1 cab 2x15/2x12 restoration advice?

xbullettoothx · #1 01-13-2012, 12:46 AM

Hey dudes!
So I'm picking up this Polytone bass cab off ye olde Craigslist tomorrow. I'd love to get your input on what speakers to put in it. I should tell you I am running a Sunn 1200s solid state head, and looking to level small villages. It needs to run 2 ohms to get the full 1200 watts out of the Sunn, though I guess I could live with a 4 ohm, 800 watt setup as well. My bass is a badass 1980 Rickenbacker 4001. I am turning the cab over to a furniture building friend of mine for cosmetic treatments. I got the cab for cheap enough to spend some money, but Neodymium Eminence speakers are $320 each and I'm just not that rich. Is there any way to get the full bleeding eardrum ride of that Sunn out of this cab without totally breaking my bank?

xbullettoothx · #2 01-13-2012, 12:56 AM

VanillaThundah · #3 01-13-2012, 01:00 AM

There are plenty of speakers that will level small villages, but they won't be as light as those neos that you listed.

There are about a billion factors to consider when buying speakers (Xmax, sensitivity, frequency response, etc), so you might want to ask one of the cab gurus around here to give you some advice...first step would be measuring the inside of your cab so we know what will fit in there. I did a speaker replacement on my Kasino 2x15 cab with some Eminence Legend CB15-8's and they do a pretty good job of keeping everything thick and balanced for a 2x15 cab. Mind the impedance of your speakers if you have a tweeter, you need to factor that into the overall resistance too. It's hard to choose speakers since you can't test them out like a bass and the actual cab itself can make all the difference in the world on the finished product.

MAMMOTHvolume · #4 01-13-2012, 04:50 AM

put some low passed 3015lfs in there and some high passed guitar 12's to

CL400Peavey · #5 01-13-2012, 07:19 AM

+1 to this

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAMMOTHvolume

put some low passed 3015lfs in there and some high passed guitar 12's to

If you can figure out which speakers balance out right this could be a killer rig.

DWBass · #6 01-13-2012, 08:27 AM

I think I would pair out each set of speakers (15+12) with a separate jack for each set. That way you can get your 2 ohm load. Plug into one set for lighter gigs for a 4 ohm load.

billfitzmaurice · #7 01-13-2012, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xbullettoothx

Is there any way to get the full bleeding eardrum ride of that Sunn out of this cab without totally breaking my bank?

Have your friend build you a fEarful. There's a long list of issues with that Polytone, the most telling that a fEarful half its size will beat it unless you go to the expense of loading it with premium drivers, and if you need that much output a pair of fEarful would still smoke it.
If you really want to salvage that box you can, but not with 2x15/2x12. There's no benefit to that configuration. With a new baffle it could be configured as a 2x15/2x6, along the fEarful lines.

Joe Louvar · #8 01-13-2012, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xbullettoothx

I got the cab for cheap enough to spend some money, but Neodymium Eminence speakers are $320 each and I'm just not that rich.

Checkout amazon.com - they're cheaper.

CL400Peavey · #9 01-13-2012, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

Have your friend build you a fEarful. There's a long list of issues with that Polytone, the most telling that a fEarful half its size will beat it unless you go to the expense of loading it with premium drivers, and if you need that much output a pair of fEarful would still smoke it.
If you really want to salvage that box you can, but not with 2x15/2x12. There's no benefit to that configuration. With a new baffle it could be configured as a 2x15/2x6, along the fEarful lines.

Just pointing out that BFM is plugging another designer. He could easily point you to his designs and plug himself, but he didnt.

Not a comment on the quality of anyone's designs, just a comment on the quality of character of some of the cab designers here on TB.

RickenBoogie · #10 01-13-2012, 11:57 AM

+1, and it would serve the op well to heed his advice.

BogeyBass · #11 01-13-2012, 12:19 PM

He already stated that higher cost Neos are out of his budget.

the mismatched 2x12 2x15 and the baffle arrangement is non ideal.
just dont buy it.

If you already bought it, you could just block the 12" openings and run it as a 2x15. Its got plenty of airspace and already has a ok amount of damping material.

A pair of Eminence CB158's would give you a 4ohm load, you dont need a 2 ohm load. The Sunn 1200 is plenty powerful at 4.

I wouldn't recommend a 15 any cheaper than the CB158
and a pair would still be a decent chunk of change.
and would do more than just fine in a band mix.

billfitzmaurice · #12 01-13-2012, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BogeyBass

He already stated that higher cost Neos are out of his budget.

Not if he has to buy only one fifteen and one six, as opposed to two fifteens and two twelves. Chances are being on a budget he'd get cheaper drivers than he should and would either end up replacing them later or live with a marginal result. Buy once, cry once, especially with the 3015LF now being $225 at speakerhardware.com.

will33 · #13 01-13-2012, 02:52 PM

Neo's are coming down.

What'd we do, invade somebody?

kidding....kidding.

BogeyBass · #14 01-13-2012, 03:43 PM

What if he just used clear plastic instead of wood to cover the 12" holes.

And then put something funny or cool inside there like skulls or stuffed animals or something.

even better is if you put lights in it and then the skulls or animals would be lighted.......

Joe Louvar · #15 01-13-2012, 04:11 PM

The Eminence 3015LF is only $219.98 at amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Eminence-Kappa...6496558&sr=8-1

BogeyBass · #16 01-13-2012, 04:21 PM

and my butts only 10 bucks on weekdays

.
*plus shipping and handling*.

but its a 2x15 so double that, besides its a well known industry fact that most vintage polytones get refurbished with plastic skulls and lights. its the only logical thing to do

dhsierra1 · #17 01-13-2012, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BogeyBass

and my butts only 10 bucks on weekdays

.
*plus shipping and handling*.

but its a 2x15 so double that, besides its a well known industry fact that most vintage polytones get refurbished with plastic skulls and lights. its the only logical thing to do

LMAO

So do the plastic skulls act as passive radiators and pulse while you're playing through that cab? Could be a really cool effect w/the right lighting

will33 · #18 01-13-2012, 04:32 PM

You have to do the light bulbs behind the painted plexiglass man....you just have to. Get one of those cheeseball car subwoofer things that makes the lights pulse with the music.

It'really not a bad idea. You could find some giant salad bowls to make subchambers behind the guitar 12's and do it that way but the alignment is all off. I think Bill's cutting a new baffle idea is the best here. You could still use a guitar driver for mids/highs if you wanted. If the neo's are just plain too expensive, a pair of Legends would still make it a good bass cab.

jmercer91 · #19 01-13-2012, 04:40 PM

well just about any fearful design would kill that cab... save up and buy/make another and you could actually level a small village.

punkrocko · #20 01-13-2012, 04:42 PM

Mixing plastic skulls and 15's is a bad idea, do a search. The skulls can't keep up with the 15's and they blow up. It's better to get all 15's or all plastic skulls for that cab.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BogeyBass

but its a 2x15 so double that, besides its a well known industry fact that most vintage polytones get refurbished with plastic skulls and lights. its the only logical thing to do