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Avatar TB123?

NeilGB

NeilGB

Supporting Member
Apr 28, 2012
821
1,576
SF Bay Area - East Bay
#1
I love my TB153. Great tone and dispersion etc. The only downside is it is a bit too big and I don't need the volume it can produce.

It seems a TB123 would be perfect, assuming it was built in a right sized cab.

Dave at Avatar doesn't have any plans right now to make such a speaker.

What do you folks in TB land think? Would this be a good idea? How many would buy one?

If enough folks like the idea, maybe Dave will change his mind.

Cheers
Neil
 
#4
bobcruz said:
We've been after him for years just to put a midrange driver in his 112 in place of the tweeter to no avail. I think an Avatar 12/6 would sell like hotcakes.
Click to expand...

Right , His 112 cab has plenty of room for a mid driver , the one in the TB153 would probably be a good fit and still have room for the horn . On the other hand you could just buyha fEARful 12/6 kit from Speaker Hardware and assemble it yourself . No wood cutting , just glueing and finishing and have the real thing . It would be nice if Avatar did do the 112 though .
 
#5
At times my Avatar B153 seems a little large even though it isn't all that heavy.
But I must say that I really do love the sound of it enough to overlook its size.
I seriously doubt that a B123 would sound anywhere near as good.
I also have an Avatar B210 for smaller venues and "unplugged" gigs.
In short, I personally wouldn't buy one.
 
#7
The sarcasm wasn't warranted but I'd have to concur, why wait for a TB123 if you're looking for a good sounding 12/6/1 or a lighter, less bulky 15/6/1? There are other quality builders of 3-way designs like LoPhat and others but for the price point it's hard to beat those kits from speakerhardware. You can also get them assembled and finished if you're not a DIY type.

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#13
With Lelands help I priced out all the components needed to finish off a fearful 12/6. Depending on the spec it costs right around the price of a TB153.

Then there is the build time (I think I have the skills although painting isn't something I enjoy).

To get one ready built is in the $1100 range.

The 12/6 remains an option but isn't directly comparable in terms of cost to an avatar style product. (Carefully avoids use of the words 'cabinet' and 'speaker').

Thanks for all the input.
Neil
 
#14
Cool. So the finished "product" from Leland will be about $500?

Are you doing the flatpack?

I'm currently building a 12/6 from scratch. It does take a bit of time but I find it enjoyable. I built a 15/6 and just couldn't resist building my own 12/6 although I already had one I bought from someone else. I love knowing exactly how my cab is built and having the creative control to do what I want. I will probably put casters and a telescopic handle on my 12/6 to maximize transportability. Not sure though as its only going to be 35LBS approx.

Oh yeah, and painting it wont be difficult. If you use that duratex finish it rolls right on easily and provides excellent protection.
 
#15
Take an SB 112, pull the 12 and the horn. Enlarge to hole for the horn to accommodate an Alpha or Alpha lite 6. Craft a box about 6.5 square, 4 or 4 deep. Make hole just large enough to accommodate a couple of small clamps on the back of the box. Glue on the edges of the box, into the cab through the woofer hole, align with the. New larger hole, 2 clamps and.... You now have a chamber for the 6. If you're feeling cheesy... You can get a similar thing using a plastic tub, a small hole, string, and a couple of small wood scraps... The tub won't isolate as well at hi volume though.

Replace the crossover, I'd probably go with the fEarful CBG design as it works well with the mid driver. Probably not optimal but... Engineering optimal for this hybrid kinda thing of probably not cost effective unless someone really knows splice, has measurement tools, etc... Let's me out...

And you are pretty close to a faux'ful.

I did something very similar using. Galaxy Audio 5 from Parts Express years ago, but in an Avatar 2x12. To my ear it was much more pleasing that the piezo horn... And yeah, I used the cheaply plastic tub. Worked fine though I would not have compared it to say a Bergantino cab...

I'd put my f 12.6 against a Berg or Epi any day... The f12.6 on a f12.sub is just ridiculous... 2 12.6 cabs bumped off my old WT800 was nutz...

I hadn't noticed the f.hate lately. Whatever ya do, don't actually demo a to spec f.cab as then there will be all those words to swallow along with the kool aid :-)
 
#17
I don't own an Avatar at this point. I have had several. Of all of the Avatars I owned, the SB 112 was my fav. Straightening out the mids in that cab would have made a large difference to me. I was about to start on that when I had a go with Passinwind's Gucci maple 12.6 cab... That was an eye opener for sure.

One thing I've learned with my 12.6 is that not every gig I do really wants me to go that deep. I could easily see a cab with the beautious mids of a fearful but one that was rolling off by 60 being useful to me. Better ? Well the 12.6 would certainly have a higher volume potential and it would go deeper, smoother. But if you already have a cab like the 153, maybe a slightly different flavor in the stable would prove useful. It does to me... I like the voice of my bare 1x10 cabs under acoustic settings where the drums are an el cajon or congas. I like bare 1x15's with an old tube head for my surfabilly thing. Life is too short for just one flavor :-). The fearfuls get everything else and when I'm in doubt, a 12.6 comes along for the ride. Outside ? Large stage ? 12.6 is coming...

If I had to pick one, it would be the 12.6. Mostly because it takes EQ so well. That alone make sit extremely flexible. Glad I don't have to pick just one though :D

I'm for the most part a 4 string guy. The only 5 I have is an old fretless Guild. Another thing that influences my cab selection to be sure.
 
#18
Yeah, I guess I am more of a "one trick pony" kind of guy. I recently decided to keep just one bass and a (never to be touched) backup and sell everything else that never gets used anyway.

As to cabs same kinda thing. After going thru MANY cabs I found what I like. As you say, thankfully they take eq well. A 15/6 & 12/6, one or both, will handle any situation I find myself in... though I'd still like to get a 12sub.
 

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