Help Finding right head for new rig

[cbfriedman757]

Hey guys, I've been using a big combo since I started playing and now am looking to upgrade to a full rig, but really don't know much about them.

I just bought a used SWR 1x18 and was wondering what type of head and cab you guys would recommend to go with it. I'm definitely looking for used gear, and since it's my first setup I'm not looking for something thats gonna blow my budget out of the water, just something that's gonna sound good since my band is just started to play bigger shows.

I've just been looking around craigslist but don't really wanna commit to something til I know more about setting up a new rig and getting the best sound.

Thanks!

[nicoli]

What are the specs on the 1x18? What type of music? Just how loud do you need to be?

[cbfriedman757]

400 Watts RMS 8 Ohms Response Suggested Amplifiers
6dB @ 25Hz and 3kHz

That's straight from the website for the cab. Kinda hard genre to define, but kinda a mix of soul, ska, and rock n roll, its a 10 piece band with horns so pretty damn loud, but nothing too huge. Definitely like the low thumping bass but also with some punch if that helps... I've been using my combo blasted like all the way up for a few years and just running a direct out to the mains when we play bigger shows.

[RickenBoogie]

Putting a rig together with that 18 will be difficult. The problem is, you're assuming the 18 will cover your low end, and something else will cover the rest. That's simply not true. Full range bass cabs are just that, full range. Depending on how loud that 18 will get, the best match for it would be another identical one. But here's the deal- a good average starting point for a good live bass rig is an amp with 300-600 watts of power, run through a good 4xc10, 2x12, 2x15, etc. And always, the "best" match to a cab, is another identical cab. Both should be 8 ohms, unless you go with ONE large cab, (8x10, 4x12, etc), then a 4 ohm cab.

[domjohnson]

Originally Posted by cbfriedman757

That's straight from the website for the cab. Kinda hard genre to define, but kinda a mix of soul, ska, and rock n roll, its a 10 piece band with horns so pretty damn loud, but nothing too huge..

Link? Would be quite interested to check it out?

[cbfriedman757]

here's the link for our first EP we recorded this summer. http://majorandthemonbacks.bandcamp.com/

So maybe the 1x18 wasn't the best choice to build around... Is it not recommended to go with a 4x10 or 2x10 to go with the 1x18? Just trying to see what my options would be if I can't find or afford another 1x18.

I'mm looking at an SWR head my friends got that is 350 watts through 300 ohms and 500 watts through 500 ohms.

Thanks for the help so far!

[Tuned]

A 1x18 cab has one motor and 56" sq of cone, a 4x10 has four motors and 125" sq of cone. The SWR Goliath III or IV 4x10 outclass the 1x18 in every regard, including low end depth and punch. If you put one of those above the 1x18 you'd barely know the 1x18 was there. You should sell the 1x18 to finance a 4x10, probably just as the person you bought it from did.

[jlepre]

Originally Posted by cbfriedman757

...my friends got that is 350 watts through 300 ohms and 500 watts through 500 ohms.

Thanks for the help so far!

Huh?

Do you mean 300/8 ohms and 500/4 ohms?

[scottfeldstein]

I used to have a 1x18 + 2x10 cab, all in one. Built it myself. But I biamped, making all the difference.

Never again, though. Today's name brand, full range bass cabs are so darned good you don't need to go crazy with a wide range of driver sizes and a crossover. You just buy the cab whose sound you like, whose weight you can lift and whose volume suits your venues--the end.

[Honkycat]

I am not too big on specs..but with a 350w head..plus a 1x18 and ? Speaker wise..it's not going to cut it....if I were you ,sell the 18 and don't buy the 350w amp.....Start w ith a solid cab configuration 4x10,2x15 or start with am amp that has at least 400w minimum.

[RickenBoogie]

The difference between 350 and 400 watts is absolutely meaningless. Many people get by easily with 300 watt amps. It's the spkr cabs that are at issue, and also where the volume comes from.

[himluis1]

get a peavey tour 450 head and a xl4x10 hartke cab@8 ohms u will be pushing 300w and later u can add another 8ohms cab ... u can buy that head used for about $250 to $300 n the cab for around the same . total of $600 ... thats what im going to do after playing 4 years with combo amps

[Bassmec]

If you want to keep the 18" cab I would be looking for an amp that has a biamp function like a Trace Elliot SMX 600 and then you could look for
a cheap cab just to do the mid and top say a 2 x 10 + Horn tweeter.

[jungleheat]

With an 18, I would go with a biampable head with 300-500w for the lows and 100+ for the highs and for another cab, an SWR Goliath Jr 2x10 (8 ohm), or if you want crazy volume, a Goliath 4x10 (also 4x10).

You could go with the Jr and a GK 800RB, probably get both for $500-700 (possibly less) and have a rig that is pretty killer. Trace and SWR also have really good biamping heads, but the Jr seems like an obvious choice for cab (for the kind of music you are describing I don't think you probably need a 4x10).

Also, tuned, where the heck are you getting those numbers for area? I saw you had some "questionable" numbers in another thread as well. The nominal area for an 18 is pi*r^2, with r being 9. So 9^2 is already 81. Multiply by pi and you get about 254, which is over 5 times what you stated. For the 4x10, you get about 314.

So if you wanted to just run a full range (to both cabs) rig, then a 4x10 makes the most sense and isn't too different in terms of displacement than the 18 (somewhat higher power handling though, but if you use the rig correctly, that shouldn't be an issue). For biamping, a 2x10 is probably plenty. 100w of 200Hz and above would be deafening through a 2x10, but below that sucks up a lot more power.