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Avatar Vs. Epifani
- Thread starter arstneio
- Start date
Avatar.
two reasons.
1. i know the avatar sounds good
2. i'm cheap.
+1
avatars are cheap, yes. but by the sheer fact that you rarely seem them used in the emporium or ebay should tell you something.
well, it actually says a few things.
1. that they're good enough to keep long term
2. they're cheap enough that the difference between a good used price and a new price is quite small.
3. i'm not sure. i should edit that sentence to say "two things" instead of "a few things" but i guess i'm just too lazy to do so. odd.
Yea and i see a bunch of used Fenders everywhere i go too... what exactly is your point?
I'll give a little love to the Avatar cabs. I once needed a cab for our church. I asked around different bass forums for an inexpensive cab and most everyone who answered said Avatar. I went ahead and looked for one on ebay. Dave had like 3 or 4 B212 cabs for sale so I got one brand new for around $250 plus shipping. Great deal, I know. I brought it to church and hooked it up. Wow!!!! I was totally amazed at how clean and clear it sounded and how loud I could get it without distorting. Not bad for a $250 cab. I figured it would be a decent cab, not an awesome cab but it was, in fact, awesome. I liked it so much that I got another one for myself off of ebay but this one ran me over $300. Still not a bad deal compared to what I got from it. 3 years later and I'm still pumping low end through both of those cabinets.
I can't comment on the Epi cabs due to lack of experience with them but I can say that with Avatar you'll get your money's worth.
I can't comment on the Epi cabs due to lack of experience with them but I can say that with Avatar you'll get your money's worth.
Epifani cabs are generally lighter in weight than Avatars. Some people are willing to pay extra for that. I've played neither, but am seriously considering an Avatar Neo 212, but, at 57 years old, I would probably get the Epi if I could afford it.
That depends on how you define better. You plug them both into an amp and play a bass through it and you will get a bass sound that you can mix with other instruments. 99.9% of listeners will not be able to hear any difference. How is a Rolex better than a Timex? They both tell you the time, what more do you need? How is a Benz better than a Ford? They both take you where you want to go. From looking at the way my Epi is made I have concluded that it is built as well as it can be. I assume that an Avatars is built as well as it needs to be.
"I can't comment on the Epi cabs due to lack of experience with them but I can say that with Avatar you'll get your money's worth."
+1
+1
have those who label others as "headstock whores" tried things liek epifani, begantino, accugroove, etc...
read opinions of people regarding amps and cabs on these boards, some of the most discerning ears and minds as far as tone and gear are concerned post reviews of such companies, and many others on a regular basis. Im not a headstock whore, as i myself own and play an SX jazz bass regularly, but have also sold basses from companies like lakland and fender in the last few months. dosnt mean that it is better than either( i personally find lakland basses to be my favorite feelign 4 strings out there) but the SX plays fine, sounds decent and looks good, so as im not gigging i dont need something that costs 5 or 8 times as much.
i have also been buying and selling cabs a bit lately, and will probably buy another epifani sometime soon. the avatar stuff ive played was good soid stuff, but i find myself adding "for the price" at the end of it. without price being a consideration, epifani is considerably higher quality for me.
read opinions of people regarding amps and cabs on these boards, some of the most discerning ears and minds as far as tone and gear are concerned post reviews of such companies, and many others on a regular basis. Im not a headstock whore, as i myself own and play an SX jazz bass regularly, but have also sold basses from companies like lakland and fender in the last few months. dosnt mean that it is better than either( i personally find lakland basses to be my favorite feelign 4 strings out there) but the SX plays fine, sounds decent and looks good, so as im not gigging i dont need something that costs 5 or 8 times as much.
i have also been buying and selling cabs a bit lately, and will probably buy another epifani sometime soon. the avatar stuff ive played was good soid stuff, but i find myself adding "for the price" at the end of it. without price being a consideration, epifani is considerably higher quality for me.
On the surface, this is a thread comparing the relative values of Avatar and Epifani bass cabs. Maybe (I emphasize maybe) its really about our relative ability to afford things. Those who can afford the Epi stuff could be sensitive about being perceived as snooty boutique snobs. Those who cant (or choose not to) afford the Epi stuff could be almost relieved to hear that the Avatar stuff sounds as good and is built as well.
There is an overwhelming mound of evidence that both are great products period. Buy what you like, buy what you can or choose to afford. Play it, enjoy it. Dont give a hoot about what others think. Now wasnt that easy? For the record, I would be happy to own and gig with an Avatar product.
M. M.
There is an overwhelming mound of evidence that both are great products period. Buy what you like, buy what you can or choose to afford. Play it, enjoy it. Dont give a hoot about what others think. Now wasnt that easy? For the record, I would be happy to own and gig with an Avatar product.
M. M.
While I was not throwing around the term headstock whore (I do like that term though, sums up a few people I know!), I can say that I have tried Epis for probably 5 hours total.
I find myself adding "for the price" to a statement about Epis when I explain them to someone who does want my very limited inut on them;
They're good sure, but for the price, I'd much rather spend my money else where.
I'm a gigging (metal) bassist whos backline is soon moving from Ashdown to SWR cabs, powered by an Ampeg SVT-CL. Honestly, on stage, I don't expect to hear much difference.
Even the couple of times I've visited a studio to record, my cabs meant jack squat, as I went DI for the most part. A couple of times we went mic + DI, but I still don't think the cab would've made THAT much of a difference.
Now, if you (collective, not directed at you gkbass) play a style of music that has a bit more empahsis on the bass or maybe you're one of those solo type guys. I'm not, and the OP isn't. I think an Avatar will suit him perfectly. I think for the vast majority of bassists, Avatar will do them well enough as well. It also doesn't set us back signifigantly in the bank account. This is good for the weekend warriors like me who just can't justify the extra expense versus what they'll make back from it.
If somehow I start to earn more back from my music and playing, then perhaps it'll be worth another look from me. At this point in playing though they don't.
IMO, YMMV etc. etc.
I think I'm a headstock whore. Well, at least now I am with a Roscoe coming.
I was one with cabinets a few years back in college. I soon realized that speakers are speakers and it all depends on how particular you want to be with your tone. Companies like accugroove, berg, ea and the like are worth it to me. It may not be that case for the next person who can barely tell the difference or doesn't even care (as long as you can hear bass coming out). MESA and Aguilar are great for rock. Berg and AG are great for the hi-fi. EA is good for transparent/hi-fi/EB. Epifani UL is brittle IMO. I will never buy a UL cab again - NYC now that's a different story.
I was one with cabinets a few years back in college. I soon realized that speakers are speakers and it all depends on how particular you want to be with your tone. Companies like accugroove, berg, ea and the like are worth it to me. It may not be that case for the next person who can barely tell the difference or doesn't even care (as long as you can hear bass coming out). MESA and Aguilar are great for rock. Berg and AG are great for the hi-fi. EA is good for transparent/hi-fi/EB. Epifani UL is brittle IMO. I will never buy a UL cab again - NYC now that's a different story.
I voted for Epifani, let me tell you why. First off, I don't reside in the 'boutique gear camp'; most of my equipment is budget-minded. I do use Epifani PS series cabinets, because I like how they sound. I can get a fair range of tones, mostly older school with a bit o' modern twang. That said, the Avatars represent a great value for the money. A friend of mine uses two of the 212 cabinets and a Mesa 400+. In my mind, this stack absolutely shrieks 'Metal!' If I had to sell my Epifani cabs and purchase new equipment that cost less, Avatar would be on the short list. Bottom line: try it all, then buy.
I'm the one throwing that term around.... I have a custom Conklin, but certainly don't consider myself one. I also have two SXs, a Samick, and some other cheapies.
I have. The vast majority of us are working musicians. Because of this, you've gotta factor in cost as well. The sonic difference between many high end cabs, and a killer cab like Avatar is WAY offset be the cost difference.
...And there's a perfect example! "Epifani must be better, they are more expensive!"
He didn't say that. He said the Epi is more expensive because it's better. Not the other way around.
This has been a few iterations ago, but I seem to recall that it was the smaller details that saved Avatar money and in turn led to the cheaper cabinets. Stuff like the tweeter, the screws used to hold in the speakers (as opposed to T-nuts) and the crossover (which I think has been improved but still isn't "top of the line"). I'm sure there are other differences (quality of the wood used?) but I don't know of them.
I've played neither, but the sheer volume of testimonials on this site lead me to believe that both are good bits of equipment. One is most likely assembled with more expensive and/or higher quality components but, arguably, that doesn't make it "better" for the OP's intended uses.
Mike
I've played neither, but the sheer volume of testimonials on this site lead me to believe that both are good bits of equipment. One is most likely assembled with more expensive and/or higher quality components but, arguably, that doesn't make it "better" for the OP's intended uses.
Mike
I don't think I've seen these two compared before. Why the huge price difference? Production and materials cost. Is Epifani X amount of dollars better than Avatar? Probably not but everyone has a different opinion. Epifani (IMO) is more hi-fi and clear where the Avatar will have a more colored tone but still great nonetheless. I'd prefer Avatar over the Epifani just for the price difference alone. And frequency response is kind of a non-issue these days. Aside from neodymium magnets (which Avatar uses as well), there haven't been any major improvements in speaker design for a really long time. Using your ears is a better judge of how something sounds than specs on a piece of paper anyways.
