Half Stack or Combo?

by the way, I checked and Avatar is not available here...any other cabs you think I may want to hunt for?

I'm not too sure what to suggest you. The best thing to do would be to take your head and play it through a couple different cab's to see what works best with it. The best cab made might actually sound like ass with your head. You never know until you try. Another thing you could do is build yourself a cab. I designed a 2x12 cab a little while back, if you'd like for me to send you the plans.

I have only played the thermion through its stock cab...would you suggest buying the head based on how good it sounds through a cab that I dont intend to buy? and then running from shop to shop plugging it in to different cabs? or just plugging in to whatever cabs they have available at the store that stocks the amp? (I will get a wider variety of cabs to chose from by taking my own head from store to store, but I also dont want to buy it unless I know it'll sound amazing...)
I guess if I dont find any cabs that do it justice, I can always just buy the Ibanez 4x12...but we've been through the cons of that...

By the way, have you been to the Ibanez web page and seen the Thermion?
they have some clips up there and they sound amazing...has anyone else heard them? do they really sound that good or is it just me?

The clips do sound pretty good except for clip 1 and 8. They sounded too mushey/muddy/fizzy/buzzy for my taste. But, some of the other clips made it sound like it can tighten up. Hey, if you like the amp as much as it seems like you do, then by all means go for it. If you can find one, I think that genz-benz cab would be a better match for it than that marshall. As long as the cab is closed back, has good quality speakers, and is made of 13-ply plywood (or similar, just not mdf) then it should work fine with your amp.

so the sound I love so much is the amp, not the cab? and I should be able to get that sound, or nicer from another cab? if so, I reckon I will but the head now, and then hunt around for a suitable cab...whats says the master Playa?

Yes, the main tone that you love is coming from the head. The cab is only one more part of the equation, but the biggest is what tone the head produces. The amp will sound like itself through any cab, but it will take on different characteristics with different cabs. You've already found your starting point with the head. Now, it's time to find out what characteristics you want to add to it. Some cabs are bright, some are dark, some are boxy, some are loose, and some are tight. Just make sure that the cab is rated for a minimum of 100 watts (even then you'll have to be carefull), but preferably 150 or better. Your "120 watt" amp can put out well over 120 watts when pushed very hard, so just keep that in mind. Most new cabs need several hours of hard/high volume playing through them before they'll sound their best. This is because new speakers need to be broken in. And hey, if you find a great cab, but alway's find yourself saying "it sounds good, but something's missing", you can alway's throw in some new speakers. I highly recommend The Eminence Patriate and Red Coat series.

Dream set-up: two of those 2x12 Genz-Benz cabs... each driven by its own dedicated big-@$$ tube head (Madison perhaps)? So two heads and two cabs.

Ohhhhhhhhhhh momma.... :eek: :D

yea that'd be awesome haha, I'm good with one for the moment...if I did go with two any time, I would probably go with and Ibanez Thermion (my heart belongs to that head I feel...weird, because everyone knows Ibanez amps suck, except this one...) and perhaps a vox ac30 2x12 combo? or maybe a Marshall 1959slp head, with the Ibanez driving its stock 4x12 and the 1959slp driving a 2x12 Vox cab.

wait, this is dream set up...add in a Hughes and Kettner Triamp.

you know what'd be cool? to take one head and run it through two cabs placed on either side of the stage.. thus making your sound fill the whole room and not just one side of the room.

anyway, my dream amp would be... I guess either the B-52 AT-100, or a Mesa triple recto.. though I wanna try out this madison now too. I looked up dealers of it.. they're are only two places in CA, and they are both in so-cal.. several hours away :( maybe if they become really popular, more places will start stocking them.

Yeah thats what I figure I will ultimately do...get another 2x12 cab and run them both.

Playa, turns out we do get those Genz-Benz cabs...none in at the moment, but I can order one for just a few rand(thats our currency) more than the Marshall 1936...by a few I mean 1000.
that worth while?

It pushes 100 watts stereo, and 175 mono...will that be ok?