note:much of this was already posted on the DB side in the stoopid loud thread, if you read it there's not much new here
Although I'm very satisfied with sound of my regular rig (FishmanPlatinum Pro EQ>Art tube pre>Carvin DCM1000>Acme B2), I've been
investigating lighter amps as well as smaller cabs for a few regular gigs that the B2 is really not needed for. Not that the B2 doesn't sound good at less than full roar, it's just that I could get by with something smaller and lighter (but still reasonably loud, my little PB-110 wouldn't cut it). Small and light being important since one of these gigs has a load in through an incredibly packed out seating area and being able to one hand a cab would make things a lot easier (
Fat Matt's Rib Shack on a Friday or Saturday night, ranks up in top 3 of my all time worst load ins).
I did my homework and researched the threads and reviews here and elsewhere. The new EA 2X10 and Epi UL2X10 look great, but not enough of a weight loss to interest me in dropping a big wad of cash. That left me with the Epi UL-112 and the EA Wz12 (regular and M-line). I was able to catch TB'er bassmonkee with his band
the JP3 at one of the other ribshacks and heard him playing his super cool, martini glass inlaid 5 string Bongo through a Wizzy. Did the job just fine.
So, off to
Atlanta Bass Gallery to do some taste testing. Since Jim didn't have the Epi in stock, I spent over an hour with the regular and M-line versions. I found that as a solo cab the M-line was much more to my liking, seemed much flatter, with a warm bottom and a sweetness to the highs that was very nice. However, my Acme has a similiar sound and the big mids of the regular Wizzy have been touted as sitting (and cutting) well in a loud mix. Plus, the 6 lb weight difference made a one hand carry easier for the original Wizzy. I went with the original.
Got it home, now what to power it with? Seemed foolish to carry a 1000 watt, 30 lb rack to power a 29 lb cab. That left me with my well worn, nearly fifteen year old SWR Studio 220 which has been in retirement over the past couple of years. Could it still do the job? Yes!
The St220/Wz12 combo ended up being perfect for the gig (75 seat room - drm, gtr, bass plus 4 horns ), plenty loud. Now granted, the band was not fully mic'ed (trumpet and drums were acoustic) and we were conscious of the size of the room, but were still kicking (
everyday.mp3, recorded on another night when we were fully mic'ed, although the sound man must have been asleep during the horn solos). Another bass player who was there said that even at the back of the room I was "sitting well in the mix and at the same time had good presence". Stunning performance from a 29 lb cab at a loud gig.
If the music you are playing has a bit of space for the bass to present itself, then I suspect the M-line might be a better all around choice. But as the "
statistical density" of notes goes up the original really shines.
Joe
