Best cab?

[CTC564]

Ok...I'm really glad that you enlightened me, thank you

Any opinion on Bergantino cabs?

 

[KJung]

True they are different animals, but the upshot is bad advice based on the idea one should bake tone into your cab. This approach is nuts IMO as you are narrowing your creative scope for no benefit save obviating the need to learn how to use your equipment in ways beyond previous limitations imposed by its prior deficiencies.

A fEARful will do everything your 810e will do and a lot more. This is not a problem, but rather an opportunity.

To the point, take a look at the 810e...

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Now lets compare that to a 15/6 fEARful from 100 to 5k Hz*.

While the measurement set is not sufficient to compare what is going on below 100Hz between these two cabs, rest assured the fEARful exceeds the capabilities of the 810e down low by a significant margin. This does not mean you have to play with an authoritative and solid low end that goes an octave deeper than an 810e [and makes the panties drop] but you can if you want.

Bottomline: if you are man enough to twiddle a few knobs you can get any tone you like out of a fEARful... from the dubbiest of dub dubs to slap happy zinginess. Got a sound in head? Your fEARful can take you there.

This means you can explore response profiles far beyond the capabilities of lesser cabs, and that statement is neither hyperbole, nor a subjective opinion from me regarding how you should sound when you play your bass. Instead, its physics: measured, demonstrable, and reproducible.

If you like your 810e, try a 66 fEARful. Its smaller, lighter, louder, goes lower, goes higher and has vastly superior off axis response = you won't want to go back, and in any event, your band mates wouldn't let you.

*Notes: Loudness normalized for comparison - in real life a 15/6 allows LF performance far past the point an 810e hits fart out - but if you want to get louder than an 810e in the mids as well, get a 1515/66. If response above 5kHz is desired you can add a tweeter, this concept is included in the fEARful design scope for those who want it.

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sigh..... god help us all

 

[CTC564]

LMAO!!!!

 

[dhomer]

I asked on the fEARful forum if anyone could name a few professional/touring/recording artists who use them regularly and didn't get a response...that alone speaks volumes to me.

There's more than one reason behind that. It isn't necessarily because touring pros are opting NOT to play these cabs. It is likely a combination of several factors.. fEARful is still a relatively new name in the ring, and it still isn't as well known as the industry standards. Give it another year or so, the pros are just becoming aware of these guys.. fEARfuls are not being commercially produced, (i.e. built on a mass-produced basis) there is no corporate entity to aggressively promote these cabs. Its not that I haven't fielded several questions in terms of endorsements. A larger company could accomodate, but we are a network of very small businesses, most of us couldn't absorb the costs of doing so..

 

[ScottTunes]

JohnK's new cab would be the perfect cab for rock - ported or sealed!

I used a nearly identical sealed version (with 2 15 EV SROs) driven by an SVT V-9 and a Jazz or Carvin 4 string for over a decade ('82-'94-ish). Never met a blues club it couldn't handle (including Buddy Guy's rather large club). With the SROs, it probably weighed close to 65-ish lbs (JohnK's is under 50lbs)... I actually used a Fender Bassman 100 (26" wide) more frequently than the SVT, and it too sounded great! Easily kept up with 2 Twin Reverbs just fine.

vintage SVTs and the new VRs are 24" wide. i made my own lightweight 2x15 cab (w/neo 15's) that measures 25"Wx36"Tx14"D and my SVTs look good on it (IMO). the cab only weighs 46 1/2lbs and fits in my BMW's trunk so it's alot easier schlep. and the two 3015's (or 15PR400's) put out ALOT more clean fullrange output than my ampeg 8x10 fridge cab. and being that it's a foot shorter than an 810 makes it a bit easier for me to set my 85lb SVT head on top of it.

i like it so much that i'm building a second one right now, only this one will have the option of running a steel perfed grill or silver-blue ampeg cloth.

 

[popgadget]

I was very skeptical of the claims made about fEARful cabinets, but I was interested and built one to see what they were like. Turns out it was pretty much as described, and they have become my cabs of choice.

Now there are some bold claims being made about another cabinet that I have never heard or played through (DNA).

David Nordschow's former company (David Eden) designed and produced my WT-400 which is still a very highly regarded amp and was ahead of its time as a compact hybrid powerhouse. I would give David and his new venture the benefit of the doubt until I actually had a chance to hear, or at least see a responsible review of his products to confirm or deny the performance claims. I am quite confident that he knows a lot more than me about designing bass gear, and the voicing of my WT-400 is very much to my liking.

So while I might be guilty of being a fEARful fanboy, I'm sure not gonna run down any other innovators without firsthand experience.

 

[CTC564]

Very well said...and I feel the same way regarding David Nordschow and his contribution to the bass amp world

 

[popgadget]

There's more than one reason behind that. It isn't necessarily because touring pros are opting NOT to play these cabs. It is likely a combination of several factors.. fEARful is still a relatively new name in the ring, and it still isn't as well known as the industry standards. Give it another year or so, the pros are just becoming aware of these guys.. fEARfuls are not being commercially produced, (i.e. built on a mass-produced basis) there is no corporate entity to aggressively promote these cabs. Its not that I haven't fielded several questions in terms of endorsements. A larger company could accomodate, but we are a network of very small businesses, most of us couldn't absorb the costs of doing so..

Not to mention most touring pros use rental back line. Not many providers are going to be able to provide a fEARful. They can all provide SVT.

 

[CTC564]

I'll partially agree with that....but big name musician names (Marcus, Tal, Victor, etc) tend to use the stuff that they "endorse"

 

[dhomer]

I did have an inquiry last fall from the bass player for one of the biggest names in rock and roll.. I'm not going to be a name dropper, but if I could have afforded to eat costs, its entirely possible fEARfuls would be on tour right now..

 

[shadowmac]

I've played through numerous cabs over the years. On a budget, I think that AVATAR neo cabs are as good as anything and better than most in the low mid price range. That said I now use BERGANTINO and EPIFANI cabs, both of which are higher end cabs.

I've owned 3 different Bergies and I auditioned the AE410. I will never part with my HT115, as it is a gem of a bottom which I used with an Eden metro 210 combo (awesome set-up) and now use under an Epi 410.

I loved the virtually uncolored tone of the Bergie AE410, but I play hard rock and progressive metal and I felt that the Bergie when compared to the Epifani 410 cabs lacked the low end sonic punch that the Epifani UL410 cabs (I own a series 1 and series 2) provide.
The Epifani UL212 (which I also own) is perhaps the best all around stand-alone cab I have played through for rock and metal. It won't break your back as it is quite light, and shouldn't break your bank if you pick up a used one. One note, I find the Epi's sound better, especially for recording, when they are pushed a bit.

I hope this helps - Good luck.

Ok...I'm really glad that you enlightened me, thank you

Any opinion on Bergantino cabs?

 

[CTC564]

Thanks for that info...I'm a Metro owner too...but just upgraded to a GB SMax 9.2 and I'm looking for something smaller and more modular

I've heard similar opinions regarding the AE410...and I'm hearing alot of good things about the Epi's

Hope to get to NYC before too long

 

[Foz]

sigh..... god help us all

yawn...

 

[Stumbo]

Calling JimmyM....

Btw, what's the budget? (sorry if i missed it).

 

[CTC564]

I'm hoping to keep it somewhere around $1500 for one or 2 cabs...my requirements are small footprint, great sound and portability/lightweight

I've played 10's my whole life (SWR, Eden)...I'm a bit curious about 12's

I play mostly rock, pop and blues

 

[waleross]

Here is some of what I own:
Heritage810, (2)210AV's, Fender Pro215, Markbass212 and a custom cab from Fliptops a scooped 15"(500watts) to run an SVT-CL...............Its not easy to downsize(heads are easier to micro) once you have the large Ampeg and Fender cabs, still there are many options out there........................

 

[Calaverasgrande]

True they are different animals, but the upshot is bad advice based on the idea one should bake tone into your cab. This approach is nuts IMO as you are narrowing your creative scope for no benefit save obviating the need to learn how to use your equipment in ways beyond previous limitations imposed by its prior deficiencies.

No matter what you do with your eq it is not possible to make a Fearful + SVT head sound like an 8x10 + SVT head.
For instance if you cut the lows to "impersonate" the abbreviated bass response of the 8x10 it will cut bass higher than where the bass roll off occurs in the 8x10.
There are also non-linearities with similar "classic" cabs like the EV loaded TL606 that you simply can not impersonate with an EQ.
Some of us like to use the baked in voicing of our cabs along with the baked in voicing of our amps and baked in voicing of our basses to get our tone.

 

[wcriley]

Why is that people take for granted that you need to adjust 31 bands of EQ to make FOH cabinets sound the way they want, but cry bloody murder if they need more than 3 bands to adjust bass guitar cabinets?

 

[CL400Peavey]

Why is that people take for granted that you need to adjust 31 bands of EQ to make FOH cabinets sound the way they want, but cry bloody murder if they need more than 3 bands to adjust bass guitar cabinets?

Exactly. If a Ampeg 810 fit everyone's needs all the time it would be the only cab on the market, and threads like this wouldn't exist.

 

[phillybass101]

go smaller. you could still run two smaller 4x10 cabs. There are so many cab manufacturesrs these days it's mind boggling. gettign two 4x10 cabs could server two purposes. One cab for smaller gigs and run both at bigger venues.