Vintage Fender 1970s 18inch, info?

[JJBass30]

Hey guys, just picked up a CFA 7009 Bass Cab and I'm having a hell of a time finding info on it, but for 50 bucks for a working 18 I'm not complaining. Anyone know anything about it? All I was able to figure from some googling was that it belongs with the Fender 400ps head that was manufactured between 1970-75. Any help would be appreciated.

I'll post pics when I can get some decent ones, the thing is gorgeous.

[JJBass30]

Just gave it the first play test. but I was only able to run it at minimum volume, nice and smooth, can't wait to crank in the morning.

[JJBass30]

4190893334_79644d1741_m.jpg picture by nhgtrman - Photobucket

here's a pic I found online

[JimmyM]

Hmmm...looks like Fender's answer to the Acoustic 361 cab. Never saw one of those before. Folded horns can get pretty loud. Won't take a buttload of power being so old but it'll probably crank nicely. Sheesh...can you imagine lugging a 400PS and three of those cabs around?

[60bass]

Originally Posted by JJBass30

4190893334_79644d1741_m.jpg picture by nhgtrman - Photobucket

here's a pic I found online

Fender's answer to a folded horn W box similar to the Acoustic 301 cabinet. Been years since I played through one. Used to work at a music store where we had one in stock. Pretty sure they had a cerwin vega 18 in them. Might have been a 15 though, can't remember.

The 400ps head was 435 watts and took 3 of those cabs to make full power. Each speaker output was a separate jack that delivered 145 watts @ 4 ohms. It took special equipment to bench test and repair the 400ps head.

keep low

[60bass]

Just wanted to add that when you crank the cab up it won't seem too loud if you are standing close to it. Those W boxes were designed to project to the back of big venues. Stand about 20 feet away and look out! You will "FEEL" that sucker.

[BillyB_from_LZ]

Originally Posted by JJBass30

Hey guys, just picked up a CFA 7009 Bass Cab and I'm having a hell of a time finding info on it, .... Anyone know anything about it? ....

I believe it's in my 1970 Fender catalog. What do you want to know?

EDIT: I took a look...not much info. Dimensions 48 by 24 by 24 inches (that, you already know). The whole 400PS rig weighs 215 lbs (shipping weight). The speaker is "an extremely heavy duty" 18...which probably means that the original speaker wasn't anything fancy (like a JBL, Altec (if Altec made 18s), Vega, etc.). The 1970 catalog shows cosmetics like you've shown above. My 1972 catalog has a different color scheme with some black inner panels and more shiny stuff.

[60bass]

BillyB_from_LZ

I'm pretty sure they used 18" Cerwin Vega's in those Fenders. Might be wrong as I can't remember when I looked inside one but I think Vega was the only one doing 18's during that time. I had Acoustic's, Plush's, and a bit later Carvin's first folded W box. All had Vega's and they held up real good. Had a SUNN folded with 2-15's and 2 Peavey FH1's. Sunns had square magnet 15''s maybe CTS or Eminence. PV' had Black Widows. All cabs kicked major B*** and were a bitc* to move.

Go to the link below for the Fender 400PS story. Or the 400PS "bible" A must read on this unusual amp.

The Fender 400 PS Amplifier Web Pages, by Rich Koerner

[BillyB_from_LZ]

Originally Posted by 60bass

BillyB_from_LZ

I'm pretty sure they used 18" Cerwin Vega's in those Fenders. Might be wrong as I can't remember when I looked inside one but I think Vega was the only one doing 18's during that time. I had Acoustic's, Plush's, and a bit later Carvin's first folded W box. All had Vega's and they held up real good. Had a SUNN folded with 2-15's and 2 Peavey FH1's. Sunns had square magnet 15''s maybe CTS or Eminence. PV' had Black Widows. All cabs kicked major B*** and were a bitc* to move.

Go to the link below for the Fender 400PS story. Or the 400PS "bible" A must read on this unusual amp.

The Fender 400 PS Amplifier Web Pages, by Rich Koerner

Thanks for that link...cool stuff (and it shows the two versions of the cabinet covered in my Fender catalogs).

I believe Carvin's first folded horn bass cabinet was a 2x15...the FH1400 from 1973. I owned a B3000 head and used to carry the Carvin catalog around with me as an amp crazy teenager in Jr. and Sr. High School. In '73, Carvin also offered a 2x18 cabinet (the BR850) but it wasn't a folded horn. The first 1x18 folded horn bass cabinet that I could find on The Carvin Museum is the FH1800 from 1976 (and it was loaded with an EVM18).

I always dreamed of owning a pair of BR850s for my Carvin head...but I already had a 2x15 (homebuilt EV TB series cabinet built by my bass teacher at the time) loaded with ElectroVoice SRO 15s. It was plenty loud as I once cranked it up outside and had kids (well other kids as I was about 15 at the time) coming over telling me that they heard me at the school a half a mile away!

[billfitzmaurice]

Originally Posted by 60bass

Those W boxes were designed to project to the back of big venues. .

Myth. They were designed to get as much output and low frequency extension possible from the drivers then available. The fact that they usually sounded louder as you got further away from them was the result of room boundary interactions, coupled with horrible midrange extension. The source of the design, the JBL Keele W bin, was intended to be used only below 500Hz. Unless mated with another cab to provide response above 500Hz with the same sensitivity as it does below 500Hz it simply can't deliver balanced output across the tonal spectrum. It's almost the same as running a home theater sub with no mains, what we informally refer to as the Rachael Ray sound: All bottom, no top.

[hachi kid]

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

...All bottom, no top.

aww, yeaaaaaaaaaa!

[BurningSkies]

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

Rachael Ray sound: All bottom, no top.

My name is BurningSkies, and I endorse this mental image.

[Bill Whitehurst]

One thing is for sure;
at 50 bux, it's steal!

[JJBass30]

Yeah I've been playing through it all the time now it sounds unbelievably good, I just run my little Genz Shuttle 3 on top which looks absolutely ridiculous, but no one can argue with the tone.

Anyone have a good Idea of what they're worth even though I don't really ever intend on selling?

[60bass]

Originally Posted by JJBass30

Yeah I've been playing through it all the time now it sounds unbelievably good, I just run my little Genz Shuttle 3 on top which looks absolutely ridiculous, but no one can argue with the tone.

Anyone have a good Idea of what they're worth even though I don't really ever intend on selling?

I'd go a hundred on it. You could double your money

[JJBass30]

Originally Posted by 60bass

I'd go a hundred on it. You could double your money

hahahaha It would take a lot of money for me to want to get rid of it, and even then it would be completely about size. I wonder if they'll let me keep it in my dorm room next year

[JTE]

The stick speaker was indeed a Cerwin-Vega cadt-frame driver. Heavy, big, and heavy. Fender had a whole series of "PS" speakers all made by C-V offered as the premium speakers for bass and guitar amps.

John

[77PBass]

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

It's almost the same as running a home theater sub with no mains, what we informally refer to as the Rachael Ray sound: All bottom, no top.

That is very funny.

Do you have an quip for her voice?

[Steve Dallman]

I had the 2X15 Carvin folded horn cabinet in the mid 70s. I used it with an SVT head.

I tried a pair of EV SRO 15's in it, but the stock CTS speakers sounded much better. I ran that cabinet with a 4X12 ARP cabinet that was as tall as the Carvin.

I didn't need any PA support. Even alone, the Carvin was a great cabinet.

[jastacey]

I'll give you a warning ... when you use those folded horn cabs ( I had Ampeg's V4-B ) you'll have a some what hard time hearing your self at times, and the natural inclination is to turn up a little, so I'd suggest getting another small cabinet so you can hear your self, otherwise when you do turn up a little, you won't destroy everyone/thing that's 20 or so feet in front of you, those folded horn cabs really throw the sound out and the sound really doesn't blossom till about 20 feet or so ....other than that enjoy the old cab !!!