Are you a Tweeter Lover?

Discussion in 'Amps and Cabs [BG]' started by 999Brent, Jun 26, 2019.

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What do you do with your tweeter?

Poll closed Jul 16, 2019.
  1. Always turn it off

    79 vote(s)
    31.0%
  2. Always full on

    29 vote(s)
    11.4%
  3. Always have it attenuated

    52 vote(s)
    20.4%
  4. Adjust it depending on need

    79 vote(s)
    31.0%
  5. What is a tweeter, some type of carrot?

    16 vote(s)
    6.3%
  1. 999Brent

    999Brent Supporting Member

    Jan 1, 2011
    Auckland, New Zealand
    Interested in the use of Tweeters in bass cabinets, so thought I would run a poll, be interested to see what you all do...
     
  2. It depends.
    Some are awful and like ice picks, some add a nice sweet shimmer.
     
  3. Hundred proof

    Hundred proof

    Apr 22, 2018
    Tweeter, what is this “tweeter” you speak of?
    All of my cabs have 15s no tweeter.
     
  4. BAG

    BAG

    May 5, 2014
    New Zealand
    I've never turned the tweeter off on a bass cab that I've used. I like to have enough top end so that there's some brightness to the sound, particularly when playing the odd lick up the dusty end of the neck.

    Either I've been lucky enough to not come across any of the ice pick versions or i've been able to EQ it to taste.
     
  5. Killed_by_Death

    Killed_by_Death Snaggletooth Inactive

    Depends on where the crossover splits the frequencies & what type of driver it is.
    Horn tweeters are ok, but I have to suffice with them, because I play with some much O/D I'd blow a piezo tweeter in seconds, & I don't mean figuratively.
     
  6. S.F.Sorrow

    S.F.Sorrow

    Dec 6, 2014
    I can't stand anything above 3-4 kHz on bass. Tweeters on a bass cab has about as much meaning to me as running a piccolo flute through a three-oktaves-down effect and hook it up to a sub with a low-pass filter set to 80Hz. I play BASS, not string noise.

    (actually, the piccolo flute thing might be cool...)
     
    Artman, non, JC Nelson and 1 other person like this.
  7. JimmyM

    JimmyM Supporting Member

    Apr 11, 2005
    Apopka, FL
    Endorsing: Yamaha, Ampeg, Line 6, EMG
    Like it (but don't absolutely need it) with upright, hate it with electric.
     
    zon6c-f, Kenan and Gravedigger Dav like this.
  8. I turn mine way down; may have to turn it down more, because I heard some string noise while I was rehearsing today. Didn't like that.
     
    Artman likes this.
  9. mikewalker

    mikewalker Supporting Member

    Jul 30, 2017
    Canada, Eh!
    99% of the time full off.
     
    zon6c-f and The Rage like this.
  10. dangerdude

    dangerdude

    Apr 24, 2019
    Germany
    Kind of handy when slapping and doing some tapping. No much use for it otherwise. Prefer horns though.
     
  11. JW56789

    JW56789 Guest

    Feb 18, 2017
    No.

    For the life of me (and this is after having more than a few very smart people explain it to me. . . .), I don't know why I need a bass guitar cabinet that goes to 18 or 20khz, and I've never heard of a bass guitar pickup package that's putting out any useable content up there. Of course, it's entirely possible I'm a complete dooofussss when it comes to this, but I still have never been presented with a practical reason that it's useful in the real world, not the world of scopes and measured responses. I'm more than happy to have hiss, line noise, and pickup anomalies trapped above the frequency response of most average cabs.

    So if I want some extra high end, I'd prefer smaller cone-type speaker matched to the design.
     
    zon6c-f and 999Brent like this.
  12. I used to think I wanted to sound like I was playing through a PA system (late 80’s). I used Eden, SWR.
    Next I went Ampeg Classic. Horn sometimes up a bit.
    Then I realised I’m just a fun-lovin caveman and went back to the sweet sweet nectar of the EVM 15 in a TL606.
     
    chadface, Michigander and 999Brent like this.
  13. 999Brent

    999Brent Supporting Member

    Jan 1, 2011
    Auckland, New Zealand
    BTW I generally have mine turned off.
     
  14. mmon77

    mmon77 Supporting Member

    Jul 9, 2008
    North
    Tweeters for bass cabs are just like any other tool. Sometimes they are useful, other times they are not.

    Want the thumpy Jamerson sound? Turn it off.

    Want a modern, dirty, aggressive, gritty tone? Turn it on.

    Or, use a DI and don't worry about it :bassist:
     
    Meaculpa and Clark W like this.
  15. AaronVonRock

    AaronVonRock

    Feb 22, 2013
    Bangkok
    When I first bought my cab, I turned on the tweeter for a minute or so then turned it off. That was six years ago.
     
    Michigander likes this.
  16. The poll lacks a "my cab has no tweeter" option.
     
    Wisebass and lizardking837 like this.
  17. bbh

    bbh Supporting Member

    Sep 27, 2011
    I love my jbl tweeters. Very much dislike for plastic piezo tweeters.
     
    steelbed45 likes this.
  18. dBChad

    dBChad

    Aug 17, 2018
    Tavares, FL
    Because I run a pre-amp that has cab modeling, tweeter loaded cabs sound a little more authentic.

    That being said, my next project involves 8x6.5" drivers in a 3-2-3 honeycomb pattern and a ported enclosure. No tweeters, no crossovers, just a lot of full range drivers with fast transients. Still in the conceptual phase, but it looks good numerically. Will A/B against my current 3 way once I get some time to spend with my power tools again.
     
  19. 40Hz

    40Hz Supporting Member

    May 24, 2006
    home
    I found the horn type sometimes has it’s uses if you play an ABG.

    I have zero use for a piezo tweeter and always turn them off if I can, or attenuate them as much as possible if they can’t be fully disabled.
     
    Last edited: Jun 27, 2019
  20. 40Hz

    40Hz Supporting Member

    May 24, 2006
    home
    Sounds interesting. But what advantage does the 3-2-3 arrangement bring to the party? Are the banks of three angled off axis in some way?