Help Me Build a Rig

[HugeInJapan]

After several years of playing in garages and basements, I've decided to join an actively gigging band to do some classic/modern rock stuff. Shows will range from small to medium and may include outdoor events. PA will be hit or miss it looks like.

I've already puchased a Carvin B1500 which I tried and fell in love with immediately. Now I need to purchase some cabs. I'm looking to purchse 3-4 smaller cabs so I can taylor my set up for each gig (and also to save my back and fit in the back of my 4-door sedan). I'd like to buy used stuff if possible. Is this plan any good? What are some recommendations? Also can I mix different brands of cabs? Any help would certainly be appreciated!

[craigcapener]

Hey man, sounds to me like you'd benefit from getting a used 2x10, 4x10 and maybe a couple of 1x15's if you're up for buying a few cabs. I don't know how big a sedan is but you can get all of these cabs in most cars.

Any brands are good really, but for budget buying try stuff like ashdown, peavey, gallien krueger..there are more but just keep your eyes on ebay and craigslist and im sure you'll find some goods.

[RickenBoogie]

It would also be a good idea, if you're set on getting 4 cabs, to get matching sets, like 2ea 2x10's, and 2ea 1x15's. Lots of good sounding options, and minimal "mixed" spkrs, (which can be very bad).

[HugeInJapan]

So it would be a problem if say I paired an avatar 212 with a GK 212? Or a Carvin 210 with an eden 210?

[will33]

Results from mixing can be pretty hit and miss. Technical reasons not to do it are in the sticky. To guaranty yourself good results find a cab you like the sound of then add as many as you need. That could be 2 or 3 210's of the same make/model. With that powerful head a single Avatar TB153 would handle most any gig. A pair of them could handle anything.

I'd get them in 8ohms. Stay away from the "2 ohms most power" thing. It's completely unnessesary and puts unneeded stress on the amp.

When you say you fell in love with it what cabs where you playing through?.....Start there.

[HugeInJapan]

I played it through a carvin 410 and the only reason I didn't buy that cab was because it was too wide to fit in my car.

[will33]

You may want to check out carvin 210's then. 1, 2 or 3 of them depending on the gig. Most any typical 210 will fit through the door of even a compact car.

[HugeInJapan]

I was thinking about 2 210s. But what made me love the b1500 was the sub bass adjustment. I was hoping a 212 p or 215 would give me the brown note.

[Sartori]

Two 2x10"s or 2x12"s.

2x15"s are awesome and my preferred choice for sonic devastation, but are large enough to be admittedly a little impractical, and just because they have larger speakers by no means translates to stronger low frequencies.

If you want big lows, depending on how even you want the rest to be, you might go with the Ampeg 410HLF or build/buy a fEarful 15/6.