Looking for two 1x12 cabs. Any suggestions?
 

Thinking about getting this rig. So far I've looked into a fEARful 12/6/1 and a 12/6. Also looked at a two Hartke Hydrive 112. Thought about a fEARful 15/6/1 also. Open to suggestions. looking for something versatile. I primarily play gospel. even open to a 1x15/2x10 setup. (a short 1x15 like the MarkBass Traveler 151P)

I would talk to Leland Crooks and go to his shop and play through a fEARful and what ever else he may have.

The fEarful is miles above any standard production cab (Hartke, MarkBass ect). The G-K NEO112 cabs are very good (not too expensive) but are still out classed by a fEARFUL design. If you are looking for a ready built cab that comes close look at Avatar's TB153.

Of the 12's I've played, my favorites are the Bergantino AE112 and the Baer ML112 (12/6).

I've also played Epifani and Genz Benz 12s but didn't care for the tone of either of them.

If you're looking for a stand alone cab, the 12/6 route will probably work better for you than a single 12.

If you're OK with two cabs - then two AE112 would do well. Also Bergantino is coming out with a new line of cabs (CN for ceramic-neo) that are supposed to be even better than the AE line.

If you need massive amounts of lows and volume then two ML112s would do the job!

(I also hear that the G-K NEO112s are very admirable for a mass production cab considering price to performance)

This is all good stuff. I noticed that some of these don't have the 6 in them. Does that make a difference?:confused:

I'm no expert on this but YES.

In a 12/6 - the 6 handles the highs/mids which leaves the 12 free to handle the lows.

In a 12 with no 6, the 12 must handle the highs/mids/lows

This allows the 12/6 to do a much better job with the lows. Generally speaking most standalone single 12s are going to fart out if you push a low B thru them at a high volume. 12/6 are better able to handle this.

But they sound different too. So it depends on what you're looking for in terms of sound and performance...

OK, that's my novice understanding of this. i'm sure it's much more complicated and nuanced than that. I'll allow a more knowledgeable person to speak to this.

Well what if you throw in a tweeter with the 12/6?

I have a pair of fEARful 12/6s with Alpha mid drivers, no tweeter.

The advantage to having a small diameter mid driver is that the mid frequencies don't beam as much. That means it sounds the same whether you're directly in front of the cabinet or off to one side. The audience and band hear pretty much the same "sound" that you do.

The post above is incorrect about the 6" driver handling the "highs". The Alpha6 rolls off steeply above 5K (upper mids) and the optional 18Sound driver (which adds ~$100 to the build cost) reaches just a bit higher.

I don't need anything above 5K for bass guitar. (In fact, I filter out everything above that when sending a DI to the board.) But if you need the highs or want to ever use the box for recorded music playback or electronic drums, buy/build a 12/6/1.

Assuming you are on at least a bit of a budget, and that by 'gospel' you mean modern gospel (i.e., Andre Gouche, Norm Stockton), it is hard to beat the GK Neo112(II) cabs. Very inexpensive, 'almost top end' performance, and that kind of 'big low/modern-sizzly' top end that at least some of the Gospel players love. If you dig that sort of Ken Smith or J Bass with steel roundwounds or MTD sort of modern gospel tone... nice big low end, a bit rough in the upper mids, and nice sparkly up top, the GKNeoII's and a GK MB500 would totally kill for you.

If my interpretation of 'Gospel' is different from what I describe, then I might come back with another recommendation.

Over the years and many different amps and cabs, the cabs I use now and like a lot are, AVATARS.

Very impressed over the 5-6 yrs I have been using them.

Inexpensive, and custom built to the color and cloth you want...and most of all they sound Great!

I use a Avatar B212 at my church.. a decent cab.. I just pulled the trigger on two Shroeder mini 12Ls .. 500W 21lbs each.. You might consider the TB classifieds.. Good stuff pops up there all the time..

I used to own a Schroeder 1212L tat I sold to get a Tri 115 ... that was a decent cab as well which was one reason why I was willing to get the two 12Ls.. I am finding that I like the ound of 12s better than 10s .. and maybe even 15s as well..

Strictly speaking, 5K is considered high frequency. So if the Alpha 6 does indeed handle frequencies in this range, then the previous statement about it handling the "highs" would, at least to an extent, be correct. :hmm:

MM

+1 5K is pretty far up there. Unless you need 'Marcus Miller' snap and sizzle, that would be plenty of treble extension for most players (well into the lower treble range). Perfect for, for example, a P Bass with nickel wounds or a 60's style alder/RW J.

Also great if you like distortion in your tone, since the mid driver will extend higher than the top of any bass driver, but will (if you pick the right mid driver!) sound nice and warm and paper cone versus a tweeter.

If my interpretation of 'gospel' is tonally correct for the OP, a high quality 2 way cab with tweeter would IMO be the better option, since that tone is all about sizzle (i.e., upper treble snap) and a reduction in upper mid brightness.

Granted, 5K is pretty high up there in bass guitar terms. But outside of the bass instrument realm, that's usually considered the top end of the "upper mids", and "highs" are usually considered to start at ~5k-6K.

+1 Only talking about the bass guitar here:)

Yep. Just pointing out that bass players have their own vocabulary when it comes to describing sound.
As I posted above, 5K is plenty high enough for my taste with bass guitar.
Enough clank, but without the click, when I snap a G or C string. (How's that for bass player vocabulary? :D)

Kjung that is exactly what I was thinking about "gospel tone"

Hard to not dig the GK's then. That Lil'g Glasstone cab seems to be a big hit with the gospel guys (it was developed by a preacher I believe:D). It is an unusual 212 cab that is the size of a 112 cab, with the second 12 firing down through the port. I've never heard one, but I respect most of the guys who are raving about it. The model with the Faital drivers seems first rate, and again, would give you that nice snap up top, relatively polite upper mids, and a lot of thunder down low in a small, single box.

That being said, the GK112II x 2 and an MB500.... that is Norm Stockton heaven right there.:D

Yes the Alpha 12/6 does cover a lot of a bass player's range. The tweeter doesnt add a huge amount of presence to your highs, its not adding a ton of zing or zizzle the 6" has a lot of that on its own. The tweeter does add a bit of sweetness to the highs, and its tough to describe the difference between the two. I have two Alpha 12/6/1's with defeat-able tweeters in my living room. The difference is subtle, but noticeable. IMHO If you dont use a tweeter normally then I would leave it off, or go with a switch, best of both worlds.

A Bill Fitzmaurice DR250, or Jack 12 Lite would be perfect.

lowsound