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Best companion cab for an Aguilar GS410

pickles

pickles

Gold Supporting Member
Mar 23, 2000
10,454
2,837
Ventura, CA
#1
My current speaker array is a GS410 with an SWR Big Ben 1x18. The big ben is cool, and really throbby, but I'd like to get something with a little more focus. I'm leaning toward a GS115 since I always liked my old Eden D-115XLT. Any other ideas? Anyone compared a GS115 and D-115XLT?

I play rock, funk, and some raggae, and a tiny bit of fusion in a loud band with 3 guitarists. The GS410 on its own could reasonably cut the gig, but the sound is pure punch, and I usually also run a 15" loaded cab since I like a little more "cushion" in the sound if that makes any sense.

I also just had a look at the accugroove el whappo ... could be interesting :ninja:
 
#3
I've found that 15s "throw" the low end better and help fill out the sound at the front of the stage and in the room better, though I have no scientific proof of that ...

I'll take your comment into consideration though ...
 
#7
Very little difference in total output plus it will throw the sound better than the 410 cab.
Should move a little more air than the GS115 and be a bit punchier, but still have hefty low end.

I personally like 10" drivers, but the 12" should hit the audience harder farther out.
 
#8
On that note, be advised that with my two GS410's, the LAST thing I want is to throw out far into the room, since we use full PA support. Soundman always complainst if the bass from the stage is hitting him out there. That's why I like 10's, I can get plenty of lows onstage without mucking up the front of house mix. Keep that in mind with your situation.
 
#9
Eric Moesle said:
On that note, be advised that with my two GS410's, the LAST thing I want is to throw out far into the room, since we use full PA support. Soundman always complainst if the bass from the stage is hitting him out there. That's why I like 10's, I can get plenty of lows onstage without mucking up the front of house mix. Keep that in mind with your situation.
Click to expand...

Right, and lately I've been in situations where I carry my own sound. So I'm looking for a balanced sound both right in front of the speakers, 10' away, and in the back of the room. The 18 really filled things out but didn't quite sound the way I'd prefer, the 410 has a lot better tone. I've always thought a 15" sounded pretty good 10' out.

I'm intrigued by the 12s concept, but I hesitate just because I have no experience with them.
 
#11
I just did my first rehersal with the GS212+GS410 last night, and here are my impressions:

The 1x18 has a lot more bottom end, and is much more "nondirectional" ... it really fills the room up with sound.

The 2x12 has MUCH more focus than the 18 and a great deep tone. It is much less articulate than the 410, but has more depth.

The 4x10 is quite a bit "louder" than the 2x12 simply because it has so much high mid response. But they combine well since the 2x12 has more bottom end.

The 2x12 + 4x10 combined to create a fantastic growly, punchy, thick yet hi fi sound that I think will be great on the gig. Much less "cushion" and room filling boom than the 18, which I find very satisfying in our good sounding practice space, but murder on the gig! I think its a great combo, though I can't help but wonder what a GS115 would sound like :ninja:
 
#12
Update. I learned to really dislike the way the 212 and 410 were combining over the course of a few months. The 212 really has a lot of musical information missing in its tone. With my amp, its really a "boom an click" cab, and I found myself overcompensating with EQ ... and ruining my tone.

I swapped it out for an Eden D210XLT to make a 6x10 rig, and while it had less boom, it sounded a whole lot better in the mids and highs.

I've got a bergie HT115 on the way to try out ... but I think I'm going to try it with the 210 instead of the 410, since I'm a little tired of moving the 100lb GS410 around, and now that I've had a chance to properly A/B the two, I think the eden sounds considerably better. Fatter, smoother, and more complete.
 
#13
Thanks for the update Pickles. Good info. I will keep that in mind because Aggie gear is available through the local shop and the owner is quite reasonable in his prices, if and when I can afford to buy something again. About a month ago I played a jam / gig with an AG500 into a GS210 on top of a GS410 supplied by the local shop. I thought it sounded great on stage and fantastic out in the audience. I swapped sets with two other bassists. There was plenty of "throw" and the only problem I saw was one of the other guys boosted the bass and cut the mids. He got lost in the kick drum. When the third guy came on stage, he set the bass flat and boosted the mids a little and it sounded great again.
 
#14
I use a GS410 and 2 GS112s and it's a really good combination. When I play the 410 i love it, and then i play the 2 12's and i love them in a different kind of way. 10's are more responsive and the GS410 is very present in the mids department but also has extremely good bass response. The GS112s are more fuller sounding but dont have the mids that the 410 has. The combination was really good IMO. I had great bass, punchy mids, and the great depth that the 12s provided. I liked them a lot.

I generally dont like 15" speakers, so my opinion would be another GS410 or a GS212. The 212 will give you a different kind of sound but they're cheaper than a GS410 and at 70lbs it's comparatively light.

I actually just sold my GS410, cause I wanna get the Aguilar s810 cab. I just love 810 cabs and that one is apparently, from what I've read, very good. I'd still keep my 2 GS112 cabs , and maybe I'll use them all together :D

That will probably sound insane.

Peace....
 
#16
Hey -- blast from the past.

My opinion: the GS410 sounds best on its own, but also combines well with a 1x15 or 2x10. What I should have done in the first place is swich over to a crest CA9, which gives the sound some extra "girth" down low and reduces my craving for a 15".

The bugger still weighs 100lbs though, no getting around that!
 
#17
Still waiting on my Y-adapter to bridge my 402, that's going to do huge things for my power... 400w -> 1100W. I cant imagine I'll ever need all that, but I saw this thread & was just curious.

I doubt I'll ever need anything else, unless I opt for a more portable solution somewhere down the road.
 
#19
BassManolukas said:
Forget your amp problems, this is your biggest problem! :p
Click to expand...

LOL. naaaaah, the boys got taste. They know how to use space and when to lay out. Heck, we cover "fight for your mind" ... there is barely even a guitar part on that song! The SPL problems in any band I've ever been in have started with the drum kit.
 

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