Take me to school - bass cab edition.

[mutantcolors]

Searching led to a couple decent hits but we may as well get a dedicated thread.

I joined a band on bass, and I want skullfuckery by way of speakers. I'm pretty well set up on an amp - Acoustic 450. Ran it through a fridge this summer and it blew my nuts off, but they are fucking spendy. So, let's talk options.

I dig the idea behind a bass 4x12 but they turn up pretty expensive too. Maybe separate 2x12s to spread across the stage...or 2 2x15s. Something asinine, yet not utter destruction to my bank account.

I am handy in construction, so building and loading my own cab is very conceivable.

[Mr. Foxen]

Good bass cabs are expensive. You can make way better than SVT 8x10s though, those were crude in 1969. Don't spread bass cabs across the stage, you want them close together so they couple and reinforce in the low end, not cancel out.

Best DIY value for money is get these plans in appropriate size: http://www.billfitzmaurice.com/Simplexx.html

[mutantcolors]

You are a fountain of knowledge, good sir.

Here, let me clarify a little. I'm not adverse to spending money, but I am a huge proponent of bang for your buck. If something out there delivers 80% the goods of something that costs twice as much, that's a sweet deal to me.

[JemDooM]

18's are beasts!! I have a 1x18 which I love, it could open portals to new dimensions with it's sonic power!, I had a 2x15 but we had to sell it as it was impossible to move around or store, so damn heavy worse than a 8x10, 2x15/18s tend to go for cheap because no-one seems to want them I find, any iv sold or tried to sell I couldn't get rid off even tho they are absolute beasts excellent speakers etc, if you're looking not to spend loads just be open to anything, look around obsessively and buy the first decent thing you manage to snipe or make a decent offer on, if your head is a beast you just need anything that's solid...

[mutantcolors]

I do like the idea or large cones, and I'll have some stupid low registers - playing in drop C on a 5 string with a low F - but I tend to write riffs that need more than just looming thunder.

Me and my fucking arpeggios always making sound reproduction more complicated than some Electric Wizard shit hahaha.

[JemDooM]

I have the exact same problem!

[mortlock]

as crappy as marshall bass amp/cabs are usually considered to be, i have always had a fascination with them. i want the murder one.

[Lumpy]

IMO, ten inch speakers are best for note definition. Not really based on anything but vague notions. They also reproduce lows just fine. Speaker size might not matter at all though.

I would try to save money buying used stuff on Craigs List, since for your needs, more is better. More speakers, more everything. Some people say don't mix & match speaker sizes. If you have 15's, then all the speakers should be 15.

People argue about this stuff, with heavy "if you do that, it's wrong!!!" vibes (but in the real world, people are doing "wrong" things with gear and are perfectly happy). Look at Jucifer or Zoroaster.

I would look for Peavey 2x15s on Craigs List (should cost under 250) and get two of them. There's a deeper model (some are shallow, only 14 inches deep I think) and the deeper one has better bass reproduction. Search Craigs List for 2x15 and 8x10. See what's available and work backwards from there. You can get a used 8x10 for 400-600 bucks. If you can afford the fancier brands (Mesa) and one turns up, then go for that.

[Lumpy]

2 2x15s. Something asinine, yet not utter destruction to my bank account.
I am handy in construction, so building and loading my own cab is very conceivable.

The carpentry part can save you money, but you still gotta spend money on speakers. Cheaper to buy the speakers already installed in a used cab, IMO. When you quit the band, you can flip that old Peavey cab and get your money back. Recouping your investment in home-brewed cabinets might be harder.

[mutantcolors]

I recorded that Fried Egg business through a mid-grade Yamaha 2x15 and was not unsatisfied. The 8x10, I was overly satisfied.

Good point on the self built. I am fairly sure I won't be quitting this project, BUT it's good to consider that anyway. I'll probably end up with a couple 2x15s unless a fridge pops up. Those fridge-sized 4x12s look like they'd knock your dick in the dirt pretty good with whatever 1200 watts power handling.

[eyeprod]

I can't see anything wrong with a good ol fridge. I have one and it rules enough for me that the thought of something "better" is not really in my vocabulary. Then again I'm in the more bang for less buck camp and this thing cost me $500 so hard to complain. Come to think of it. I paid $250 and a while after that my friend who owned it passed away so I suppose I got a smokin' deal. Agreed that 2x15s are cheap if you can find one, but I'm not particularly a fan of the sound of a 15 or larger speaker. I had one, but sold it cheap, just like I bought it. Too farty

[Lumpy]

I like 10 inch speakers, some people say that 10s cannot reproduce bass notes as well as 15's and 18's, but that doesn't seem to be true. I got a used Ampeg 8x10 for 450 on Craigs List. If you already know you like a specific cab, then try to find one.

One of the issues to grapple with is total speaker area. My math-challenged interpretation: 8x10 = 80 sq. inches of speaker area. 2x15 = 30 sq. inches of speaker area. More speaker area = better.

Even if my math sucks, I still like 8x10s.

Only caveat with buying old bass cabs... bass speaker technology seems to be better now, than it used to be in the 70s (?) and bass speakers can wear out/fail eventually. With my 8x10 I was getting some farting... turns out the paper dome was coming loose from the cone. You can reglue it, and good as new. Anyway, vintage cabs can be on their last legs sometimes. But that's where I would look. Beware replacement speakers, people put all kinds of weird shit in there (car stereo subwoofers in particular).

[Mr. Foxen]

Basically, if someone talks about sound coming from speaker diameter, they don't understand how speakers work. Especially if they don't know about area involving the square of the diameter, because its area.

Best bang for buck is if you can put the time into making instead of the bucks, precut kits and such make it easier. Also, if you do a build, get the right speakers for it, don't second guess the plans.

[mutantcolors]

Pi (r)^2, Lumpy.

[everdrone]

IMO, ten inch speakers are best for note definition. Not really based on anything but vague notions. They also reproduce lows just fine. Speaker size might not matter at all though.

I would try to save money buying used stuff on Craigs List, since for your needs, more is better. More speakers, more everything. Some people say don't mix & match speaker sizes. If you have 15's, then all the speakers should be 15.

People argue about this stuff, with heavy "if you do that, it's wrong!!!" vibes (but in the real world, people are doing "wrong" things with gear and are perfectly happy). Look at Jucifer or Zoroaster.

I would look for Peavey 2x15s on Craigs List (should cost under 250) and get two of them. There's a deeper model (some are shallow, only 14 inches deep I think) and the deeper one has better bass reproduction. Search Craigs List for 2x15 and 8x10. See what's available and work backwards from there. You can get a used 8x10 for 400-600 bucks. If you can afford the fancier brands (Mesa) and one turns up, then go for that.

I am a proponent of not mixing matching cabs and speaker sizes for bass.  I think they cancel out moreso; there is science behind this. Zoroaster sounds cool recorded, but I saw them live 4 months ago at Emos indoors and they sounded HORRIBLE in a bad way, a big jumbo of indecipherable horrible noise cause they played way too loud and there was just no way to mix it; not sure if it was also speaker cancellation but ya I could not tell what notes were being played and the soundguy just gave up and left his board!  

I like my gallien 410 cabs that weigh 40 pounds each and fit in the back of my corrolla

[mutantcolors]

Someone chime in:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USA-MADE-ACOUSTIC-VL810-8-X-10-2Way-Bass-Guitar-Cabinet-Samick-2400watt-8x10-NEW-/390440082714

My boner says yes.

[Lumpy]

There's gotta be reviews, google the name with "review".

Zoroaster sounds cool recorded, but I saw them live 4 months ago at Emos indoors and they sounded HORRIBLE in a bad way, a big jumbo of indecipherable horrible noise cause they played way too loud and there was just no way to mix it; not sure if it was also speaker cancellation but ya I could not tell what notes were being played and the soundguy just gave up and left his board!  rolla

Agreed, it sounds horrible live, but that must be what they want, since they keep doing it!

[heytrid]

It really depends, I run a svt810 and a svt215 and they sound fine together. I like the sound of the 215 more then the 810.

[mutantcolors]

I've seemingly read all (2) reviews available.

[Mr. Foxen]

Someone chime in:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USA-MADE-ACOUSTIC-VL810-8-X-10-2Way-Bass-Guitar-Cabinet-Samick-2400watt-8x10-NEW-/390440082714

My boner says yes.

Cool, they have found a way to get all of the downsides of crossfiring, and 8x10 cabs, and none of the upsides. Good work. compromised internal volume, massive weight and no dispersion advantages.

[mutantcolors]

Ha, right on. Thanks.

[mortlock]

that's like $10,000 in bass gear..what bass player wouldn't be happy with that. I certainly wouldn't want to have to lift it for any reason, but it would be fun to play through..

[Lip]

that's like $10,000 in bass gear..what bass player wouldn't be happy with that. I certainly wouldn't want to have to lift it for any reason, but it would be fun to play through..

Yea - that's a dope rig.
I use an acoustic 370 through an Orange 4x10. I've had sooo many different rigs over the years.. and truthfully - almost all of it was unnecessary - I can get the same crushing thunderous sounds with this rig. I am also a fan of 10s. Personally, I think building a better bass cab is a wee bit more difficult than building a guitar cab - just because the low frequencies are harder to contain in a tight enclosure...

[mutantcolors]

A gear savvy bass player friend of mine tipped me off to an Acoustic 402 at a nearby pawn shop. Tomorrow I inspect...

[mortlock]

snag that while you can..nice find. where is it. I might want it..