Avatar B412 BASS CABINET

eddiefive10 · November 04, 2011, 09:29:04 AM

So I havent played in a band in over a year now and my job keeps me on the road all the time, all of my gear has been in storage for over a year. And to top it off I dont have room for it in my house. So Ive been thinking I want a versatile rig that I could use for guitar or bass, I own a Acoustic 450 which was designed for guitar and bass, but Im wondering if this Avatar B412 BASS CABINET, would sound right with both, more concerned with the guitar use?!?!?! Any thoughts??? Right now I have a Peavey Windsor head with matching cab, GK head with a Peavey 8x10 and the Acoustic 450, I dont have any problems with saying fuck it and downsizing to 1 head and cab. Any other ideas??? Or am I on the right track for a rig that can do both???

justinhedrick · November 04, 2011, 09:40:21 AM

i don't see why not. doesn't eminence or someone make a 12 inch speaker that is made to use with guitar and bass?

Mr. Foxen · November 04, 2011, 10:23:09 AM

Depends what speaker the cab is loaded with. But generally if you use guitar into bass speakers it sounds a bit dull, not much top and not much cone breakup (which is kinda important tot he sound), using bass into guitar speakers might lack bottom, but aside from that sounds good. Gonna pretty heavily compromise one was or the other trying to use same cab for both. unless you use a hifi cab an a modeller, which is kinda lame. Basically, don't assume because a speaker is 12", it will sound good with guitar. My Aguilar GS412 was great for bass, but would totally suck for guitar as the speakers were really dark.

Baltar · November 04, 2011, 12:33:27 PM

Load the cab with 2 bass and 2 guitar speakers. Wire them separately with independent inputs. You'd only be running 2x12's at a time, but you could always mic the cab.

justinhedrick · November 04, 2011, 01:13:35 PM

Quote from: Baltar on November 04, 2011, 12:33:27 PM
Load the cab with 2 bass and 2 guitar speakers. Wire them separately with independent inputs. You'd only be running 2x12's at a time, but you could always mic the cab.

that's actually a really good idea.

but i swear there is some speaker that is made to do both. probably not both stellarly, but it would handle them . . . am i making this up?

Lumpy · November 04, 2011, 01:30:29 PM

Avatar makes a 4x12?

(well I'll be darned)

Ported cab that goes low, my guess is that there would be bass cabs (sealed) that sound better. Go to your local Guitar Mall and try playing a guitar through a bass cab.

justinhedrick · November 04, 2011, 01:43:23 PM

Quote from: Lumpy on November 04, 2011, 01:30:29 PM
Avatar makes a 4x12?

(well I'll be darned)

Ported cab that goes low, my guess is that there would be bass cabs (sealed) that sound better. Go to your local Guitar Mall and try playing a guitar through a bass cab.

the ampeg 8x10 CAN sound good . . . but that might be bigger than you need.

Corey Y · November 04, 2011, 01:56:21 PM

The Avatar 412 bass cab is their 412 guitar cab with ports cut in it and different drivers. So it might work, but if you like speaker breakup it might be too high powered for it.

grimniggzy · November 04, 2011, 04:05:26 PM

I have to chime in and say this, my brother thought his Marshall Vintage Modern 4X12 sounded good then I let him full stack it with my Ampeg 410HLF. After playing for a few minutes he said "fuck, that is MY sound."

The only other experience I have with guitar through a bass cab is a Sunn 215B, which I believe is actually for guitar or bass and that sounded even better.

justinhedrick · November 04, 2011, 04:15:34 PM

Quote from: grimniggzy on November 04, 2011, 04:05:26 PM
I have to chime in and say, my brother thought his Marshall Vintage Modern 4X12 sounded good with his old tube head for guitar. Then his tube head broke and I let him use my Ampeg 410HLF along with the Marshall powered by S.S. Sunn's. Then he said "fuck tubes, that is THE sound."

The only other experience I have with guitar through a bass cab is a Sunn 215B, which I believe is actually for guitar or bass and that sounded even better.

i had a problem following this . . .

grimniggzy · November 04, 2011, 04:16:37 PM

I don't blame you one bit, I type like a retard

grimniggzy · November 04, 2011, 04:18:09 PM

I tried to clean it up a lil.

grimniggzy · November 04, 2011, 04:22:41 PM

Also, my Ampeg is one of those vietman Ampegs, the 4X10 one with the ports and the horn. I think the horn may have been turned off but if not it was only barely on. It's like night and day if you turn off the amp powering the Ampeg though, he doesn't really like to play without it.

Mr. Foxen · November 04, 2011, 04:23:48 PM

Quote from: Baltar on November 04, 2011, 12:33:27 PM
Load the cab with 2 bass and 2 guitar speakers. Wire them separately with independent inputs. You'd only be running 2x12's at a time, but you could always mic the cab.

Unless they are in separate enclosures, that could be quite bad, the unconnected speakers will act like passive radiators, giving the cab some random response hump an dip somewhere, as the air pressure moves them out of phase with the working speakers.

justinhedrick · November 04, 2011, 04:39:46 PM

Quote from: Mr. Foxen on November 04, 2011, 04:23:48 PM
Quote from: Baltar on November 04, 2011, 12:33:27 PM
Load the cab with 2 bass and 2 guitar speakers. Wire them separately with independent inputs. You'd only be running 2x12's at a time, but you could always mic the cab.

Unless they are in separate enclosures, that could be quite bad, the unconnected speakers will act like passive radiators, giving the cab some random response hump an dip somewhere, as the air pressure moves them out of phase with the working speakers.

that's true. good point, passive radiators are bad, especially if say, you were running the bass speakers and the guitar ones weren't plugged in.

Baltar · November 04, 2011, 06:27:22 PM

Didn't even think of that. It would have to have seperate chambers to isolate. Maybe seperate 2x12's is the way to go.

Hemisaurus · November 04, 2011, 09:27:26 PM

Ya know those things on the side of your head?

A lot more reliable than internet forums.

SpaceTrucker · November 05, 2011, 12:02:32 AM

^word, I got a road 4 12 cab for bass and guitar, and it has a sunn eminence 12 and 3 that have no names, and damn if it don't sound great for guitar and bass.

I think you'll find that most new guitar cabs have the wattage handling to handle bass. just don't be retarded with the bass. use your low mids.

VOLVO))) · November 05, 2011, 12:16:51 AM

Also, the number of speakers when using guitar cabs for bass matters.

6-8 speakers can handle a bass just fine, if they're high enough wattage. Don't expect greenbacks to handle a 5 string bass type deal.

Next band I play bass for, I'm using two 4x12s. If I feel like there isn't enough lows, I'll use an 18 to kick out the lows into the floor.

Lumpy · November 05, 2011, 04:25:17 AM

Trust your sideburns.

Mr. Foxen · November 05, 2011, 08:32:30 AM

Original SVT cabs pretty much had guitar drivers, just lots of them, as you expect only a old SVT cab worth of low end, coupla guitar cabs will probably be OK, no dubtones though. Problems come when you have high powered SS heads and low boost, it is more about frequency output than tuning.