus]

Could be entirely different V30's in them, like Glenn Fricker demonstrated in one of his videos 🤔

[@johnmore142]

Yep, love my uberkab more than my mesa OS cab. it’s v30 and t75’s.

[@JohnnyOskam]

I would love to see some content with the EVH cabinets. Nobody ever shoots those out and they’re great sounding cabinets!

[@TaylorDanley]

I made a video with one a while back while I had it here! It's the black dahlia/5150 iconic video.

[@jgmopar]

I run my ENGL with a MESA Oversize Cab. Not sure I like it. I need to try it with some other cabs to see a difference. this is a great video lets me hear what the ENGL cab sounds like

[@DirtyDemos]

Celestion Redbacks are also a killer V30 alternative. Similar sounding, but the ice pick frequency is missing.

[@KaddysJamKave]

I'm sure both sound great but it's hard to know which one sounds "better" because they both probably need significant different EQ settings to sound at it's best for the different cabs. But with that amp you gotta match it with that sexy engl cab :D

[@TaylorDanley]

I don't think there is a better in this case.. But definitely it's easier to dial in the Engl cab without getting that shrill 3-4k you usually have to dance around with a v30 cab. Smoother top end for sure.

[@brianbowersox8392]

I had a similar experience with my ENGL E530 preamp. The four band EQ on that can be a little finicky with the treble knob. With Vintage 30's, I had to run it really low. My cab now has Eminence Man-O-War's and CV75's in an X configuration and I'm able to dial in the top in better.

[@TaylorDanley]

Yeah, makes a big difference for sure. Also, maybe it's just a frequency that clashes specifically with mesa/v30's and Engl stuff. I need to try a Engl pro cab now 🧐

[@needsLITHIUM]

In the mix, the Engl cab was more open sounding, and was more mellow on the ears - likely less ear fatigue from long listening. Either double track with a different cab per take, or use one cab for the left and one for the right.

[@Lepp123]

Getting this cab very soon, then a new head but I am undecided on what head.

[@duhbz]

Both sounds really good in my honest opinion! But of course we all know the mesa cabs and v30’s paired together so well since forever and sit in the mix like a king. But it’s really cool to ear something different,less harsh that we listened to for so manny years now and i think in that video i much prefer the sounds of the Engl really! More gurts and hot sounding! I swapped the v30’s out of my mesa oversized and replaced them for some dv77 speakers in it and i appreciate so much to ear the quality of other great speakers but ALSO something really far from a v30 even if i love them! With my super tight 6505+ i really dig that combination and the low end that i get.. MY LORD!Well, tone is something really subjective to every player but i think that we should try more stuff like that ! Cheer’s to any players with different sounds🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@bigwomp932]

With that head? Got dang the Engle SLAYS

[@imaluthier218]

I think in this case the air space inside the cabinet could have something to do with the projected sound as well, you’re also comparing an angled to a straight cab, to which the projection could vary what you hear… And that’s in addition to the sonic differences in the speaker itself… I think the best comparison would be to load another Mesa oversize cabinet with the V60s and then do a side-by-side… but in this video I preferred the ENGL cab…the V30s were to shrill to my ears…

[@marijandesin8226]

Mesa creates more atmosphere But yeah I'd opt for Engl too

[@daysthrumycam]

I love my ENGL 412PRO. Traded my EVH212 for it plus a couple hundred buckaroos. Fine deal I must say. Ended up acquiring an EVH212 again, I love that cab too. Thinking of now trading it for an EVH412.

[@RizzleK]

Theres also different qualities of MDF available. Im imagining ENGL using similar quality as like every studio monitor, yes even the top tier lines.... Plywood has tons more resonance and MDF is used when you want to hear only the speakers.

[@27retrodaze]

Still waiting for someone, anyone, to do a Soldano cab review... I bought one brand new on a whim and i absolutely love it... But they are few and far between on reviews and YT.

[@w1zard0f0h]

Try it with both cabs together.

[@therisendead7]

Engle. Thicker and more bite...I love it.

[@thor_nay]

57 was too centered on the Mesa cone for my taste, a little offset could have been more balanced and less shrill. That said, Mesa standard OS cab is still a standard for a reason!

[@cmcp975]

I think the two cabs compliment each other. Each has a bit of what the other lacks.

[@kagenotatsumaki]

MESA is still king imo. ENGL sounds like a smoother sounding Marshall cab to me.

[@redsilverjack]

i prefer the mesa . dial the amp with the engl and after with the mesa to your taste i believe mesa would be the winner for me . there is some frequency on the engl i finded annoying.

[@toneconsultant]

MDF? Fun test. Totally appreciate it. Speakers and cab design make a huge diff

[@TaylorDanley]

Medium density fiberboard (particle board)

[@88Nikoli]

Sawdust glued and pressed together with extreme heat and pressure .

[@andyblakely7576]

The year of the OS makes a big difference too. Despite Mesa saying everything is the same, the 90’s OS and the mid 2000 cabs do not sound the same. Whether it’s the speakers have changed somewhat 🤷‍♂️. But it is different. My 1999 OS is killer. Like on another level with my vh4. But other mesa OS cabs have been shrill.

[@nmc9x23]

They each have their charms but addition of the TS completely ruined the tone of both cabs.

[@deadwhip]

Awesome comparison! Thank you! What do you think about Orange amps and cabs ?

[@TaylorDanley]

Never found an orange amp I vibed with. The ppc 412 cabs are cool though.

[@88Nikoli]

Which amplifier do I prefer Taylor ? obviously the Savage lol😂. But can't beat the o.s. Mesa for my ears mate .

[@jww732]

Respect to everyone's opinions , but every time a speaker / cabinet is compared to the V30 cabinet I always like the V30. Now personally, Orange has always been my personally favorite cabinet, but that mesa certainly is amazing also.

[@samizdat113]

MDF is a great material for cabs that don't move.

[@needsLITHIUM]

I would actually recommend using the two speaker cabs for dual tracking. Do one take with the V30 and one with the V60. PAIR THEM.

[@search895]

What about having one of the cabs with two of each speakers?

[@needsLITHIUM]

@@search895 That could also work, but the cabs themselves also contribute to the tone...

[@watcherzero000]

Another thing about MDF is the glue they use to glue the wood together. That glue is toxic and when that cab is in a warm room or with a hot amp sitting on top of the cab, it off gasses and it's released into the environment where you end up breathing it in. Same applies to guitar heads that use MDF for the head casing.

[@michaelfessenden8601]

Plywood doesn't have glue?

[@KillaFXZ]

Sounds great but I guess I still prefer the Mesa, I wonder if the XXL cab would make a difference?

[@TaylorDanley]

Definitely would. It's a plywood constructed cab with v30's. The big difference between that and a Mesa (obv construction is going to be a little different), but the Mesa speakers are rear mounted, and the Engl are front mounted.

[@misterblack3169]

Engl is the best !

[@tlepsh_band]

Everytime Kohle or Glenn talk shit about v30s or mesa cabs, it makes it want it more. This video proves it. Mesa sounded amazing imo. Definitely in my bucket list.

[@dave5655]

If you start playing with different speaker combinations, including brands, your mind’s going to explode.

[@TaylorDanley]

I'm scared..

[@Clinthopanonymous]

This right here is why making basically any tone decision is so damn hard and why we're constantly on the hunt for that perfect sound that NEVER comes. You play an amp through a cab and your like "oh hell yeah this sounds great. This is the one!" then you play it with a band and you start wondering what they hay you were thinking. Not in the mix I think the mesa sounds much much better but in the mix the ENGL sounds better to me. Our ears don't know ever get it right cause we usually arent getting the full picture when we're making those decisions. Gotta keep trying i guess.

[@djabthrash]

02:53 is this a riff from Vile ("stench of the deceased" era) ?

[@marcosgarcia8018]

the engl definitely sounds heavier imho

[@mccloud273]

I think you'd probably need either an XXL or a Mesa standard 4x12 to have a closer comparison. Big experiment time? 🤔

[@TaylorDanley]

That is a Mesa Standard cab. You mean a traditional?

[@zAvAvAz]

Stack them they each have a great cut.

[@Ghaos]

Honestly it sounds like you playing samples are backwards, the mesa sounds like the V60, while the Engl sounds like the V30.

[@Venemoth666]

Will you provide some impulse responses?

[@smokebillowin]

All engl like old animosity

[@valendis]

I think I preffered the Mesa but overall strongly disliked the Engl Amp

[@MaximusAdonicus]

Surprisingly the V60's sounded better in the mix in this comparison! 👀

[@chrisdudeword1]

Man, that Engl on Engl setup sounds angry

[@AutopsySuiteable]

Was the engl cab brand new?

[@bvanhoosen]

I feel like the low end resonance may be a birch vs particleboard difference. I haven’t proven this, but birch having a punchier low end thing is my current hypothesis 🧐

[@TaylorDanley]

That's a good hypothesis. I feel like the front vs rear mounted is a factor also!

[@88Nikoli]

More size , shape and baffling , angling etc. As long as it is braced properly and doesn't resonate wildly . Close micing negates a lot of the in the room differences too .

[@tobins6800]

Ok challenge time. Swap 2 speakers from each, mic em. See what happens

[@davidatyson]

Full stack Engl savage head Engl bottom Mesa bottom For a full stack

[@LucasLeCompteMusic]

Engl XXL cab when

[@AWMJoeyjoejoe]

Ive got an ENGL 2x12 pro. Awesome little cab.

[@nicolasaraistrujak208]

what if you plugged an EQ in the efx loop for science?

[@WyldestZakk1980]

My guess is that the speakers are at a different depth behind the grill.

[@TaylorDanley]

Front vs rear mounted

[@WyldestZakk1980]

@@TaylorDanley Plus that. But when the Depth is different, the Mic Distance to the speaker is different too.

[@thedddemon]

Mesa

[@samizdat113]

Blend them

[@billyarbrough291]

What song is at the 6:15 mark? So sick

[@MaximusAdonicus]

He always plays this song! And I'm sure I know this, but I just can't recall what it is!? 🙉

[@djabthrash]

​@@MaximusAdonicussame

[@TheOuterDrive]

yes please ditch them for cheap on offer up...

[@willhersey3884]

Black shadows > v30s

[@dethmetaldad7513]

The ENGL sounded better in the mix, surprised because I thought the MESA sounded better solo...

[@Epochstudios]

Yes sell your mesa cabs they suck. I know someone who will buy them cheap to get outta your hair! Hmu!! 😂😂😅😊

[@NickonGuitar]

Dude you should make a video dialing in your live tone in the line 6 stuff.

[@TaylorDanley]

I don't use any line 6 stuff live. You mean dialing it in as if I DID use it?

[@NickonGuitar]

@@TaylorDanley yes

[@NickonGuitar]

@@TaylorDanley It would be sick especially coming from a pod go user.

[@djabthrash]

03:46 why don't you just loop a riff with a looper and then tweak instead of doing these "sped-up tone tweaking while playing the guitar" sequences ? :)

[@flybywire7284]

Speakers are subjective and there is no ‘right’ but but MDF/chipboard…that’s not subjective at all. It’s a poor material that absorbs water, is heavy and it eventually falls apart vs birch ply. It’s dead too which is why it’s used in your HiFi speakers. Meh…if IKEA use it, you know it sucks.

[@benmiddleton9984]

RANDALL cabs are awesome and affordable

[@nickalderman5943]

Jesus, Mesa cab said "bass? What the fuck is that?"

[@TaylorDanley]

Actually I think it has more tight low end (less overall), but when it's close mic'd there is so much spiky upper midi that it gets lost.

[@sylvainroy9138]

ENGL 100% 🤘

[@needsLITHIUM]

Also, Mojotone Greyhound's sound pretty good, from what I've seen online. Just... anything but the Vintage 30 these days. Bright speakers only work well in an x pattern with darker speakers, or even in a separate 1x12 or 2x12, with another cab full of darker speakers. Though, tbh, for me, I just prefer the darker speakers outright. Especially with a 57, V7X, i5, etc. Brigher, upper-mid heavy mics with a V30 just make the problem that much worse. Use a ribbon on a V30, and put the 57 on something else.

[@markolivares6943]

Stop using V30’s for metal. There I said it lol.