1x15 Users...How many watts and what size venues?

Diesel Kilgore · #1 02-08-2013, 06:04 PM

I am curious to what limitations my setup has. Peavey BX BW 115 8 ohm cab and a Carvin R1000 head.

I can get fairly loud. But my amp is much more powerful than the cab can put out. I get some farting and distortion that limits the rig.

I am wondering if any of you are gigging with a 1x15 cab and what venues you are playing? I am thinking my setup would be good for a bar or smaller coffee shop type setting. But not much more.

dhsierra1 · #2 02-08-2013, 06:20 PM

A 1-15 is definitely gig-able but consider it roughly equivalent to a 2-10 in terms of output. So smaller or quieter gigs are definitely do-able and I've done plenty with a single 15 and a couple hundred watts.

If you're in a larger venue or in a loud band, consider going through FOH and just using that as your stage monitor/tone source if that rig is working for you.

If you want more volume, consider getting another of those cabs, but they're pretty big and heavy

eff-clef · #3 02-08-2013, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diesel Kilgore

I am curious to what limitations my setup has. Peavey BX BW 115 8 ohm cab and a Carvin R1000 head.

I can get fairly loud. But my amp is much more powerful than the cab can put out. I get some farting and distortion that limits the rig.

I am wondering if any of you are gigging with a 1x15 cab and what venues you are playing? I am thinking my setup would be good for a bar or smaller coffee shop type setting. But not much more.

If you can afford it, ditch(sell) the Peavey and buy one of the Carvin "BR115-8". They are much better designed. They go for $299. new, and you can find them for about $150-$200. used. The -8 means 8 ohm. I suggest that one so you run another one for a big rig. If you need or want it.

rodl2005 · #4 02-08-2013, 06:26 PM

Depends on which 15" really. Some can't handle a lotta power & some can.
The 3015 in my (modded) Ampeg PF115HE will crank out a good amount, easily handling our loud bangin' drummer (when he ain't mic'd).
So, as loud as that is.

jlepre · #5 02-08-2013, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodl2005

Depends on which 15" really. Some can't handle a lotta power & some can.

+1

I have an Epifani UL2-115 and it can handle just about anything. I pump it with 500 tubey watts of my Genz STM-900, and it fills a small club without PA support. It doesn't break a sweat!

Diesel Kilgore · #6 02-08-2013, 06:32 PM

What would give me more volume in a solo cab? Maybe a 4x8 or 4x10 cab?

dhsierra1 · #7 02-08-2013, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diesel Kilgore

What would give me more volume in a solo cab? Maybe a 4x8 or 4x10 cab?

a super 15 like RodL's, a 4-10, 2-12, or 2-15

**MostlyBass** · #8 02-08-2013, 06:40 PM

I gig a MarkBass Jeff Berlin combo in bars / clubs around Chicago and haven't even had to push the amp. Every venue except one had pa support... Even the tiny ones.

Russell L · #9 02-08-2013, 06:41 PM

I've been running a Markbass Little Mark III head (300W @ 8 ohms) into a Markbass Traveler 151P cab (400W rating), and covering small, medium, and some larger venues just fine, playing a variety of music from rock to country to jazz, etc. Pretty amazing rig, actually. With two 151P cabs it's truly awesome. Of course, it wasn't cheap (head plus both cabs sell for $1800, unless there's a coupon, which I did get for one of the purchases). It's worth it, though, IMO.

But, for many, many years before I got by with 200w into a 115 (Peavey, Trace Elliot, SWR, mostly just combos). Of course, the Mark rig kicks all their butts for sheer volume.

mpdd · #10 02-08-2013, 06:51 PM

i used a sunn 2000s and a marshall ibs 115 for years, but it was smaller places between 60 and 100 people when there was no PA support, it did pretty good, but when i started using the mesa d180 and two orange 115s, it seems like they are twice as loud as my previous set up

oops i forgot, 120 tube watts

Downunderwonder · #11 02-08-2013, 07:42 PM

Bar rooms up to about 150 boozers, 250 Trace Watts, 300w Trace 1518. A little doof doof kick, guitars and vocals in the PA. Careful tailoring of the lows to stop 5 string flatulence. Earplugs.

craig.p · #12 02-09-2013, 04:26 AM

Pretty much the same here as Downunderwonder. I can cover about 150 dancers with a Kappalite 3015LF-equipped Peavey 1x15 vented cab. More if it's a sit-down crowd. Driven by 1 side of an RMX-1450 with its 50 Hz HPF enabled, so about 250 "real" watts going in. Like others have said, it's all about what driver you're using, and of course how well matched it is to the box.

ScottTunes · #13 02-09-2013, 04:55 AM

Same here... 100-200 patrons bathed in bass from either a TL606 (8 ohm 3015), or Carvin (4 ohm Eminence), powered by what I thought was 280w @ 8ohms, and 450w @4 ohms (Last "discussion" I saw on TCE RH450 amp claimed its output is limited to 280 watts?).

Downunderwonder · #14 02-09-2013, 05:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diesel Kilgore

What would give me more volume in a solo cab? Maybe a 4x8 or 4x10 cab?

A pair of 2x10 is very manageable and versatile. If you're dead set on a single cab, for no good reason I can think of, 2x15 makes a better fist of it than a 4x10.

Then there's the new uber cabs if you have a big amp to make up the sensitivity gap.

How loud do you need? Guitar amps are the better comparison, one man's heavy hitting drummer is another's wuss. My 15 can just keep up with an overdriven 50W Marshall 4x12 if it isn't on "11".

Jack · #15 02-09-2013, 07:40 AM

Around 380 from my GK MB Fusion into my Barefaced Compact. Pub gigs of up to 150 or so easily with no PA support. Limitless with a good PA, but which rig wouldn't be?

Edit - 2 guitards, halfstacks but they're good with keeping it quiet.

Jim C · #16 02-09-2013, 08:21 AM

TL606 with 400-500 watts with a loud drummer and a couple of guitards
You justhave to use your ears to know when the EQ or power is more than the cab can handle; I've used this rig on small bar gigs for 20 some years

DanNowhere · #17 02-09-2013, 08:28 AM

200 watt Traynor YBA200 through an Orange OBC115. I've played all kinds of places with that setup, sometimes with PA, sometimes without. I don't play arenas or anything, but it works at any club I've been.

Edward G. · #18 02-09-2013, 08:42 AM

IME the loudest and most musically capable 1x15s are the Mesa Diesels, which morphed into the PowerHouse models, loaded with EVM-15 drivers. Just wow! for clarity and volume. The Schroeder 15+L is pretty impressive, particularly for its low density and light weight, as well as exceptionally loud. These cabs can dominate very large spaces.

Lately I've been interested in GK cabs. I'd be listening to the 115 Neo to see how they stack up against others I've tried.

Wattage? Start at 200 @ 8 ohms and work your way up from there. It's just a matter of tone and headroom after that.

5 Wire · #19 02-09-2013, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodl2005

Depends on which 15" really. Some can't handle a lotta power & some can.

That's the long and short of it. I used to gig exclusively with an EV Pro15B in a 3 cf cab. No problem.

TomB · #20 02-09-2013, 08:57 AM

OP, I think what you're hearing and will find on TB is that a well-designed box with a modern 15" driver can cover much more than the older 1X15's of our youth, including those wonderful, reliable older Peavey BW boxes. You might consider a 1 for 1 replacement. ...my opinion. I might add, too, that there are a number of cool newer 2x12's that are about the same size as your box, some even lighter. Those could surely carry larger venues. All this assumes you're looking to upgrade, of course

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