110 & 115 vs 2 x 112?

[donnercruz]

I've had my current rig for quite a while now, an EA 110 and a Bag End 115. I have a Walter Woods 1200w head to run them. When I got this set up, I was mostly playing upright jazz gigs. ( I also have an Eden WT800 with an Eden 410 cab). I also picked up an Acoustic Image Contra, 1st gen.

For upright gigs, I could usually get away with just the 110, but add the 115 if necessary.

Fast forward a few years and I find I'm mostly playing electric. I find that I have great sound with the 110/115 stack for small/medium gigs, but don't love the sound of either by itself. The 110 doesn't have enough lows and the 115 is to boomy by itself. I'd love to go to rehearsals or small gigs with just one speaker.

I'm thinking about trading out the 110/115 set up for 2x 112's. Genz Benz Neo, Bergantino HD, Markbass 121, GK, Mesa, and the rest.

Questions are:

Is it worth the switch or am I chasing my tail?

If I switch, what do you recommend? I live in Santa Cruz, so I'm hoping between Gelb and Guitar Center I can try most of the top choices.

[RickenBoogie]

2 Matched cabs will ALWAYS sound better than 2 mixed cabs, but it entirely depends on whether or not you like how the particular 1x12's sound alone. And you can't really judge a cab by the size of the driver alone.

[LowEndMan2112]

Originally Posted by RickenBoogie

2 Matched cabs will ALWAYS sound better than 2 mixed cabs, but it entirely depends on whether or not you like how the particular 1x12's sound alone. And you can't really judge a cab by the size of the driver alone.

+1 to that!

I'd definitely go the 2x112 route, and if you liked the EA 10, I'd look at the EA Wizzy 12/Wizzy 12 M-Line and CXL112s (discontinued, you'd have to look used).The Baer ML112s are apparently (no experience with them personally) fantastic cabs, and the owner is a TBer! AFAIK, you'd have to go direct from Baer for that route, he has a return policy of some sort as well. Check out the Genz Benz Focus 112 that just came out and the GK Neo112-II if you're interested in a less costly cabs that still sound fantastic!

[cchorney]

+1 on matching cabs.

If your current 15 is too boomy then its not the right 15 for you - time to sell both your cabs and find a pair of 15s or a pair of 2x10s that you like.

[keiththebassist]

Originally Posted by RickenBoogie

2 Matched cabs will ALWAYS sound better than 2 mixed cabs, but it entirely depends on whether or not you like how the particular 1x12's sound alone. And you can't really judge a cab by the size of the driver alone.

+3

Frequency response is the main factor for what will give you lows and highs, not driver size. For example, hartke 10" XL drivers with respond to exactly the same lox freq's as a 15" driver.

[cableguy]

I prefer (2) 1x12 cabs because of the form factor and flexibilty. (1) 12' cab seems to be smaller than (1) 15" or (1) 2x10 cab. So if you find a 12' cab you like, get (2). Use one for small gigs and add the second when you need more. This may not work for everyone but it suits me best. My set-up is a fEARful 12/6 and 12/sub. It covers everything I'll ever do.

[krstko]

+4 on matching cabs

[kraigo]

I prefer a single 2x12 to two 1x12's because I figure that I'll almost always take both 1x12s to a gig "just in case" and a single 2x12 is easier to carry than two 1x12's and generally about 2/3's the cost. The GB NeoX 212T is single rack width (easier to fit through doorways) and has kick back wheels.

I have a few 1x10 cabs for those times when I know I don't need a 2x12.

FWIW, if a 1x10 doesn't really have enough low end, you should shop for a different 1x10. Something tuned correctly with a Eminence Legend BP102 or an Eminence S2010 will have good low end, even if it is limited in the amount of volume it can generate.

KO

[B String]

Originally Posted by LowEndMan2112

+1 to that!

I'd definitely go the 2x112 route, and if you liked the EA 10, I'd look at the EA Wizzy 12/Wizzy 12 M-Line and CXL112s (discontinued, you'd have to look used).The Baer ML112s are apparently (no experience with them personally) fantastic cabs, and the owner is a TBer! AFAIK, you'd have to go direct from Baer for that route, he has a return policy of some sort as well. Check out the Genz Benz Focus 112 that just came out and the GK Neo112-II if you're interested in a less costly cabs that still sound fantastic!

The Baer ML112 12/6 cab is one of the loudest 1x12 boxes I've played. In my opinion, its one of the best doubling cabs out there. My upright bass loves this box for low volume punch and presence. Used it outside where I'd usually bring at least a 3x10 box, and it killed. Buy one and see if you even need another.
Roger Baer is a great guy and offers a money back guarantee.

[KTFunkAlive]

Hey Guys,
When you talk about "matching" cabs do you mean 2 of the same company (2 Epifanis or 2 Bergs) and driver size? Or are we talking matching driver size, so 2 12's are fine even if they're from different makers?
I'm curious to hear others thoughts as I'm considering getting another 12 but maybe not another UL-2.
Thanks, sorry if this is a de-rail.

[RickenBoogie]

2 of the exact same cabs. Not just brand, but model too.

[agedhorse]

In the interest of a more balanced discussion... and to respond to some of the PM's I received...

2 different 12" cabinets from different manufacturers presents exactly the same POTENTIAL issues as cabinets from the same manufacturer using different size drivers.

The POTENTIAL problems are uniformity in the lower ranges of the cabinet's response due to the phase and amplitude differences between different drivers and tunings even if the driver size is identical. The POTENTIAL problems in the higher ranges are generally related to the response curves between different drivers, even if the size is identical.

In practice, these differences are overstated in many (not all) cases. There are a limited range of tunings that are commonly acceptable in pro level bass guitar and the phase response and group delay differences are of little practical consequence when the wavelength of the bass signal is accounted for.

Within specific classes of cabinet (ie. sealed, or bass reflex with similar tunings, etc) there are many combinbations of cabinets containing different sized drivers that may sound as good or even better than a pair of either identical speaker. There are some potential benefits to mixing within the same bandwidth based on cabinet positioning (specifically ground baoundery coupling of a 15 on the bottom with a 10" cabinet angles up slightly for better player intelligibility) and other factors that may suit the tastes ofv the specific player better than 2 identical cabinets.

Generally, 2 identical cabinets will produce a more predictable response but more predictable may not be as desireable as the summed response of 2 different size drivers. IMO, you must try any combination to see if the results are as expected and as preferred.