15" or 18" as a standalone?

I played thru a single 18 (CV Folded-Horn sub) for about a year....it was awesome. Have since moved on to a more conventional 410 and 115, but if the bottom end is what you're after, a 118 will do the job, and then some....

Good luck!

 

Never played it but I know there's a Bag End 1x18.

http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Bagend-S18BD-1x18-Bass-Cabinet?sku=481220

As for 1x15, there's PLENTY. Schroeder might be best for what you've stated. Also try Markbass, SWR, Ampeg, Acoustic, Fender, Epifani, Ashdown, Orange, etc... The list goes on.

I have limited experience but I hope this helps. Good luck!

 

I see you do some woodwork ; } so take a stab at my design using a Em Kappalite 3015LF - minus the midrange driver but with the bracing part of the subenclosure - if you are going to use this cab with a 210 topcab to supply midrange anyway. Big bottom, tons of available excursion and very light too.

 

hmm...

this question is a little too obtuse to really give you a good suggestion. you'll be better served if you go out and play a few cabs/amps in your area, then get back to us. after hearing about what you liked, and didnt like, with a few amps we're also familiar, we'll be able to give you a better idea of what you might dig.

but if you want something completely different from a PA like response, you could always try anything ampeg. rather boomy and fat sounding. the 410HLF is pretty much in that realm, even tho its not a 15" or 18" loaded cab.

 

I have a Markbass Jeff Berlin 15" combo that's awesome. I run a stereo Italia bass with a piezo pup into a Basson 4X10 and the passive pup into the Markbass and get a huge sound. Surprisingly they compliment each other very well.

Happy Hunting.

 

ahhh,

have you tried any of the schroder stuff? compact, but lots of built in lower mid and low end booty, already EQ'd in the cab for you.

 

If you can build basses I don't think you'd have trouble learning a few strong joins (rabbet, dado etc) and building a cab - especially one that's already sized and tuned.

 

I've been playing through a homemade 18" cab for years now. I run it with an old Peavey CS-400 PA amp. I'll say this, it plays loooow. I designed the cab tuned to about 32hz. It will easily play down to 15hz while vibrating every window in my 3 story house and making the floor feel as if it's turning to Jell-O beneath my feet.

There is one drawback that's always bothered me. When I designed and built it, I didn't put any kind of high frequency driver in it. Like you, I thought I could probably live without having a tweeter. I look back and think what a foolish mistake I made. A driver of this size has a hard time responding quickly to higher frequencies due to it's shear mass / size. I don't dislike my homemade cab, it gets the job I built it for done, to play low and mean. But it definitely lacks the higher end freqs that smaller 10", and even some 12", drivers are capable of reproducing without the need of a tweeter.
Also, it lacks the punch and attack that only 2 or 4 10's can provide.

Oh, the driver is an 18" Radio Shack woofer I picked up on clearance 10+ years ago for $50. + cost of wood and materials = about $100 total cost But it's time to replace it. The foam is finally starting to dry rot. A 15 inch driver will probably replace it to keep with the original theme of "el-cheapo low end cab".

You say you build guitars. If you build guitars, then you are good with measurements and math. Build your own...You and I both know that nothing pre-made can compare to the amount of pride and joy one gets by playing with or through his own creation.

 

Mix and match or standalone, all 4-ohm models:

+ Eden 410XLT: Projects cutting bass tone that you, your fretless, and listeners will love

+ Eden 410XST: More Hi-Fi bass than above

+ Eden 212XLT: Nice old school tone that you will love, especially if you like 15s but want more. Same cab size as 410s with 30% less weight

+ Eden 210XST: Chocolate thunder with easy portability and weight. My fave Eden cab of all time

You can also go to the Eden forum and learn about about some of the tonal flavors appreciated by the devotees there. Please note that I have no affiliation with Eden other than enjoying their gear.

Although you say that you are cost conscious, consider that if you find something you like, you will use it for many years. This type of value is in enjoyable use. It is also considered value from the perspective of price / no. years used = cost per year. Buying cheaper gear that is sold in a year does not constitute good value.

 

I owned an SWR Big Ben a few years ago (single 18") and it was an excellent cab for the right application. It was certainly the fastest 18" I'd ever heard, as they claim. Big bottom. I sold it as the speaker tended to smack the grill with my tube amps.

 

I'm a huge proponent of using an 18 just because of the lows that they're capable of. A good 15 in a properly designed and tuned enclosure can be just as good as an 18 though. And an 18 doesn't necessarily mean a bigger cab than a 15. It's all dependent on the driver specs.
Go to a local store and play through a good 18 cab. I promise you will fall in love with the lows. Low end is addicting and you will find yourself wanting more of it and probably wonder how you ever got by without it. Sure there are really good (and expensive) cabs that can play down to 30hz (not low enough for me!). But hearing low end is one thing, feeling it at the same time is a whole 'nother world.
Personally, I would also want 2 good 10's to go along with it though for the faster response that can be lost in a large mass driver. Which is why my next upgrade after replacing my beast is a good 2x10 with a tweeter to go with it.

If you were to build your own, the hardest and longest part of the process is going to be finding the driver thats right for you and doesn't require a man size cab. I use a program called WinISD for designing cabs. Maybe download it and spend a few hours inputting the specs from different drivers available from places like Parts Express and US Speaker. You'll be able to see how different enclosure tunings and sizes effect frequency response, what kind of SPL you can expect from said driver and enclosure with XXX amount of power, etc.