1x12 or 15 vs. the 2x 15

[sturoc]

I always eschewed the combo bass amps as underpowered, un-fulfilling sound quality and just plain jingus in general.
No matter what options are included they always just can't cut it.
Feeling that the full power of a good 2x15 cab can only really reproduce the Bass in all it's glory, and move alittle air too ! throw in a 2 x12 cab crossover'd or biamped is even better.
But a single driver just never seems enough.

btw: i do not play at super high volumes or play hard driving metal, So just blasting away at full volume is not where I am coming from.

Your Thoughts ?

[waleross]

I agree. I prefer my Fender215Pro against my
Ampeg410HlF. I do have an 810 but when it comes to a bottom sound the 215 wins out. .... IMO.................

[Marko5657]

If a combo won’t cut it for what you do, I agree that a 215 is a solid way to go.

The 212 on top,.. that’s another matter.

[alexclaber]

A great 2x12" can stomp all over a typical 2x15". An equally great 1x12" can leave you wondering why you bothered carting a mediocre 2x15" along...

A great 2x15" can be awesome but it's all about the specifics of the drivers than how big they are and how many you have.

[Joe Louvar]

Hmm, I’ve always been a 15 lover more than 10s (but 12s aren’t bad either) - but Alex your comment makes me wonder ~ for example, which one of these loudspeakers will stomp on the other -

Two Barefaced Compact’s verses Two Midget’s”?

I was going to use the “Supper Fifteen” vs. the “Super Twelve” but the Super 12 has the tweeter so I picked the Compact and Midget for this question.

Also between the Barefaced “Super Fifteen” and the “Big Twin” - which one will stomp on the other? Thanks.

[alexclaber]

None of our cabs are typical nor are they anywhere near mediocre! In fact some may say they're great but you won't hear me saying that, I'll just say that they're the best I could design and I think I'm pretty good at designing bass cabs.

My point was that if you pair a powerful amp up with our 1x12" Big Baby it'll embarrass a cheap old 2x15". And our Super Twelve will play louder than any generic 2x15" bass cab. Grouping cabs just by nominal loudspeaker diameter is about as useful as grouping 100m sprinters by shoe size...

Our specs tell the comparative story: Barefaced Bass - Technical Information

No stomping, just deliberate design trade-offs of size, sensitivity, LF extension, etc.

[Joe Louvar]

Way cool - thank you for the tech specs chart link - too cool.

[sturoc]

Well I would hope that my 2x15 bias is understood as in very good cabinets such as the Sunn 215 series -200S- BH etc. Or the older Acoustics. Not some woodchip of a cabinet built after those golden days.

[MysticMichael]

Originally Posted by sturoc

Well I would hope that my 2x15 bias is understood as in very good cabinets such as the Sunn 215 series -200S- BH etc. Or the older Acoustics. Not some woodchip of a cabinet built after those golden days.

No offense intended, but you're only about 40 years behind the times. Those cabs were considered high end - just about top of the line - during the late 60s to mid 70s.

Not so anymore. Today's boutique brands, i.e. Accugroove (RIP), Acme, Audiokinesis, Baer, Barefaced, Bergantino, etc. (and that's just the "A"s and "B"s ) are in a whole other league.

MM

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by MysticMichael

No offense intended, but you're only about 40 years behind the times. Those cabs were considered high end - just about top of the line - during the late 60s to mid 70s.

Not so anymore. Today's boutique brands, i.e. Accugroove (RIP), Acme, Audiokinesis, Baer, Barefaced, Bergantino, etc. (and that's just the "A"s and "B"s ) are in a whole other league.

I am totally down with the work guys like those do...I think it's fantastic that there are folks putting their know-how to good use and designing innovative new style cabs with these super-neos. But I don't any more behind the times when I plug into a good 215 or 810 than the folks who plug into 3-way cabs...which, BTW, I first saw pretty close to 40 years ago

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by sturoc

Well I would hope that my 2x15 bias is understood as in very good cabinets such as the Sunn 215 series -200S- BH etc. Or the older Acoustics. Not some woodchip of a cabinet built after those golden days.

You rock that awesome cab as long as you want, bro. If it's the only cab that works for you, then use it and don't worry about what folks say. I spent the weekend using a 215 rig, too.

There is something to using multiple drivers, BTW. It always sounds better to me to use more than one driver, too. And if I'm using a 2-driver cab, it always sounds better to double it. The driver coupling effect is real and multiple drivers always sound better than single drivers, IMHO. Single driver cabs can sound really good too, but I always think a second matching speaker cab would be even more great.

[rodl2005]

+1 Play what sounds good to you.
Funnily enough, one of my greatest bass experiences was a 2x15 cab. Made by Jim Bergantino
So I'm with both camps.
I don't care what it is as long as it sounds good.

[soulman969]

Over the years I've run everything from old 2 x 12" Fenders, 2x15" Sunns and 8x10" SVT's, to biamped 10" x 15"s to a Hartke 4 x 10", and now a single 12" combo. With the exception of the SVT I've never found anything I liked better than 12" speakers for bass. There's just enough roundness and bottom to match with the punch I like to get out of a Jazz Bass.

If I need to expand on this little 200w combo I'd probably get a 500w head and two 1 x 12" cabs to go along with it. I just don't like the boominess many 15" cabs give me. I'd rather let the FOH subs take care of the thump if needed and keep it off the backline.

[sturoc]

I believe, of course as Jimmym & rodl posted it's left up to the player themselves to consider, judge and decide what works for them.
And sure the tech end of things has advanced but in the end it's about the sound and what you like.
I must qualify that i have played thru some mid & hi end combo bass amps and always had the same outcome for me as mentioned in the 1st post.
Seems every year someone else is coming out with the latest and greatest combo. Strange colored drivers etc. When does it end and be just really about the sound ?

Simply put, I started this thread to see what others are using and how they feel bout it. Not as a 'hey try to convince me to use something else' post.

[Tim1]

I have been fortunate enough to own more than my fair share of bass cabs over the past thirty odd years and, like Rod, the Bergantino NV215 remains one of the most rewarding experiences. In fact it is the cab that my band mates always ask for.