Best single cab solution for small clubs?

[CElton]

Baer ML112. Best one cab solution I’ve used.

+1. I gig a GK MBF800 or TH500 with a single ML112 most of time. If I need more which is rare with FOH, I bring another ML112.

 

[Medicine Man]

My advice, get on the waitlist for an Audiokinesis Hathor 1203. I play the 212 version, and it is utterly overkill for small club situations, gracefully obliterating the competing 100 Orange and 100 watt Marshall, and my stupidly loud drummer if necessary. (Sigh, I know.) If you play at professional volumes the 1203 is more than sufficient. They are very clean and loud, and accurately produce whatever you put in. Comes in at your price point.

 

[DangYankee]

Given Kro’s experience, I wonder if the Fearless F112 might do better. Ed Friedlander seems to like it.

I HIGHLY recommend looking into some fEar speakers, whether its the fEarful or the Fearless. Ive been around the block several times when it comes to cabinets and have always came back to my trusty fEarful 12... Its very light at around 35-40lb, sounds incredible at all volumes and is capable of reaching volumes in excess of "loud as balls", reaching into "loud as F---" territory. This assumes the unit of measure for "balls" is roughly equivalent to the average 3x10.

 

[nonohmic]

Don't do any barefaced, I have a terrible experience with them, they will ignore you if you have any problem.
That is my experience.

Cant tell if you're being facetious or not
Can you elaborate? As I was about to pull the trigger on a one10

 

[Joebone]

Gonna echo the love for Audiokinesis...but suggest you sell one of the Aggie DB12 cabinets so you can up your budget and buy one of Duke LeJeune's 1-15" cabinets.

I owned a Greenboy F115 and it sounded great, but the form factor sucked for me, living in a hillside house with many stairwells, and it also was a power hog. Your TH500, running into a 4-ohm 15" Hathor (I think Duke has several alternatives going right now) will likely provide the power, coverage and voicing you dig, based on what you've posted. You also mention wanting a taller profile - any AK 115 will give you that, the Hathor line is designed to project sound upwards and around, and you can even order taller Hathor variants. The F115 is also more expensive than the Audiokinesis, although the build quality is truly outstanding. That said, the Audiokinesis 15" alternatives also weigh a good bit less than the F115, and have superior handle arrangements - two inset side handles, and an excellent leather strap for one-hand use.

I get the enthusiasm for the Hathor 1203 - I almost bought one myself, and am traditionally a fan of 12" speakers for bass use. But I've come to love small 15" cabinets - there's something very satisfying and right about how they sound and feel, particularly in situations with no FOH support.

Runner-up - I have not heard or played one, but am confident that the Mesa Subway 115 will work well for your needs, based on reports and my own satisfaction with an 800+ head. Also within your budget if you want to keep those Aggies.

And I'd also expect positive results from Barefaced, but I really dig the Audiokinesis stuff - I've almost always had one or more of their cabinets in the house, going back to the original 4-ohm Thunderchild 112, when it first came out. And there is a lot of love on Talkbass for Duke LeJeune - both his work and customer support - there is a monster Audiokinesis thread...

So back to those two Aggie 12" cabinets - if you have a decent and maneuverable 1-15, when would you ever decide to use both Aggies instead of the one-cabinet 15" solution? Sell one Aggie and put the $$$ toward your optimal 1-15" - you'll still have the remaining Aggie for home or small-event use.

Looking forward to learning what you choose...

 

[shughey]

So back to those two Aggie 12" cabinets - if you have a decent and maneuverable 1-15, when would you ever decide to use both Aggies instead of the one-cabinet 15" solution?

I realize this question is probably rhetorical, but I would use my Aggies when I'm playing stages that are less cramped. The idea is when I run two, I'll be running my TH500 at 4ohms. Also, I'm getting more speaker surface area than w a single 15. So unless I picked up a nice 4 ohm 115 cab, I'd be surprised if most 8 ohm 15s could do what the two 12s do. I'll keep you updated when I pull the trigger on something!

 

[jnewmark]

My small room gig rig is a Schroeder 15PL cab, and a Genz Benz Shuttle 6.2, and has been for several years. No GAS !

 

[bordinco90]

I play a Hartke KB15 and I absolutely love it!

 

[DAB]

I play a Hartke KB15 and I absolutely love it!

You put an eminence in yours?

 

[Joeykun]

Anything by Genzler. The Bass Array series cabs are just that. One cab solution in a small/light profile.

 

[Life of Brian]

Last month I, somewhat foolishly, sold off my Italian-made Jeff Berlin 15" combo. For the last 5-6 years, I was using this rig to play anything from small outdoor events (decks/small festivals), to small clubs/bars. Now, I'm trying to find a lightweight single-cab solution (under 50 pounds or so) to run with my TH500. I tried one of the Ashdown Mag 210s in store and I didn't like it all. It sounded pretty muddy/indistinct to my ears given it's a 210. It sounded even muddier w an Ampeg PF running through it. In addition, I tried one of the new Fender Bassman Neo 115s. I liked that cab more. Also, I haven't been a fan of any GK cabs I've tried in the best. I could get better clarity and decent low end, but I didn't sound better to me (tonally) than the Aggie DB112s I have kicking around my apartment. I would use the Aggie for those gigs, but I hate the form factor, it's too low of a profile for me to just run one, and it tends to get lost in a band more, where the Berlin had no issues.

At this point, I have my eyes on 210s, 15s, and maybe "super 12s" w a more vertical profile. I would like to avoid 212 enclosures. A lot of the stuff I want to try out has been discontinued or hard to find used, i.e., older Epifani stuff. I'm looking for good bottom end and clarity, and evenness in the mids. A little bump in the low mids is fine, just not interested in cabs that are scooped in the mids or aggressive in the upper mids. I'm exclusively playing 4 string passive Fender basses w flats and nickel rounds atm, so I'm not interested in any cab that specializes in extended super lows. Budget: would like to keep it below $750 new or used. Any cab suggestions?

Out of curiosity why are you not into 2x12's? I understand you don't want super lows due to nature of a P bass with flats but I currently play that through an Aguilar AG 700 and new SL 212 and love it for medium gigs. I do use Daddario Chromes which tend to have a little more zing and definition in my opinion. The SL212 is just barely light enough to carry with the amp in a bag over shoulder and bass on back. While it's a tad heavy at 45 lbs it beats two trips with single SL 112's.

 

[Life of Brian]

Not sure what your price point is, but the Aguilar sl410x is under 50 lbs and has a great form factor. I think it will match your Tonehammer perfectly, and will handle just about any gig you need it to. It's pricey for a 410, but it's a really nice 410. Otherwise I would recommend barefaced. They're just kinda hard to get your hands on here.

Love my new SL 212. I agonized many nights deciding between the SL 4x10 and Sl 212. In the end i took a leap of faith on the 12's. A former 4x10 disiple I was for 25 years i was very nervous. Although not as drastic as drastic as gender re assignment surgery,
going from a 4x10 to 2x12 is still a big decision lol! I love the 12's but still LOVE that SL 4x10. Maybe i will just have to snag an 8 ohm 4x10 and pair it with the SL212 some day.

 

[shughey]

Out of curiosity why are you not into 2x12's? I understand you don't want super lows due to nature of a P bass with flats but I currently play that through an Aguilar AG 700 and new SL 212 and love it for medium gigs. I do use Daddario Chromes which tend to have a little more zing and definition in my opinion. The SL212 is just barely light enough to carry with the amp in a bag over shoulder and bass on back. While it's a tad heavy at 45 lbs it beats two trips with single SL 112's.

I like 212s, don't get me wrong. I just want something physically small that I can stuff in a corner at a small bar. And for 12s, I'm looking at "super 12s" that go beyond what's capable w the typical production 12. I play a couple places where I'm totally cramped for room (the drummer's cymbals hanging over into my area... FOH speakers right in my ear... so vertical space as well horizontal space is limited). Ultimately, I would rather bring out my two DB112s than buy a 212 closure, even if the 212 happens to be an easier schlep. However, I've been wanting to trade my two DB112NTs for a CN212 for some time. I only like running two DB112s at a time, so it makes sense to just go w the CN.

 

[lermgalieu]

Cant tell if you're being facetious or not
Can you elaborate? As I was about to pull the trigger on a one10

I had no issues when I bought my One10 and it’s a great cab. Only thing I can think of is it took a day or two to get back the official order confirmation.

 

[somebrains]

Go find a Bag End cab in decent shape.

 

[fjbass78]

i'm gigging my Accugroove Tri 1-12 mostly these days with a GK MB 500 or an old Markbass F1.

 

[Molan]

I'm looking into the Fearless stuff as well as Barefaced. Unfortunately, I'm having a hard to finding them used (they're well out of my price point new), or from someone willing to ship.

Personally I wouldn’t touch a used Barefaced cab. Their reputation for reliability is terrible. The nasty covering scratches, chips and peels. Handles and feet fall off and internal components come loose and rattle around.

I’ve lost track of the number of these I’ve seen with problems. Some less than a few months old as well!

 

[Molan]

Bergantino HDN210.

This is a fantastic ‘does it all’ cab. I run the CN210 for a lot of gigs and it’s always worked really well for me.

 

[gmarcus]

I have a Barefaced Super Compact. I love this thing! 23 lbs and incredibly simple. Its just a well tuned box with one speaker in it that covers the range of the bass. No crossover, no tweeter, pretty much a straight line from your amp to the speaker. It is loud articulate and deep. I don't see what could really fail. I did buy a padded cover and I wouldn't just throw it into a van full of heavy equipment that will fall on it. But I feel more than comfortable putting it in the trunk of my car with my bass and driving to gigs.

 

[jthisdell]

I had no issues when I bought my One10 and it’s a great cab. Only thing I can think of is it took a day or two to get back the official order confirmation.

Same here, no issues with Barefaced except when I placed my order they were all on Holiday between Christmas and New Year's and it took a few days for them to get back to me. Have to allow for that with any company that is that small.

I've had my One10 for about three years and have never had any problems. I bought a cover for it (which I recommend for any cab, protect your cab as well as your car, house, doors, etc.). I've carried mine to countless rehearsals, jams, smaller gig and it still looks like new. No scratches, corner or handle problems.