Blackface Bassman 2x12 Cabinet Upgrade
 

I would like to upgrade my blackface Bassman 2x12 cabinet to handle small venue bass guitar gigging. I am considering pulling the vintage Jensens out and going with Eminence Basslite or Deltalite 12s. I realize that I also may need to vent the closed cabinet. Has anyone tried this? Any recommendations. It's hard to beat the Bassman tone at low volume levels and I'd like to duplicate the tone at higher volume levels. Any advice would be appreciated as to the choice between Basslite and Deltalite. I'm using a vintage Jazz bass with EMG active pickups..

Thanks, Tcheairs



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Eitjer of those can work "ok" in a sealed cab with a lower power amp.

Basslite, little warmer tone....should be a little cheaper.

Deltalite, more cutting/aggressive upper mids.

Either has enough excursion and thermal handling for up to a couple hundred watt amp.

There's also the Beta12, also workable in sealed box with lower power amp.

Thanks very much for the tips. Are you saying you don't think porting will be necessary? I have a single 15 Showman with the tone ring which has a beautiful tone, but I'm trying to achieve the same sound with a smaller rig..

Thanks again

Interesting...I have a bassman cab I'd like to use for guitar, but have no speakers yet. Drop me a line if you wanted to get rid of something...and agreed on the low volume bassman tone for bass, i have a 65 ab165 and it sounds awesome.

Saying listen to it before you cut holes in it. Porting will give it more heft in the lows, deeper bass.

What driver is in the tonering cab? If it's a JBL, it's topend will be a key part of it's tone. So that means looking for drivers with a nice uppermid/topend and not just focusing on lows and general loudness.

That is correct as to the sound I like which comes from the single 15 Showman. I like to use my finger nails a little when I play and the treble "twangs" are part of my sound. The Showman came with a JBL D130F which could not handle much volume at all. I replaced it with a K140 and still had rattles at moderate volume levels. (I had eliminated cabinet rattles as much as possible). I then dropped in a Kappalite 15LF and it is now a tone beast which can handle level 6 or 7 with the Showman head without rattles. The tone is still very good thanks to the range of eq available from the amp controls. I'd like to try and achieve the same thing with the (more portable) Bassman AB165. Less volume is no problem.

Bassman 2x12 and AB165 for my Jazz Bass
 

That is correct as to the sound I like which comes from the single 15 Showman. I like to use my finger nails a little when I play and the treble "twangs" are part of my sound. The Showman came with a JBL D130F which could not handle much volume at all. I replaced it with a K140 and still had rattles at moderate volume levels. (I had eliminated cabinet rattles as much as possible). I then dropped in a Kappalite 15LF and it is now a tone beast which can handle level 6 or 7 with the Showman head without rattles. The tone is still very good thanks to the range of eq available from the amp controls. I'd like to try and achieve the same thing with the (more portable) Bassman AB165. Less volume is no problem.

I've got numberous vintage Bassman cabinets with vintage speakers. Jensen, Oxford, JBL...

that will never happen unfortunately. a "ported" 15 vs a sealed 2-12 are different beasts. i'd resist the temptation to port the baffle and instead add some substantial bracing to the cab (double the amount of screws, add a couple more solid front to back braces in addition to the one in the center, etc etc) and pop in a pair of efficient bass 12's. 2-12 bassman cabs can sound VERY good when you do some sensible things to them. a friend had a blonde bassman/blonde 2-12 as a house bass rig in a blues bar i used to work at and that rig was utterly magical. all he did was swap out the speakers to (i think) a pair of ev's. totally useable stage volume for a trad blues band, i'll put it that way. or, for those who know what i'm talking about, Keith Ferguson tone in spades...

Bassman 2x12 and AB165 for my Jazz Bass
 

Hey, great news. I realize that the cabinet needs to be beefed up to eliminate rattles..extra screws, take the legs off, etc. I'm planning on using a pair of Eminence Basslite 2012s. Any comments on this choice of speakers will be appreciated. Also, any comments about the wisdom of setting the Bassman head on the cabinet while gigging..for the "look" of course.

Tcheairs

If the cab is braced well so it doesn't vibrate, no problem at all having the amp sit on it. And the basslites will work pretty well in there. Mess with adding different amounts of polyfill (pillow stuffing) to the cab and leave it sealed, (no ports).

I'll definitely try it that way..Thanks

i really love the stuff Bag End uses to line their cabs with, don't know what it's called though. if your cab has that thin sort of divider between the 2 speakers i'd remove it and go with 3 or 4 full length braces from front to back. find a way to attach the braces to the baffle and also screw them thru the back panel as well. once you shore up that cab real good, pop some efficient BASS 12's in, stuff it completely (every wall except the back of the baffle) in you'll notice a world of difference. just make sure your speakers will "play nice" into a sealed cab, because a lot of them don't. plus your amp will be operating at it's optimal 4 ohm impedance, rather than running it at 8 with a single 15 showman cab

Great stuff. I appreciate your posts..Gotta figure out how to attach the divider without removing the grill cloth. I'd like to be able to restore it to "vintage" someday if I were to sell it.

Bassman 2x12 and AB165 for my Jazz Bass
 

Just had a thought. Why not just remove the divider in the 2x12 cabinet to eliminate rattles?

that's what i suggested. add a couple more front/back braces while you're at it

Bassman 2x12 and AB165 for my Jazz Bass
 

Ok, I think I see what you are saying. Add 2x4 braces between the baffle and back. Grill cloth will definitely have to come off..

I would. Got rid of the one in my 2-15 Showman cab, no rattle issues with D140Fs and 300 watts, replaced it w/a large brace front to back :cool:

Agreed the Basslite is a good choice in that cab sealed, though the Betas would work nicely as well.

+1 on lining, stuffing, and bracing the cab, makes a big difference.

Grill cloth will definitely have to come off..

why? 2x4 is way overkill, 2"x2" or 1"x2" braces will be more than enough. use three of them, in the center section between the two 12"s. for each front to back brace cut say a 3" piece off of your 2x2. screw that directly into the baffle's back, with two 2 1/4" screws, Below where you want the brace to ultimately go. add a little titebond for some extra insurance if you like. ok, now go and attach your brace to this strip with one screw in the center, in between the other two screws. add some glue here as well, can't hurt. this will keep the braces in place for when you attach the back panel. repeat for the other two braces. now, liberally apply some paint to the other end of the braces, press the cabinet's back on, then remove it. the center of each painted square is where you want to drill your holes for when you re-attach the back, because you want the brace screws to hit dead center on the brace. apply your insulation all over, including of course the back panel. then install the panel, attach your brace screws first, and then all the rest. instant huge improvement, regardless of speaker choice. you will be grinning ear to ear

Great engineering..I will give it a shot..thanks.