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Are expensive cabs really worth the money

smgleitch

smgleitch

May 19, 2009
422
7
Nashville, TN
#1
Speaking specifically on sound and volume is an expensive cab like a bergantino or augilar for example, really going to sound so much better that you can justify the money? I have heard a berg 410 in a band setting, the bass player for my favorite band plays one, and she has a great sound, but maybe it is just me but I don't think there is any audible difference in the cab than say any reasonable priced 410. I would say that there is a great difference in the sound of a head and a great difference in the sound from different speaker combinations, but looking at 210 to 210 or 410 to 410 is it worth it. Can I say yes I will spend two to three times the money on it and will get an equal sound and performance for my dollars. Just a question. What are your thoughts.
 
#2
My Bergantino HT/EX 112ER stack gets exactly the tone I want with almost no eq. It takes me very little time to dial that rig in for different rooms, etc. Sometimes I use an older Berg HT210 and, while I can usually get it there eventually, I'm often fighting it with the eq throughout the first half a set if I don't have a lengthy enough soundcheck. I guess that means price doesn't necessarily equal performance, but sometimes it does.

I've carried some large rooms just fine with those little 12's, and they sound great with both my SS and tube rigs. I love those things.

Likely it matters just how picky and what your tone goals are, but for me the Bergs have been worth every penny. I've played through plenty of lower end stuff and got by, but I never really had "my sound" until I had a good set of speakers.
 
#3
smgleitch said:
Speaking specifically on sound and volume is an expensive cab like a bergantino or augilar for example, really going to sound so much better that you can justify the money? /QUOTE]

Short Answer
YES

I totally hear the difference my AE410 makes.
Click to expand...
 
#4
Here's the truth:
When cranked, it's hard to tell the difference between 2 brands.
When practicing it is very easy to tell the difference.

If it sounds good to you during practice, it will inspire you to play better at a show because you think people will tell the difference....well, until that one drunk guy comes to you and says 'slap that bass whiteboy..'.....and you finally realize the search for tone matters to you and no one else on this Planet.
 
#5
I think it's like allot of things: the high end products give you maybe 1%-5% better quality for double or 4X the price. It's up to the buyer to determine if it's worth it. For mass produced gear often the "better" is just more stuff that can break, so usually I opt for simple but gets the job done over expensive.
 
#7
HeadyVan Halen said:
Here's the truth:
When cranked, it's hard to tell the difference between 2 brands.
When practicing it is very easy to tell the difference.

If it sounds good to you during practice, it will inspire you to play better at a show because you think people will tell the difference....well, until that one drunk guy comes to you and says 'slap that bass whiteboy..'.....and you finally realize the search for tone matters to you and no one else on this Planet.
Click to expand...

I guess this is kinda what I was thinking. I am looking to buy a new rig. My gk combo is fine but not inspiring. In my living room and playing with friends it works but nothing that makes me tingle when I play through it. I have been looking at some more high end stuff but most of it will have to be bought sight unseen as the local gc doesn't carry anything other than gk and ampeg. I have had a Phil Jones before and that definitely had a unique cool sound, but I was at one point in time forced to sell it and as it doesn't come up used often will be very hard to buy again. It is just hard for me being on a budget to justify spending all that extra money, but I do believe in quality over quantity and am thinking of buying smaller but better quality to get a good sound knowing I could always DI in during live situations. In a general context will a high end 12 go louder than say more budget line 12 cab?
 
#8
Typically the phrase goes "you get what you pay for," but obviously there are some exceptions to that rule. I have heard a lot of good things regarding Berg cab's, however I currently own and use a Mesa PowerHouse 6x10 cabinet and this cab is just simply awesome. Mesa is another one of your higher priced manufacture company's, however there products are very solid and widely known and used by many. It comes down to personal preference and how much you are looking to spend really.
 
#10
It took me a long time to ask this question.

I am primarily a guitarist, though I've also played bass for 20+ years, and I went through several different set ups before I realized that your speaker enclosure does make a substantial difference in your overall sound.

Case in point; I currently have both a Carvin 4x12 cabinet, and a Mesa 4x12. Just in terms of the construction, the Mesa is 13 ply birch while the Carvin is 9 ply poplar. The Mesa is also 3" taller, and 3" wider. The Carvin cab has their Celestion Rocket 50's in it, while the Mesa has Vintage 30's in it. Both cabinets sound good, but for different things. The Mesa has a much warmer and tighter sound to it for the ultra heavy drop tuned kind of stuff, while the Carvin has a better lead tone. The difference in price? The Mesa is more than double the price, and is in fact only about $100 less than buying the X100B 100w tube head, and the matching Carvin cab.

Just for the record my current bass rig is a Carvin BX1500 rack mount head and a BRX10.4 Neo cab. I really like this cabinet and it is relatively cheap at under $600 new. It is a 9ply birch cabinet with a serious sub port, and it handles my 6 string basses with ease. If memory serves correctly it goes down to like 25hz or so. Pretty friggin low.



In answer to your question, it is unfortunately a yes and no answer. As you can see the build and design of your cabinet makes a big difference, but then again there is also paying for a name. A well respected name (and therefore expensive) didn't get there over night. There is usually some degree of quality there. However, some manufacturers are a little over the top with their pricing.

The best advice I can give you when selecting any piece of amplification is to let your ears decide. Bring your amp head and bass, and plug in to as many cabinets as you can find. Foget the logo and sticker price. Just close your eyes and listen. When you find one that sounds good to your ears, get that one! Whether it says Bergantino, or Beringer, it doesn't really matter. Even if the price for the one you like is a bit high, or out of budget, it may still be worth the investment simply because you will know that you have the best cab FOR YOU, and will stop looking for a replacement. This in the long run can save you thousands in replacing amps when the issue is really the cabinet! Trust me, I've made that mistake a few times.

Well thats my dos centavos and I hope it helps in some way. :hyper:
 
#11
smgleitch said:
I guess this is kinda what I was thinking. I am looking to buy a new rig. My gk combo is fine but not inspiring. In my living room and playing with friends it works but nothing that makes me tingle when I play through it. I have been looking at some more high end stuff but most of it will have to be bought sight unseen as the local gc doesn't carry anything other than gk and ampeg. I have had a Phil Jones before and that definitely had a unique cool sound, but I was at one point in time forced to sell it and as it doesn't come up used often will be very hard to buy again. It is just hard for me being on a budget to justify spending all that extra money, but I do believe in quality over quantity and am thinking of buying smaller but better quality to get a good sound knowing I could always DI in during live situations. In a general context will a high end 12 go louder than say more budget line 12 cab?
Click to expand...


Probably keep it's 'shape' better at higher volumes than budget cabs.
I'm plugging Hartke Hydrive at the moment. I have the 4x10 and LH1000 pushing it and it is without a doubt the best tone I've ever played. It keeps it's tone no matter if I'm on Vol. 1 at the house or 6 at the club.

Do yourself a favor and check them out. For the price you WON'T-WILL NOT find one that's better. (settings: Bass=6.5-7 Mids= 4.5, High= 4.5 Bright switch usually ON, compressor usually OFF)

P.S. I don't DI, I just go straight XLR-out to mixer and the tone is stupid good.
 
#13
Sort of like comparing my MIM Fender Jazz to my Sadowsky. The Fender is a pretty nice and will do the job and I use it at practice and gigs but the difference in weight over a four hour gig just has the Sadowsky out most of the time. Worth the price difference? Probably not in the grand scheme of things.

I had an Ampeg 810 and then bought a Berg NV610 because of the good press it received here. Had a buddy, who is an excellent bassist, sit in with the band and I went out of the practice room to an office up in front of the building and told them to play six different songs and change cabinets on each song. I did not know which cabinet he started with and he played two in a row with the Berg just to throw me off. I listened and wrote down which cab I thought was on each song and got everyone correct. To me the Berg is just that much better soundwise, not allowing for the ease of moving each.

Now have an AE 212 and I continue to be amazed by this cabinet. It travels and the 610 sits for practice. Its light weight, much smaller, and sounds just as large as the NV. Perhaps even deeper lows.

I also have an Avatar B212 NEO and compared it to the AE 212. I still like the Berg better but the Avatar can hold its own with a little tweaking. Is the Berg worth twice as much? That's up to the buyer. The Avatar is a very well made cab with a Tweed tolex cover that is just impeccable in its application and I would not hesitate to gig it at all. And it is lightwight also. Avatar is a perfect example that you don't have to spend mega bucks to get good quality gear.

I'm not a cab or speaker spec junkie. Just know what I like and what I don't and I really like the Berg products. Not having any kids to raise or college to pay for also allows for a little more mad money for this stuff.

Have a buddy with the GK 12" bass combo amp with matching extension cabinet and it works extremely well for smaller gigs and also allows him to pack and leave in one trip, so there are many options out there. It is a great time to be a bassist with a myriad of choices to confuse us all. I have yet to have anyone come up and comment on a specific piece of equipment and how good it sounds. The sound is in your fingers and the way you approach your music regardless of equipment.

Tiger Woods would still kick your butt with the cheapest set of Walmart clubs out there simply because he is better. Your ability to play is what people hear. If you can'[t lock in with the drummer it's still gonna sound like crap even if you have the best of the best. Just try and use the best you can find and pay cash for (used is always good). Keep the credit card in your pocket and just practice to be as good as you can be.
 
#14
Generally speaking, better made cabinets are more expensive. I believe you get what you pay for (efficiency of the cab, longetivity, construction, materials, tone, resale value). On the other hand, in a loud band situation, the subtelties may be lost.
 
#16
There are many good and excellent cabs throughout the different price ranges (and many more less than stellar ones.) I like to get high end cabinets used. They're a whole lot more affordable that way. :smug:
 
#17
I've never personally owned a Bergantino, but have played through a Berg 2x10 and a 2x12 that a bass buddy of mine has and they really did sound top of the line. That said ... speaker cabs, like music gear in general, have price points of diminishing returns ... the higher you go in price, the more subtle the improvements. It comes down how much it matters to you and how much money you can afford to devote to it.
 
#18
Hey, someone's gotta take one for the team by buying an expensive cab new so we can get it at the used price ;)

Seriously, though, with cabs you really do get what you pay for. The only notable exception I can think of is Avatar, since they're dirt cheap and are total workhorses.
 
#19
Funny that Avatar keeps coming up as that is one of the cabs I have been leaning towards. Played a 410 up in Detroit over the weekend and would have bought it buy it had a buzz in one of the cones or something. Loved the sound otherwise and seemed like a good built cab. I know there is a 212 up in D town one of our fellow tber's is selling, and is very tempting. Also been interested in the Dr. Bass stuff. There is one of those for sale here as well. I almost always buy my gear second hand. I really hate buying gear, there is just to many choices and I want them all!!! Would be nice to find something to buy that I don't want to replace again in a few months.
 
#20
At this point in my career( 40+ years ), I'm coming to the conclusion that it's more the player than the equipment. I have heard bass players playing out of old Fender bassman amps that sounded great. Ever notice how good Kjung sounds, no matter what set up he is playing through on his videos ? As Robert Jr Lockwood once told me, " It aint the amp, boy ! " OTOH, if it gives you more confidence to play out of a $2000 rig, I'd be the last guy to tell you no.
 

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