My cool new tiny cab! (Patterson Audio content)

First off, a big thank you and two thumbs up to Ralf Patterson for custom building this cab for me. He is a world-class guy to deal with and answered all of my annoying questions before, during, and after the build process, which only took about 4 weeks. The cab arrived about a week ago wrapped in a garbage bag, a form fitting box, many inches of styrofoam padding, and then another box, tightly sealed with packing tape. Definitely the best packing job I've ever seen (the garbage back was a nice touch to protect from moisture and the annoying statically-charged styrofoam residue.

I wanted a tiny cab that I could take on the bus to small jazz gigs and rehearsals. Ralf and I talked about different options including 2 and 3 way designs, as well as a coaxial option which I eventually settled on. I believe Ralf used an Eminence woofer and high frequency driver for this particular design. I trusted his experience when he said this combination provides the best results in this cab. I went with the 10" configuration (as opposed to 8")because I figured the extra weight would trade off when I needed just a bit more volume from a small cab

So the basic specs are 250 Watts (Ralf, correct me if I'm wrong) at 8ohms. I had him install 2 speakon jacks (I never use 1/4" anymore). I was pleasantly surprised that Ralf included a tweeter attenuator knob on the back because I hadn't paid extra for that option!
Ralf used a nice LARGE handle on the top to make it easy for me to carry - this really helps because the cab is not supremely lightweight (a tad under 30lbs) like some other cabs (although most of those featherweights have NEO drivers, I believe)

Sound - I'm still in the honeymoon phase with this cab so I won't go into any great detail here. The first thing I noticed was how loud this cab could get! The sound is nice and full, without the huge (sometimes uncontrollable) low end I get from my Acme cabs. The Patterson cab seems much for focused and tight sounding and has a very pleasant, smooth sounding high end due to the coax design. I've got a few gigs coming up that I will use this cab on and I'll post a more detailed review afterwards.

PICS! Ralf gave me permission to post some of his pictures that he took during the build process. As you can see, he used high quality material and has great attention to detail. Check it out:

Initial box construction:


Handle route finished and crossover ready:


A bit of paint:


Enclosure completed:


All done!


Chart:


All in all, I am very happy and will definitely purchase another cab from Ralf when I can convince my wife I need it. I highly recommend you talk to Ralf (he is a regular poster on TB) if you are looking for a custom designed cab. Thanks again!

tombowlus said:

Very nice! Ralf certainly makes a great cab. I have two of his 2x8's, and I like them very much.

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I've heard great things about the 2x8s! Got any pics? Hopefully, I'll get to try one someday. I've got one of Ralf's 2x10s with the long throw woofers and it's a great cab! I think next on my list is a 4x10 cab for the bigger gigs. 4 long throw 10s would THUMP!

Anthbass said:

Very nifty little cab! Does Ralf have a website? I googled him but to no avail.

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No website, but you can contact him through Talkbass. His user name is 'rpatter': http://www.talkbass.com/forum/member.php?u=47072

Tom, those look great! They look pretty much identical to the 2x10 I have - although I'm sure they are slightly smaller. What do you usually plug them into (amp-wise) when you use them?

I just wanted to post a follow-up as I was able to take the little Patterson cab out on a gig a couple weeks ago.

I was subbing in a bar in the Scotiabank Place during the Sens VS Penguins game on March 1st. It's kind of a strange gig: we play a couple sets before the game starts, then we play for 10 minutes between each period and then one last set after the game. It's long, but it's fun because I get to watch the game for free!
The load-in for this place is TERRIBLE. I have to pick up an events pass in one part of the arena and then go around to a loading dock area in the back. Usually, I'd have to grab a dolly for a bass rig and then schlep that around part of the circumference of the arena, past some conference rooms and up a specific elevator.
With the Patterson cab, I can just carry it in one hand, my bass in the other, and my amp is in a backpack on my back. Easy!

The band is an acoustic guitar-led trio with drums and bass. I brought my Stingray, Markbass LMK, and the Patterson Audio 1x10. I did have PA support, so my rig was basically a monitor for myself and the band.
The aggressiveness of the Stingray was tamed a little by the smoothness of this cab (probably due to the coax design). It is a very punchy and clear sounding cab, but I was able to add some nice bottom end by boosting the lows on the LMK just a bit. It never sounded honky, and even with the Stingray, the highs were never harsh. This cab is all about punchy smoothness.
As the afternoon wore on, we started playing louder and louder, until I had the Patterson cab singing! I usually keep the gain on my amp as high as I can before clipping and then adjust the master to suit the overall volume needs. By the end of the night, I had the master volume at about 3:00, almost up full. The Patterson cab never sounded like it was struggling and never farted out or lost its clarity. Since the cab is an 8 ohm rated for 250 watts, the 300 watts from my LMK was a good match up.
Keep in mind, I wasn't in an extremely loud situation. While being a hard hitter, the drummer did play with bundled bamboo sticks. The guitarist is very reasonable with his monitor levels (shocking!) and the overall stage volume is very pleasant - loud enough to feel and get into, but not enough to make me cringe or wear construction-grade ear defenders.
All in all, I'm very pleased with my small rig. I probably wouldn't use it for anything much louder than the acoustic-rock gig, but in low/medium volume situations, it is probably the perfect choice for me. I can't wait to try it on some jazz gigs - I think it will shine in that situation as well.
Again, I highly recommend Ralf Patterson's cabs!

Here are some crappy camera phone pics: