Best cab(s) for GB Streamliner 900

[Raggy]

Have been using a NV412 with mine and recently picked up an AE212, both sound great but the more I use it the more I like the 212.

I really want to try 2x15's with it though. I think that will smoke!

[StickBass]

Had a great gig with the 9 yesterday. Medium size club, loud four-piece rock band. I brought both cabs again, the Av 115 and the Schro 210. They're both light and easy to carry. The Av is larger but lighter than the Schro. Brought my "Rock n' Roller" cart, but didn't even use it. Quick 5 minute load-in.

The tone was punchy, present and articulate, but smooth. Like butter. I didn't get out in the house to hear it, but everyone said it sounded great out there. I got a lot of compliments on my sound, and I know it sounded good on stage. Very happy with the tone.

I'm rolling off the bass on the 900 to about 10:00. I'm a bit surprised that folks are digging the 115/115 (or 215) rig with this head. It's such a fat, bottom-hefty amp, I would think the 15's alone wouldn't get me the treble and upper mid I crave. I know with a single 115 I don't get my grind. I haven't yet tried the 210 on its own at a gig, but in the bedroom I don't quite get enough heft with it by itself. Maybe that's because my bedroom is too small for the Schro's bottom end to develop. That cab really punches you in the chest from several feet away, so maybe at 20, 30 or 50 feet it'll be hefty enough to git 'r done. I'll try it on its own next gig.

Ernie, do you ever go for a brighter and/or overdriven sound? How do the TC RS210's work for that? I was considering those cabs before I got the Schro 210 PL, but folks said they weren't mid-present enough to work well with the STM for upper-mid grind and overdrive.

Also, I haven't heard anyone talk about the TC BC-series cabs. More conventional design, lighter than the RS series. They're only rated at 250W, so maybe they're not stout enough to handle the 900.

[Longhornhombre]

As promised...

Just got the Streamliner 900 this evening. I had only played it through a Berg and some Trace Elliots in-store, so I was excited about putting it through my GB XB2 4x10.

Very nice! Definitely big on the lows, as many other TBers have pointed out. I ended up rolling a good bit off actually. I'll need to keep experimenting with the mids to see what works best there. The treble is pretty solid -- Solid and clear and complements the bass/mids well. I actually opened up the XB2's horn too from where I had it set.

Overall, very vintage-y, warm, round, and fat. Can growl too if you toy with the gain. I've never been one for grit/growl, but after I started messing with it, I got pretty addicted. Great tones.

Plus it's 6.5lbs! I also got the GB rack, which looks great.

Someone else pointed out a few posts back (or maybe in another thread) that we're so used to SS high-fi amps that this is a bit of a different feel. May not be true for everyone, but it's definitely true for me: I'm coming from an SWR Bass 750. Very different feel.

I added my Sadowsky preamp/DI into the chain and that really made the tone pop. Gave it just a touch of transparency and Sadowsky charm to round it out.

[jlepre]

STM-900 + UBER QUAD = Tonal bliss.

[bassike]

i'd go with 2 - 2X10 cause like we all know. 1 for small gigs and 2 for bigger ones.

my question is why some people prefer the berg at 400 watts over other cabs rated 500 and up?

[Aussie Mark]

My Epifani UL Series 2 cabs (610 and 210) work just fine with my Streamliner 900. Depending on the room acoustics and stage setup, any perceived bass "fullness" can be dealt with easily by cutting the low EQ to 10 or 11 o'clock and bumping the mid EQ to say 1 or 2 o'clock.

With my Mesa Powerhouse cabs (212 and 115) I can get away with the Streamliner EQ sitting flat.

[sratas]

another Berg user here, AE 210 x 2. Fantastic match, no less. But...considering the composition of your band, the guitar amps they use (Mesa and expecially the 5150, are very mid heavy, present), and maybe the style you play, I would consider an even more powerful modular speaker system. I absolutely never had a volume issue with my setup but in a very painful loud hard rock band (do you play metal?) with full blown guitars of that kind, things could be different. My advice is buy an high-efficiency, high-cone surface multidriver 8 ohm cab (4 x 10, 2 x12 etc.). If you find problems (heck!, the volume at this point should be monstrous...) you can add another 8 ohm cab. Maybe I'm exaggerating, but sometimes I hear bands that play so loud with maxed guitars in a 4 x 4 m room...plus, a big cab usually (even not always) grants a solid bottom that could be useful in loud outdoors, better if it is ported in this case.
Personally, I play in a respectful band, and I could play with one AE210 and have volume to spare. One week ago I did a loud rock outdoor gig, and my setup won its battle against a 3200 watts PA and 2 maxed guitar amps (my Victoria 5112 and a Peavey Delta Blues). hope this is useful for you.

[ErnieD]

"Ernie, do you ever go for a brighter and/or overdriven sound? How do the TC RS210's work for that?"

I only used the STM900 with two RS210 cabs at one gig so far. Had them stacked vert, of course, and female singer got pissed cause she said the mids were killing her ears, lol.

Now, this was with a blues/funk band in a small-ish, boomy club. So I used my modded MTD KZ5, Aggie OBP-3 pre w/Bartolini jazz pups, DR BB's. And this bass has very strong mids indeed. But I was trying to cut thru this boomy room, so I mighta overdone it some. I backed it off abit. But the 900 thru the RS cabs were letting the bass drive those loud mids and was pretty grindy and bright, so its' in there.

I was not going for a grindy tone, I rarely do in these blues/r&b/soul bands I gig with. But I feel my active basses get too grindy too easily with the STM-900 head, esp when I dig in abit. So I've been sticking to the P5 w/flats+TB153 when I use the STM-900, lovely tone that. Sometimes I'll take the Neox 212T cab instead, its such an easy schlep for longer hauls.

I'm using the two RS210 cabs w/900 head this coming weekend with a 55-02D bass in a new country gig. But I'll have the Markbass F1 right there too if the 900 gets too dirty for me. That F1 loves the RS cabs+ active bass, so I'll prolly switch over just for fun.

See I'm sorta still experimenting with these different cab/amps/basses combinations, esp with the 900 head. Its one thing when I try all these home-alone; another when I try them in a band mix at a live gig. Fun though.

[Musicman20]

Another RS210/RS212 user here. It works well with both.

Nice cabinets. Nicely made, well engineered, neat construction, good tone (the main point!) and fairly easy to move.

I have tried it with the Aguilar DB212 and the mid push from that cab is NICE!

[gillento]

+1 on the Aguilar db212 (and the SL112s as well )

[randysmojo]

+1 for the Genz Benz NeoX-212T. I just got one and it has a great sound and feel about it. Two 12" speakers and an adjustable tweeter set up for 600 watts RMS at 4ohms. Gets plenty loud and easy on the back too!

[IndyBass]

Anybody rocking the Streamliner with a pair of GB NeoX-112T's right now? How's that sound?

[boethius]

Anyone try an SWR Henry 8x8 with the STM 900? I had one about 12 years ago. I ran my old AMP 600 through it and a Boogie dual rectifier for super saturated (crunchy) sound next to a clean SVT for the low end...that was a fun rig...a little too heavy for me now and louder than I need currently...hence the STM 900 and single GS112. Although I'm looking for a better cab for fretless mid growl and presence.
Just wondering.

[OleJohnnyMac]

I'm also playing the streamliner through an ampeg 8x10. It interacts nicely with the 3 band eq on my 30th ray, which can be cold and clicky with more hi-fi sounding amps. I have a MIM J5 with SCN pups in it and I haven't dialed in a sound I love yet. I don't find the mid switch has as dramatic effect on the sound in my rig as it does in Ed Friedland's video, but I imagine GB cabs are voiced differently than Ampeg.

Good god it's heavy, though. And the wheels are designed for repositioning onstage, not parking lot potholes. Mine are damaged already and I've had the cab for less than 2 months.

[dukeorock]

Heard a lot of good suggestions...Of all the choices listed, I'd say the Uber Quad or NeoX212. Can't hang with the Schroeders...just never had enough low end from one.

For a Stick, it seems like a great 3 way cab would be the ticket...something with real deep lows because the Stick benefits from a little help there, IMO. Then a good mid driver and compression driver to bring out all the detail and extended range of the instrument.

[TheRealKong]

Ever thought about Tecamp - cabs?

Playing the GBE 1200 with a sound of heavy tube-grith and enough low end in a heavy-band with a MuMa SR5, an active Haeussel Jazz 5-string, an Ibanez K5 and a very hot P-bass I use the big and mighty Tecamp L 810. This one is realy lightweigt, about 85 lbs. And it handles 2.400 watt @ 4 Ohm.

OK, you are lookingh for a much smaller cab, so what about the L 212? The cab is available in 4 or 8 Ohms, 600 watt both. With only 49 lbs there is lots of punch, deep end and clarity. This cab will play out some 115, even 215.... Give it a try!

[MrLenny1]

2 Berg 1x12.
Oooo!

[CL400Peavey]

I really, really dug the Streamliner with my old 15/6. A good deal for a 900 is on my to do list.

[exiii]

Your cab priorities seem to be screaming out for a Greenboy cab:

Lightweight, modular, full range for multiple instruments.

Take a look at the Greenboy F112 or F115. These are the perfect cabs for multiple configurations and instruments. I run a similar sonic setup with my 2 Greenboy 15/6/1s, and I haven't heard anything that compares.

[ko stradivarius]

Ive played mine through my 810, 1540, Genz neoX 212, and Musicman 115. EQ is your buddy but I manage to get a good sound whatever I play through. Its a very versitile amp. Im waiting for my fearful cabs to be built so I cant comment on those yet. :-)