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Hi!

I am currently in the market for a 2x12, and was considering my options. I am currently looking at getting a custom Avatar cabinet made. I was planning on getting the contemporary 2x12 with G1275's and Vintage 30 speakers. I am trying to decide if I want to buy the open back, or the closed back version. I know that they have the conversion board install, but I am skeptical that it wont become a "true" closed back tone. I currently play a loud shoegaze / doom mix that incorporates me playing through two halfstacks if that helps.


Which option should I choose?

EDIT:
I want to specify, that I am pairing this with an orange 4x12 for live shows. I play solo (usually with two halfstacks), and am tired of lugging around so much gear by myself. Does anyone have any experience with Avatar conversion cabs? I have never played with an open back cabinet before, and am afraid that I will either have too much low end, or wont be able to control my tone. The only reason why I want to downsize to a 2x12 is because I want to start doing "softer" shows, and I have heard that open backs sound more "airy". I also want to try a combination of closed back / open back, but am skeptical I will hate the open back tone, and will not have a true closed back tone due to the cover just being a board if that makes sense.

Open back for Shoegaze.
Closed back for Doom.

How about 2 cabs?

tremolo3 wrote:Open back for Shoegaze.
Closed back for Doom.

How about 2 cabs?

I usually run an orange 4x12 with g1275's (using a Sovtek Mig100u head), and a Orange 4x12 with V30's (using a Peavey VTM120). I run in stereo, using the sovtek rig as a "dark" tone rig, and the VTM as a "bright" rig. The 2x12 will be replacing the "bright" orange 4x12. I usually use a lot of mid / bass range in my tone, and I am afraid that if I combine an open back with a closed back "dark" rig, I will have WAY too much low end.

I want to have a booming sound with mostly mid / bass tones.

I had a Avatar 2x12 when I was really into JMPs. It came with the closed back panel and the open back panel and there was quite a large difference between them. I favored the open back, I forget the speakers, they were both eminence with one that was really tight and punchy and the other speaker was really loose sounding, sounded really good. The cabinet was excellently made too.

DO NOT GET AN AVATAR. DAVE IS A DICK AND THEIR CABS ARE TERRIBLY MADE.

get a mojotone instead. it'll be made way better and cheaper too.

that being said ive had the avatar vinatge 2x12 with a conversion back that fell apart on me, the whole cab rattled itself apart. same for my avatar 4x12. i really only liked it closed back. and i like my closed back oversize bluesbreaker 2x12 cab wayyyy more than the avatars.

my cab currently has two 90s vintage 30s in it. and it's plenty for anything, though i use a 100 watt super lead...

waltdogg wrote:DO NOT GET AN AVATAR. DAVE IS A DICK AND THEIR CABS ARE TERRIBLY MADE.

get a mojotone instead. it'll be made way better and cheaper too.

that being said ive had the avatar vinatge 2x12 with a conversion back that fell apart on me, the whole cab rattled itself apart. same for my avatar 4x12. i really only liked it closed back. and i like my closed back oversize bluesbreaker 2x12 cab wayyyy more than the avatars.

my cab currently has two 90s vintage 30s in it. and it's plenty for anything, though i use a 100 watt super lead...

My main reason for looking at Avatar was the option to pick different speakers, and pick your ohm rating, and overall look. Are there any companies that do the same thing in a $500-700 price range? I have some friends that use Avatar, and I love the tones they get out of it.

you could order an empty 2x12 from mojotone and pickup the speakers you want separately. that's what i did. all in all, im only about $600 into my mojotone bluesbreaker 2x12, the oversize model with the black panel across the top. just like avatar's vintage style 2x12. and it's built so much better, with finger joints, and soldered speaker connections. my vintage 30s were traded for, i had stacks of repaired g12t-75s from constantly blowing dust caps and tearing cones. i traded a quad of those for the pair, roughly a $200 value. pretty sure mojotone's 2x12s are all in the $400 range.

fuck i'm high. i hope that's coherent. ill check when i get home from work in an hour.

Think of your cabs like lights in a dark room. An open back is like a lantern. It diffuses light over a nice sized area, but it's not super efficient because that light is going everywhere.
A closed back speaker is light a flashlight. It focuses light at very specific point, but outside of that "cone", it's not very well lit.
An open back would be great for your softer shows. It would disperse your sound easier, but at a loss of definition and clarity. A close back is tighter and more focused, but people standing right in front of your cab might think you're playing too loud, while people on the ofther side of the stage can barely hear you.

TL;DR
I say open back, but when you're playing live, keep it about 3 feet away from the back wall. The sound coming from the back will disperse off the wall, making it sound bigger. This will be great in conjunction with your closed back.

Probably not qualified to comment (as a bass player), but closed back is important for palm-muting metal "chug-chug-chug"... the focused sound which others referred to.

Otherwise, open back. Open back can sound big and epic.

ALLisNOISE wrote:Think of your cabs like lights in a dark room. An open back is like a lantern. It diffuses light over a nice sized area, but it's not super efficient because that light is going everywhere.
A closed back speaker is light a flashlight. It focuses light at very specific point, but outside of that "cone", it's not very well lit.
An open back would be great for your softer shows. It would disperse your sound easier, but at a loss of definition and clarity. A close back is tighter and more focused, but people standing right in front of your cab might think you're playing too loud, while people on the ofther side of the stage can barely hear you.

TL;DR
I say open back, but when you're playing live, keep it about 3 feet away from the back wall. The sound coming from the back will disperse off the wall, making it sound bigger. This will be great in conjunction with your closed back.

This was super helpful. Thank you!

K2000 wrote:Probably not qualified to comment (as a bass player), but closed back is important for palm-muting metal "chug-chug-chug"... the focused sound which others referred to.

Otherwise, open back. Open back can sound big and epic.

Haha! Thankfully I don't really "chug". I use fuzzes and muffs as more of an atmospheric thing.

bump

I have an open back 2x12 and really love it. It's always weird to me playing on borrowed amps and stuff that are closed because I feel like if I move I get out of the prime zone to hear myself. I have admittedly little experience and a hearty bias towards my cab, but I recommend an open back.

PeteeBee wrote:I have an open back 2x12 and really love it. It's always weird to me playing on borrowed amps and stuff that are closed because I feel like if I move I get out of the prime zone to hear myself. I have admittedly little experience and a hearty bias towards my cab, but I recommend an open back.

I think I made up my mind on what I am going to get. I found a company out of Austin, Texas called Worshiper Cabinets. I'm having them build me a 2x12 with webber speakers in it, and it will be a conversion open / closed back cab. Really excited on this choice because their cabinets look INCREDIBLE.