A pair of smallish cabs?

[Timmah]

Lately I've been thinking of building a “modular” bass rig- that is, having 2 smallish cabs so I can use 1 or both depending on the situation- and I realize I’ve been a bit out of the loop on what’s available and high quality. I think a pair of matched 210 or 115 cabs is probably what I’m looking for.


Sound needs: I play in a few different bands with different tone goals, but I need something that’ll handle a low B clearly, take pedals well, and sound good in some relatively aggressive rock situations. Most of what I play is rock oriented but can range from distorted P bass tones to clear deep 5-string stuff.


Volume needs: I play a lot of small bars where my Mesa Walkabout 12” combo *almost* cuts it, so I’d like to be able to bring 1 cab in those situations, and probably want a little more oomph than a single 12 can provide. I’d also like to be able to turn up and let loose in outdoor situations (bike nights, backyard functions etc) where my bass is expected to carry the “room” without help from the PA. I don’t need extreme volume- my current “big” cab is a Genz Benz 212, for reference, but I’d like to get a little louder than that.


So what’s out there? I know that the forum favorite lately is Mesa’s Subway series, but they’re expensive and I’d like to know what else is out there. GK Neo and CX cabs are both interesting to me, and I know Markbass and Ampeg’s Venture series both have options in that space as well.

 

[roccobass]

A lot if Mesa players like the 115 as “single” cab, but you were saying you wanted just one cab to do the trick. Sounds like you guys are putting a fair amount of volume out there if you’re 212 isn’t cutting it. You might try a Mesa 215, which are neither light nor cheap either. There’s the Phil Jones C8 also. Again, same problems.

Dunno, how you’re gonna reconcile the cost/volume factors on something more powerful. Might be more economical and easier to bring two of something when you need it . I dunno.


However, you don’t to buy new. A lot of times you’ll see them for sale here on TB or perhaps CL or Reverb. Good luck with the hunt.

 

[Aloe]

if a 112 cab is 'almost enough', the next step up for a single-cab solution is a 210 or a 115, depending on what you sonically prefer. two 210s or 115 would also be louder than a 212.

I'm pretty happy moved from a 112 to a modern 210 that weights under 25 lbs, but of course two of them sound even better. mines are MarkBass, but not sure if that's your cup of tea.

 

[Timmah]

A lot if Mesa players like the 115 as “single” cab, but you were saying you wanted just one cab to do the trick. Sounds like you guys are putting a fair amount of volume out there if you’re 212 isn’t cutting it. You might try a Mesa 215, which are neither light nor cheap either. There’s the Phil Jones C8 also. Again, same problems.

Dunno, how you’re gonna reconcile the cost/volume factors on something more powerful. Might be more economical and easier to bring two of something when you need it . I dunno.


However, you don’t to buy new. A lot of times you’ll see them for sale here on TB or perhaps CL or Reverb. Good luck with the hunt.

Gonna chalk this one up to early morning brain but if you read a little closer, even the title says “a pair.” I want to use one for small gigs and two for big stuff.

 

[Timmah]

if a 112 cab is 'almost enough', the next step up for a single-cab solution is a 210 or a 115, depending on what you sonically prefer. two 210s or 115 would also be louder than a 212.

I'm pretty happy moved from a 112 to a modern 210 that weights under 25 lbs, but of course two of them sound even better. mines are MarkBass, but not sure if that's your cup of tea.

Yup, that’s definitely in line with what I’m thinking regarding volume.

As for the Markbass- I’m not sure if they’d be my cup of tea, can you help me out? I loved the form factor but I worry that they’d be voiced too politely for my needs. Do you use yours for rock? Any distortion?

 

[Aloe]

As for the Markbass- I’m not sure if they’d be my cup of tea, can you help me out? I loved the form factor but I worry that they’d be voiced too politely for my needs. Do you use yours for rock? Any distortion?

nope, I think, I don't even have any dirt to try.

I have the MB58R Energy ones, they're pretty transparent with a bit of warmth in hi-mids. the Pure ones are a bit scooped or hollow compared to them, but might have a bit more going in top end. coming from a EBS 112 Neo (which I think is pretty good for rock), my Energies have definitely a bit less going at the very top and a bit more in high mids, but the overall sonical profile is closer than I expected. however, they're much more capable with the low B string than that poor little 112.

Thomann has audio demos of a 102 Pure, I think, from there you can see if you like the voicing and how it sounds with some dirt. also pay attention that some of the linked demos have boosted mids on the amp, i.e. how it sounds depends on the amp as well.

 

[Ggaa]

I use one or both GK MBE 115s with a Genzler Magellan head. And a HPF always. 3 5 string Warwicks, one tuned half step low.

 

[msb]

Bergantino. I’ve been using a 112 & 210 combo , they were designed to be used together. For many gigs I just use the 112. Small , lightweight , modular. Great cabs.

 

[Kaa]

Maybe I missed it, but, do you already have a head for the modular set up? Or will you be using the Walkabout with an extension?

 

[HotelX]

You should look at Revsound cabs.

 

[el murdoque]

Get a pair of barefaced 112 cabinets.
Or better: Plan on getting a pair of barefaced 112 cabinets, but buy one first, because you will not need a second one.

My current setup: A band that plays 80's metal. There's one full stack (100W tube head and 2x412 cabs) and one half stack in the room for the guitars. The drummer mics the kick drum and sends it through the PA. I bring my barefaced Super Mini. When I did so for the first time, they looked at me with pity. They said I could use the resident 4x10 Hartke cab that's in the room. I said I'm good. They looked at me with even more pity - now assuming that I not only seriously lack in the realms of SPL, but also in the realms of IQ.

The next thing they did was asking me to turn down a bit.

That's the scenario I bought a second cab for, when I thought that one cab can handle most everything but when playing metal with loud guitars, I'd need both. I actually don't.

 

[emjazz]

Just pick your favorite company and buy two 112s. They’ll work for anything. Most every company now makes great lightweight options. Either get a combo amp with an extension cab, or add the amp that suits you and you’re good to go. Everyone will suggest their favorite company, but what’s yours? Pretty much anything you get will be great. I can’t suggest what I use because unfortunately the company isn’t around any longer.

 

[salmon256]

Echoing a bit of what @el murdoque said, but I think Barefaced is key. A lot of their cabs for the size and power are a small footprint. Also if this is just for bars, yeah I think they will be just fine IMO. If you consider them, they are easy to work with in emails.

If PA isn't a problem which still a BF cab would be fine without one an with one, you can consider some of the smaller Markbass cabs or Phil Jones. Phil Jones is kind of very very gerne dependent IMO! For any of these brands would go to their clubs/dedicated forums on here though before purchasing in my opinion. Best of luck, btw Alex is active on Talkbass as well which is a giant plus.

Best of luck dude.

 

[burgerdj]

I was in the same situation with my WA12 (which I still use for rehearsal and small rooms). I added two BagEnd 15 to my options. They are about as compact as you can make a 15, are relatively light (mine are birch) and they sound great individually and stacked. I love them and was happy when they came my way. If I couldn’t have the BE, I likely would’ve ended up with a 212.

 

[SJan3]

Yup, that’s definitely in line with what I’m thinking regarding volume.

As for the Markbass- I’m not sure if they’d be my cup of tea, can you help me out? I loved the form factor but I worry that they’d be voiced too politely for my needs. Do you use yours for rock? Any distortion?

 

[Mastiff_5]

You’ll find me singing the same praises elsewhere on TB, but I’ll repeat them here:
Gallien-Krueger NeoIV 1x12 cabs.
I wanted to do exactly what you are doing. I’m a Mesa guy, and play a Mesa Subway head. But I took a chance on these new GK NeoIV cabs, and man I am SO glad I did. I believe they are a little less voiced and more transparent than the Subway cabs.
That being said, they are loud, they are light, and they are articulate. I have no problem getting 5 string low-B ranged wicked and booming lows, or tight chest-thumping lows out of them. Nor do I have any trouble sculpting different mid-frequency voicings appropriate to different styles/particular songs.
I use a pair of the 1x12 cabs, and a single cab handles loud rehearsals and up to a decent size club stage. The pair covers me just fine.
There are a ton of excellent choices in light pro cabs these days, we are in a great era for it. I took a flier on the GK cabs (partly because they are as made in the US as can be, including the speakers), and I am extremely, extremely pleased. I use a pedalboard and a robust on-board preamp (Delano Sonar 3) to sculpt my tones, and these cabs transmit them with authority and clarity.

Do not count out the GK NeoIV series as you consider all the great options on offer!

 

[Jefenator]

I just realized: I don't use any 12s at all at the moment! (Not too long ago all I had was 12s...)
Nowadays I have a tweeter-less 1x15 and a modern neodymium 2x10.
If you can get both of the same brand & series, that would of course be great.
But if the local used market offers you a mismatched solution, with a little luck that can work, too.
My FrankenStack has been serving me quite well.

 

[pepj]

Check out the TKS s112 on Reverb.
I think they are in the UK which means tariffs, but these are fab cabs and 10kg each.

 

[Monkey]

I use a Markbass Mini CMD 121 combo for most small gigs and add a matching extension cabinet (NY121) when needed. At 500 watts, both cabinets put out an impressive volume level and they each weigh less than 30 lbs. I currently play in an Americana-type 4-piece band and a roots reggae band, along with the occasional jazz trio. I'm really happy with the volume, tone, and portability.

 

[Standalone]

A classic pair of Bag End S15's is heaven for me. I can't recommend that enough. They each weigh about 42 pounds, which is very manageable -- I've never been happy with the way that neo loaded cabs respond to my playing, and these compact fifteens are just Goldilocks-perfect.