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any suggestions on a cab to check out?

jnightmare

jnightmare

May 12, 2004
273
1
42
Carson, CA
#1
well im going to be getting a GK 1001rb-II soon and am debating on what cab i should get. in terms of speakers im leaning toward getting a 4x10 cab for the mean time and adding an additional cab later. i play mainly hardcore music but i do want something with a little versatility to play emo/indie rock kind of stuff. i want something with a good deep sound but also able to get clear mids and highs. any suggestions on a cab i should check out? so far the only ones i have in mind is maybe getting a 4x10 rbh or maybe getting an avatar 4x10. but i would like to hear of anything else i should keep my eye on before making a final decision. anybody have any objections or praises for these cabs would be greatly appreciated as well as your opinion as to how they would fit into my style of playing.
 
#3
I tried out the Goliath 15 with tweeter in it. I must say it's output was very decent, and didn't lack in tone even when I drove the thing to almost peak levels. I didn't get a chance to try the 4X10 goliath cabs but I'm sure they'll be a good matchup for the GK.

The only thing I noticed with the 15" I tried is that I was receiving a lot of unwanted hiss in the background even with the M-Pulse 600 that I ran. Could've been just that cab, it was a pretty chewed up floor model. I'd say go with the SWR or if you can afford getting an Aguilar I'd go for their 4X10
 
#4
Do you play a 5 string or 4 string? Have you tried out one of the SWR's with a 15" and a 10" and some other speakers...The Triad or something? I think Mesa makes something like that too. With all the sizes of speakers in it. If you play a 5 string you may want something bigger than just 10"s...a little more depth. I play Punk/HC too (4 string MM Sterling bass) and have had an 8x10" Ampeg for 6 years...It's heavy, but it never fails to blow the doors off any room...even without getting PA support. I Hate how big it is...but it can handle a ton of power without farting out.
 
#5
ill have to test those out the swr and maybe even the aguilar i think theres a dealer about 30 min. away from me that sell aguilar. but what do you guys have to say about avatar cabs? i hear they can't handle the low end, like anything below an open E. but thats for the 4x10 cab but if i were to get it i could add a 15" to my rig quicker since its much cheaper than most cabs. does anyone know how well the avatar 15" handles the low end? im probably willing to spend at most 800 bucks on a cab but if i get save money i'd love to take that opportunity. i noticed the dealer that sells the aguilar near me sells it for 859 for me to consider that i'd have to really like it. but like i said any thoughts on avatar?
 
#6
I'm primarily a metal/rock player and have owned every 4x10 cab out there,except for the rediculously expensive models from the "boutique" name brands.
The Avatar B410 gets my vote as the best option for you.The thing is rated at 1400RMS,so it'd handle the GK that you have with ease.
Avatar's stuff might not sound as refined and clean as the high end stuff,but who would want that if they're playing a genre of metal or rock music?I like the grittiness of my Avatars for this reason.Plus,you can't beat their value.Good luck in your search.
 
#7
by the way, i live near a guitar center and then 30 min. away i live near another guitar center and sam ash. also i live about 30 min away from hollywood so theres access to that guitar center and all the other dealers like carvin, mesa and what not. and in santa monica theres the bass exchange where they have aguilar and stuff and even orange amps, so theres a pretty wide selection im open to thats why im in such a bind i want some feedback before using up all this gas driving everywhere. with the gas prices these days i'd probably spend as much as a cab driving to all the places haha.
 
#8
sidecar666 i play a 4 string, and we play in drop D. well i don't really want a 8x10 cause thats to big. i rather get a 4x10 and 1x15 cab so its easier to transport and at practice i can bring the 10s but for gigs i could bring both. but depending on the money i spend on a 4x10 determines how long it'll take me to get a 15". by the way snailplow or anyone else who uses avatar do any of you have the B410 and B115 setup and if so how does that sound?
 
#9
jnightmare said:
ill have to test those out the swr and maybe even the aguilar i think theres a dealer about 30 min. away from me that sell aguilar. but what do you guys have to say about avatar cabs? i hear they can't handle the low end, like anything below an open E. but thats for the 4x10 cab but if i were to get it i could add a 15" to my rig quicker since its much cheaper than most cabs. does anyone know how well the avatar 15" handles the low end? im probably willing to spend at most 800 bucks on a cab but if i get save money i'd love to take that opportunity. i noticed the dealer that sells the aguilar near me sells it for 859 for me to consider that i'd have to really like it. but like i said any thoughts on avatar?
Click to expand...

My Avatar B410 handles the open B on both of my 5 string basses with no problem.I'm using a Crest power amp that pushes 1500 watts into 4 ohms,but the 750 that your GK pushes is plenty enough.
If you want,you could go with one 4x10 cab and one 1x15(each would need to be 8 ohms).Those two Avatars would kick ass under your GK.
 
#10
jnightmare said:
well im going to be getting a GK 1001rb-II soon and am debating on what cab i should get. in terms of speakers im leaning toward getting a 4x10 cab for the mean time and adding an additional cab later. i play mainly hardcore music but i do want something with a little versatility to play emo/indie rock kind of stuff. i want something with a good deep sound but also able to get clear mids and highs. any suggestions on a cab i should check out? so far the only ones i have in mind is maybe getting a 4x10 rbh or maybe getting an avatar 4x10. but i would like to hear of anything else i should keep my eye on before making a final decision. anybody have any objections or praises for these cabs would be greatly appreciated as well as your opinion as to how they would fit into my style of playing.
Click to expand...
For maximum tonal flexibility, I would recommend either EA or Accugroove cabs. A Whappo, Jr. should fit your bill nicely (though it ain't cheap). Epifani cabs are not as flat, and don't have quite as much midrange as EA or Accugroove, but they certainly to the "deep" thing well, and their high end is outstanding. Finally, in the more affordable camp, the custom cabs that Don at Low Down Sound (www.lowdownsound.com) is making are simply outstanding. His long-throw 8" equipped cabs are some of the deepest sounding cabs that I have heard, but still maintain a tight, clear sound (though also not with as much upper mids as EA or Accugroove).

Tom.
 
#11
I'd also say check out the Epifani's, Bergantino's or if you can locate one, the Schroeder Cabinets! Keep in mind that the Cabinet you choose is very important, more so then the head you choose in my opinion! So don't just think anything that makes noise will work.....
I think most anything other then a SWR which has scooped mids, will have more mid then an Accugroove, EA or Acme considering they are designed to be flat. Thats not a bad thing, just depends on what you desire.

Best of luck and have fun playing different things :bassist:
 
#12
Brian Barrett said:
I think most anything other then a SWR which has scooped mids, will have more mid then an Accugroove, EA or Acme considering they are designed to be flat. Thats not a bad thing, just depends on what you desire.
Click to expand...
Hmmm... This is somewhat contrary to what I have found. Most of the "older" bass cab brands out there (Eden, SWR, Ampeg, Hartke, Fender, Peavey, etc.) sound like they have holes somewhere in the mids (usually upper mids), as compared to Accugroove, EA (and presumably ACME, though I have not heard them). Of the older brands, the best mids that I ever found were in the Mesa Boogie Diesel and Road Ready cabs. To my ears, the "flat" or "accurate" cabs seem to have MORE mids, not LESS than the other brands. Sure, some cabs aren't as "scooped" as others, and some even have prominent frequency "humps" (ala Eden's famous "low-mid hump" in the 410XLT), but for the midrange frequencies taken as a whole, I haven't heard any other full-range cabs match the balanced, present (but pleasant) mids of EA and Accugroove. True, there are some cabs that seem to do ONLY midrange (like my Ashdown Mini 10T) or predominantly midrange (like my Mesa Boogie Powerhouse, Jr.), but I think that my EA cabs have just as much mids (but with lows and highs as well).

But, then again, we all seem to hear and perceive bass tones in different manners and with different preferences. That's why it's so great that we bass players have so many choices available to us today.

Tom.
 
#13
Since you're playing emo/indie rock,I wouldn't waste the cash on any high end cabs.Yea,they sound more refined,accurate,blah,blah,blah,but for your style of music,an Avatar B410 would do just fine.Plus you'd have alot of money left over for whatever else suits your fancy.
I've owned cabs by Peavey,Ampeg,Trace Elliot,Eden,SWR,plus alot of others,and have played through alot of high end cabs in live situations.The high end stuff does sound more refined,but not enough so to warrant the extra cash,considering your needs and budget.Just my two cents.
 
#14
Tom

Hey man, maybe we just have different opinions of what sounds scooped. It not a big deal, everyone hears things differently.
To me a SWR is very scoop mid sounding with all treble and bass and no mid verse an Eden is very mid range honk and to me can be muddy. I find the Bergantino and Epifani to be clearer cab’s while they do focus on the bass guitar and are not a true flat cabinet. I find they help emphasize the tone of the bass verse just being a flat sounding cab with no color. My experience has been that a true flat cab sometime doesn’t push well through the mix of distortion from guitars and Kick drums. Of course different situation may change the way you hear things. It’s also why sometimes a bass & rig setup that sound great in a room playing around has no sound in a live situation. Finding the happy medium where solo sounds amazing as well as in a band setting with everything screaming and you cut through the mix with a monster tone is my ideal setup.

Finding new gear and trying new gear is always fun, so enjoy the search!
 
#15
Brian Barrett said:
Tom

Hey man, maybe we just have different opinions of what sounds scooped. It not a big deal, everyone hears things differently.
To me a SWR is very scoop mid sounding with all treble and bass and no mid verse an Eden is very mid range honk and to me can be muddy. I find the Bergantino and Epifani to be clearer cab’s while they do focus on the bass guitar and are not a true flat cabinet. I find they help emphasize the tone of the bass verse just being a flat sounding cab with no color. My experience has been that a true flat cab sometime doesn’t push well through the mix of distortion from guitars and Kick drums. Of course different situation may change the way you hear things. It’s also why sometimes a bass & rig setup that sound great in a room playing around has no sound in a live situation. Finding the happy medium where solo sounds amazing as well as in a band setting with everything screaming and you cut through the mix with a monster tone is my ideal setup.

Finding new gear and trying new gear is always fun, so enjoy the search!
Click to expand...
We're probably on the same page (or close to it), but we are expressing ourselves with different words. I agree that a ruler flat tone sometimes does not cut it in the mix. But one thing I like about starting with a balanced sounding cab with no inherent peaks or valleys (or at least not any big ones) is that when necessary, you can use EQ to provide that certain boost (or cut) required to work in a given room/situation. If you start with a cab that already has a characteristic boost/cut, you do in some ways limit your options (or have to resort to more extreme EQ, which I try to avoid). Bergies and Epis are very, very nice, too, and much more balanced than (some) Eden or SWR cabs.
 
#17
I was once in your position J, and if i were you (and had the cash) i'd try and get something like a used/new Bergie, EA, or AccuGroove cab(i'm in the process of doing the same and i play in 3 bands, Hardcore, Rock, and Jazz/fusion). I say this because these cabs definately rock in the hardcore and rock scenarios, but they can also easily be used for any other type of music you could think of. So if you get one of them, you'll be covered for any changes in style that you might have as you grow as a player over the next 5 or so years, whereas you wouldn't be AS flexibile with something like an Ampeg, Eden, or SWR rig. just my 2 cents, IMO, FWIW, etc.
 
#19
if your talking about me, then i apologize. i was just trying to say that i play mainly hardcore and if i decide to play a different kind of music on the side i want something that can still some what fit that situation. again if it was me i apologize, you've actually been quite helpful with all my questions i sent you.
 
#20
jnightmare said:
if your talking about me, then i apologize. i was just trying to say that i play mainly hardcore and if i decide to play a different kind of music on the side i want something that can still some what fit that situation. again if it was me i apologize, you've actually been quite helpful with all my questions i sent you.
Click to expand...

It wasn't you my brother.Some guys on here get their feathers ruffled if someone on here disagrees with the value of high end gear.
I've had the opportunity to talk to quite a few pro metal/rock bass players at different Ozzfest shows,and most of them tend to shy away from the highend cabs.
The word "sterile" was used quite often to describe their sound.That doesn't mean you won't like them,so by all means play through as many cabinets that you have access to.You might disagree with the masses.In the end it's your decision.
All I was trying to convey was that from my experience,rock/metal players usually WANT some "character" from their cabs.
Some guys refer to this "character" as "coloration",as if it's a bad thing.It's all perspective and opinion though.There is no real global right answer for all.
 

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