Combo vs head and cab , anyone got a preference or a view on this ?!!

riffpowers

seen a lovely Mesa stiletto ace 1x12 combo for sale locally , and also my old mesa stilletto deuce head and recto 2x12 is up for sale 
local.
There’s pros and cons to each and I keep changing my mind over it.

ive been using heads and cabs  for years and it’s what I kind of gravitate to , but I sold the last lot coz I thought it was overkill for the gigs I was doing . I’ve also had some lovely combos over the years , I have a soft spot for the Marshall 2104’s , which was my first proper valve amp.

tekbow

I think the head vs combo portability thing has changed a bit from the days that a head was usually partnered with a 4x12. Some heads are as, if not more portable as a 112 (think victory) and once you get 212 combos, they're very often heavy unwieldy buggers.

I recently converted my 212 to a head and cab for this very reason, after lugging the damn thing to get it serviced.

Plus a head an A cab look great.

pintspiller

Any combo I had was either a 1x12 or a 1x8. I wouldn't fancy a 2x12 that's for certain. It's bad enough at the minute carting my 4x10 up and down the stairs!

exocet

For me, practicality wins out over what sounds the best. If it fits my car and fits on the stage then that's what I'll use. I still have both options but to be honest I haven't used a separate Head / Cab for over two years now. Agree with comments on Lunchbox Head and small cab though.

spark

When we talk about heads we are thinking in JCM head style, and they are so heavy. Now with heads as victory 50w in just 18lbs in a so tiny space, I think, people will start moving back to head and cab.

Grumpyrocker

I prefer heads. For no other reason than aesthetics. 

PolarityMan

head + cab every time. Easier to lift, gives you the option to scale cab size with gig. When you're sharing backline means you might not even need to take the cab. And the good amps dont come in combos  

ESBlonde

There are good arguments for the right head and cab combination, the best being 'I have a roadie'.

I used to think those old guys were idiots for giving up all that power and tone, then I got old. I learned that a decent combo gets the job done on any stage wether mic'd up or not. We can all sit in our bedrooms and get wonderful sound from a dozen bootiq pedals and a head + 4x12. But in reality it's unusual to get that exact sound out to everyone in a typical gig (assuming you are even gigging).

I do love my old 50w valve head and 2x12 JBL cab, they have been with me for years and sound wonderful. Mostly now The HRD combo is used because it's very capable and practical and is suitable for al the gigs I do. I guess thats why they are such a strong seller. That same argument would apply to going digital, but despite dipping my toe in that pond a few times I have yet to be satisfied with the sonic results.

Mark1960

If you get the right combo for you they take some beating!

ICBM

spark said:

When we talk about heads we are thinking in JCM head style, and they are so heavy.

I've got a JCM800 2210 and a TSL100 in at the moment, and although the TSL is marginally less ridiculous, it does surprise me that anyone is still willing to put up with the sheer weight, awkward size - and in the case of the 800, stupidly off-centre balance - of a traditional 100W head. Yeah I know... they sound good.

Except that they don't, really - no better than things half the size and weight. Even a Mesa Dual Rectifier is quite compact and much lighter by comparison, if you must have a 100W valve amp.

Axe_meister

Head and cab to save my back. 

ICBM

Axe_meister said:

Head and cab to save my back. 

I find the opposite, unless the head is truly tiny. Any cab is almost as much of a pain to move as a combo even if not quite as heavy, plus you've got the head as well.

Even a stupidly heavy combo like a Mesa Trem-o-verb can be surprisingly easy to move around if it's compact, has good handles and wheels, and is well-balanced and smooth-edged. I found mine easier to move around than something like a Fender Twin, despite being much heavier - even a straight lift into a car was easier because of the end handles. You just have to remember that the handle on the top is not for lifting it, other than just up a small step one end at a time - it's more of a steering aid .

OK, I did sell it for medical-advice reasons in the end, but I would never have replaced it with a similar-sized head and 2x12" - that would have been worse.

Blueingreen

All about convenience I think.  I switched from head and cab to combos back in the day when I realised 4 x 12s (singly or stacked) were overkill for most gigs.  With age and a ropy back I'm now using an utra-light Quilter combo which I love.  If I wanted a valve amp I'd probably go  the lunchbox/neo cab route, simply because most valve combos I would consider loud enough would be too heavy.