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Anyone using cabinets without tweeters?

#21
Part of my "reference rig" includes an Epifani 3X10. I have the tweeter set a 12:00 when customers demo basses through it, but when I use it live, I tend to turn the tweeter off and boost the highs on the preamp just a bit to compensate. I've found that the 10s translate the high-end well, but I can tone down that "high-end zing" that isn't always needed all the time and in all playing circumstances. I think the next cab(s) I buy will probably be without tweeters.
 
#22
I'm taking the two EX 112s live in the morning. I tried them out at practice on Wednesday and I was floored by how present in the mix they were. I can't wait till I can crank them a little bit.

Really, I think many of my bass idols (Claypool, Flea, Robert Trujillo- with Infectious Grooves) all used tweeterless cabinets on stage. I know Robert uses SVT 810s on stage. All the old Primus footage I have shows Les using two Mesa Boogie 215 cabinets and it was plenty snappy enough for me. When I saw Primus a couple of weeks ago in Asheville, Claypool was using all Ampeg Pro gear, four 115s and two 410s. I would say he had the tweeters off, because he used a lot of overdrive and distortion.

Has anyone else here used those older MB Powerhouse or Ampeg SVT cabinets for slap/funk rock ala Chili Peppers, Primus, etc.
 
#23
growlngrind said:
I'm taking the two EX 112s live in the morning. I tried them out at practice on Wednesday and I was floored by how present in the mix they were. I can't wait till I can crank them a little bit.

Really, I think many of my bass idols (Claypool, Flea, Robert Trujillo- with Infectious Grooves) all used tweeterless cabinets on stage. I know Robert uses SVT 810s on stage. All the old Primus footage I have shows Les using two Mesa Boogie 215 cabinets and it was plenty snappy enough for me. When I saw Primus a couple of weeks ago in Asheville, Claypool was using all Ampeg Pro gear, four 115s and two 410s. I would say he had the tweeters off, because he used a lot of overdrive and distortion.

Has anyone else here used those older MB Powerhouse or Ampeg SVT cabinets for slap/funk rock ala Chili Peppers, Primus, etc.
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It should be pointed out that the bass tone you hear from your idols, whether live or studio or live on DVD or whatever, isn't necessarily what's coming from their stage rigs. Even when it is, it's probably a combination of mic'd signal and direct signal.

That said: I used old Ampeg SVT's for awhile, and as mentioned I currently use a tweeterless 6x10. Depending on the amp used, tweeterless cabinets should work great for the gritty slap tones used by Flea and Les Claypool. For the clean hi-fi slap "ping" commonly heard in modern jazz/funk/r&b, a tweetered cab is probably better.
 
#25
P.P.S. I dusted off some old Suicidal Tendencies CD's the other night and was blown away by Trujillo's bass lines... I'd forgotten what a monster he is!
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Fuzzbass,

If you have never heard it, get a copy of Infectious Grooves "The Plague That Makes Your Booty Move" or "Mas Borracho" and prepare to be floored! Their other two albums are good too, but are more hardcore than funk. I love the Suicidal stuff too.

Played the Bergs this morning and was very impressed. The punch and presence is wonderfull. I am having to change amp settings a little, because these cabinets bring out stuff I never heard before. They are very sensitive to any flaws in my technique, and they really bring out the naturally bright sound of my bass, which is all maple with stainless strings. The slap sound is great. I don't really go for that hifi tweeter sound. It is fun to mess with at home, but on stage I cant really get it to cut. A couple weeks ago we did this song that was very modern funk sounding with a very deep slap line. While it sounded pretty good behind me, another bass player in the audience told me that he could hear the slaps, but the pops were lost. They were just too thin sounding. On that day I did not have a direct line to the board, so I had to rely totally on my amp. This morning that same bass player told me he heard me loud and clear at the same volume, again with no PA. I actually had a line out, but the soundman said he did not have to use it because the cabs were doing plenty in their own.

My hat is definitely off to Jim Bergantino! If I needed to go bigger, that NV610 would be my first choice.
 
#26
I've been using a tweeter since I started slapping/poping back in 19somethingorother. I was using a Peavey Mark IV through a pr of EVL 15's. In order for me to actually hear the (pop) attack I had to add a Radio Shack double piezo that was mounted to a horn type of thing. It was 8ohm and the cab was 4ohm so just plugging it into the extension speaker output and sitting it on top of my amp did the trick. It was by no means hi-fi or even lo-fi but it did the job. I've been using a tweeter ever since. Now I use a combination Bergantino Ht112/EX112.
 

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