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Gear Heads => Amps => Topic started by: Arafel on March 13, 2015, 08:32:47 PM

Title: HT- Style cabinets
Post by: Arafel on March 13, 2015, 08:32:47 PM
Hey I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on an HT JG1 or something similar from Soundscraper. If anyone has one, feel free to PM me or post below. Just wondering how the weight is. Do the handles make them easier to lug around? Are they backbreakers where you'd prefer to have a roadie?

Thanks
Title: Re: HT- Style cabinets
Post by: tsbot on March 14, 2015, 04:19:12 PM
How much you looking to spend?  I'm selling my Hard Truckers Fatty cab.
Title: Re: HT- Style cabinets
Post by: Walker done done on March 20, 2015, 06:05:49 PM
Quote from: Arafel on March 13, 2015, 08:32:47 PM
Hey I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on an HT JG1 or something similar from Soundscraper. If anyone has one, feel free to PM me or post below. Just wondering how the weight is. Do the handles make them easier to lug around? Are they backbreakers where you'd prefer to have a roadie?

Thanks

I would steer you to Andrew Olson at AO Guitars, www.aoguitars.com.  He makes absolutely beautiful cabinets.  If you send me your email I can send you some pics of mine.  The cabs are heavy but it's the speakers that make up the brunt of it.  No getting around it if you're lugging a 2x12 around.  The handles are a must and no they're not backbreakers.
Title: Re: HT- Style cabinets
Post by: Poster on May 12, 2015, 08:06:14 PM
Meh AO takes forever, and those cabinets are ridiculous expensive. Seek out TRM Cabinets. Its about 179 plus shipping for anything, all hand made, american, dove tail joining etc etc. If you dont feel like wiping on some poly, he can finish them straight to tolex, for about 100 more. All of my peers enjoy them very much, and the guy is on point, gets shit done quickly.
Title: Re: HT- Style cabinets
Post by: Walker done done on May 13, 2015, 10:42:32 AM
Quote from: Poster on May 12, 2015, 08:06:14 PM
Meh AO takes forever, and those cabinets are ridiculous expensive. Seek out TRM Cabinets. Its about 179 plus shipping for anything, all hand made, american, dove tail joining etc etc. If you dont feel like wiping on some poly, he can finish them straight to tolex, for about 100 more. All of my peers enjoy them very much, and the guy is on point, gets shit done quickly.

The cabinets are far from expensive, especially considering the quality (real wood, NOT particle board, and they're cheaper than Hard Truckers cabinets, FWIW), and he may take his time but you in a rush or something?  Quality work takes time man, you know that. 
Title: Re: HT- Style cabinets
Post by: Arafel on May 13, 2015, 10:47:56 AM
FWIW I contact AO and never heard from him. I've tried SSP but he's super back logged again. HT has a good deal on the JG1 now unloaded, but I'm still unsure of it because of the weight. HT still can't make the Fatty. TRM looks intriguing but I don't like tolex. Also, I'm not sure about how the screws are used for the back panel and how it looks. Decisions decisions
Title: Re: HT- Style cabinets
Post by: Poster on May 13, 2015, 11:32:54 AM
TRM MAKES HARD TRUCKERS CABINETS> lol check them out before you condemn. I actually really like my cabinet from them. And Walker Done Done to the rescue; he doesnt have a bad thing to say about anything. Great to be around on acid.

TRM has a couple options, baltic birch i think is standard. You realize Trey's cabinets are made from 5 layer plywood right? I just had TRM make me a completely custom cabinet, to my specs.

FWIW I still dont like zero frets, and bass heavy neck pickups. crucify me because I just couldn't get into the AO.
Title: Re: HT- Style cabinets
Post by: Walker done done on May 13, 2015, 11:50:46 AM
Quote from: Arafel on May 13, 2015, 10:47:56 AM
FWIW I contact AO and never heard from him. I've tried SSP but he's super back logged again. HT has a good deal on the JG1 now unloaded, but I'm still unsure of it because of the weight. HT still can't make the Fatty. TRM looks intriguing but I don't like tolex. Also, I'm not sure about how the screws are used for the back panel and how it looks. Decisions decisions

I'll get him for you.  PM me your deets.
Title: Re: HT- Style cabinets
Post by: Walker done done on May 13, 2015, 11:53:32 AM
Oh Poster, you know I've got plenty bad I could say, I just choose not to.  As I get older discretion is a virtue, and one of the best quotes I've heard and try to live by is this little nugget: "There's a lot of growth to be had from tolerance". 
Title: Re: HT- Style cabinets
Post by: seriesnuns on May 13, 2015, 11:56:17 AM
I also have a TRM hard trucker. Very solid cabinet. Looks nice with the oil rub finish on Baltic birch.

I had to shove a pillow on the rear for better sound.

I have a WGS veteran 30 and et65 sounds great but does have some weight to it. I have the side port handles which is nice.
Title: Re: HT- Style cabinets
Post by: Heady Jam Fan on May 13, 2015, 01:25:38 PM
I got a Mesa Widebody open-back 1x12 for $120!

I've tried a lot of cabs and really dig the Mesa's personally.
Title: Re: HT- Style cabinets
Post by: Poster on May 13, 2015, 02:04:15 PM
yup used Mesa stuff is great, just heavy, but who cares. I used a Thiele 1x12 for a long time, and it was great.
Title: Re: HT- Style cabinets
Post by: Heady Jam Fan on May 14, 2015, 08:08:19 AM
Quote from: Poster on May 13, 2015, 02:04:15 PM
yup used Mesa stuff is great, just heavy, but who cares. I used a Thiele 1x12 for a long time, and it was great.

Yeah, it is definitely heavier than other companies in a similar size - even when I had a compact rather than the widebody. However, they sound huge and punchy - I'd rather have a heavy 1x12 than an even heavier 2x12 that doesn't sound any bigger anyway. I had an Avatar 212 at the same time I had the compact Mesa 1x12 and I sold the Avatar pretty quickly - I didn't sound any bigger and could barely fit in my car.
Title: Re: HT- Style cabinets
Post by: Poster on May 14, 2015, 01:25:30 PM
Well part of the reason I sold mine, is that it was too small for me. No really tone wise, size wise. The head I was using at the time, was as big as a marshall, so I could never really get them to be happy with one another cosmetically. Tried two even, and it was short and fat, stacked was weird too. Could be cool to get 4 and some micro tube heads?  :D
Title: Re: HT- Style cabinets
Post by: Heady Jam Fan on May 14, 2015, 02:26:23 PM
Quote from: Poster on May 14, 2015, 01:25:30 PM
Well part of the reason I sold mine, is that it was too small for me. No really tone wise, size wise. The head I was using at the time, was as big as a marshall, so I could never really get them to be happy with one another cosmetically. Tried two even, and it was short and fat, stacked was weird too. Could be cool to get 4 and some micro tube heads?  :D

Here is the back-loaded Widebody:
(http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/Jon_Weingarden/20150324_211553_zpsmtva7gko.jpg)
^This one was made in the 90's, but I think its pretty much the same as their current model on their website.

I also used to have an older compact when they were still front loaded, and it was much narrower - only as wide as the amp head.

Those Mini Mesa heads are cool. The other guitarist in the band I play in has a Mini Recto. Its not my tone - the rectifier sound, or EL84's in general, but his sound contrasted to mine sounds cool. He gets some great sounds out of that amp, though people sometimes joke about how the mini recto on the slanted 1x12 really looks like a miniature stack or something, lol. He really digs my Mark III and has was thinking about getting a V25. I know a lot of people think the TA is the most well rounded though. I sometimes worry about the complexity of the new Mesa amps - well built, just too much that can go wrong and if it does, so complex and densely packed into the chassis people don't always seem to choose to repair them. I'm happy with my tried and true Mark III.
Title: Re: HT- Style cabinets
Post by: Buffered on May 21, 2015, 10:15:30 AM
Quote from: Poster on May 14, 2015, 10:47:23 PM
Well I wouldn't count out EL 84 boogies altogether. I have a boogie subway that has been modded into a mini deluxe/twin with all the bullshit removed, and reverb tweaked for drip, and its sounds spectacular. even with the little transformers and bity 84 tubes

I agree, my Express 5:25+ with a Steamboat 100 kicks all the asses.
Title: Re: HT- Style cabinets
Post by: Poster on January 04, 2019, 11:54:47 AM

Yeah AO is not in business anymore. This fucking harsh treatment at the defence of AO, also Equator instruments guy, Andy Mayer up in Redding, hell I've got a list about 20 spaces long with assholes who went off the deepend. Its pretty lame looking back here. Lots of people in the gear world fall on hard times, luthiers, amp builders, its a really tough job. With no iron in the fire I was just relaying honestly, how people were not being so cool anymore, and I was flamed HARD for it. Meh I'm not mad anymore, just sad so many people fall victim to drugs and alcohol, also sad that internet warriors would jump so quickly to defend vendors, when its very obvious I'm just passionate about gear and sharing experience to help other players. Still such a stupid screen name.
Last note: the guy I recomended from New Hampshire who makes everything by hand for affordable prices -- drum roll! Still an amazing guy and is really successful building cabs to this day. He actually has a very sexy finished hard truckers cabinet for 500 bucks or something. I'm also friends with Glenn at Hard Truckers so literally friends with both of these people. I own both - just depended on budget at the time, and anybody that gives you shit about that isn't a musician. If you can go Glenn at HT. SSP also makes great stuff these days, but have not used them. TRM is a first bet. Had a bad experience with Ear Candy, good experiences with Mojotone. Also please always check Guitar center USED online first - there is a nice CARR cab for 300 on there now.

There are enough speaker cabinets sitting unused to build a bridge to china from my backyard.

Trucker cabs are heavy and you should use a roadcase - more heavy.

So yeah if you don't like getting a workout or having roadies - probably a good idea to chill on the garcia antipasta mega arena guitar rigs in a bar route.