I need to move more air ... cheaply
 

I need to come up with a way to get more volume out of my 'hack band' rig. My SWR Golight 210 is not cutting it by itself. This is for those venues - most of ours - where there is no FOH support. I'll use either an Aguilar TH500 or TC Electronic Classic 450. 4-string basses. Heavy on the classic rock covers, w/ a loud lead guitarist, 2 acoustic/electric guitars, drums, a 2nd percussionist, & a harmonica to deal with.

My options right now:

Add a 2nd inexpensive 210 (think Peavey, Hartke, maybe GK, or even Acoustic). With any of these, I'd run up against mis-matched cabs, so although volume is more important for me than tone, I don't want it to sound terrible.

A shop near me has a used SWR Goliath III 210 for sale. My Golight 210 is also a III, so other than the Goliath weighing 15 or so lbs more, I don't know if I'd be running into the same mismatched situation as option #1. Haven't seen many used Golight 210s lately, and I'd rather not cough up the $$ for a new one.

What I like about a 2 x 210 rig is I could stack them vertically for better dispersion (or so I've read).

I guess the 3rd option is to just get a 410. Most of the inexpensive ones weigh more than I'd prefer. I see the GK Neo 410 has a reasonable weight, but I'm not really of fan of the GK 'sound'. And same as with the 210s, the inexpensive ones usually are 1/4" only, not speakon. Is there really much difference betw/ 2 vertically stacked 210s and a square 410?

We have a gig tomorrow night, and a busy March ahead, so I don't really want to wait out for a used Golight 210. And I guess I could bring my Berg HD112 stack, but I'd rather keep those safe at home for these particular gigs.

I'm leaning towards getting the used Goliath 210 III, but am open to suggestions. Thanks.

On a tight budget? Scrap the cabs you have, go buy two used 8 Ohm 410's.

Not light, not pretty, put they will be louder than what you have.

or even one cheap 4x10. I've picked up SWR Goliath ii's and iii's for $100 in the past. Of course it was heavy, looked fine, but it'll sound great with the TC 450.

I've had excellent luck with the avatar 2x10 neo cabs. Sound great, LOUD, and very affordable. Two of those and you will DEFINITELY be heard. I use a Carvin BX500 as well, so I have plenty of power to push through them.

Fire the harmonica player.....No seriously, define cheap.

+1

No doubt. I don't know where in NJ you are, but I just took a quick look at CL (I'm curious like that) and there's several 410s from $200-300; Carvin, Hartke, Eden, SWR and Peavey and there's an older GK for $150.

I would think that since you've been using a 210, that it at least gets you close. A 410 would be a cheap(er) move that you can make quickly, locally and that would give you a meaningful step up from where you are, volume-wise.

When I hear "move air" I think 15"s.

Two of them.

When I hear "move air" I think air compressor and a blow tip.:D
Bird in hand, pick up the used Goliath III 210 for now till you have more time to re-create your rig.

Given they have similar throw, two 15" speakers move about the same air as a single 4X10.

Except 15s almost always have more excursion than 10s.

The GIII Jr cab is probably a decent choice (not ideal though). Another Golight 2x10, or just sell your 2x10 and get the 4x10 would probably be best.

Have you looked at Avatar? Their stuff seems super cheap for what they offer.

another 2x10 cab would be the cheapest way to get there with what you already have, even if it isn't an ideally matched cab.

hell, even sticking a random 15 cab under there will at least get you bigger and louder, and those are usually really cheap used.

i got by for a while in a loud rock band with a smaller ampeg 15 cab over a bulky old peavey 15 cab; it was plenty loud and strong, and held me over until i got my matched pair of LDS 15 cabs (which were of course much better.)

I'd like to keep it in the $300-500 range, preferable towards the low end. I played through the Goliath 210 this morning and it wasn't bad. The price the shop is asking is what I paid for my used Golight, so I don't think I'm getting much of a deal there.

He also had a used GK 410 SBX w/ a broken, but still useable, 1/4" input. Not much of an issue since I would use the Speakon anyway. Also didn't sound too bad, but the spec has it at 84 lbs.

Looks like I may wait it out. The suggestion to flip my Golight and add the $$ from that into my budget might be a better way to go. That would put me in the neo 410 category.

I'm still open to suggestions, though!

Try a can of the vienna sausages available at your local gas station. You'll surely move more air and at $1.49 a can you can't lose. Win-win!

or you could try the sausages as an appetizer and some gas station sushi as the main course

I sometimes use my 15 and JrIII together, gets loud, sounds good. +1 for picking up a whatever 15 or 2x10 to keep you going until you can get a deal on another golite.

Have you put the golite up on a chair in a corner? It's viagra for bass.

With your size and budget requirements i would reccomend either a used 210 or a single fifteen. Another 210 gets you more of what you have now. A fifteen is usually going to be more efficient than a 210 so you get a little advantage in volume, but it might or might not sound as good paired with your current cab. Check Craigslist and Guitar Center for used cabs and go check them out.

BTW I think someone made the comparison of 2 fifteens equals a 410. IME i have found that a more accurate comparison (on average) would be a single quallity 15 cab will make a little less noise than a 410. A double 15 is a little less than an 810. I would gig with a single 15 before a 210 if volume was an issue. Just IMO.

Them Viagrans keep coming up with new pills!! :D

(MIB III for those who don't get it! )

As a 2x10 user i feel that one is not enough to play a gig with. I use a pair in a vertical stack and they do everything i need of them. A second 2x10 is a good way to go.

As another 2x10 user I feel that Paul likes to play very much louder than I find necessary most of the time. Do try the viagra when you get the chance, tasty!