Double Bass Arnopol, MAS 45 - horizontal or vertical? Pre—gig flash poll

[smperry]

Useless flash poll.

Going to gig (in an hour and a half) with the MAS 45 for the first time. Using my unmarked plywood db and an AI Clarus SL. Me, a grand piano, and light drummer. Usually I just use a 18 but feel like bringing this new to me cab today. It’s missing a foot so I’d need to move one from the vertical to horizontal before the set and I won’t want to switch midway. Thanks.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Nice rig! Huge overkill, but no harm. I don’t think the alignment will matter much.

 

[smperry]

We’re breaking in between sets, thankfully. I had it horizontal and couldn’t hear myself as well even though the piano player thought it was too boomy and buzzy. Trying it vertical in the second half. Maybe I should’ve done the 1,8.

Edit: to clarify, sound issues are on me, not the cab. It’s voiced differently from the 1,8 but this is a good way to get used to it.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I wrote a review of that cab - or at least, one of Mike’s 4x5 cabs - for BGM way back in the day. https://chrisfitzgeraldmusic.com/do...b/?wpdmdl=935&refresh=687458ae8e51d1752455342

I just glanced through it, and the thing I remember most about it was the less than complimentary description I used of “dry”. I remember Mike wasn’t too happy with that. I feel the same about the newer PJB 4x5 cabs. I think it has to do with the cabinet depth. Front to back, it’s a very narrow cabinet, and I always feel like such boxes don’t give the sound a chance to breathe as much as deeper cabs with long ports. But what do I know? I just play the bass.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

What pickup are you using?

 

[smperry]

What pickup are you using?

A Realist. Suggestions always welcome.

Second half went better than the first. Raised the HPF more, and boosted the upper midrange a hair.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I like the Full Circle and have been using it for like 20 years by now. The Realist is dark and muffled to me. But if you ask 10 people, you’ll get 10 different answers.

 

[Ric Vice]

I own a powered MAS 4x5.5 It’s one of the finest cabinets I own combined with a Grace Designs Felix and the Ehrlund EAP

 

[smperry]

I like the direct, balanced nature of the cab, so I understand the depth comment. My fiddling with my sound today is probably the result of other things in my chain, and trial by fire without much time to adjust. But if I end up using it more for bass guitar, that’s fine too.

 

[Ric Vice]

At one time, I owned an identical cabinet to yours. By comparison the powered MAS 4x5.5 had a slightly bigger drivers so the low end sounded
a bit smoother and warmer. With that particular cabinet Mike put rubber feet on both the “bottom” and the “side’ so you can orient it vertically or horizontally it sounds great either way and you can elevate it without loosing low end response.just my take of course. He also built 4x6’s and a handful of 4x8’s but they were considerably larger and heavier.

 

[smperry]

With that particular cabinet Mike put rubber feet on both the “bottom” and the “side’ so you can orient it vertically or horizontally it sounds great either way and you can elevate it without loosing low end response.

That's correct, but somewhere along the journey, this fellow lost a foot.

I had more low end than I wanted, but I'm switching out my strings, and maybe I'll try a different pickup too.

 

[Ric Vice]

Just my take, you know your gear and its idiosyncrasies far better than I, but I don’t think the strings or the head are your culprit. If you’re using a Realist Copper Foil (under the bridge) I think it’s more likely that the pickups the offending party. Looking at your MAS 4x5 reminds me that Mike kept tweaking the design of his cabinets. They were small batches custom builds in limited runs. While your tweeters ar in a cluster next to each driver both of mine are/were line arrays.

 

[Ric Vice]

Just my take, you know your gear and its idiosyncrasies far better than I, but I don’t think the strings or the head are your culprit. If you’re using a Realist Copper Foil (under the bridge) I think it’s more likely that the pickups the offending party. Looking at your MAS 4x5 reminds me that Mike kept tweaking the design of his cabinets. They were small batches custom builds in limited runs. While your tweeters ar in a cluster next to each driver both of mine are/were linear arrays. View attachment 7275476

 

[smperry]

Thanks (really) for the advice. I'll change out the pickup and the strings.

 

[Jason Sypher]

All these cabs look hawt but I would have done that gig acoustic. As long as no one else is, I’d do the same. I’d find a way to use the wall a bit as reflection but other than that I’d want to match the vibe of the two other acoustic instruments.

 

[smperry]

That's fair. The piano (bandleader) wanted me to use an amp. We met up once before the gig and I didn't bring an amp, and he freaked out a bit, letting me know that the usual guy brings one, and hoping that I own one. I probably...overcompensated.

 

[Jason Sypher]

That's fair. The piano (bandleader) wanted me to use an amp. We met up once before the gig and I didn't bring an amp, and he freaked out a bit, letting me know that the usual guy brings one, and hoping that I own one. I probably...overcompensated.

I’m sure you know what you’re doing! I would have told him to go listen to Sunday at the Vanguard

 

[Eric Hochberg]

Good eye on the tweeter array, @Ric Vice . My 45 array is like yours, a straight line.

I use my 45 vertically on the floor but horizontally when I elevate it on a chair. You could use it vertical on a chair but it seems less stable that way, at least on padded chairs, although I'm sure it would be fine as long as no one slams into it.

 

[lurk]

I’m sure you know what you’re doing! I would have told him to go listen to Sunday at the Vanguard

I'm old enough to have seen most of my no-amp heroes live (missed PC and Doug Watkins), and I never saw Sam Jones, Percy Heath, Ray Brown, Mingus, Milt Hinton, Charlie Haden, Gary Peacock, Red Mitchell, Walter Booker, etc. play without an amp even on duo gigs. I'm not saying they never did, but I never witnessed it. I do think that 4x5 is a bit of an overkill.

 

[Jason Sypher]

I'm old enough to have seen most of my no-amp heroes live (missed PC and Doug Watkins), and I never saw Sam Jones, Percy Heath, Ray Brown, Mingus, Milt Hinton, Charlie Haden, Gary Peacock, Red Mitchell, Walter Booker, etc. play without an amp even on duo gigs. I'm not saying they never did, but I never witnessed it. I do think that 4x5 is a bit of an overkill.

If it was a stage show where people are sitting and listening to the band I might bring something but would in that case prefer to mic up and go through the system. I’ve really never liked amps in a jazz setting. So much is lost. But that rabbit hole has been well explored. In a casual BGM setting I’d be playing for the band, not the audience, and turn my bridge adjusters up a half turn and bang away