18" Speakers???

[AlienLanes]

Thanks for all the info everybody!! I think I'm gonna pass on these despite how cool they are. My band is super loud and I need something to move more air than my current 4 12's. Wanted to get something different than a traditional 810. I've been playing my Gibson RD Artist through my SVT-AV and wanted a bigger speaker size for some extra woof. I think 15's are my favorite out of all the cabs I've owned. Wish I could track down one of those Ampeg 4x15's.... size and loudness are not an issue

 

[AlienLanes]

Thanks for all the info everybody!! I think I'm gonna pass on these despite how cool they are. My band is super loud and I need something to move more air than my current 4 12's. Wanted to get something different than a traditional 810. I've been playing my Gibson RD Artist through my SVT-AV and wanted a bigger speaker size for some extra woof. I think 15's are my favorite out of all the cabs I've owned. Wish I could track down one of those Ampeg 4x15's.... size and loudness are not an issue

Jk I meant 4x12. I thought they made one with 15's sometime in the 70s but I guess they were actually 12's in the one I saw

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

Exactly my point of view and my experience with 18"! No dynamic, muddy, mid oriented despite that constant rumor that says the bigger the speaker is the lower it goes. 10" speakers for me all the way. I'm also considering 12", but not more!
However the only 18" I've heard great review was the SWR Big Ben.

I ran 10"s for years but have switched to 12"s - more pronounced mids. 10"s sound better alone, but 12"s sound better in the mix of a band - that's been my experience.

 

[baxter_x]

I ran 10"s for years but have switched to 12"s - more pronounced mids. 10"s sound better alone, but 12"s sound better in the mix of a band - that's been my experience.

Well, thats exactly mine too! I played once on a 212 and I remember its presence was sitting great in the mix!

 

[BassmanPaul]

In both cases the diameter of the speaker(s) was probably the least of the issues. Poorly constructed speakers in poorly designed cabs powered by amps with little-to-no headroom spring to mind, especially when you are messing around with a whole 50 watts.

Hey! In those days, 1964 maybe, 50W WAS a powerful head!!

 

[BassmanPaul]

It probably didn't help that I played Gibson basses through it. Before I finally retired it.

What model Gibson? I was playing an EB0F through the VOX until the bass was stolen.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

In both cases the diameter of the speaker(s) was probably the least of the issues. Poorly constructed speakers in poorly designed cabs powered by amps with little-to-no headroom spring to mind, especially when you are messing around with a whole 50 watts.

Excellent point. My very first "bass amp" was a 4x10 combo (imagine!) - a Kustom Casino. What a POS. Gutless, muddy - but it was cheap in '77. That amp turned me away from 10"s because "they must all sounds that awful amp, right?" until 1992 when I got my 1st SWR rig.

My 2nd rig was a Sunn 412LH - It too was heavy and huge but actually sounded really cool - I should have learned - 12"s are where it's at. It took me years to come back to them.

 

[Gaolee]

Jk I meant 4x12. I thought they made one with 15's sometime in the 70s but I guess they were actually 12's in the one I saw

Acoustic Control made a 4x15 cabinet. Two different ones, actually. The 408 had two front facing and two firing at each other. I had one and it sounded great (to me) when powered by a 320 head. The other 4x15 cabinet they made was the 812 cabinet, which had four front firing 15s and a bottom vent. They were intended as PA speakers, and they work well for that purpose. They also work just fine for bass speakers, provided that you have an appliance hand truck to move them. I have a pair that come out about twice a year for PA duty. They are complete overkill for almost every purpose. If you are a sane person, you will avoid the old monsters. I'm not a sane person and I love 'em. But I'm more than happy to admit they aren't for everyone and they have their drawbacks.

 

[beans-on-toast]

My band is super loud and I need something to move more air than my current 4 12's. Wanted to get something different than a traditional 810.

If one 412 isn't enough, get another one. Way louder with more speakers. I used to run two Mesa 412 cabinets.

 

[Kirk Bryant]

Another good read on this subject is the thread here, "the Rock destruction continues, meet General Sherman" it's JGR's take on this cab.

 

[Pdaddy1978]

What model Gibson? I was playing an EB0F through the VOX until the bass was stolen.

First one was a 60 epi Newport.. Basically a EBO
Then, a Grabber.

 

[ubernator]

Jk I meant 4x12. I thought they made one with 15's sometime in the 70s but I guess they were actually 12's in the one I saw

Randall made a 215 that was square and looked like an oversized guitar 412, diagonally staggered 15s. Think it was 80s though, never seen one in the wild but one was up for sale a while back.

A 415 is totally not practical, a pair of 215s is more like it. I'm sure SWR big Bertha cabs sell cheap because they are heavy. The drivers in those are top notch. I had the 115 son of Bertha since I got it new the end of 98 until it got stolen the end of 2015. If you get one be sure the speakers have the swr logo on the domes, those were great speakers made by PAS I believe.

 

[wave rider]

BNA Audio Sealed 1822
Testing the BNA Audio Sealed Neo 1822 Prototype - Insanely long-winded

This one has looked interesting along with @DukeLeJeune 's 18s.

=wr=

 

[old spice]

I saw posts here that contradict this, but I love the sound of my Sunn Coliseum head with the 2 (rear-loaded horn) 18's.
Amongst many other virtues, they still don't rattle and they have been in constant use since 1972.
They have never let me down on a gig or on the road, and I have received many compliments on their sound.

 

[Kirk Bryant]

Thank you wave rider for providing the link to the thread I was trying to find. That's a great read as well.

PS how do you create the link to another thread? Sorry I'm a bit of an old fuddy duddy and not as tech savey as I'd like to be.

 

[wave rider]

Thank you wave rider for providing the link to the thread I was trying to find. That's a great read as well.

PS how do you create the link to another thread? Sorry I'm a bit of an old fuddy duddy and not as tech savey as I'd like to be.

Glad I could find the thread, the cabinet read is fascinating. Think I searched for sealed 18 to find the thread. Once on the thread, place cursor in the browser URL field, select all, copy, and paste the URL into the new message composition field. I usually paste the URL onto its own line so as not to screw up the code.

On my phone, the process is similar except I use a fingertip instead of a mouse. Fingertip in URL field, pause while touching, choose select all from the menu that appears, then copy, fingertip to select new or reply message field, pause and choose paste on the menu that appears. Awkward at first, it gets easier after a few times.

It is excruciating for me to type on the phone keyboard with my big ol' finger though...

=wr=

 

[Axstar]

Hey! In those days, 1964 maybe, 50W WAS a powerful head!!

I was watching the Eight Days a Week DVD at a friends' house, and was amazed at the bass tone on the live footage. In fact I've been gassing for a Hofner Violin bass ever since. Amazing to think that the tone came out that wee Vox stack that McCartney had onstage. Presumably the sound track has been fettled and polished to some degree.

 

[dbase]

Had an Ampeg portaflex 18" .. too deep and muddy.

 

[beans-on-toast]

I was watching the Eight Days a Week DVD at a friends' house, and was amazed at the bass tone on the live footage. In fact I've been gassing for a Hofner Violin bass ever since. Amazing to think that the tone came out that wee Vox stack that McCartney had onstage. Presumably the sound track has been fettled and polished to some degree.

I have a Hoffner 500/1 bass, it has a very unique tone that I like. Hard to characterize, it's kind of echoey.

McCartney plays with a high action and really digs in when he hits the strings. James Jamerson did much the same with his PBass setup and playing style. Maybe there's something in that.

 

[johnpbass]

I've played through both SWR and Eden 18 cabs in the past and thought they sounded pretty decent. IIRC the Eden, more so than the Big Ben, actually had some decent low mids.