Need advice on cabs for DB please
 

Hi, new to DB and would like to get opinion on some of the best cabs for DB. I'm using primarily a genz benz shuttle 9. About all I know (or have heard) is that 10s are the way to go. The only 10s I have are eden d210xlt, bag end D10bxd, and ampeg fridges. What are the best quality cabs for great tone, and plenty of volume in your opinion?

First, to get it on the table, the only sensible answer to any question about cabs is... It depends, and I don't know. :D

In my observation, there are rules of thumb assigning tone qualities to the different diameters: Tens are fast, fifteens are deep, and twelves are for cheap combo amps.

What's happened is that in the past few years, the knowledge and technology for designing speakers has advanced to the point where those rules no longer make sense, and in fact, it may no longer be meaningful to expect a particular tone from a particular driver diameter. In addition, there are systems with two drivers -- woofer and midrange -- that add a whole nother dimension to the picture.

Now, for the next answer... I don't know. :D

The problem is that my own frustration with commercial speaker designs, and my interest in learning how gear works, led me in the direction of DIY speakers. So I don't have informed opinions about commercial cabs! I've got 12" and 8" systems that I am quite happy with.

So now I will have to wait for others to offer opinions in this thread.

Fair enough, haha :D
I know "best" is always dependent on many factors. Just looking for personal opinions on cabs that most wowed users. To further narrow it down...

Not interested in a build it myself project.

Want to buy my DB cab once. Something I most likely wont "grow out of" in a few years.

Want it capable of putting out plenty volume.

Great tone.

Something I can carry myself :) would like the footprint/cubage no larger than 1x10, 2x10, or 1x12.

Would be great if it worked well for electric bass as well.

Price range?

Genz benz cabs are light and loud.

I have drbass 1260+112 cabs and I drive them with a shuttle 6.0. I use a custom piezo pickup on my Eastman 305 and it sounds great. Haven't found the right pickup yet for my old german bass yet. I've gotten compliments on the sound.

I demoed Genz Benz cabs as well and they are feather weights and really loud. I really liked them too, but I was offered the dr cabs at a price I couldn't refuse, so that is what I have.

Do a search on these: Euphonic Audio, Bergantino, Aguilar, Acme, Schroder, and Epifani...(list taken from a thread here).

Don't forget if you use a piezo, you may want to factor in a preamp buffer into your total cost for amplification.

Thanks champagne. Price is less important than finding something that matches well w my shuttle, and perhaps could be used with elec bass as well. Is the eden 210xlt not really good for DB? I have 2 of those so if its good for DB i could cover both territories.

If you have two of them, you should be telling us what they're like ...

I'm currently using a Mark Bass NY 604 (4 x 6) cabinet and I like it.

I've not played DB out yet, so dont know what any of my cabs would sound like in that situation. I know what they sound like in my living room with DB, and on gigs with EB.

+1, It's the best cab I've used for DB. Add a NY 151P and you've got the perfect doubler rig IMHO. The 604 projects a really focused arco sound, which is sometimes a downer with bigger diameter speakers. Nonetheless, it lacks a bit of low end when I play more reggaeish lines for instance, hence the extra 15".

I'm using a Gallien Krueger Neo 210 with my Genz Benz Shuttle. It sounds great, is very light weight (30 lbs) and was a good price too (less than Genz Benz's 210). Great combination for URB & rockabilly. I gets lots of compliments on my sound, and it's plenty loud.

I couldn't be happier with the direction I went. The sound is great. The only thing I would have wanted is the cabs to be a few pounds lighter like the genz. So, it would have been a few hundred more to go with a genz cabinets/head system. Other than the weight, I have no complaints and the weight difference is only 10 or so pounds. It doubles as a slab amp too and it sounds equally awesome. I did not try the genz cabs with slab, so I have no feedback there. One thing the drbass 1260 has that the genz doesn't is 3-way with level controls on the mid and high frequency drivers. It lends itself to dialing in the sound to perfection and it does.

So, price was only a small factor that took me to the cabs I have. Once I had them and heard how well they worked with DB and slab I knew I had a winning combo and the cabs would stay. If not, like you wanting a good sound, I would have returned them and probably gone with the genz combo.

Get a pickup for your DB and use what you have first. From what I have read, the eden cabs may not be the best for DB (I was considering them) but since every DB sounds so different, you may already have a winning combo and not have to go elsewhere.

There are so many options these days...best time in history to be an amplified upright player :)

I said for years that I just wanted 'the sound of my upright, only louder.' Now, I'm not so sure, when drummers and electric guitars get into the picture, I want stronger lows and a little more muscle from my tone.

All that to say, the louder you get, the trickier the demands :)

I think you owe it to yourself to look at a 2x8 configured cab. I went with an LDS and can't say enough about it on both DB and EUB.