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Double Bass Arnopol 8 Cabinet - A Winner!

#62
Fedex made me a very happy camper this morning, when their driver dropped off my Crazy8. I almost laughed out loud when I picked up the box and realized that it weighed 4 pounds more than the bass cabinet it contained. And then I plugged it in...

Holy cow! I like the sound of this itty-bitty box better than my Wizzy12M - at least in the living room. With the Wizzy, I had to EQ to achieve a sound that I was happy with. The Crazy8 sounds fantastic without any EQ: my bass, only louder. When I engaged the DEEP switch on my iAmp800, my new friend, Crazy8, turned to me and said, "Is that all you got?" :eek: Yeah, this was at living room volume, but still...

There's nothing anemic about the sound of this baby bruiser - it has cojones AND clarity. Unbelievable! I may eventually try this thing with electric bass, but I'm so smitten with the sound of DB through this cab that I'm in no hurry.

I can't wait to gig this cab. Well done, Mr. Arnopol!
 
#65
Thanks for the kind words, Paul. I'm thrilled that you're happy with it. As far as e-bass, it's become my go-to setup. But you have to use multiples for loud. A C88 will go as loud as a typical 2x10. A C88 + a C8 work great for most setups where things are LOUD. I know it's pricey (well, less so for me) when you start adding up the multiples, but the convenience and flexibility go a long way. I went to a gig last Saturday--parked 2 blocks away. Lakland on my back, Doubler on my shoulder and a C88 in one hand and a C8 in the other. Didn't break a sweat.
 
#66
Two thumbs up from this TBer, Mike! :D There's something "magical" about the mids produced by this cab; they're unveiled, unvarnished, and unadulterated; never nasal or distracting.

I tried the Crazy8 with DB and fretless 55-02 last night when my mother was here; she was married to a jazz bassist for 45 years, and isn't shy about expressing her opinions. ;)

I started with the 55-02, and she said, "That sounds great! I can hear every note, but it's not a twangy, tinny, sound like you hear from most electric basses these days; it's got a lot of warmth."

When I switched to DB, she was completely silent for several minutes. When I looked up to gauge her reaction, she was crying. She said, "Pop would have killed for sound that good." Nuff said.

I can't stand strident upper-mids, and was somewhat apprehensive about the tone of this itty-bitty cab before it arrived. Those who enjoy the buzz and grind of round-wounds on a fretted bass will be able to get that tone in spades.

That said, I am happy to report that this cab is NOT a one-trick pony; the TI flats on my fretless sounded wonderfully warm, yet completely articulate. I experimented a lot with my FDeck HPF/Pre, and was surprised at how much warmth was retained by this little cab, even when I rolled off the lows to around 10:00 (5:00 is 35Hz, and 7:00 is 140Hz).

I'm still looking for a small, powerful, lightweight, 2-Ohm capable head to pair with this cab. The EA Micro I tried yesterday didn't make me smile as much as I expected. When I go back to audition the Doubler, I'm going to take my EQ3B with me; if I can reduce the upper-mid presence peak, it could be a contender. Are you able to push your three 8s to full volume with your Doubler?

Don't be surprised if you see me offering the rest of my cabs for sale to fund the purchase of a Crazy88 - including my beloved VL208 - I like my Crazy8 that much! :eek:
 
#67
Jazzdogg said:
I'm still looking for a small, powerful, lightweight, 2-Ohm capable heads to pair with this cab. The EA Micro I tried yesterday didn't make me smile as much as I expected. When I go back to audition the Doubler, I'm going to take my EQ3B with me; if I can reduce the upper-mid presence peak, it could be a contender.
Click to expand...

I use the EA Micro with an Empress ParaEQ. The tiny Empress gives all the EQ flexibility of the iAMP Pro. With this, or a similar EQ box, you can tweak the Micro tone however you want.
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Try boosting the lower mids a tad. I also boosted bass a touch at 80hz. It would be interesting to hear how that mix would work with Fdeck's prototype HPF.
 
#68
Ukiah Bass said:
I use the EA Micro with an Empress ParaEQ. The tiny Empress gives all the EQ flexibility of the iAMP Pro. With this, or a similar EQ box, you can tweak the Micro tone however you want.
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Try boosting the lower mids a tad. I also boosted bass a touch at 80hz. It would be interesting to hear how that mix would work with Fdeck's prototype HPF.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the heads-up on the Empress, Dave. All of the reviews I've read have been great. If I didn't already own an EQ3B, I'd have one on my short list.

I'm eager to hear how you like the FDeck. Love mine with passive electric basses, but especially with DB.
 
#73
The steep incline of a tilted Crazy8 precludes setting an amp on top. I discovered an easy way to solve this problem. Gear Tie is a reusable rubber twist tie from Nite Ize Innovation. It works like a giant twistie.

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I slipped two under the carry strap and they work like a charm with the EA Micro. The 24 inch / 60.9 cm version is perfect for any micro-sized amp. Total cost $6.49 + tax at Friedman's.

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#75
It's no problem combing speakers. The only thing you need to know is that the single 8 will take as much power as the larger speaker. I've combined one with a Thunderchild, but it worked a bit better because the TC is 4 ohms.
 
#76
Made an improvement to the 88. I've changed to a single 4" Precision port on the back. It give about 3db more bass and has all but eliminated port chuff and turbulence. It turns out that this silly little 8 puts out more than I could have anticipated. A noticeable improvement.
 
#78
... Been lurking and drooling on this thread since it started.

Mike, how do you feel the 88 would compare, in tone, depth and punch to one Bergantino AE112?

I am doing a couple of regular gigs (worship - with 25 - 30 people singing loudly, back at me) in small "boomy" rooms. (with a drummer, piano, an electric guitar and two vocals. My Shuttle 10T just doesn't cut it but a single AE112 does a great job at both locations.

The AE112 weighs 32 lbs. and I have to walk quite a distance to get to these locations. I am thinking that a single 88 would "do the trick" and getting in and out would be more manageable. (I'm an old fart with aching knees and a fragile back :))) Also, I really like the fact that the 88 is higher and takes up less real estate.

Would really appreciate your thoughts.
 
#79
In my practice space I have several bass cabs stacked against one wall. Included are Dr. Bass 3-way 12" and 3-way 15" cabs, an EA VL208 and Wizzy 12M, a Polytone 15 combo, and 60s-vintage Ampeg fliptop and Fender Bassman 2x12 cabs. The Crazy8 is almost invisible among them. I connected the crazy8 to my iAmp800, the speaker cable hidden from sight, with the cone at about ear level when seated.

Friends were over the other day (three were musicians, but none were bassists) sitting on the couch, about 12 feet away from the cabs. I asked them to guess which cab I was using. None of 'em guessed correctly. Most thought I was playing through the 3-way 15 - the biggest box.

Guess that's what happens when people listen with their eyes. ;)
 

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