Help me pick out cabinets!

[Jeff 66]

I just purchased a used Hartke HA550 head and I am looking to get a couple of low-mid priced cabs for it to push. I'm sure many here are familiar with the Hartke amp, so based on it's capabilities, what should I do about paring it with cabs. Classic rock/90s rock in typical bar band venues.

I'm looking at these three cab lines in descending order:

Peavey Headliner
Gallien-Krueger MBX
Hartke VX

From what I can find online, the Peaveys offer more bang for the buck in that price range, and the Hartkes don't seem to get much love at all. The GKs apparently lack low frequency response, but otherwise get decent reviews.

Also, my default for a head/2 cab stack is 115 on bottom and 410 on top, but that may not be the best setup despite being a common one. Any input in this regard would be appreciated.

I would really appreciate any tips and suggestions you may have to offer on any aspect of this decision. If there are other brands/lines that I'm overlooking, please point them out and I will factor them into my consideration.

What say ye?

[MNAirHead]

Bass guys will wank on for days about gear...

In reality the sound comes more from the cabinet, strings and use than the head...

Mixing cabinets is commonly a no-no....

======

I'd be suggesting that used cabinets are on fire sale right now... heck I've seen road qualtiy peavey stuff for $100 each...

What type of venue are you playing..

The more I play the more I realize that my huge amp stays home... with DI just a reference monitor is what's needed.

[Jeff 66]

Venues will vary, but the band totes their own PA and wants a solid back line. two guitarists with Marshall half stacks. Previous bassist used an SWR rig. Not sure how much wattage, but he was pushing a 410 on top of a 115. All SWR.

I know the band plays run-of-the mill bar/club settings. Occasional outdoor gig. That, I think, is where a decently powerful rig will be necessary.

I plan to keep the cabs matched, but the head is a done deal. I could shell out a bit more and go with a Hartke 4.5XL and maybe 115XL to keep it all in the family. More than I want to spend, for sure. but an all Hartke stack with those shiny speakers would look nice, I suppose.

Still, I'm curious about the Peavey Headliners. For the asking price, they look to be pretty good. Can't find any to try out, though.

[selftitled907]

Originally Posted by Jeff 66

I know the band plays run-of-the mill bar/club settings. Occasional outdoor gig. That, I think, is where a decently powerful rig will be necessary.

I plan to keep the cabs matched, but the head is a done deal. I could shell out a bit more and go with a Hartke 4.5XL and maybe 115XL to keep it all in the family. More than I want to spend, for sure. but an all Hartke stack with those shiny speakers would look nice, I suppose.

I currently mix head and cab brands but love the sound i get. not sure if im just one of the few lucky ones or not but i hear a lot that its not a good practice.

if you want to keep it in the same family. start with the 410. just make it an 8ohm so you can add that 115 or even another 410 when it comes time for the outdoor gigs. (thats assuming you will be playing less of the outdoor gigs that is) i also hear a lot of people talk bad about pairing 15s and 10s. i have done it and personally dont like it either but to each there own really. and beyond all that....if the cabs you are looking at are at a local dealer, why not try em out and see what you like best.

cheers and best of luck in your decision.

[Jeff 66]

Thanks, selftitled.

I wish I had more gear to try out locally. As it is, I have to drive about 2 hours to find any real selection. I'm right between Atlanta, Ga and Birmingham, AL.

I was thinking that a good, solid 8 ohm 410 would be my first purchase. I have actually always preferred 10s to 15s, so stacking another 410 or even a 210 may be more to my liking.

I can imagine this head sitting atop a pair of Hartke 4.5XL cabs would be a killer in pretty much every way.

[selftitled907]

i hear you jeff66, im at least an hour and a half from any real decent selection as well. its a bummer but when its the difference of saving a couple hundred, its unfortunate but worth it. before i knew to much on the end of ohms and wattage, i bought my 410 cab and got stuck with a 4ohm 410 but have learned to love it and with a DI to the mixer....its really all ill ever need im sure.

i also agree with the 10s over 15s. i first owned a fender rumble with a single 15 and then moved to a mesa diesle 215 cab, holy crap talk about air movement, but mesa big block 750 that pushed it delivered low standard tone shaping for my taste. went to 10s after than and havent looked back since.

again, happy hunting and glad i could help.

-gabe

[MNAirHead]

What ohms will your head go down to?

After doing this for years, I'd be consider portability as part of the equation.

[Jeff 66]

MN. The head will go down to 4 ohms. I could get a single 4 ohm cab, but I was thinking in terms of moving air, especially when it comes to outdoor gigs. A 410 plus 210 may be preferable to a 410 and a 115... in more ways than one.

I have a small gig rig: SWR Workingman's 10 with a 110T extension cab. Gives me 100 watt through 2 10s. Each cab has a tweeter that can be switched on or off. Love the sound, but it doesn't compete with Marshalls and drums.

[Stumbo]

How about a couple of these: http://www.avatarspeakers.com/B410%20NEO.htm

You also may want to scan through the following threads:
1 Happy with my rig
2
Gig rigs

Micro-rigs of doom
Mini-rigs of doom
Rigs of doom
Cheap rigs of doom

>30 light-weight cabs,amps, combos

10s v. 12s v. 15s v. 18s
2
4x10 vs. 2x10/1x15
2
Benefits of vertical speaker cabs

Big cabs
Low B reproduction/speakers/cab thread

Side Note: from the HA5500 manual (found here).
Note that when both Pre-Amp knobs are used at equal settings, the amplifier will be twice as loud as when only one is used. Avoid setting both Pre-Amp knobs on maximum (“10”), since the result will almost always be undesirable distortion.

[Jeff 66]

Thanks, Stumbo. Some of those threads I'm familiar with, others not so much. I'll definitely look into them for suggestions and new ideas.

I'd still like to know if anyone has any first-hand impressions of the Peavey Headliners. Can't find much mention of them on TB or elsewhere. I know they are fairly new to the market, so user reviews are still scarce... to put it mildly.

Originally Posted by Stumbo

How about a couple of these: NEW B410 NEO

You also may want to scan through the following threads:
1 Happy with my rig
2
Gig rigs

Micro-rigs of doom
Mini-rigs of doom
Rigs of doom
Cheap rigs of doom

>30 light-weight cabs,amps, combos

10s v. 12s v. 15s v. 18s
2
4x10 vs. 2x10/1x15
2
Benefits of vertical speaker cabs

Big cabs
Low B reproduction/speakers/cab thread

Side Note: from the HA5500 manual (found here).
Note that when both Pre-Amp knobs are used at equal settings, the amplifier will be twice as loud as when only one is used. Avoid setting both Pre-Amp knobs on maximum (“10”), since the result will almost always be undesirable distortion.

[TheNightLife]

Out of all the cabs out there why did choose those as the ones you want? One good cab would sound better then all of those combined. Unless its a price issue I probably wouldn't buy any of those cabs. I would start looking into other cabs like maybe a single 410 ampeg hlf or a 210 and a 15. You can get hlfs used for pretty cheap.

[SWRbassJC]

How about a solid 6x10? SWR Goliath sr is a stunning cab pushing out 1000watts at 4ohms. Can get the for a good price 2nd hand. The ampeg 610 is also worth a look.

When using more than 1 cab you have to be really careful. As I discovered do PA work if you run the same frequencies through 2 differant speakers they can go out of phase with each other and cancell each other out, making it pointless having a load of speakers. If you pair cabs make sure they carry the same speakers.

If I were in your shoes I would definatly consider a 6x10 or 2 matching 4x10's.

Personally not a fan of hartke cabs but would still prefer them over anything that peavey ever release. Ashdown ABM are pretty impressive. I just recorded through an 8x10 this week and it blew my mind so maybe the 6x10 of that may be worth a look.

[MNAirHead]

Couple of opinions

1-8 or 16 ohm cabinets give more future options for most average heads
2-Consider transport.... I RARELY play more than a single driver.. My holy grail SVT sits in storage as it's a bear to move.... I'd be considering mutiple cabinets for flexibity and transportabilty
3-What exactly are you trying to get it to sound like?
4-Are you considering a DI pedal?

[Jeff 66]

@ TheNightLife: Price new. That's the main reason for listing the three lines. Actually, I was seeking opinions on those three lines. So yeah. Price. Added to which, Peavey, GK and Hartke have proven capable of producing good products. So there's that as well. I haven't had the opportunity to try any of them in person, but the combination of manufacturer rep and low price made me curious.

I would prefer a 2 cab set up for flexibility. A single 6x10 or 8x10 would probably do all I could as for and then some, but It would be nice to have the option to bring less when less will suffice.

I've even considered seeking out a pair of Hartke 2.5XLs. They're not available new anymore, but a pair of 210s stacked vertically with their 5" high drivers would be a good alternative to some of the chunkier cabs I've been defaulting to.

@ SWRbassJC: yeah. I'd consider SWR or Ampeg if the right cab at the right price was available. And I've about ditched the idea of mixing 10s and 15s. I'd like to keep it all 10s. Still, I like the idea of having a pair of 410s or a 410 and a 210, (or maybe a pair of 210s as mentioned) just for the option of going bigger or smaller as need dictates.

@Tim: Unless I stumble upon a larger single cab (610 or 810) that I just can't live without, I'll definitely go with 8 ohm cabs. I'm keeping transport in mind, but I doubt any nice Neos or golights are going to fall into my lap. Again, I'm considering looking for a pair of Hartke 2.5xls used... if that would work.

Sound? I like a modern sound. Hi-fi, if you will. Hartke can deliver that sound well, as can SWR and others. Not sure about a DI box. May not need one. The Hartke HA5500 has a balanced line out. If I needed a DI, I'd try to snag a Sansamp... maybe that 30 buck Behringer clone to get me by until I could afford the real Tech 21 McCoy.

[Downunderwonder]

There's authorised builders of very loud, very hifi fEARful and BFM cabinets.

[96tbird]

PEAVEY HEADLINER... I have one. 210. Bought it on price to throw on top of the 115 Traynor Eminence loaded.. I took a chance, couldn't pass on the price. It really tightened up the sound for me. No issues with build quality. I know there are better cabs but 200 bucks is outstanding. I can get the 15 farting and the 210 doesn't complain. Ampeg V4-B a tad over 100 watts gives, so I think each driver in the 210 sees (25-30 I'm dumb)) watts? Gives me a headache everytime I get carried away.

Build. Solid. 18mm plywood. Sealed. no buzzes or rattles. I know that manufacturers make claims their gear may not be able to live up to, but Peavey is now long established and will have tested any new products exhaustively. So I trust what they say about their products. They have enough experience in designing cabs and drivers that they turn out great products, even if they are assembled in China.

I know that if I waited I could find a "better" 210 used. But that's me. I needed it now LOL. Then three weeks later, a Hartke 2.5XL 210 comes up for sale for 160 bucks. Used only in the sellers home studio, mint. But alot of guys don't like Hartke.

Any way I'm satisfied and I don't believe that in a full band situation, the other players nor the audience can tell that it's a budget cab or if you had a 1000 dollar cab . Only the bass player when he is in a room alone can. Let's be real! If it's rated for more than you amp puts out, good to go.

[Jeff 66]

Good info, 96!

I've come around to a grudging respect for Peavey products over the years. Growing up in Alabama, I saw Peavey stuff everywhere. Getting into music, I learned that Peavey gear was more common and less expensive than most other brands.

Unfortunately, in my naive mind (and the naive minds of many, many others) common + inexpensive equated to crap gear.

Took me a long time to come around, but now I consider Peavey products based on their own merits, not on my previous youthful misunderstandings.

Thanks for the review. I'll have to locate some Headliner cabs and give them a run.

[96tbird]

Yeah, gear racism is a funny thing. Peavey wouldn't be so successful if it was crap. They have a rep of delivering the goods, no matter what anyone says. If you are not a pro it will deliver for you.

[groove pump]

If you've got a couple of guitar heroes who love to let it fly with those Marshalls, that's going to be a... how shall we say... well, a problem. That is, unless they know enough to use their volume controls for constructive purposes. Aside from anything else, your rig has to function as your personal monitor on stage. If that's all you honestly need, you may not have to invest in a whole stack.

If you don't have much PA help to get your sound out there, then you'll probably need a big rig, but I'd bet that a decent 4x10 or a pair of 2x10's (if you're liking the 10's in general) should cover your stage sound. My gang uses a small PA and I only push my sound with my rig, which is a pair of 2x10's (they fit in my car), but we only have one guitar dude who recently shelved his Marshall for a sweet-sounding 20 watt all-tube combo (hooray!).

You might be able to arm yourself with a whole lot of knowledge if you can make a trip and bring your head to a shop with some cabs that you can test drive. Not sure if anyone covered it, but remember that you'll get the most out of your head if your cab or cabs match the minimum ohms that your head is rated for.

As for your rig's appearance, it's probably safe to say that its looks will be regarded along the same lines as the quality of the notes that come out of it. No pressure, amigo.

[Jeff 66]

Yeah, groove pump, the two half stacks are causing me to err on the side of caution. Hopefully I won't have to be my own PA in most cases.

The more I think about it, the more I'd like to try a pair of 210 cabs... stacked vertically if the head will allow. This is the Hartke HA silver face 5500 that comes mounted in the more traditional head-style case.

Those Peavey Headliner 210 cabs are 19.8" tall, so roughly 20" wide standing vertically. Being that the Hartke is a rack-mount head mounted in a plywood box, it should measure out to right at the width of that cab on it's side. I hope so, anyway. I really don't like the look of a stack where the head is wider than the cab holding it up. But there I go again with the 'appearance' thing.

As for the ohms matching... that's my intent. A pair of 8 ohm cabs will put this head right where it wants to be. For lower volume gigs, I guess it wouldn't be a problem to play the head through a single 8 omh cab. I won't be getting all 500 watts, but I shouldn't need them, either.

Thanks for the input. I definitely plan to make a trip, head in hand, to try out some cabs. I do want to have some knowledge going in. Hence the thread