I'm looking at getting a custom made 5x8 from Low Down Sound ([Invalid or Expired Link Removed]), and was wondering how 8inch speakers would sound for upright....
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Double Bass 8" speakers for upright?
- Thread starter BassGreaser
- Start date
You can't really say how an 8" speaker will sound IN GENERAL. It depends on the particular speaker and how the cabinet is tuned.
You can get plenty of lows out 8" speakers when properly designed. I own two SWR Baby Blue amps which use a pair of 8" woofers to allow a small box and they have plenty of low end and the overall sound is well balanced (not overly bright as you might expect).
You can get plenty of lows out 8" speakers when properly designed. I own two SWR Baby Blue amps which use a pair of 8" woofers to allow a small box and they have plenty of low end and the overall sound is well balanced (not overly bright as you might expect).
- Apr 3, 2003
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I have heard those 8" equipped Low Down Sound cabs, and let me tell you, they are impressive! However, the "stock" 5x8 isn't what I would think of as an ideal upright cab. They have tons of low end, and it is very controlled. But they are definitely colored, and lean towards the old school vibe. I talked to them about making a 2 or 3 x8 with one or two midrange drivers in addition to the tweet (which would actually be rather like a VL-208), and I think that you might want those midrange drivers for an upright rig. For R&B on electric, though, those LDS 8" cabs rock.
right now i'm using my VL210 and it has ALOT of lows, but no mid cut. SO I was thinking maybe LDS cabs would do the trick. I am also looking at maybe Aguilar's 1x12
- Apr 3, 2003
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Neither the LDS 8" equipped cabs nor the GS112 will have more midrange (if that is what you are getting at). I have two VL-210B's, and I think at equal volumes, the LDS 3x8 has more lows (though nothing competes with the VL-210 when you really start slamming it). For lower volume settings, and certainly for upright, I prefer my VL-208's, VL-110, or Wizzy, all of which have more midrange presence at low to mid volumes than the VL-210.BassGreaser said:
Hope this helps, Tom.
I just emailed Don at LDS asking if he could build me a 2x8 with a 5 1/4 midrage speaker. He said he can do it! So i might just order one 
- Apr 3, 2003
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If he does, I just may have to drive up there to check it out before he mails it out.BassGreaser said:I just emailed Don at LDS asking if he could build me a 2x8 with a 5 1/4 midrage speaker. He said he can do it! So i might just order one
Actually, I probably won't have a chance to get up there for a while, but that is a cab that I would be VERY interesting in hearing, so if you do get one, please report back on how it sounds. I really think that it could be something special.Tom.
tombowlus said:If he does, I just may have to drive up there to check it out before he mails it out.
...and if you do, I'll expect a full review that compares the sound to the VL208, which at the moment is my favorite cab on earth. Too bad I haven't had any luck at finding a second one. Since I just sold my Ken Smith 6string and have officially retired from slab playing in the process, I'm thinking of selling all of my doubling gear (EA and Berg 12" cabs) and just getting another 2x8. If this cab compares well to the VL208, I may just have to order one.
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As much as I am impressed by Don's cabs, the VL-208 really wears the crown as the best cab I have ever heard, IMHO. And until you hear two (or more!) together, you really haven't heard what it can do. Really! Keep looking for a second (or third) VL-208, or a VL-110 (these pair up fairly well). They are worth the wait. Or, if you ever go off the deep end and want to get rid of yours, I would love to have four of them!Chris Fitzgerald said:
Chris Fitzgerald said:
Wow, Chris, this is news. Did you break it off as a matter of "principle," or were the slab gigs just petering out?
For me it was the latter (which leads me to believe I was never that great of a slab player!), so I recently sold my EB rig, but my Fender Jazz bass has too much sentimental value for me to let go.
Mike Goodbar said:
I had always thought that I wasn't hearing the Slab sound in my head because I never had a great slab. Finally, I got the Smith, which is no question an absolutely fabulous slab, and after a couple of years, I was still hearing the DB sound on everything I wanted to play, so I decided to sell the Smith to someone who will give it the attention it deserves. I'm not sure if that answers the question or not.
But I can say this: I've been turning down slab gigs for over a year now, just because I've finally reached the point in my life where I can afford to do that (knock on wood). Selling the Smith just made turning them down (slab and doubling gigs) a whole lot easier, since I no longer have the means to play them.
Cool. Wish I had the cojones to do that. Maybe when the girls get outta college, in twenty years.
I am intrigued by the idea of 8 inch speakers for upright. All EA gear is fairly unusual here in England, and I think the chances of coming accross a VL208 for sale is nearly non existant. I am toying with the idea of building an experimental 2 by 8 cab myself. Can anyone tell me what sort of drivers the VL208 uses? Are they both the same type of driver? Are they eminence PA drivers like some of the other EA gear?
There are threads around here somewhere from my own search for 8" speakers for upright use. I ended up getting the Schertler Pub which uses a single 8" and I'm loving it.
Hi Adrian
Ive never even heard of one of those in this country although I have seen some of your threads. Is Schertler the manufacturer? Is there a website with their stuff on?
Ive never even heard of one of those in this country although I have seen some of your threads. Is Schertler the manufacturer? Is there a website with their stuff on?
Schertler is a Swiss company and make amongst other things speakers, strings (Velvet), pickups (Dyn-B, Stat-B), etc.paulgraybass said:
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I'm surprised you've never heard of these. There are a few guys here using the Pub. Rufus Reid, Larry Grenadier, Dan Greenspan, etc. are some of the pros endorsing them. They have quite a few speakers in the range, all manufactured by an Italian company they have an interest in:
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The Pub is the papa of the range but they also have smaller units (also with 8" drivers but less power) such as the Unico, Side, etc.
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It is my understanding that EA makes their own drivers. This is the first that I have heard about any of their cabs using Eminence drivers.paulgraybass said:
The following is from a bass player online review of the iamp 350 combo:
'The iAMP combo uses a 350-watt Kevlar-impregnated coaxial Eminence 10
(custom-made to Euphonic's specs) and a 150-watt PA-grade Pyramid tweeter with a titanium diaphragm. The tweeter fires directly through a flared throat hidden beneath the woofer's dust cap.'
It is my understanding that all EA speakers are made by eminence but to EA's spec. I think they are basically customised eminence PA drivers (as are Raezers Edge drivers).
What are the external dimensions of your 208? Could you send me any photos please?
'The iAMP combo uses a 350-watt Kevlar-impregnated coaxial Eminence 10
(custom-made to Euphonic's specs) and a 150-watt PA-grade Pyramid tweeter with a titanium diaphragm. The tweeter fires directly through a flared throat hidden beneath the woofer's dust cap.'
It is my understanding that all EA speakers are made by eminence but to EA's spec. I think they are basically customised eminence PA drivers (as are Raezers Edge drivers).
What are the external dimensions of your 208? Could you send me any photos please?
Adrian Cho said:
Thanks for that. It doesn't look like there are any UK dealers though. How does the pub compare to an acoustic Image contra in terms of sound, volume and projection? Do you need the subwoofer too to get a good bass sound at volume?
I'm probably looking for something to run as an extension speaker to either complement or replace the contras cab.
IMHO there is no comparison. Before I bought the Pub I owned a Series I Coda and then for about a month before and while I had a Pub for evaluation, I had a Series II Coda which I ended up returning. The biggest problem with the AI amps in my opinion is that the downfiring woofer is muddy and as you get crank up the volume more, it just gets muddier. I think that's not just the downfiring woofer but also the drivers and the cylindral design of the cabinet itself. The Pub on the other hand is incredibly focused for low bass and is adequate proof that an 8" driver can do the job. You can really crank it up and the bass remains totally clear and focused. The speaker moves some serious air. If you stand in front of it while it is pumping out bass, you can really feel it. My understanding is that although it is only an 8" driver, it has a very large magnet which gives it the definition it has (and partially explains the weight too). At least this is what the guys at SR Technology told me.paulgraybass said:
The AI is a great combo though and beats most other things out there and there is a lot of good functionality in the head. The Pub for example has no preamp, a single 1/4"/XLR input and nothing else but a volume control and a ground lift. It also weighs more than an AI combo although it is more convenient to carry because of the shape. However I would never go back to an AI speaker.
I was with a friend the other day and we had his Series I Contra and my Pub side by side and there was no comparison at all. However everyone's situation and sound ideal are different. For me, especially with the mic, the Pub has the definition I want. I had a lot of trouble cutting through bands before and as soon as I switched to the Pub, it improved things a lot for me and for those that I play with.
