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Anyone Disappointed with a Fearful

tycobb73

tycobb73

Jul 23, 2006
3,744
807
Grand Rapids MI
#1
I've been reading up on Fearful lately. As my dad is very handy with his hands and I like having stuff that my dad built for me (he modifed my Spector for me, I'm legally blind otherwise I'd attempt it myself) I've been thinking about a build. I've heard all the great stuff but haven't heard much negative stuff. Is there any negative stuff? Please describe what you found negative about it. Any of you switched to something different after using one? Why?
 
#2
Hmm lets see... Negatives... Negatives... Nope, none exist... :ninja:

In all seriousness I dont see any negatives about the cab. There are a few things that surprise people, and that they dont care for.

  • The mids are a lot more present than commercial cabs across the whole mid spectrum. If you look at a sealed Ampeg cab, it is what most people call "Mid present" because there is frequency response roll off at the low end, as well as the high end. This isnt a bad thing, in fact it defines a lot of peoples sound. Then you compair a ported cab with a tweeter, lets use my old Peavey 410 as an example. It has a much bigger low end than the 410HE, there is still some of that upper mid roll off and then BANG the tweeter comes in to play. This is also not a bad thing, it as well defines a lot of peoples sound. They strive for that sound as it is what they hear in their heads. Now comes in the fEARful. Big low end, Check, present mids, Check, roll off on either the low or the high end? not so much. The LF driver covers a huge range down low, and the mid driver covers through the usual upper mid gash. There are a lot of guys who dont use or have a tweeter even, the mid range driver is that good. Now there are some that dont care for the presence of response in some of these ranges. Thats not a negative, its just not there sound. For ever person who has owned and hasnt cared for the FR, there are 10 that love it.
  • Low end response as I mentioned is huge. These LF drivers will try to take everything you throw at them, including sub sonic ranges of signal. This can suck a lot more power out of your amp than people realize. If the amp doesnt have a HPF to keep power from drifting in to non hearable ranges, the use of an external one can really clean up power management. One again this isnt a negative, I would rather have a cab more capable and dial stuff back, than less capable and have no way around it.
These are just two quick off the top of my head. Other people will chime in.

Tell you what, you should get ahold of me and come play one.
 
#3
never tried one, but the point of the fEarful is to get a basically flat studio monitor type cab, some people out there aren't looking for that. An SVT for example is designed to work best with a sealed tweeterless 810 cab. that doesn't mean it won't sound good with a fEarful, it just won't sound the same as an ampeg stack, and that is what most people want from it. Some people want colored cabs, if you want a flat neutral cab then the fEarful is THE way to go from what I have read...
 
#4
Son of Bovril said:
never tried one, but the point of the fEarful is to get a basically flat studio monitor type cab, some people out there aren't looking for that. An SVT for example is designed to work best with a sealed tweeterless 810 cab. that doesn't mean it won't sound good with a fEarful, it just won't sound the same as an ampeg stack, and that is what most people want from it. Some people want colored cabs, if you want a flat neutral cab then the fEarful is THE way to go from what I have read...
Click to expand...

Work "Best" or sound "Best" is pretty subjective. I never liked any Ampeg head through an Ampeg cab. Then I put one on top of a fEARful. Guess what I bought one. The tone one gets, and how they like it are subjective. Certain gear works for certain people. If you play through one set up you will sound certain way, and if I play through it I will sound different. Whether either of those sounds work for us is anyones guess before we try it.
 
#5
I've not heard anything negative, though there are instances of TBers, some quite well known, who have found the fEARful not to their taste. Again, not anything negative, just not their cup of tea.
 
#7
Some have posted that they are too neutral sounding, and like the color that a paper woofer reaching it's frequency limits imparts to bass tone. Greenboy has newer designs (like the Bassic) that have a more colored tone as well. I love my LDS 15-6, and count me among those who'd rather shape tone with the amp and bass than the cab. Different strokes.
 
#8
This will be a fun thread.

I have a LDS 15/6 built to fearful specs. Here's what I tell people: if you're happy with your current tone and aren't having any problems being heard, then a fearful will provide you no benefit and may prove frustrating as you will spend hours trying to dial back in your tone.
 
#9
guy n. cognito said:
This will be a fun thread.

I have a LDS 15/6 built to fearful specs. Here's what I tell people: if you're happy with your current tone and aren't having any problems being heard, then a fearful will provide you no benefit and may prove frustrating as you will spend hours trying to dial back in your tone.
Click to expand...

+1

You have to get friendly with your EQ. The BONUS to this is that your EQ can get you much more varied tones than before.
 
#10
guy n. cognito said:
This will be a fun thread.

I have a LDS 15/6 built to fearful specs. Here's what I tell people: if you're happy with your current tone and aren't having any problems being heard, then a fearful will provide you no benefit and may prove frustrating as you will spend hours trying to dial back in your tone.
Click to expand...

I agree...

...but then, if you're happy with your current tone and aren't having any problems being heard, ANY cabinet will provide you no benefit and may prove frustrating. It isn't especially unique to any particular cabinet.

If you're happy ith your current tone and aren't having any problems being heard - you're crazy to even consider changing cabinets. It's an exercise in change for change's sake.
 
#12
To the OP, The benefit that you have is that you can come and play through either my 15/6 or my 1515/66/1 and make a decision for yourself. Also there is an authorized builder near by in case you have any questions that should be directed to him. If I were you I would also joing the Greenboy forums and direct some questions over there.
 
#14
Surprisingly, the thing that's the toughest for many people to deal with is the low end. There can be too much bass and not enough upper bass and lots of bass amps have very poor tone shaping down low.
 
#15
My biggest disappointment with fEARful's is that I'm touring Europe for 2 months and couldn't bring them with me! A friend, delta7fred, loaned me one of his in the UK last week for a gig...the clouds parted...life got better :)
 
#16
JxBass said:
I've not heard anything negative, though there are instances of TBers, some quite well known, who have found the fEARful not to their taste. Again, not anything negative, just not their cup of tea.
Click to expand...

I think I fall into this category. Just not my sound, and mostly because of the big low end response. I mostly got one for the weight factor, but could'nt really nail my tone, no matter how many knobs I turned. However, during my whole fEARful experience, I discovered the 3012HO drivers, and pretty much dug the tone I was getting from a 212/horn cab built around those 12's. Again, nothing negative about the fEARful concept, just not for me. Greenboy's designs are the real deal, though, including the no-fEARful designs like the Dually, which I just might have to investigate as I was a big time user of the 215 design for most of my playing days.
 
#17
jnewmark said:
I think I fall into this category. Just not my sound, and mostly because of the big low end response. I mostly got one for the weight factor, but could'nt really nail my tone, no matter how many knobs I turned. However, during my whole fEARful experience, I discovered the 3012HO drivers, and pretty much dug the tone I was getting from a 212/horn cab built around those 12's. Again, nothing negative about the fEARful concept, just not for me. Greenboy's designs are the real deal, though, including the no-fEARful designs like the Dually, which I just might have to investigate as I was a big time user of the 215 design for most of my playing days.
Click to expand...

Did you see the one I posted about a day or so ago? 39 pound Dually with Faital pro's.
 

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