• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass Best quality bass amplification?

#61
jsbarber said:
Glockenklang
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more with my friend Jim. If weight and size isn't the main consideration Glockenklang is TOP quality equipment and sounds incredible with the DB.

I am seeing the UL502 pop up quite a bit in this thread and while it is quality, I didn't find it to work well with the DB for me. I owned the head for about 4 years....

That all being said the AI Focus is a great quality head for DB and also fits the convenience criteria. I don't think your experience with the tonal quality of the combo carries to the Focus paired with a good cabinet. I think you are already aware of the short comings many feel the Focus has with Electric bass..

My experience was that EA heads were a good compromise but not great at either, I owned a IAMP 350 for a few years.....

I know you didn't want opinions but...If I was starting from scratch and had a budget and weight considerations in mind I'd probably be thinking Focus with 2 12" boxes or a 2x10 cabinet and a sansamp for EB gigs, especially if you think you might want to run a mic in the future.

If you don't care so much about weight and running a mic I'd go Glockenklang Soul or Heartrock, with Berg AE112s which make for a very nice pairing...
 
#63
Barcza said:
What do you thik abot Epifani and Accugroove Cabinets?
Click to expand...

To my ear both of these cabinets have a very round and apparent low end vs. a EA or Berg AE cabinet where the bottom end is somewhat attenuated in comparison.

The cabinets you mentioned are very good but can have to much low end depending on the bass, mic and amp you put in front of it. What I mean by that is if you have a very dark bass, a Gage pick PU and a head with allot of bottom end these cabs may make it difficult to tame those lows. If however you have a "flatter" set up these cabs can work very well.

Many guys use a UL112 with a focus and have great success.

I think what you'll find out, even more so with the DB, is that each piece in your signal chain from the bass to the speaker will have a dramatic effect on the success of any given gear you put in the middle. Some gear is a little more universal and others pair well with many other pieces, my Glock for example pairs well with most cabinets I've tried, the Focus on the other hand only has certain companions IMO.

You are either going to need to decide on a setup all at once or make a decision on a head and then drag it around to start to figure out which cabinets suit you best. You've already got the bass and pick up thing worked out so your halfway there...

I guess what I'm saying is these cabs can be great if paired properly or a nightmare if paired with the wrong front end....
 
#64
Unfortunatelly I can not try Epifani or Accugroove cabs in my country. My bass is a masterbuild but (unfortunatelly) not an old one, it has not too mutch boomy sound, more like a bit mid full, but sounds nice. I use Full Circle pu, mostly I got the definition with almost every amps, cabs I tryed. My electric bass is a 74' Fender J, it has lot of midrange, I use the EBS Valve Drive with it, and I have to increase the lows while I cut the mid to get the right sound.
 
#65
drurb said:
All this is to say that it is not, IMO, counterintuitive or undesirable in the least to have to adjust the tone-shaping circuits of the amp to achieve the sound you want.
Click to expand...

I don't necessarily disagree. I played a very odd room a week ago where a small adjustment to the Focus EQ produced better results than running flat like I usually do. The capability to tone-shape certainly is desirable.

However my experience with the EA head was that running flat did not produce what I thought was a very accurate picture of my bass. Both EA and AI heads powered the same EA NL210 which never moved an inch. I'm not sure how to explain that...
 
#66
Barcza said:
Unfortunatelly I can not try Epifani or Accugroove cabs in my country. My bass is a masterbuild but (unfortunatelly) not an old one, it has not too mutch boomy sound, more like a bit mid full, but sounds nice. I use Full Circle pu, mostly I got the definition with almost every amps, cabs I tryed. My electric bass is a 74' Fender J, it has lot of midrange, I use the EBS Valve Drive with it, and I have to increase the lows while I cut the mid to get the right sound.
Click to expand...

If you want my opinion I think you'd do very nicely with a Focus and UL112, as long as you continue to use the Valve Drive with your Electric and feel comfortable that you'll get the volume you want from a single 12.
 
#67
Since a few people have mentioned Glockenklang, here's another tidbit I'll throw in:

At one point, I considered getting a 4x10 for loud blues gigs.

So I tried 4ohm versions of the Bergantino AE410, the Glockenklang Quattro 410 and the Epifani UL-410 with my AI Focus head. The Glockenklang was the absolute loudest before feedback problems began. In addition, the clarity was noticeably better than the other two cabs. The deal breaker for me was the 81 lbs. weight of the cabinet.
 
#68
peterpalmieri said:
If you want my opinion I think you'd do very nicely with a Focus and UL112, as long as you continue to use the Valve Drive with your Electric and feel comfortable that you'll get the volume you want from a single 12.
Click to expand...

Some peaple says the UL-110 sounds more flat than UL-112, my idea is maybe two UL-110 with the Clarus. Smaller gigs: one UL-110 = 8 ohm, 250W Bigger gigs: Two UL-110 = 4 ohm 400W. What do you think?
 
#70
Barcza said:
Some peaple says the UL-110 sounds more flat than UL-112, my idea is maybe two UL-110 with the Clarus. Smaller gigs: one UL-110 = 8 ohm, 250W Bigger gigs: Two UL-110 = 4 ohm 400W. What do you think?
Click to expand...

In my experience and those of my customers, the UL110 has been the hands down favorite for sound and portability. The UL112 is a great cab and runs a close second but is much bigger in terms of size and sound. I prefer the sound of my bass and not my amp and tend not play gigs that would require volume beyond that. A customer of mine that plays in a big band in Indianapolis bought 2 UL110s thinking he would use both but has really only used both cabs together once or twice stating that it was just unnecessary. He uses a Little Mark head BTW.
 
#72
Jet Nero said:
I don't necessarily disagree. I played a very odd room a week ago where a small adjustment to the Focus EQ produced better results than running flat like I usually do. The capability to tone-shape certainly is desirable.

However my experience with the EA head was that running flat did not produce what I thought was a very accurate picture of my bass. Both EA and AI heads powered the same EA NL210 which never moved an inch. I'm not sure how to explain that...
Click to expand...

Hmm. Likely to be the interaction of the pre-amp loading with whatever preceded it.
 
#74
My Epifani UL110 puts out plenty of low end - more than you think it should. Great doubling cab for the size and power handling.

It was my overall favorite doubling cab until I got my Phil Jones 8B neo-cab. The PJ has made me put my Euphonic Audio cabs up for sale (NL210 & CXL112L) in the classifieds. That is some stiff competition IMO 'cause the EA stuff is great. But for my money the PJB neo speaker series has something really special going on - if you pair it with a high powered, quality amp. I use mine with an Acoustic Image Focus II head running at 4ohms and its the first rig I've owned where I can always hear myself clearly - upright or electric.

However, for small gigs I will still take the UL110 out 'cause it weighs 22lbs compared to 50 lbs in the PJ.

Unless I decide to get a Phil Jones Flightcase 300. ;)
 
#76
hensonbass said:
My Epifani UL110 puts out plenty of low end - more than you think it should. Great doubling cab for the size and power handling.

It was my overall favorite doubling cab until I got my Phil Jones 8B neo-cab. The PJ has made me put my Euphonic Audio cabs up for sale (NL210 & CXL112L) in the classifieds. That is some stiff competition IMO 'cause the EA stuff is great. But for my money the PJB neo speaker series has something really special going on - if you pair it with a high powered, quality amp. I use mine with an Acoustic Image Focus II head running at 4ohms and its the first rig I've owned where I can always hear myself clearly - upright or electric.

However, for small gigs I will still take the UL110 out 'cause it weighs 22lbs compared to 50 lbs in the PJ.

Unless I decide to get a Phil Jones Flightcase 300. ;)
Click to expand...

I'm in NY the biggest city in the world and there is no place to audition the PJB neo stuff, I haven't heard a bad DB review yet!
 
#80
peterpalmieri said:
As long as you understand the volume limitations of a single 10.
Click to expand...


I was in a rush last night and should have expanded on this. A single 10 is great for trio type gigs or small restaurants but won't carry in allot of situations, not sure if that is a concern to you.

I do know that many people use a UL110/UL112 combination. Either cabinet can be very good on it's own depending on the situation and together they can compete in a very loud situation.

I considered this combo and sometimes wish I went that route but I wasn't able to get both cabs in the same room to audition...
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back