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Aguilar 2x8 cab "Little Jack"
- Thread starter MR PC
- Start date
Nahhh, I think that's good description. For the big stage sound with lots of other instruments you must have the big cabs, I think.
You wouldn't show up at bullfight and tease the bull in the ring with a cocktail napkin, and you wouldn't show up at a acoustic gig with an SVT and two 8x10 cabs......
You wouldn't show up at bullfight and tease the bull in the ring with a cocktail napkin, and you wouldn't show up at a acoustic gig with an SVT and two 8x10 cabs......
Just listened to Jack Casady live with Hot Tuna Acoustic Trio.
He was using the Aguilar 2x8, but it sure didn't look look like the cab in the Aguilar Promo. I could be wrong, but I want to guess that it could be a prototype.
The dimensions looked more akin to a scaled down version of the old '60's Fender small 2x12 Bandmaster cab. Shallower than the pictures I've seen of the Aguilar production model. It looked like one of those pricey boutique Allesandro 60 watt tube heads sitting on top for power. Killer little combo.
The rig was miked, no direct box line. Great sound! It's a distinctive tone that it seems only Casady can attain with his hands and a very simple rig.
I'm still waiting to find one of these cabs to try.
He was using the Aguilar 2x8, but it sure didn't look look like the cab in the Aguilar Promo. I could be wrong, but I want to guess that it could be a prototype.
The dimensions looked more akin to a scaled down version of the old '60's Fender small 2x12 Bandmaster cab. Shallower than the pictures I've seen of the Aguilar production model. It looked like one of those pricey boutique Allesandro 60 watt tube heads sitting on top for power. Killer little combo.
The rig was miked, no direct box line. Great sound! It's a distinctive tone that it seems only Casady can attain with his hands and a very simple rig.
I'm still waiting to find one of these cabs to try.
Very cool, I've been wondering what amp Jack Casady would use with the cab. I don't think I'll be picking up one of those Allesandro amps anytime soon.... I've been using a 60 watt Sunn head. It looks weird hanging over the edge of the cab but sounds great. I would be curious to find out if that was a different sized cab he had on stage. Maybe they are still tweaking?
Hey Guys,
Jack is using the current production model DB 285JC on the road for Hot Tuna "acoustic' gigs. We never sent Jack any of the early prototypes, he just came by the shop when he was in New York. So...the poster who thought he saw a different Aguilar was probably mistaken.
Jack was (is) using a DB 728, DB 680 and GS 410 for the Hot Tuna "electric" gigs. He also has a DB 750 that he used for the group Moon Alice.
I don't know the particular Allessandro amp that Jack used on these gigs; but it sounds like an amp that would appeal to him. Jack loves tube amps!
Thanks for the info Dave! Still loving the DB285JC. The tone of the cab is great, it sits in the mix like no cab I've ever had. It almost sounds like listening to playback of recorded bass. Love it.
I think that your Sunn amp is every bit as good as the Allesandro, cosidering the price difference! Another good one would be the old Ampeg B 25. Or a Traynor 50 watt, or 100 watt Fender Showman.
The Alesadro did fit perfectly on top of the cab though. Very tidy.
Thanks for the correction, that Little Jack just doesn't look like it weighs 50 lbs! I guess next on the agenda for Jack's signature rig will be a some kind of small tube amp head. His sound was amazing.
I kept thinking that Jack had finally got his great sound back as I listened to him. He shouldn't need to lug that old Versatone amp around anymore, he seemed to be able to just push on his bass a bit and and get any overdrive tone he desired. A very dynamic electric bass rig.
Only problem with the performance was that the Mandolin player didn't seem to grasp the time very well during Jack's solos. Straight bluegrass time was never part of the Art Deco groove of 60's San Francisco music.
Long live Jack!
The weight of the Little Jack is surprising when you first pick it up. But they did a really good job of offsetting the handle on the side of the cab so that it balances well and it's not too bad to carry while walking.
Wow. A mandolin player trying to impose that bluegrass "chop" on Jack Casady would be struggling uphill, for sure. Outside of the San Fran. thing, there's just too much blues influence in there for that kind of time. I hope Jack comes down Nashville way. A lot of folks on tour skip by here because it's such a hard town to draw a crowd in. I haven't seen Hot Tuna in a few years, and it's always great when I do get to see them!
Wow. A mandolin player trying to impose that bluegrass "chop" on Jack Casady would be struggling uphill, for sure. Outside of the San Fran. thing, there's just too much blues influence in there for that kind of time. I hope Jack comes down Nashville way. A lot of folks on tour skip by here because it's such a hard town to draw a crowd in. I haven't seen Hot Tuna in a few years, and it's always great when I do get to see them!
Also of note is that Jack was doing a lot of of straight 16th note patterns in his solos. Jack taped his fingers together for a stretch of time in an effort to play less with his right hand. (Wikipedia!) So he has come full circle in that regard.
I imagine that one of the reasons he did this was that the huge 810 SVT rigs he was using didn't possess the kind of articulation that the 2x8 Little Jack mated with good tube amp offers.
Just as his signature EPI bass brought together the best parts of his old Fender Jazz, modified Guild Starfire, Gibson and Alembic basses into one package, I think he has come close to distilling his experience with bass guitar amplification into a compact package.
Pure Alchemy.
I imagine that one of the reasons he did this was that the huge 810 SVT rigs he was using didn't possess the kind of articulation that the 2x8 Little Jack mated with good tube amp offers.
Just as his signature EPI bass brought together the best parts of his old Fender Jazz, modified Guild Starfire, Gibson and Alembic basses into one package, I think he has come close to distilling his experience with bass guitar amplification into a compact package.
Pure Alchemy.
Bump...
This cab seems so appealing...
Anyone try it with DB yet?
I may have to clear out some gear to buy it blind (or deaf).
Please help me with this latest gas attack!
=JR=
This cab seems so appealing...
Anyone try it with DB yet?
I may have to clear out some gear to buy it blind (or deaf).
Please help me with this latest gas attack!
=JR=
I recorded John Patitucci for my "Behind the bass player" blog.
He played a mess of DB and electric for the audio samples.
We just put a mic on the cab, no compression or treatment.
Could be helpful?
DB
Chef
In Memoriam
While I haven't tried this cab yet, I do have two LowDownSound 2x8 cabs that are very similar.
One has a 5" mid driver, one has a 1" compression driver/horn.
They both do very well with Double Bass, depending how much top end/finger-string noise you like in your sound.
I use two of them to make a 4x8 line array stack, and power it with a little Mesa Walkabout head. It works great, and is louder than anything I'd ever really need to do.
I bet this Ag cab is very good; and two of them with a DB750...fuggetaboutit!!!!!!!!
One has a 5" mid driver, one has a 1" compression driver/horn.
They both do very well with Double Bass, depending how much top end/finger-string noise you like in your sound.
I use two of them to make a 4x8 line array stack, and power it with a little Mesa Walkabout head. It works great, and is louder than anything I'd ever really need to do.
I bet this Ag cab is very good; and two of them with a DB750...fuggetaboutit!!!!!!!!
I have a couple of these cabs, but I would still like to hear some of these samples!
Those are very cool samples in the blog. With the variety of styles, you can really hear what the cab sounds like, thanks for sharing those Dave B.
I've tried to field many questions about this cab since I got mine. But trying to describe the "tone" of a cab is really a nightmare. I hope posting the link is OK, let me know if it's a problem, and I'll remove it.
Samples are here [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I've tried to field many questions about this cab since I got mine. But trying to describe the "tone" of a cab is really a nightmare. I hope posting the link is OK, let me know if it's a problem, and I'll remove it.
Samples are here [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Chef
In Memoriam
Great clips! Very helpful.
Thanks for pointing us there.
Now I am satisfied that this cab will sound awesome for my fenders strung with flats should work as well for my upright.
Now if only I could morph my chops to the level of JP or JC.....
Thanks for pointing us there.
Now I am satisfied that this cab will sound awesome for my fenders strung with flats should work as well for my upright.
Now if only I could morph my chops to the level of JP or JC.....
