1x 18 folded cab build?

[jj4001]

I don't claim to know anything about the science behind it. I just know what my earholes dig.

 

[Rickenbackerman]

Every 18 I've ever played through has been slow, muddy and floppy. Then I bought a 370/301 rig. Man, the thing is right and tight. And LOUD. If I didn't know what was in there I'd bet money that it's not an 18...

 

[jj4001]

I hear ya. My 301 came to me with an MCM Audio 18". God awful! Found a CV 187 for it and since then, it's incredible. You can't just write off any speaker based on its size without accounting for it's make and model. Well, you can, but your not doing yourself any favors.

 

[1n3]

Okay, but then why does my Acoustic 301 sound better than any other bass cab I've heard? I mean, it sounds REALLY good. Why?

This is like asking "why does a cheeseburger taste REALLY good?". The w-horn response is very colored (some good posts here that explain why). Presumably, you REALLY like that coloration. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[BioWeapon]

This is like asking "why does a cheeseburger taste REALLY good?". The w-horn response is very colored (some good posts here that explain why). Presumably, you REALLY like that coloration. Nothing wrong with that.

And just like a cheeseburger, each horn is different. Different designs give different responses, different tones etc.

 

[jj4001]

This is like asking "why does a cheeseburger taste REALLY good?". The w-horn response is very colored (some good posts here that explain why). Presumably, you REALLY like that coloration. Nothing wrong with that.

Sure enough. We're not all trying to sound like a John Tesh record, after all.

 

[bassman10096]

+1 to the discussion about sound. Also, remember, folded horn designs have so much plywood in them that they weigh like a boat anchor. I'm old school. I loved them in the day, was tempted by the revived Acoustics, considered building one myself (not too difficult). But when I considered weight and size of a FH 118 vs some of the really cool stuff going on with modern technology, the decision was easy. I just finished building my first fearful 15/6 and have been floored by the sound. I've built a lot of cabs -most of them good, but nothing like this. I still love the old designs (folded horns, Karlsons) but there really are more appealing options among the modern stuff.

 

[ranbunctious]

Hello,

I've been drooling over the Acoustic 360/361 re-issue setup that's out now, but since I live in Europe, with the purchase price plus taxes plus shipping, that's never going to happen. So I've been having the crazy thought of building a folded horn cabinet with an 18-inch speaker. Would that make any sense? Does anyone use that kind of stuff anymore?

I built a cab with 2-18" Vegas, similar to earthquake types. One is front loaded and the other is facing down into the horn. I've had it since 1990 (28 years). It has casters and no heavier than my Kustom 3-15" cab. As long as I don't have stairs, I can roll it to the truck & tip 'n slide it in. I power it with an old Sunn Coliseum... no mids or tweeters needed. If I pair it with the Kustom, it's absolutely heavenly. If you want a perfect cab, go with a Cerwin Vega folded horn. You won't be sorry. Got the idea from all the bassplayers I see in concerts who use them with SVTs. Found out later that Entwistle used my same exact setup....

 

[BassmanPaul]

Just saying that @Noot was last seen here an May 5 2016.

 

[ranbunctious]

I consider an 18" speaker, regardless of how it is mounted, useless. It is too large and the response too slow to get any tone out of it. A 18" folded horn will move the mud a long way, but it doesn't sound very good.

When you use an EQ, those 18s can do ANYTHING. I do admit, however, that when I play thru both front loaded 15s and the 18 folded horn, the sound is beyond words...