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Are expensive cabs really worth the money

#21
I can honestly say that my "EL Whappo" was and is the best tone and sound I ever had and well worth the $....If you find a great sounding cab and you are the type of player that has great clarity in your playing style then you need to get it (a top quality cab).
 
#25
You've got small builders who have a passion for building a high quality product. You've got big companies that may have the same passion.

You've got consumers whose first consideration is the sound. If they can't afford it they wait! They save their coins and buy used.

There are consumers that only want a price and the big companies to their credit make products for that point.

A better question and one that still attracts argument is can you hear the difference.

To me, if you can hear the difference great. If you can't it doesn't mean there isn't one. If you can afford the difference great too! Is their a bleeding edge of tech where less is more? Sure.

Get what you like. Get what you sound your best on. Get what you can afford. As your skills and ear develop throughout your life hopefully so will your financial fortunes.
 
#26
The more people pay for a cabinet, the more they re-justify their purchase decision here. At least I do.

PA cabinets are the only ones with published measurements that actually tell you what you can expect out of them. FOH engineers know and depend on this. I don't get why anybody buys a bass cabinet with the minimal specs that bass cab manufacturers publish. Then the bass manufacturer spends a lot of time giving excuses for why they don't publish actual measurements.

Consumers, need to smarter than just going by the $$.
 
#27
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 find that the first point is user error.
Yes some folks will never appreciate your tone. Why are you playing for them anyway? I don't expect that drunk to have my tone as his concern. Conversely I bring the highest quality show I can where ever I'm playing.
 
#28
I personally do not think so. I think they sound better and I like them but it is the same way with basses. I could have a $3000.00 bass but if my $1200.00 sounds great to me and 99.9999% of the folks I play for haven't a clue one way or the other... well it just doesn't make financial sense to me.

If I were independantly wealthy or if I were not as much a a gear ho (that goes through as much gear as I do) my answer would probably be different.

I am satisfied with older SWR and Eden cabs.
 
#29
I play what makes me happy and gets me gigs. Buy what moves you, and get the real-deal right off the bat. In other words, only pay once if you can. How many times have you bought "a deal" only to flip it later at a loss because it wasn't what you really wanted? My last amp rig was stable for 10 years. It was quality stuff. The "expensive" cabs (EA VL110s) were totally worth it. After moving to a micro setup it has taken awhile to shake out what I really liked/wanted/needed. Now I have a pair of Berg AE210s, am happy, and look forward to another 10 years with these cabs. Should that be the case, then the "expensive cabs" are worth the money to me.
 
#31
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#33
In a word yes (an no). I used Bergantino cabs which are pricey but worth every penny in my opinion. Could I use something else. Sure.....

It's the player and not the gear. But with that being said I like my Bergies!
 
#34
The one part of my setup that I am REALLY happy I spent the money on was cabs. There is a VAST difference between a decent cab and a really good one, and the difference is pretty huge. My two 2x10"s will stack up against anyone's rig, anywhere.
 
#35
I think you can make subjective justifications for medium quality bass guitars being as good as their pricier counterparts. Does a $3500 Sadowsky slay a $599 MIM Jazz? Certainly. Can a good bass player sound great with either? Certainly.
But when it comes to cabinets, even more than amps, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.
I spent years trying to convince myself that good enough was great. If you play for a living, or if you take your playing seriously, why even bother with cheap mediocre stuff?
Bergantino, Mesa Aguilar are ll known to be great cabs. They cost more than Avatar or GK but hey, its really isn't a staggering difference in cost. Tone, yes.
When cranked, a good cabinet will still sound solid, a medium quality one will not.
Besides...
Wouldn't you rather pay $1000 once than $450 three times?
 
#37
I am glad that I asked. I really didn't think the cab was that important. Always thought it was more bass and amp head. I guess I am going to have to give this some real thought. I am just trying to put an end to this buying cycle I have been in the last year or so. I keep buying thinking I can upgrade later and that never really seems to work out. I might not be the best player but I do love to play and have been searching for this sound that never really seems to come out of the amp. I know a lot is technique and if victor wooten was to stop by I am sure my amp would sound great in his hands, but I am sure it still wouldn't be that sound I am searching for. Well thank you for the help and input.
 
#38
smgleitch said:
Speaking specifically on sound and volume is an expensive cab... really going to sound so much better that you can justify the money?
Click to expand...

Seems to me that most of the justification for expensive cabs lies in the realm of improved sound quality or improved portability, not improved volume. The most basic requirement is that a cab play loud enough, so presumably no one is going to knowingly go with a cab that can't be heard. Once that minimum requirement can be met, we boo-teek manufacturers hope to entice those of you who still have a few bucks left over with better sound and/or an easier schlep, which some people can justify paying a premium for and some can't.
 
#40
DukeLeJeune said:
Seems to me that most of the justification for expensive cabs lies in the realm of improved sound quality or improved portability, not improved volume. The most basic requirement is that a cab play loud enough, so presumably no one is going to knowingly go with a cab that can't be heard. Once that minimum requirement can be met, we boo-teek manufacturers hope to entice those of you who still have a few bucks left over with better sound and/or an easier schlep, which some people can justify paying a premium for and some can't.
Click to expand...

+1

I've seen lots of new bassists and converted guitarists seriously underestimate the importance of (1) enough cab for the gig; (2) the cost of quality; (3) the real cost of bargain cabs.

Two schools of cabinet makers seem to be competing for our dollars: those who make gear to a given price point, and those who make gear to a given quality level; TB has been a pretty good place to learn about cabs that balance both virtues. I prefer to buy once, cry once, which usually requires a bit more cash than the bargain purchase option, and usually yields more long-term satsifaction - provided I've done sufficient homework before buying.

If I can't afford to buy the best of everything (who can? :crying: ), I'd rather use great cabs and an average amp, than drive average cabs with a great amp.

YMMV, IME, IMO...
 

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