Barefaced Compact Review - Light, Loud & Low.

[::::BASSIST::::]

Well, I am back after having been banned for two months (note to self: avoid all political/religious threads!). I have had my Barefaced Compact for a couple months now. I have had it on a few quieter volume gigs and many louder volume rehearsals. Now that I have spent some time with this cab I figured I'd do a review.

Tone

Often when you buy a portable cab you have to compromise in tone. The result is often a cab that is too midrangey. This is definitely not the case with the Compact. The Compact is fairly even and full range sounding. I am not great at describing tone, however, I will say that the low-end is adequately deep without having a huge, "scooped", deep low end, (I find that tone signature just gets lost in a mix anyway). The Compact does not overly accentuate the low-mids either. They are certainly there but not nearly as strong as something like a Schroeder or Bag End. I personally do not like much high-end content in my tone and one of the things I was concerned about before I got this cab was that the 3015HO driver has a lot of grindy upper mids. Not to worry! With a bit of adjustment on the eq section of your amp (say around 500 – 1000hz) that grind can easily be dialed out. In fact, even flat, I dont find it to be unacceptably brash at all. I can easily get my tone with this cab. I play 50s rock, roots rock, surf, rockabilly and blues. My bass is a shortscale Stambaugh with a mahogany body, Model J pickups, and 4 year old flatwounds. I also cut my tone pot by about ½. Hopefully, that should give you a good idea of the tone I prefer. I have used the Compact with both the GK MB500 and LMII and they both sound great with this amp. The GK MB500 seems to be a better choice for this cab because its seemingly somewhat louder at 8 ohms and does not compress the way the LMII does at 8 ohms. However, what I really like is the LMII + the VT Bass. That tone is to die for and really works well with the Compact. So far I have found the GK MB500 + VT Bass to be not as good tonally as the LMII + VT Bass, but again for louder volume gigs I would likely prefer the GK MB500 for the above reasons.

To summarize, the tone of this cab is really good and I don't feel like I have had to compromise my tone at all for the sake of portability.

Portability & Volume

All I can say is WOW. This cab is by far the lightest, truly gig worthy cab I have played through or owned (which is well over a dozen). On my digital bathroom scale it weighs 27.4 LBS which for a 1-15 is simply stunning. Combine that with the fact that tone is full range (unlike the more mid-oriented schroeder 15L) and you have one wonderful cab. I love the dimensions Barefaced used to design this cab. Its nice and tall yet narrow, but not overly so. It fits very easily into the front seat of my 97 Honda Civic. The way Barefaced designed this cab maximizes portability. The cab placed horizontally is designed to be carried like a suitcase with the strap on the side of the cab. A very easy and combfortable one handed carry that even a 12 year old could manage.

As for volume this cab seems definitely in the upper realm of efficiency. Being 8 ohms does limit many amps as to the power they will provide, but for your typical moderately loud rock band this cab should handle small to medium sized rooms with no PA support no problem. It might be pushing it do ask it to do large rooms though... especially if you don't have PA support. I am looking forward to putting some bigger wattage into this thing, say 500w + to wake her up a bit and see how she does.

Fit and Finish

If I had to pick one area to improve this would be it. While its not absolutely stellar, its not too bad either. It is safe to say it is not in the same league as say Epifani or Bergantino, but I really don't have any significant complaints. The outer finish is a duratex style finish that will probably chip if your not super careful. However, you can make touch ups if required. I also intend to buy a good quality cover to protect this cab as much as possible. If you are observant its quite apparent that this cab is built to to be lightweight. Among other things, the rubber feet are small, the grill is not beefy and wood seems fairly thin. Personally, none of this really matters to me as portability is a much bigger priority. It also only has one single speakon. Ideally, it would have two speakons or one speakon and one ¼ input. At first I thought that I would put a strap on the top to make it easier to move while vertical onstage. While I still will probably do that, its not super necessary.

Conclusions

This cab was not cheap as it cost me $850usd including shipping to Vancouver Canada (but not including duties/taxes) from the UK. What is it worth it? To me the answer is definitely YES! For the majority of my gigs without PA support I could easily use just this cab and a micro amp. It is super portable, yet there is no compromise in tone for that portability. It is a fairly loud, balanced, full, even sounding cab. After going through many cabs I am finally satisfied. For me, that says a lot.

Currently, I'm matching my Compact up with a Markbass CMD 121P 112 combo and the result is tremendous. The only real reason I use it with the MB combo is that this way I get a tall stack that is easier to hear on a small stage. With the Compact + Markbass CMD 121P, I only have two things to move and its so very convenient. For larger gigs I can pair it up with LDS 15/6 and will be doing so next weekend at a very large car show.

Here is a pic of the cab (not mine though, but it looks the same... eventually I'll get a pic of my own rig up).

Actually, it looks exactly like the one below with the chrome corners and name badge.

[BurningSkies]

Nice review.

I have a feeling that if Alex had used thicker wood, you'd be looking at an 'average' featherweight cab. To me it looks like the same weight wood I have in my fEarfuls, but at about twice the weight. I have duratex on my cabs and I'm loving it.

[SactoBass]

Hey ::::B::::,

Nice to have you back! Yeah.......gotta steer clear of those political and/or religious threads. I got caught up in one of those not too long ago, and in retrospect, it was akin to pounding sand. What a complete waste of time THAT was! Okay, enough of that nonsense......on to bass gear!

Nice review of the Barefaced Compact! Alex makes great cabs! If he was here in the states, or had a distributor here (to bring the price down a bit), he would sell a plethora of cabs here in the US. I almost ordered a Big One from Alex a few months ago, but then at the last minute I decided to go with a pair of 15/6's from Don at LDS.

You can't go wrong with Barefaced!

[::::BASSIST::::]

Nice to have you back! Yeah.......gotta steer clear of those political and/or religious threads. I got caught up in one of those not too long ago, and in retrospect, it was akin to pounding sand. What a complete waste of time THAT was! Okay, enough of that nonsense......on to bass gear!

Thanks bro... and I couldn't agree more.

I actually a/b'd my Compact with a gk mbe115 (with a 3015ho driver in it) and there was no contest. The Compact was WAY better.

I hear you on getting a Barefaced across the pond. Though I'd love to have another Compact, the price is just more than I want to pay at this point.

I also have a LDS designed 15/6 and they are also great cabs. Mine is the squat cube shape and I find it a tad awkward to move. My gut instinct is the Compact is more efficient, but in alot of ways these two cabs are two different animals. In a month or two some local Tbers and I are going to do some a/bing of bass gear at which point I will put these two side by side and see how they compare... although I already have a pretty good idea.

[::::BASSIST::::]

Originally Posted by BurningSkies

Nice review.

I have a feeling that if Alex had used thicker wood, you'd be looking at an 'average' featherweight cab. To me it looks like the same weight wood I have in my fEarfuls, but at about twice the weight. I have duratex on my cabs and I'm loving it.

Yup, with the fEarful / nEarfuls and Barefaced around we bass players have access to some excellent gear.

[SactoBass]

Originally Posted by ::::BASSIST::::

Yup, with the fEarful / nEarfuls and Barefaced around we bass players have access to some excellent gear.

Biiiiig +1 to that!!

[Interceptor]

Nice review.

It is a good time for us who put stuff in our cars and go play somewhere.

I dig the not so quiet revolution going on in cabinet design.

[JimmyM]

welcome back, torin! i've been banned more times than i can count so i know the feeling. glad to see the compact is working out for you. do you think you'll keep it longer than a couple months this time?

[::::BASSIST::::]

She is a keeper Jimmy! With the Compact and 15/6 I have everything I need now.

[alexclaber]

Nice. Just one point - it doesn't look just like that first photo, that's the second Compact ever made (back in 2008)! So it consists of different ply, different grill, different construction, different finish, different corners, different screws/bolts and even pre-dates us having a logo and thus badges! The other pic is more similar, that being a MkII (yours is a MkIII).

Everything else is the result of considered design decisions - no. of and position of handles, no superfluous components, and yes, the ply is thin for a reason! Don't go screwing in extra handles - if you really have to add one (no-one has yet AFAIK) then you'll need to use bolts and t-nuts and avoid the extensive top panel bracing.

Very glad the tone and loudness is what you were after - and sorry the shipping across the Atlantic is so expensive! Now about that God fella...

[::::BASSIST::::]

Thanks Alex.

What is the difference between the Mark 2 and Mark 3?

[alexclaber]

Originally Posted by ::::BASSIST::::

What is the difference between the Mark 2 and Mark 3?

Hidden down here under Barefaced history: http://barefacedbass.com/why-barefaced.htm

[::::BASSIST::::]

Thanks again.

Bracing improvements

The internal bracing has further developed as we've come up with cunning ideas for adding stiffness and/or removing excess mass. The Super Twelve (launched in spring 2010) uses the new bracing method (which was first applied to the Midget and since passed onto the Compact and any new designs), thus the Compact is on its third internal design and the Midget on its second. In summer 2010 a minor revision was driven by the incredible power and remarkably low weight of the latest micro-amps, whereby at full blast the amp has enough power to cause small vibrations in the top panel of the cab which have no audible effect but are enough to make the amp move about. Sorted.

[nutdog]

welcome back

[wateroftyne]

Congratulations... They're great cabs!

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Originally Posted by nutdog

welcome back

Thanks. I am steering clear of OT from now on.

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Originally Posted by wateroftyne

Congratulations... They're great cabs!

Yes, they are. Too bad for the distance to N. America as I am sure they would sell alot more. Did you end up buying one?

[wateroftyne]

Originally Posted by ::::BASSIST::::

Yes, they are. Too bad for the distance to N. America as I am sure they would sell alot more. Did you end up buying one?

I didn't. I came this close --> <-- but in the end I couldn't bear to part with my Berg HS210s.

If I'd had any other cabs but Bergs, then without a doubt the Compact would have won the day.

And it goes without saying that the Compact is in a league of its' own when it comes to weight.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by ::::BASSIST::::

Yes, they are. Too bad for the distance to N. America as I am sure they would sell alot more. Did you end up buying one?

For those in the US who are on a bit of a budget, LDS makes an absolutely wonderful 3015HO loaded cab. I love these one way 3015HO cabs... punchy, grindy, fat, small, loud!

Here is a picture and a clip. The LDS cabs are not as light as Alex's very nice execution, but they look and sound great. Another great option if you are in the US and are looking for this sort of sound/size/vibe.

Here is a clip with my MB F500 set flat and my Sadowsky J.

http://www.icompositions.com/music/song.php?sid=121137

[::::BASSIST::::]

^Yes, those are great looking cabs too. I wonder how much they weigh?