hey im moving up from a combo and ive recently purchased a hartke HA3500 head and im looking for a cab. im prettty sure i want a 2x15 cab but ive found ver very few of these. specificaly the mesa boogie( out of my price range) and a crate( too cheap a brand). are there ne other brands that make them? thanx for your help
You should try out other speaker configurations (like 4X10) before you decide. 2X15 is not very popular anymore. Too boomy and not enough punch or tonal range for most But, if that's your choice, an SWR Big Bertha is worth looking at, although also pricey. Hartke makes a 2x15, but it is basically a sub I had an Acoustic 150b amp and a 2x15 back in the 70's. Sounded good then! (from what I remember)
what kind of crate? is it the one that has the metal grill? if so then it is really nice. i know a band that is on warped tour that uses one and a workingmans 4004 head with a stingray. had good tone. steve
Crate too cheap?, who believes that price guarantees quality, there are a lot of players out there that have wasted loads of money trying to keep up with "Gear Heads". I paid £600 for mine, and beleive me that is not cheap. As for being boomy,lack punch and no tonal range, I imagine there are a few Ampeg users out there who would disagree with those points. 2x15's have moved on quite a lot from the early days, and not every player wants the "Hi Fi" sound If you can put up with the size and weight they are great cabs, especially for rock.
I don't know if they still make them (but I bet you could pick one up real cheap used if they didn't) but Peavey had this 2X15 cab that just plain rocks.
My main point is that handlax should try different cabs to see which sounds best to him (if he has not alredy done so) A 3500 could run a 4X10, 1X15 and 2x10, 1x12, 2x12, 2x15...you get the point. If he ran out and bought a 2x15 at 4ohms, he would not be able to add, say a 2x10. The Hartke 215BXL has a Frequency Response of 30 Hz To 1 kHz. Unless you are playing dub, I do not think this is a good idea And it is a monster (110 lbs) The Hartke head is basically a Hi-Fi sounding amp. I would think an Ampeg head would be better suited to the "vintage" 2X15 sound IMHO
I love my 2x15 under a 2x10, but I wouldn't use it by itself except for reggae, r'n'b of blues. WAY too muddy.
thanx for all of your help guys. i think that the best and most economical decision for me is what im going to do. im gonna get an avatar 2x10 or a 4x10. then if i feel that i need the extra bottom end ill add a 115. one more question though, can you add a poweramp toa head? or do you have only have a preamp?
Right now the only 2x15 that I own is a Trace elloit and the only thing the cabinet impressed me with was playing on the B and E. (Which I almost never do.........................)It would probably be very hard for you to get a hold of one now since trace elloit has stopped building in england and hasn't built anything in the USA yet (that I know of). It was a bit pricey too.......the only reason I bought it was because I got it for five hundred bucks. (list price: 1450.00) I would take a look at harke or SWR's big Bertha for a 2x15. I would suggest those two over my trace elloit. There speakers are much more clean (for a 2x15) and aren't too bad on price.......I think there around a grand each. I would also look at other types of cabs as well...........I think 4x10's are much more versatile you can always add one to your rig anyway if you have you heart set on your 2x15. happy hunting -insighted
I've been using an Eden 2x15 xlt for about a year and a half and absolutely love it. Very very articulate for 15s. I actually find myself turning the tweeter off fairly frequently to get rid of some of the high end. And I won't even get in to how well it handles a low b string. Lates, davo
Perhaps a more flexible alternative is to get 2 Bag End S-15D's. You can stack em if you like (which is what I do) but you retain the flexibility to add another cab in the future.
Hi: For outdoors or large clubs with my Tube setup, you can't beat the EV B215M (2 x 15 + 6" cone midrange). It produces much better stage volume than my Epi t212. Yeah, it's heavy, but with casters it's actually easier to tilt into a vehicle than lugging a 75 lb cabinet. Best thing, is they can be picked up very cheaply. IMHO, they are just as nice as the Mesa Boogie 2 x 15's for much less Phil Anderson Tucson, AZ
I couldn't agree more. I put an Eden 2x10 cab on top of my B215M and while the arrangement may not look real purdy, it kicks maximus assimus. The real trick is to find an EV B215M. They've been out of production for a long time and weren't real common when they were being made.
The ElectroVoice 15BX and DL15X look really nice for a 4-string. They are seriously loud for a 15", and their optimum SBB4 tuning makes them snappy and fast for 4-string basses.
I love the physical sensation of playing bass. I love the way it rumbles against my tummy and the way the ground vibrates under me. I love that big, boomy roar behind me and that is why I highly recommend a 2x15 cab. I'd go for 18's if I was a real beast, but 15's sound fabulous. I hate 10 inch speakers. They're OK for a car stereo, but I'm not gonna play my bass through them. I have a few 2x15 cabs and there are plenty available. I recommend disconnecting any horns or other high end accentuators that may be in line and getting some really good speakers. I like JBLs. You will notice a significant amount of ass rumble coming from behind you. You will like it alot.
I agree! My dad had one a while ago, till he sold it to buy a 2x10 I wish he still had it, that cab rocked!