A Sonic Comparison of
Mesa’s Powerhouse Bass Cabinets
Ever wonder how an 8×10 bass cab compares to Mesa’s new Bass 4×12? A 6×10 to a Powerhouse 1200? Or if the Bass 2×12 cab, since it’s lighter, offers enough bass for your taste compared to the 4×10 cab? Then these videos are for you!
We’ll take you through the entire line of the Mesa Powerhouse cabs and compare each cab to its peers in respective size and weight classes. We’ll discuss the concepts behind the unique cabinet designs as well as general speaker characteristics and in-depth details behind Mesa’s custom speaker designs. We also cover the multitude of options on the rear panel with Mesa’s exclusive Player Control Network. Then we let the audio and video do the talking so you can hear the differences yourself and decide which cab might serve you best.
And if these videos grab you but don’t answer all your questions, give the gurus in our Customer Service department a call and let them steer you toward the cab that’s just right for your music and style of playing. Enjoy!
{ 45 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi there, I am currently using a BB750 with a 8ohm PH 4 x 10 and would like the rig to work a little more efficiently and also keep my rig to a minimum size, if I purchased a 8ohm PH 2 x 10 to go with it would you consider this set up right? I look forward to your thoughts…. Kindest regards Kevin
Hi Kevin –
Adding a second speaker does great things for bass tone!
Obviously, adding more speakers will add some punch and projection and overall output just due to having more speakers in the mix. As well, having a 4 ohm load (two 8 ohm speakers in parallel) increases the output potential of the amp (typically doubles the output)…so it all adds up.
The only suggestion I would make is that if you’re trying for a smaller second cabinet, most people lean toward a 1×15 instead of a 2×10 as the best compliment to a 4×10 so that you have the variety of the speakers and cabinet sounds to work with. And, a 4×10 and 1×15 is a CLASSIC rig setup. I’d probably suggest you go that route rather than adding more 10″ speakers although there is nothing wrong with 6x10s.
Hope this helps and feel free to give us a call Mon-Thurs., 9AM-5PM Pacific Time if you have any further questions.
Cheers,
Boogie
Hi there, I am running a BB750 through a 8ohm PH 4 x 10 but thinking of changing to a 4ohm PH 2 x 12 and wondered would this get me a better stage sound regarding loudness and would it make the BB750 work better taking it down to 4ohms, I use a 76 P bass and need that growl/barky sound!
Regards Kev
Hi Kev –
Great question!
4 ohms will cause for the amp to provide more power. However, 2x12s tend to offer a little less bass based on just having less speaker area to offer compared to a 4×10. (24″ vs 40″ of speaker area).
That said, the 2×12 will definitely deliver on the bark & growl sound and will be comparable in bass with the lower impedance/increased power. Plus, the 2×12 is lighter which should make your back/roadie happy.
Hope this helps.
Hi, I have a PH212 & I love it, such a big sound, WOW! The only thing I don’t like about it is, (don’t like is too strong to say) its size. One band I play in does kirtan music, so we are playing in Yoga Studios and smaller venues, and rolling in the big 212 is a bit much for a lot of these shows. So I was wondering would you recommend a 210 or the 112, which I can also stack with the 212 when playing with my other band, (folk rock). Thank you for making such amazing cabs!
Peace
Hi Keith –
Glad to hear the 2×12 is working well for you. Good stuff.
If you are looking for something smaller, I might make a few different recommendations. If you like the 12″ speaker sound (more midrange) and you really don’t need things to be very loud or huge bass, I would probably suggest the 1×12 Powerhouse cab. The 112 Powerhouse cabs can generally surprise people with their output but they won’t deliver the same amount of sound pressure and overall bass and volume as the bigger cabs in the line.
Also, if you are not in need of comparable loud output (to your 2×12), and you are looking for something fatter and a bit more vintage in flavor, you might think about the Scout line of cabs – perhaps even a 1×15 instead of the 1×12 which will deliver a bit more bass. The Scout cabs are a bit softer and more round in their response (which should fit nicely with Folk styles) than the Powerhouse line with the front ports. The Scouts provide a vintage appeal whereas the Powerhouse line can cover both a Vintage feel as well as the modern potential.
2×10 would definitely deliver more punch than the 1x12s mentioned above but the 2x10s by themselves have a threshold of bass and volume handling that can sometimes be surpassed. 10″ speakers won’t deliver cleanly the amount of bass you want if you push the cabs beyond their means via higher amp volume or bass settings. 2x10s are great supportive cabs with others like the 2×12 or the 1×15 and if you’re looking for a cab that you can use by itself for smaller stuff but ultimately want to have a rig (BOTH the 2×12 and 2×10), then that may make the 2×10 the winner since it creates such a great combination when you use both together.
Hope this helps. You kinda can’t go wrong but getting the best thing for what you already have is important.
Cheers,
Boogie
I was looking to get a another cab and was looking at the 1-15 and also the 1-12 Powerhouse. I see that the 1-12 comes with a neo speaker. Is the 1-15 available with a neo speaker to reduce weight? Thanks
Hey Tommy –
It IS possible to get the Powerhouse 1×15 although admittedly, our Neo speakers were specifically designed for use within the Scout series of cabs. While we haven’t done any testing with those speakers in our Powerhouse line of cabs, we don’t think it will sound at all bad. Different to a noticeable degree (not night and day) but still goo. Probably a bit more midrange and slightly less sub low compared to the ceramic 15. You are likely to save about 5-7 lbs on the weight of a P-House 1×15 with the change in speakers.
If this is something you’re interested in doing, get in touch with us here at the factory for further details or any other questions.
Thanks for your interest and the inquiry!
Boogie
will a 4 ohm 6 ten bottom work with my m9 2 twelve combo?is this a good coice?
I bought a 1×15 w/horn, it is a 400watt powerhouse cab.
How well would the 2×10 (being 600 watts) work with my 400 watt cab ?
This has had me puzzled for some time. And do you still make the 400 watt cabs anymore? I probably bought the last one for the same price as a 600 watt cab. And I LOVE BOOGIES !!!
Hi Mark –
Great question and thanks for the kind words!
Wattage ratings and wattage handling capacity may just be the least important specs to consider when looking into amp and cab pairings.
Wattage ratings are generally only important if you have an amp with higher output potential than the ratings of your cabs. That said, wattage ratings don’t really describe what a cab sounds like or how well it works with other cabs, which is what you’re really after when looking at building a rig. So…
The best way to put this is that the 2×10 is one of the best cabs you can use with a 1×15 if you’re trying to keep the rig smaller, compact and full range. Our current 2x10s are rated at 600 watts and are probably the best sounding 2x10s we’ve ever built. Wattage aside, this is a great pair.
If you want to go bigger than just a 2×10, the next cab we suggest as a great match with the 1×15 is the Powerhouse 2×12. Lightweight, great price and adds a great midrange flavor to the thick low end of the 1×15 and still remains full range.
What is really important is understanding what sound you want to get and then finding out what cab provides that sound, which is what the video is all about. Unless you’re running a 2000 watt amp, wattage is somewhat irrelavent, and even then, if you play quiet, wattage doesn’t matter.
How well exactly do the Powerhouse 2×12 and the Powerhouse 2×10 go together?
Ha…
Exactly?
VERY well…
Seriously though – it’s a great matchup. The 12s handle bass, punch and mid detail as well as being no slouch in the high end. The 10s handle the punch frequencies with even more finite detail and add the high end spice where the 12s don’t go. Portable and full range. Yeah – it’s a great rig worthy of saying again and again.
I recently bought carbine 9 two twelve combo.And want to buy an extension speaker that will sit underneath it .Is that possible?And what do recomend.
Hi Darren -
Congrats on the new rig. Hopefully you are as amazed with that combo’s potential as we’ve been. It can handle just about any gig you’ve got for it.
As for an extension cab, I think the best one to go with a 2×12 Carbine combo rig is a 1×15 Extension. It blends really well tonally and while it won’t line up exactly if you stack the combo on top of the cab, it still looks killer and you won’t be disappointed with the tone. With the 1×15 and the 2×12, there isn’t a gig you won’t be able to do.
Hope this helps.
Boogie
I’ve got a Stingray5 and the Big Block Titan through a diesel 2×15 right now. I’m trying to decide between the 6×10 and the 4×12. I play alot of different styles but rock is still more my style. My current rig has a ton of low end but it’s not very defined. I really like the 6×10 but I’m worried about losing too much in the midrange. That’s why haven’t been able to rule the 4×12. Any thoughts would be very helpful….
Hey Chris –
You’ve got the power thing handled with Titan. All set there…
If you prefer your low end tighter with more mids and a bit of bite/edge/growl, the 4×12 might be the better choice. It’s a bigger cab size-wise than the 6×10 (but about the same weight given the Neo 12″ speaks) but mids are more prominent with twelves and its also a better choice if you lean toward grit and grind bass tones.
The 6×10 and 2×15 is an amazing combo if you can move both of them around and use them together. Come to think of it, the 6×10 and a bass 4×12 could be an amazing combo as well…
The bottom line is if you want more midrange detail, bark and bite, the 12″ speakers and the 4×12 in particular delivers it like no other! If you are in a position to move the bigger cab(s) around, you’re always going to bring the clearest and biggest bass tone around with punch to spare.
Oh yeah – if you use any bass drive and crunch tones, the 4×12 is the clear winner in this field.
I’m looking to buy an older powerhouse 1200 (The grill says ‘Mesa Boogie”) Do the oler models have a tweeter? How long has Mesa been making the 1200?
I would guess around 94 or 95. I seem to recall them debuting a prototype of that when I was working across the street at Lagunitas. I think it did not have a tweet in its original incarnation, as it was kind of a rock n roll thunder box. IIRC the original was just called the Powerhouse. It was only later that they added the model numbers. I am sure someone at Mesa can correct me if I am wrong?
Hi Bobby –
The Powerhouse 1000 and now 1200 has been made since the middle of the 90s. It’s always been made with a tweeter. The Black square punch grille suggests it was made sometime between when they were first built and up to early 2000s when Mesa went to the Powerhouse versions of cabs with the oval punch grilles.
i m using ampeg svt-2 pro(300 w) and a pr-410 hlf cab… thinking of 2×12 mesa or something? pr is insanley big..tooo big…my back hurts
can you advise me please? mesa cabs are awesome
Thanks Boro –
If you’re back is killin’ ya, its a no-brainer – the 2×12 is a great way to go. It’s a little tighter than a 4×10 but still full and will sound great if it’s the rock thing you’re going for.
Can I use my walk about head with the 4x 10 cab?
Oh Yeah! The Walkabout can drive an 8×10 pretty darn well and works wonders on the mid size cabs like 6×10, Powerhouse 1200 and 2×15.
Windows are very nicely rattled with the Walkabout and a 4×10. The better question might be whether or not the 4×10 can handle what the Walkabout has to put out but I may be taking things a little too far.
Plug in and rock on!
I spent a fun filled Saturday jamming with my mates and brought my pair of PH115 cabs, my carbine M9 and my walkabout head. We play quite loud and I was amazed that the little Walkabout head was able to keep up with no problems and it sounded so fat and warm. The M9 however is such a monster that it didn’t have to even break a sweat to completely overpower the cabs if i wasn’t careful. The compressor on the M9 is a joy.
But the cabs were what really impressed me. I have used my PH412 in similar situations and its so well balanced, deep and loud that I am left wanting nothing more. But the PH115 stack offers, a different flavor as the tone was fatter and warmer but still articulate and punchy. My fretless Stingray was absolutely inspiring through these cabs. I highly recommend two of the same cab when contemplating a dual cab setup and the PH115′s are real sleepers in the industry!
j’ai commandé la tete d’ampli carbine M9 mésaboogie + le 2×10″ powerhouse et j’aimerais votre avis pour me décider à choisir entre le 1×15″ ou 2×12″ powerhouse.Je n’ai aucune information au niveau des fréquences (hz),j’aimerai avoir du grave et de l’attaque, à votre avis quelle sera la meilleure configuration entre ces deux enceintes ?
Emi’s question in English was:
I ordered the head amp mésaboogie carbine M9 + 2 x 10 “powerhouse and I want your opinion to persuade me to choose between 1 × 15″ or 2 x 12 “powerhouse. I have no information level of frequency (hz), I’d like to have some serious punch and the attack. In your opinion what is the best setting between these two speakers?
Answer: I would base my decision on style of music, how much weight I was willing to carry and how much air I wanted to push. The 2×12 weighs only slightly more but delivers a bit more punch mainly because there’s more cabinet and speaker to do so. The 1×15 is close to the 2×12 in punch but offers lower lows – more air but not as much punch. As mentioned in the videos, the 2x12s also have a signature midrange sound to them that is great for rock. If I played rock music and wanted to get the biggest sound, I would choose the 2×12. If I played mixed styles of music and not always loud, I wanted a more compact rig and I wanted lots of air movement, I would choose the 1×15.
Hope this helps and hope the rig so far is sounding great!
I can’t find any other bass amp that comes close to the Mesa M6 Carbine, and the Powerhouse 2X12. It really has the sound I want from my Gibson SG Std. Bass. The 2X12 has so much bottom to it without giving up any of the mids. A good clean sound that doesn’t get muddy.
I am running a BB-750 through an older PH-610. Not too big, not too small. Just right. Probably the only set-up I’ll ever need for the rest of my life. I have an idea in the back of my head about maybe adding a PH-1X15 but don’t really know if it would be necessary. Just a thought. Any ideas?
Hey Johnny –
The 6×10 is such a full coverage cab, the 1×15 doesn’t really fit it quite like you might hope. It definitely adds a little something but I think in most cases, it doesn’t really add as much of a difference to the overall sound as one might hope.
On the other hand, the absolute GOLDEN full-range rig is (IMHO) the 6×10 AND the 2×15. Both cabs are the same size and if you put the two cabs on their sides with the 2×15 on the bottom, I’m not sure there is a bigger sounding setup than that! If you have the ability to move that size rig around, there may be none better.
Thanks for the kind words and glad the rig you have is already is working well for you.
Boogie
The 6×10 with a 1×15 will be less efficient than the 6×10 by iteself in most cases I can think of. The 6×10 is just such a loud cab it overwhelms the 1×15 quite easily, so any watts sent the way of the 1×15 are kinda wasted. I would go for a second 6×10 or the 2×15. Or, in a truely horrifying setup, you could run 4×12 with it!
Hi, I wonder if 6×10 has got more bottom than 4×10 due to the cab size?
And my second question is: what mic have you been using while recording this stuff?
Jacob –
The 6×10 provides a bit more of everything and all of it in a really tasty way. The 4×10 is a workhorse for someone that isn’t in a position to rock a bigger cab but the 6×10 is over the top for any style and can really handle anything you throw at it. We used an SM57 for close mic’ing and an AT4050 condenser for room character although its mixed in minimally… Hope this helps and thanks for the question.
I own a couple of the 8 ohm 2×15″ cabs. 4×15″ of Mesa moves some air and sounds fantastic. I find that when you have that many 15″ speakers the whole problem of beaming goes away.
The 2×12 and 4×12 are also devastatingly good cabs.
I have a Mesa 400+ and a Powerhouse 2X12. I just recently added another Powerhouse 2X12. The clubs complain that the low end is causing the liquor bottles to rattle and fall off the shelves. I’m happy!
That, Thomas, is one of the key signs of a good bass rig, I think. ha.
Nice…
I own an M9 Carbine and the PH412 and this pretty much as good as it gets…except that I also own a Walkabout and a pair of PH115 cabs and this setup is different but no less articulate and powerful. Watching these videos convinced me that Mesa makes the best 15 cabs and I am seriously thinking of adding a 215 to the stable! This was a great set of videos to watch.
Quite the Boogie stable you’re running over there, Crabby. ha…
15″ speakers are classic. Dangerous for your audience if you’re not aware of how big the sound gets about 15 feet away from your rig but they do sound killer. Thanks for the kind words and glad you dig.
I have the M-9 carbine head with a PH 115 but would like to add another cabinet to it, but not sure to go to to a PH 210 or PH 410 or just another PH 115 any input would be appreciated thanks alot great equipment love it
I would go for the 2×12
Hi Mike; I’m a little biased, but I would add the PH2x12. I would think the combination of the 1×15 and the 2×12 would be awesome with that killer M9 you’ve got. I’m very impressed with the 2×12 and my M6.
Hey Mike – If you’re trying to keep things compact, the 2×10 might be the way to go but like some others here, I think there’s lots of value in the 2×12, besides great tone and a nice weight factor. It might be a shoe-in if you dig the midrange thing (or a shoe-out for that matter if you don’t, really). If it were me, I would go with something other than another 1×15, just so you have some variety to play with and it enhances the full range thing. Great rig as it stands. It’ll get unstoppable when you add a second cab. Headroom for days…
oh yeh!
I want a 6×10!!!!
it ‘ll work sweet with my walkabout.
I’m an accomplished guitarist that plays Boogie eguipment and have since 1993, or earlier. Just wanted to post that when I hear an inspiring sound be it guitar resonance, tube amp harmonics & break-up, and nice hi-gain structure without losing focus and falling apart. Also for this article and videos, this is a tallented man playing on some awsome gear. The speaker configurations just goes to show the thought that goes into any Mesa product. The nice slap articulation with focused high end and low, low, low end retaining its intended charicter. Believe me if it were bass that tickled my fancy, I’d be throwing it through a Mesa Boogie rigg….
Outstanding. I am using the M6 Carbine head, with the PowerHouse 2×12 cab. I changed from the Marshall MB Series. I liked the comparison of the 2×12 to the 4×10 cab. I have always liked the 2×12 cab. Mesa for me was the real way to get back to a 2×12 cab again. Thanks for the overall comparisons of the PowerHouse cabs. Arc Music Of Boca is my local Mesa dealer. You guys have me solid on Mesa. My G&L SB-2 is a killer with the M6, and the 2×12.
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