Opinion about matching amps/cabs please (Aguilar & Bag End)

[ersheff]

Hello.

I had a Bag End 2X12 cab some years ago. It sounded great, though it didn't quite have enough low end and was too big and heavy for the types of gigs I was playing.

Now I own a GK MB115 combo (the first version of the ultralight combos) and lo and behold, I'm staring to need more volume at gigs than what it can provide.

I really like what I've read about Aguilar stuff and sound clips I've heard online. I've also really grown accustomed to the portability of the GK combo.

An Aguilar TH500 with 2 DB112's seems to be a really popluar combo, and I like what I've heard of the DB112's. However, damn that's an expensive rig!

I was thinking of going for a TH350 with 1 DB112 and 1 Bag End 1X12. I would use the DB112 alone for most gigs (I mostly play bars but with no PA support, which the GK combo handles just fine) and then add the Bag End 1X12 for the larger gigs, which also of course adds the benefit of running the TH350 at 4 ohms.

I'm going to make a trip down to Bass Club Chicago to try these combinations out, but my question is regarding the power ratings of these cabinets. The Bag End 1X12 is an 8 ohm cabinet rated at 200 watts RMS, 400 watts peak. The DB112 is 300 watts RMS.

Since the Bag End is the more sensitive of the 2 cabinets, I suspect it might be a little louder than the Aguilar cabinet when running them together, which is fine. With the 200 watts RMS power rating on the Bag End, is it safe to run that as the second cabinet with the TH350? Would it be a bad idea to run the Bag End as a second cabinet with a DB112 if I was using a TH500?

Oh, and I'm kind of hung up on the Bag End because, aside from liking how they sound, it also makes a pretty decent guitar cabinet, and I'm broke and a big fan of multi-taskers.

[RickenBoogie]

Anytime you mix spkrs like that, it becomes a crapshoot to determine the results. That's why matched cabs are always suggested as the best option. You KNOW they will play well together. Mixing can work as well, but you can't predict the results. It's a risk. You may be better off with 2 matching BagEnd cabs, but try your plan out, and see for yourself. Have someone else play it, while you walk around the room, listening. Good luck.

[Gearhead17]

Stick to the RMS numbers and ignore the peak numbers.

Mixing brands is usually not a good idea. Even though they are both 12's, each box was engineered differently for volume and tone. I have a feeling you will find one cabinet louder than the other. When you start playing at gig levels, you might find one cab is doing great and the other is starting to fart out in the low end. That is quite hard to fix live if you are running both cabs with the same head. Reducing low end on the head means BOTH cabs will get less low end and your sound overall is going to be a little weaker.

Whatever 12 you like, get two of them and enjoy it. Two identical cabs sounds great 99% of the time, EQ adjustments are much simpler, and the resulting tone at each gig is something you like.

[ersheff]

Thanks for the replies.
I'm aware that these 2 cabs might not work well together. I'm planning to bring my dad's Bag End 1X12 with me to the store so that I can try it out in combination with the Aguilar stuff.
I was more concerned about the power ratings.
My assumption is that the Bag End, with a 200 watt RMS rating, would be fine as the second cab on the TH350, but might be dangerous as the second cab on the TH500. Correct?

[5 Wire]

Not if you are paying attention and not overdriving it. Headroom is a good thing. It gives more options down the road i.e., more speakers or more power hungry speakers.

[Gearhead17]

It's hard to say what each cab can actually handle. RMS numbers are as accurate as the marketing department makes them. One cab can probably handle more low end than the other - it could even be the 200 watt RMS cab that handles more low end, we do not know for sure. All I am saying is fork down the money for matching cabs, then you do not have to worry about issues like this. Spending money to have issues like this is just a waste, IMO.

[bassgod0dmw]

I would not worry about the wattage ratings of the cabs at all. I'm with everybody else though, I wouldn't mix the two different brands like that. If you like the Bag End that you have now, grab another. They can be found for very cheap on the used market.

I've found that Bag End cabs can be stupid loud no matter how much wattage you feed them since they are so efficient.

[Mulebagger]

I run two BagEnd 15s with a DB750 or TH500. They have roughly the same power rating as the BE12s. I've never had to worry about pushing them too hard. They can handle a lot of juice and are surprisingly loud.

I'd stick with what sounds good to your ear and double it. That way you have repeatable results.