Will this Work?

[squat251]

OK, I dont really have a cabinet for my amp, i have been playing through an old home stereo subwoofer and box. Though this *works* it sounds meh and I want an atleast acceptable looking cabinet. but cabs built specially for bass are almost always out of my range and though within budget I simply dont have the time to build my own (perhaps some day) also my friends want to have a PA set up, so i offer this
http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com...orn?sku=600816

now this is a PA speaker but will it not work for practice and small gigs? as far as i can tell they are the same as a regular cabinet without the extra 50-100$ please feel free to chime in.

[onosson]

I have used PA cabinets for rehearsals and small gigs in the past without any issues. They may not sound as good as a bass cab, but they are generally usable. You do want to watch that you're not going to blow the speakers with the frequencies that a bass amp can put out. Make sure that the cabinet is appropriate for your amp, or don't push the cabinet too hard by keeping the low end and overall volume down. But IME it can work fine in the right circumstances. I have a small powered (100W) home stereo speaker from the 80s (it's about the size of two shoeboxes) that I use at rehearsals, and even took to a gig at a house concert this evening - you can see footage here, just to give you an idea of the kind of setting I'm talking about: http://www.justin.tv/etnada/b/277697583

[Stumbo]

The PA cab you link to is a $100 Kustom.

Do you mean you want to use it for vocals and PA?

If you read Peavey Series 400 Bass Amp, Is it worth Getting you'll learn that your amp has enough watts to easily power a good 2x15 or 4x10 cabinet.

Based on the above mentioned link, the $100 Kustom cab will fart out or blow out the minute you turn the volume past 1.

I suggest you look for a used cabinet on CL that will work with your amp and leave the P.A. cab for another purchase.

[BassPenguin22]

You can easily get a decent cab for pretty cheap, Hartke springs to mind...

[walker rosewood]

It's a two hour drive. Damn you're really way up north there! Posted 6 hours ago.



http://nmi.craigslist.org/msg/2163197074.html


Hartke VX210 bass cabinet - $125 (Interlochen)
Date: 2011-01-16, 10:14AM EST
Reply to: sale-rcahu-2163197074@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]

Hartke VX210 bass cabinet. Like new condition. Works perfectly.

* Location: Interlochen
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

[squat251]

yeah I live in BFE thats a pretty good cab. though thats a really long drive towards nothing.

[Burlington]

Originally Posted by squat251

yeah I live in BFE thats a pretty good cab. though thats a really long drive towards nothing.

Nothing? You'll have an actual bass cab, as opposed to one meant for a PA.

Buy a real bass cab, or else you will be just wasting your money.

[squat251]

well i meant there is nothing down there, not the cab.

[GrowlerBox]

Originally Posted by Burlington

Nothing? You'll have an actual bass cab, as opposed to one meant for a PA.

Buy a real bass cab, or else you will be just wasting your money.

And further to this, definitely worth not buying the cheapest available - the cabinet is arguably the most important element of the chain. Everything will sound bad through a bad cabinet, almost anything will sound at least OK through a good one.

Edit: Not saying anything against the Hartke, by the way, definitely worth a look/listen

[Thaos627]

i use hartke stuff for my big gigs but if you need something for small practices a combo would be best. Or if you r weird like me and like the old sliced speaker fuzz u can use a karaoke machine (its what i use i get made fun of until i get heard) you can get a 50 watt one for $120 easy and as long as you dont crank it, it holds up fine

[derridiandrift]

Buy a real bass cab. Buying used saves a ton of cash. Look around, try some things at stores and pawn shops. Post questions here if you're not sure.

Don't buy that Kustom speaker cab.

[Thundar]

I have that same Hartke VX210, and its a great cab...not the best, but nothing wrong with it....I used to stack two of them with a Carvin BX500 on top and it rocked.

[squat251]

i guess because I've never had a real bass cab that i just cant imagine the difference but other than possibly the horn what is the difference between a ported PA speaker and a bass cab? don't most modern musicians use a direct pigtail from the amp to the PA system nowadays? if its the crossover they are simple circuits and it would be easy to remove. I've built crossovers before for hi-fi setups but like i said never had a real cab...

[walker rosewood]

construction, frequency response, power handling. Yes, many times a sound engineer will put the bassist through a DI. But that's when there is a PA that can handle it, usually with decent subs. That little Kustom won't handle the low end.

what amp head are you going to put through it?

[Stumbo]

Originally Posted by squat251

i guess because I've never had a real bass cab that i just cant imagine the difference but other than possibly the horn what is the difference between a ported PA speaker and a bass cab? don't most modern musicians use a direct pigtail from the amp to the PA system nowadays? if its the crossover they are simple circuits and it would be easy to remove. I've built crossovers before for hi-fi setups but like i said never had a real cab...

Some players do use PA cabs for their bass rigs. Just not the $100 Kustom you referred to. It's cheap junk. It only takes 100w rms so your head will over power it. It's only 97db efficient so even when you put 100w through it and don't distort it, it won't be very loud.

It won't work for what you need. Period. You can't put your bass, let alone bass and the vocals through it no matter how much you wish it.

You've stated several times that you've never owned a bass cabinet before. Based on your comments, you've come to the conclusion that you really don't need to own one and can put your sound (with the rig you have) through the PA.

That may be true, but the Kustom amp you referenced won't work for that. Hey, I think I said that already. What you would need to handle bass and vocals with a loud enough clear tone costs a lot more than $100.

Update: just received an email about a Peavy PA cab: Peavey PV115 Passive 2-Way PA Enclosure, 1x15" cab for $220 that might do what you want to do: http://www.zzounds.com/item--PEVPV115 They also have a blem for $170. Free ground shipping. Also will take payments.
Rated at 400 Watts RMS with 800-Watt peaks, you can fill any venue with music. Peavey PV115's handle a maximum Sound Pressure Level (SPL) of 118dB.

If your amp has more than one input, maybe you can put vocals through one input and your bass through the other. Then adjust your bass tone with your bass tone controls.

[squat251]

thanks. i have a peavey 400 bass amp, from the 70s

[walker rosewood]

so as far as I can tell it's 210W into 2Ohms. You'll want to get a cab that matches that. That Kustom is only 125w @ 8 ohms.

[squat251]

yeah, i havent found any cabs that are 2ohms at all.

[walker rosewood]

you could use two 4 ohm cabinets, that would give you a 2 ohm load.

[squat251]

lol id need to take out a loan! but i might have some time free in a few weeks so perhaps ill build a 2 10 or something any recommendations for a cheap 10" that will workpreferably in the 20-30$ range