B15 Cab Design

[zac2944]

Calling all cab design geeks and B15 experts.

I've committed to building a lightweight composite cab for a friend of my this summer (if we can come up with a design that makes sense) and could use some design help.

My buddy plays a P with flats, likes the tone of his B15 but wont gig with it, and is happy using a B100R for small gigs. His main band does a lot of outdoor events in the summer and he would like to have a larger/louder rig that has some of that B15 tone, yet still be as light as possible.

We talked about using a micro-head and VT/Flipster type pedal with a composite/neo cab.

Any ideas on a driver/cab design that would help bring more of that B15ish tone?

I'm aware that it will never be just like the real thing, but I'm sure there is a way to get closer than a fEarful/hi-fi type design. I'm not looking for a versatile cab here, just a one trick pony.

[jumbodbassman]

Originally Posted by zac2944

Calling all cab design geeks and B15 experts.

I've committed to building a lightweight composite cab for a friend of my this summer (if we can come up with a design that makes sense) and could use some design help.

My buddy plays a P with flats, likes the tone of his B15 but wont gig with it, and is happy using a B100R for small gigs. His main band does a lot of outdoor events in the summer and he would like to have a larger/louder rig that has some of that B15 tone, yet still be as light as possible.

We talked about using a micro-head and VT/Flipster type pedal with a composite/neo cab.

Any ideas on a driver/cab design that would help bring more of that B15ish tone?

I'm aware that it will never be just like the real thing, but I'm sure there is a way to get closer than a fEarful/hi-fi type design. I'm not looking for a versatile cab here, just a one trick pony.

Much of the tone of a b15 is the ampeg tube head.. Ampeg actually has a new version of the cab (pf 115/210)

[rpsands]

Talk to JimmyM - believe he replaced his B15 woofer with a delta or something and thought it sounded authentic.

[zac2944]

Originally Posted by jumbodbassman

Much of the tone of a b15 is the ampeg tube head.. Ampeg actually has a new version of the cab (pf 115/210)

I'm sure the cab of the B15 must impart a certain characteristic to the overall tone. It would make sense to me to replicate some of the mid/hi response and dispersion characteristics and have a similar low end roll off.

Would it make sense to get RTA data for a B15 and then design against that?

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by zac2944

I'm sure the cab of the B15 must impart a certain characteristic to the overall tone. It would make sense to me to replicate some of the mid/hi response and dispersion characteristics and have a similar low end roll off.

Would it make sense to get RTA data for a B15 and then design against that?

You could do that, or you could make a cab similar to it and throw a Delta 15a or Beta 15 in there. They sound like the old CTS speakers that Ampeg used back then.

[1n3]

There is a thread on the fEARful forum you should find interesting. Title is "Frequency Response Curves of Bass Cabs". The post included "some response curves of iconic cabs, as sampled by Line6". One of the plots was for an Ampeg B15 cab.

Neo drivers aren't what comes to my mind for that kind of tone, but I'll bet you can find a way to get close. I look forward to reading more.

[Freddels]

A fairly simple build would be the TL-606.

[rpsands]

A basslite C2515 might be pretty close to a delta or beta, enough to make worth a shot.