Avatar or Greenboy?

[Ritchie_Darling]

I built my two Greenboy 15Subs in my living room. Sawing, glueing, Duratexing, the whole nine yards. Kept the shop vac handy. Turned out great.

Yeah.......... My wife would have a massive coronary. :***:

 

[craigb]

It all depends on your goals. I've had Avatars (the old CB12s, some SB112s, a neo 2x10, and a neo 2x12) and some 3-ways (a pair of Carvin LS1503 w/3015LFs installed, a pair of LDS-built 12/6/1s that approximated the fEarful 12/6/1 cube). My personal faves for tone? The LS1503s w/3015LFs installed. But after a while the size/weight of them made me give 'em up (they aren't that big or that heavy but I was unwilling to keep carting them around and up and down stairs). I've tried a lot of different things (Acme, BFM, LDS nEarful, etc.) in pursuit of "the ultimate cab" for me. I think 3-ways are it but you know what I use now? A sealed-box 1x12 combo and a ported 15 in a too small box that can get very loud. Why? Because for me in the end the tonal improvement wasn't worth the cartage. I use a house-provided combo for about 1/2 my playing and cart some combination of my pieces to the rest. Is the tone as good as it would be if I still had one of my pairs of 3-ways? Not in my opinion. Is it good enough? You bet - plenty of compliments and my back is happy with the pieces I carry.

So what's your goal? Ultimate tone? What is your ultimate tone? Mine comes from a 3-way cab but for lots of people it's an SVT into an 8x10 which is a completely different flavor. Is your goal best value? Who's defining the best value - you, the internet cognoscenti, the market? Are you after bragging rights for the "best of the best" or the "best value"? You've got to set your parameters - if you ask talkbass an open question you get back everyone's individual favorite and there are crowds/voices that will drown out others.

Avatar - love 'em, recommend to lots of people. Solid construction, good value, great service. I don't think they can be beat for what they are.

Greenboy - love 'em. Haven't recommended them to many in person because of the cost and/or woodworking skill requirements. I don't think they can be beat for what they are.

The key phrase in there "for what they are". You have to figure out which one best fits your goals/wants/needs.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Raj has the means to buy the Greenboy.

But, to his credit, and sometimes detriment, he is always after the best deal.

Going by my past experiences, one can never convince a cheapskate................

 

[tink9975]

I would go for the greenboy if you have the means.
I gig an Avatar TB153 and it is a good cab, but the greenboy cabs are better engineered.
At a local GTG I had the opportunity to play my rig and then run my amp/bass through a Greenboy Fearless F115, the volume levels were similar, but the Fearless had a tighter/more controlled low end.
This was with a P5 strung with chromes running thorough a Streamliner 900

 

[KevInDaBassment]

Greenboy cabs are great from what I hear, but I do have experience with Avatars as I own one (Neo 2x10).

I can say this about the Avatar, it is definitely an affordable cabinet and they are quite loud as well. Tone is a subjective thing for most people, but I've owned several cabs and the Avatar stuff is no bargain bin junk by any means. If you're expecting something with a ridiculously hi-fi sound and absolutely immaculate reproduction of your sound at massive volumes, an Avatar won't do that, but it will definitely outperform several other mass-produced cabs. If the Avatar is in your price range and you desperately need a cabinet that will get the job done and stick together, the Avatars are fantastic for that. If nothing else, it makes an excellent backup cabinet. I use a GK MB200 and the Avatar 2x10 neo, it easily plays over a drummer and still retains the character and clarity needed to make out my notes well. I'd get a rat fur neo 2x10 and see how you like it, if you don't like that cab then you likely won't care for the others. I wouldn't discredit the Avatars though, they will certainly get the job done.

 

[Liam Wald]

Who cares what you friend says??
Buy what YOU want.

 

[Ritchie_Darling]

Who cares what you friend says??
Buy what YOU want.

Oh, I intend to buy what I want.

I am simply trying to prove a point to him.

And convince him to invest wisely.

 

[BurningSkies]

I have an Avatar SB112, or as I call it 'an end table'. Dave makes decent budget line stuff. They compete and compare with other offerings from commercial bass-manufacturers and sometimes do so favorably. I think the TB153 cab is probably the best option out of his offerings if you are locked into his price range and also want a 3-way...that said I don't know that they're a direct competitor to Dave Green's designs in a bunch of ways.

 

[Jim Carr]

I hope the OP will stop to consider cabinet and cross-over design as a factor. There is no doubt in my mind that Greenboy's design for 15/6/1 is superior to the TB153. I am not trashing the Avatar cabinet—I considered a TB153. I just did some reading, and concluded that the drivers/cabinet/cross-over combination in the fEARful line was what I wanted. I have several fEARfuls, and am deliriously happy with them.

Buy used, or buy cut-kits from speakerhardware.com. If you don't like what you end up with, you can easily sell it for close to what you have spent, or more. Selling a used TB153 may be a little harder, though a used one might be the best deal of all.

 

[Ritchie_Darling]

HEHEHEHE!!! Now he is talking about Accugroove.... GEEZ!

 

[Stranger Danger]

AudioKinesis

 

[Jim Carr]

What about Bergantino, Epifani, Acme, Mesa, and Aguilar? I hear they all have mileage rewards!

 

[Jim Carr]

AudioKinesis

+1
Now we're talkin!

 

[Rajesh Arjan]

What about Bergantino, Epifani, Acme, Mesa, and Aguilar? I hear they all have mileage rewards!

I have researched some if these. Epifani I do not like. Mesa is like Greenboy also. Nice and expensive. I have nit seen Acme. I did not know Aguilar make cabinets. Only pre amplifier. Bergantino is good also. I have not decided on cabs. I need more advice and to try many things.

 

[lokikallas]

If you can afford the Greenboy, get it. Avatar's do just fine if you're on a budget, but there's no comparison in terms of sonic quality or efficiency.

I think the Avatar TB153 is a direct comparison that applies to the OP.
Maybe not so much the conventional avatar designs.

 

[carl h.]

Do you want a cabinet where the final component selection was done by accountants or the designer?

 

[Rajesh Arjan]

Do you want a cabinet where the final component selection was done by accountants or the designer?

I want the best cabinet that I can get for the best price. There is nothing wrong with this. Why over spend? Only for a name? Brand name does not impress me. I am not cheap. I am frugal. And will be glad to pay for good tools. But, if you only pay for a name, it is stupid.

 

[beans-on-toast]

I want the best cabinet that I can get for the best price.

I seems that you want to buy a cabinet based on faith.

The only way that you will know which cabinet you prefer is to audition them. You might find that one is much better than the other in terms of your likes and needs. Then evaluate the cost against how it performs.

Perhaps you should be asking if anyone locally has one of these cabs and would be willing to let you hear it.

 

[basscooker]

But, if you only pay for a name...

You're paying for top-notch engineering, high quality components, high end crossovers and drivers.....
At least from the fEARful/FEARless.... Some of the big brands at the stores, not so much on the stuff going on inside them....

 

[basscooker]

I'll add, though, there are some fantastic cabs and builders mentioned in this thread that are neither Avatar OR Greenboy. Those should be on the table also. Just because somebody CAN AFFORD the Ferrari, it doesn't mean they can't drive the Buick.