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Double Bass Arnopol 8 Cabinet - A Winner!

#162
Mike Arnopol said:
It is. (a cool thing) This little puppy has a maximum excursion of over 8mm which is insane. The Eminence 15" 3015lf (as used in the Fearfuls) is 9mm. That's almost a feat of magic in driver design. That's why I can say that it competes with most 10's----with the exception of the Acme, none have excursions over 5mm.

So---watching the cone is not for the squeamish! It's meant to move REALLY far. The only problem with the 8 is the temptation to push it too far. Good news was that I pushed one until the voice coil was smacking the back plate. No damage done at all. So---the good news is that it will be very obvious when the speaker hits its limit--which is pretty impressive how far that limit is-- you'll know it and won't damage it. I tried to fry one to find its limits but got stupid loud before I ran out of guts!
With Francis' version 3 you can get sooooo much more usable volume out of it.
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What's your guess about the real world power handling capabilities of the Crazy8 and 88, and what's their sensitivity? In the nineties?

If someone were trying to buy "just enough" rig for these cabs, how much power would you (or Greenboy) recommend to achieve full output without power compression or risking damage?
 
#163
With 3 of the 8's you're moving into the higher 90's. I know that the Doubler has room to spare with 3 8's and can play all night being pushed, so I'd say that 400 honest watts would be fine. The Doubler is rated at 550 but I think that 400 is a more real-world assessment.
 
#165
Greg Clinkingbeard said:
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looks like the contender for cajon bags. at 12 x 12 x 19 it seems to be the best fit for a Crazy 8 and a small head. I have looked for one closer to 17" long but to no avail. The side pocket would work nicely for cables.
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That looks like the same one I saw at GC the other day; the one I measured had internal dimensions of about 21.5" L X 11" W X 9" D - too shallow. It took two GC employees half an hour to find it, and they didn't have any others in stock.

I didn't see any "steal me" logos on the Meinl cajon bags I saw online, and I like a plain black exterior, so I ordered one from Amazon (free shipping). I'll post when it gets here.

I plan to add a compartment at each end of the case to hold a towel, cables, a small head, etc.
I ordered heavy duty velcro (from Godlyke) I will use to position nylon or canvas partitions exactly where I want them, while retaining the option to reposition them quickly and easily; with my left shoulder, it's important to position the center of mass for the best balance, and this seems like an easy way to do it.

If you don't already own a few Pig Bags, you might want to check them out. I have several that I use with my PA, and I'll be getting a few more to use inside the cajon bags:

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They're well made, and the drawstring closure is quick, convenient and secure. At 12 1/2" X 9 1/4" it might be big enough for a mini head; they're definitely big enough for cables and such.

Two cajon bags with a combined weight of about thirty pounds, and a bass (or two), and I'm on my way to the gig. Yeah :cool:

Mike - thanks for the info. When the semester is over, I'm going to drive to San Juan Capistrano and play through an Acoustic Image Clarus at Lemur music; I want to play through both heads before I decide. Although sound quality as paramount, I prefer the control layout and signal routing of the Clarus, so I hope it sounds good! ;)
 
#166
The LP cajon measues 12" x 12.125" x 19" so I would think their bag would fit.
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I used the Crazy 8 yesterday with my MB200 head. The gig was a duo with guitar for an outdoor wedding reception on a pool deck for a few hundred people. We were on one end and people on the other end of the pool complimented us on our sound. A family member of the guitar player told me the bass sounded loud and full. I had the volume knob at about 10:00, bumped the low mid to 2:00 and cut the highs and high mids. No HPF and I didn't see the cone jumping too much. I believe the Clarus sounds better but it's quite a bit bigger and three times the weight. The GK fits nicely in the wheel pocket of my Messina bag.

Really like this cabinet. Get the tilt legs. I don't miss the tweeter a bit as I've cut the highs on the amp anyway.
 
#167
Greg Clinkingbeard said:
The LP cajon measues 12" x 12.125" x 19" so I would think their bag would fit.
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I used the Crazy 8 yesterday with my MB200 head. The gig was a duo with guitar for an outdoor wedding reception on a pool deck for a few hundred people. We were on one end and people on the other end of the pool complimented us on our sound. A family member of the guitar player told me the bass sounded loud and full. I had the volume knob at about 10:00, bumped the low mid to 2:00 and cut the highs and high mids. No HPF and I didn't see the cone jumping too much. I believe the Clarus sounds better but it's quite a bit bigger and three times the weight. The GK fits nicely in the wheel pocket of my Messina bag.

Really like this cabinet. Get the tilt legs. I don't miss the tweeter a bit as I've cut the highs on the amp anyway.
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ENCOURAGING! I ordered an MB-200 a few days ago; if I like it, and it has enough power, I may buy a second for those times when I need to drive two cabs with a combined impedance <4 Ohms. :)
 
#168
I don't usually post a review of something until a while after receiving. That way i can really put it through its paces and make a balanced opinion.

But, i got the crazy 8 a few days ago and have done 5 different gigs on it, usually either upright or electric, and i gotta say how impressed i am with it.

Its good enough for electric bass, but when i use it with my upright bass it sounds biblically good. Not just light, tiny and easy to manage, but the sound is incredible.

Well done Mike, credit where credit is due.
 
#170
I received the Meinl cajon bag today: VERY nice! The Crazy8 fits with room to spare, but not so much extra space that the fit will be sloppy; enough for a Crazy8, cables, a compact head, 18" pole, etc.

When I receive the Crazy88, I'll see if it fits in the Meinl bag; it looks like it will, but I'm not going to order a second bag until I'm sure the larger cab will fit.

I can't imagine anyone being disappointed with the quality of the Meinl cajon bag; it's a keeper! :D
 
#171
Greg Clinkingbeard said:
This Invalid Link Removed
looks like the contender for cajon bags. at 12 x 12 x 19 it seems to be the best fit for a Crazy 8 and a small head. I have looked for one closer to 17" long but to no avail. The side pocket would work nicely for cables.
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I bought this bag. It's a near perfect fit with enough room for the Clarus and cables. I'll probably add some 2" foam to protect the Clarus better and fill the extra space but the bag is padded pretty well as it is. I played a trio gig tonight which had a long schlep. With the bag over my shoulder it was no problem. Well worth it.
Regarding the Crazy 8, I'm in love. :smug: It's giving me the most transparent sound I've ever gotten. I've also used it on two electric slab jazz gigs last week and loved it. As a DB cabinet I don't think it can be beat. Although the B1 has more low end it's almost too much. The Crazy 8 has plenty and it sounds very natural.
The tilt legs should be mandatory. I suspect the dispersion is so good that when flat on the floor it reflects off of the floor and causes coloration. All I know is that tilting the box up sounds much better.
As much as I try to temper my enthusiasm about this box I can't help it. It's really great!:hyper:
 
#172
Greg Clinkingbeard said:
I bought this bag. It's a near perfect fit with enough room for the Clarus and cables. I'll probably add some 2" foam to protect the Clarus better and fill the extra space but the bag is padded pretty well as it is. I played a trio gig tonight which had a long schlep. With the bag over my shoulder it was no problem. Well worth it.
Regarding the Crazy 8, I'm in love. :smug: It's giving me the most transparent sound I've ever gotten. I've also used it on two electric slab jazz gigs last week and loved it. As a DB cabinet I don't think it can be beat. Although the B1 has more low end it's almost too much. The Crazy 8 has plenty and it sounds very natural.
The tilt legs should be mandatory. I suspect the dispersion is so good that when flat on the floor it reflects off of the floor and causes coloration. All I know is that tilting the box up sounds much better.
As much as I try to temper my enthusiasm about this box I can't help it. It's really great!:hyper:
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Congrats, Greg!

One of my students plays electric bass. When I told him about my Crazy8, he was incredulous, so I took it to school on Monday, and he brought a bass. The look on his face was the definition of skepticism when he hoisted the cab to get a better look. Then we plugged in. :D He got a look on his face that was a combination of the RCA dog and a little kid trying really hard to keep a secret. Then, as I turned up the amp while he played, his face contorted into a Cheshire Cat-like grin. It was fun to watch, and interesting to hear someone else play through my little cab. Yep. It's a keeper! :cool:
 
#173
Jazzdogg said:
I received the Meinl cajon bag today: VERY nice! The Crazy8 fits with room to spare, but not so much extra space that the fit will be sloppy; enough for a Crazy8, cables, a compact head, 18" pole, etc.

When I receive the Crazy88, I'll see if it fits in the Meinl bag; it looks like it will, but I'm not going to order a second bag until I'm sure the larger cab will fit.

I can't imagine anyone being disappointed with the quality of the Meinl cajon bag; it's a keeper! :D
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Jazzdogg,

Of the two Meinl cajon bags mention in this thread, which one did you buy?
 
#176
Update:
Friday night quartet with drummer. I played slab on this one due to some of the tunes and limited space. The 8 didn't let me down with plenty of low end and enough snap for a bit of funk.
Last night was a jazz quartet for a private function at a club at a private lake. Dead room with lots of people. The drummer looked at the little 8 and asked me to play a bit. "That sounds so natural that I can barely detect that the sound is coming out of the speaker at all". Honestly, it was a beautiful thing last night. It sounded like my bass, just louder. I can't speak highly enough about this little speaker.
I like it best paired with the Clarus because the tone is more natural and it seems to have more power than the MB200. The GK is slightly better on electric but it is a colored amp and doesn't deliver the power. I'll be using the Clarus most of the time.
 
#177
I am now the proud owner of a Crazy88, older port style. Sounds pretty good for my electric bass, but of course it has it's reasonable volume limits. For upright however this is the best and loudest amplified sound I've ever had. The speaker deserves a lot of credit for this, but some credit is due to a work around I figured out for my Dyn-B. I don't have a preamp and was getting the normal 150-180 A honk. I found a way around this by using an XLR to TS 1/4" cable into my Clarus. The unbalanced signal isn't as loud and clean as the balanced signal but the honk is gone, and with this cabinet I'm able to get as loud as I could ever want on upright.
Yahoo! Looking forward to hearing it on the gig tonight!
Anyone settle on a good option for a cajon bag for the 88?
 
#179
VegasGutPlucker said:
I am now the proud owner of a Crazy88, older port style. Sounds pretty good for my electric bass, but of course it has it's reasonable volume limits. For upright however this is the best and loudest amplified sound I've ever had. The speaker deserves a lot of credit for this, but some credit is due to a work around I figured out for my Dyn-B. I don't have a preamp and was getting the normal 150-180 A honk. I found a way around this by using an XLR to TS 1/4" cable into my Clarus. The unbalanced signal isn't as loud and clean as the balanced signal but the honk is gone, and with this cabinet I'm able to get as loud as I could ever want on upright.
Yahoo! Looking forward to hearing it on the gig tonight!
Anyone settle on a good option for a cajon bag for the 88?
Click to expand...

My 88 should be here in a week or so. When it arrives, I'll see how well it fits in the Meinl cajon bag I bought for my 8, and I'll let you know. I suspect it will fit, but I'm not going to order a second cajon bag until I know for sure.
 

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