12 Inch Cab Opinions Please

[Medicine Man]

Thank you for this. I checked out the AK site and they look very interesting. A couple of points: I would want to move up to the Thunderbird 115 in order to get the 98dB sensitivity but that's OK because I could live with the size and weight. It also has the rear firing tweeter option which would be great for the tone I want to achieve with the fretless in very small venues (sort of hybrid Jazz bass and upright).

I know that the published specs can be a mugs game so I don't take them as gospel truth. How well do the AK cabs do with the B string?

The AK Hathor handles a B string with ease; I run with the ports open. It has an open format for the mid driver which gives it great projection on stage. These cabs are great.

 

[groovaholic]

Anyone mention the Genzler BA12-3?

Ooh! Good one!
Great cab, and the vertical array of mid drivers would really maximize the voice of a fretless

 

[CLMSHQ]

HIGHLY recommend an Avatar SB112.

 

[dbase]

That is a sexy little rig

Thanks,, here's the full set

 

[jthisdell]

+1 to Bergantino anything

 

[Lowendtech]

I use a Two10 with a Pf50t and it’s an awesome combination.

 

[G On Bass]

Not on your list, but my fretless 5 (and all my other 5's) sounds amazing through my Ampeg 112AV. Killer cab.

 

[Medicine Man]

The moral of the story is, what a great time to be a bass player!

 

[bluejayway82]

Another vote here for the Mesa subway

 

[burgerdj]

Or, a phone call to Don Oatman?

Do this.

 

[D.A.R.K.]

Don is building me a pair of 1x12 cabs right now. He is great, an excellent communicator and patient (had spoken to him a few times over the past few years while figuring out what I wanted). Very fairly priced as well. Low Down Sound - Custom Speaker Cabinets for Bass Guitar

 

[REV]

The moral of the story is, what a great time to be a bass player!

As Medicine Man says, as bass players we have lots of great choices. Since you aren't in a position to try any of these cabs you just have to know that regardless of which one you choose it's going to sound good. I personally have been using an EA Wizzy for about ten years and it's never let me down. For awhile I tried using two of them (if one is good, two must be better, right?) but I never really needed the second cab. One totally does the job. I usually play places from about one to three hundred people but I have used just the one Wizzy 12 on big stages with a big PA and it's worked just fine. Good luck with your search.

 

[klejst]

I currently own and use a Mesa PowerHouse 2x12, I absolutely love it and would suggest it to anyone, especially when looking for 12's options. Also Mesa's Subway cabs which has a 12's option is another suggestion.

 

[Llewellen]

Out of the cabs you listed in your post, I like the EA. I haven't owned that model before but have played through it on 5 string fretless, and loved it. I also used to play 5 string fretless through one or two Wizzy 12 cabs, depending on volume needs. I really enjoy the Wizzy 12, though I wasn't using a low wattage tube head with them (EA iAmp 500, Acoustic Image Clarus SL, and an Eden WT330). The EA stuff worked really well for me, very articulate, and they relay all the nuance of a good fretless extremely well.

Edit: as @Low Class says, the NL would probably like more power than you're considering. A Wizzy might work very well for you, though.

The EA Wizzy 112 M Line has interested me for quite awhile. I know that published specs on paper don't necessarily translate into real hearing but its sensitivity rating of 103dB would appear to give me a little bit more room to experiment with different output tubes and not be tied to KT88s or KT90s. However, it is such a small cab that I wonder how well it actually does with the very low frequencies of a 5 string.

 

[Liam Wald]

I have three 1x12's and use either 1, 2, or 3 of them depending on the venue. I love the flexibility and the sound. They are Hartke HD112's (dual impedance) and I drive them with a Mesa D-800.

 

[mikecd1]

Love all the suggestions here, but if you could find one I love my (now discontinued) Traynor TC-112 which is light, great tone (with or without the tweeter) and was a great price. Works great with my Mesa Subway 800 for small gigs.

 

[CLMSHQ]

Here is my set of 112's.

The Avatar is Smooth. Great Lows and Buttery Mids.

The HD112 is well defined with punch.

 

[mmbongo]

The EA Wizzy 112 M Line has interested me for quite awhile. I know that published specs on paper don't necessarily translate into real hearing but its sensitivity rating of 103dB would appear to give me a little bit more room to experiment with different output tubes and not be tied to KT88s or KT90s. However, it is such a small cab that I wonder how well it actually does with the very low frequencies of a 5 string.

As was explained before, don't get caught up in sensitivity ratings because you can't compare apples to apples. Cabinet A might be 103 db...but at what frequency? If it's 103 db at 4000hz then it might be 95 db at 60hz where Cabinet B is rated. Just something to keep in mind.

 

[Llewellen]

As was explained before, don't get caught up in sensitivity ratings because you can't compare apples to apples. Cabinet A might be 103 db...but at what frequency? If it's 103 db at 4000hz then it might be 95 db at 60hz where Cabinet B is rated. Just something to keep in mind.

Understood. I found this to be somewhat helpful is trying to sort through the snake oil claims
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[Doug Parent]

Bergantino HDN112 (or 212) has very good upper midrange clarity, especially for a two system.