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Big E Speakers Part 4 - Quadraphenia

#4,323
My MAS cabs are my only cabs. For those of you who have found cabs you like as well (or nearly, or more) what have you found?
I'd like to go light with great tone. Thinking Mesa Subway, or perhaps GR, both of which fit that bill.
 
#4,324
kesslari said:
My MAS cabs are my only cabs. For those of you who have found cabs you like as well (or nearly, or more) what have you found?
I'd like to go light with great tone. Thinking Mesa Subway, or perhaps GR, both of which fit that bill.
Click to expand...

I was a dedicated MAS 210 Flex user until I went through this convoluted evolution that started with trying to find a small, lightweight rig for rehearsals and small gigs. After lots of stops on the way, I ended up with a Genzler Magellan MG350 and a BassArray 12-3. Next thing you know, I was using two of the cabinets and got another head so I could play in stereo. Finally, added a BA15-3 to get some really deep thump. It covers all my gigs from tiny to drawing 10,000 to a venue and it's lighter than any other rig I've had that can cover so many different types of gigs. It literally sounds like what is coming through my IEMs, which has always been my goal. My MAS 210 will be up for sale (although, ironically, it's been living my rehearsal space, where all of this first started.). I love MAS cabs, but this is next level.

tempImage0IY4yU.png
 
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#4,325
kesslari said:
My MAS cabs are my only cabs. For those of you who have found cabs you like as well (or nearly, or more) what have you found?
I'd like to go light with great tone. Thinking Mesa Subway, or perhaps GR, both of which fit that bill.
Click to expand...

I've got a couple of Acmes, the B-1 and the B-1W, which are around 30 lb. By comparison, my MAS 1,8 is 23.7 lb on my bathroom scale. The B-1 with an Acoustic Image Clarus (and a good preamp) is currently my preferred rig for ABG. The MAS 1,8 with a Mesa D-350 or Magellan 350 has been my usual call for a teeny EBG rig; Quilter BB800 plus Acme B-2 (or two MAS 1,8s) if I go a little bigger. (I have no really big rig, though I could combine my 4 ohm B-2 with my 8 ohm B-1 for a 2.67 ohm stack if I had to.) I love the Acmes, but admittedly I don't currently play anything that really requires an aggressive rock style, which I wouldn't say is their forte.

I've got an Audiokinesis Changeling 112 Tall on order, but I expect to use that mostly for EBG. It's also around 30 lb. I've been tempted to order a Barefaced Big Baby 3 too, simply because nothing exceeds like excess, but I haven't been able to pull the trigger yet. It's around 30 lb as well.

Sorry, no experience with the Subway cabs, but I'm very fond of my Mesa D-350 and have great respect for @agedhorse, so I have to think they'd be excellent. As a sexagenarian who lives up a flight of stairs, I find the low weight of the GR cabs immensely appealing, but I admit I don't know anything about their sound. Never even seen one.
 
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#4,326
kesslari said:
My MAS cabs are my only cabs. For those of you who have found cabs you like as well (or nearly, or more) what have you found?
I'd like to go light with great tone. Thinking Mesa Subway, or perhaps GR, both of which fit that bill.
Click to expand...

I bought some Arnopol composite cabinets several years ago (crazy8 and Crazy88), which are the best sounding and lightest cabs I've ever played through. The cabs have cup sockets; when I was still gigging, I put the Crazy88 on the floor horizontally with the Crazy8 at ear level. Worked great with both electric bass and double bass. Now that I am retired and the Mrs. and I are full-time RVers, I carry a different bass on each trip, along with an eleven-pound Crazy8, and an Acoustic Image Focus, both packed conveniently in a Meinl fleece-lined cajon bag (about 20 pounds total. I keep the Crazy88 in a cajon bag of its own for a super-easy one-trip load-in, but I don't take it in the RV).

If I were going to start over again, I could never own another amp unless it were 2 Ohm capable and included a built-in variable high-pass filter. For cabs, I'd be sorely tempted by Mesa and Bergantino gear, and perhaps Genzler and GR if they can do 2 Ohms and have a built-in variable hpf.

As great as the cabs are that Mike built for me, and as much as I adore my Acoustic Image amp, I'm not comfortable gigging gear that can no longer be serviced.
 
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#4,329
Marko 1 said:
That's how I would go, as well,

most logical of all the good choices. :)
Click to expand...
Yeah, the the subway 215 is a dream cab for me, and if I don't get one I'll still be wondering "what if...". OTOH, the GR 212 is insanely light and also really good sounding (per some players I respect a lot). I'm dealing with some health issues and that super light weight might be a factor. I have some time to think it through.
It's funny, @Marko 1 , we joke about cab size and weight. And the Subway is really light for a 215. But 23 lbs is still way (weigh) less than 60 lbs. We'll see if that winds up a deciding factor.
And who knows? Perhaps I'll debug and fix the distortion coming from my MAS cab and live happily ever after... :D
But as @spiritbass put it so well, "I'm not comfortable gigging gear that can no longer be serviced."
 
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#4,331
kesslari said:
Yeah, the the subway 215 is a dream cab for me, and if I don't get one I'll still be wondering "what if...". OTOH, the GR 212 is insanely light and also really good sounding (per some players I respect a lot). I'm dealing with some health issues and that super light weight might be a factor. I have some time to think it through.
It's funny, @Marko 1 , we joke about cab size and weight. And the Subway is really light for a 215. But 23 lbs is still way (weigh) less than 60 lbs. We'll see if that winds up a deciding factor.
And who knows? Perhaps I'll debug and fix the distortion coming from my MAS cab and live happily ever after... :D
But as @spiritbass put it so well, "I'm not comfortable gigging gear that can no longer be serviced."
Click to expand...
23lbs sounds pretty good for anybody. :thumbsup:
 
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#4,332
mntngrown said:
Since you have the Mesa head and they have been around forever, and @agedhorse is so approachable here, that would be my go to, but I have not played through a subway cab. Just an old Mesa Boogie 2x15. LOL Mr Genzler was easy to reach by phone back in the day when I had their heads.
Click to expand...


Jeff Genzler is still very engaged and easy to reach. He's also here on TB.
 
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#4,333
Perhaps someday I'll experience one of Mike's cabs, but try as I might I never got into the position to acquire one. A couple of years ago I picked up a PJB stack consisting of a SIX-PAK and a 9b for a great price, and then acquired a second 9b. It makes for a tall stack with a small footprint that gets the sound up to my ears and even carries well outdoors. It's heavy stuff, but I'm okay with that as I don't travel often with it.

I'd like to try a Flex some day - when I can get that far down the to-do list.
 
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#4,334
I have been curious if Mike is still anywhere in or adjacent to the game. I owned a number of his cabs over the years and was involved in some testing during development of some of the later stuff.

My experience was kind of a linear trajectory where the first things I liked the most, and as time went on, I connected with subsequent designs less and less. Here is what I owned or tried and liked from order of most to least. And by most i mean, WOW I really liked the ones at the top of this list...

Flex 210
MAS109
MAS112 (Faital)
66
Bodai 110
28 ( think it was a Bodai design)
prototype tower with I want to say 4 5's.

The Flex210 (mod) is still one of my favorite cabs, but I did find it to require a good bit of time, energy and EQ to get it in the sweetspot. But when I had it dialed with the right rig...... wow it was pretty breathtaking, and the fact that it was, mechanically, a 3 way 2x10, was insane. the volume and low end end performance of that cab was breathtaking. The first MAS109 was similarly impressive. It looked almost like the 110 sub. It was bouncy, and tight and really deep, but had enough top end. Great cab. The last couple things he sent me to test were cool ideas but I couldnt connect with them at all.

I hope Mike is doing great and I miss talking with him about all things bass and life.
 
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#4,336
edwinhurwitz said:
I was a dedicated MAS 210 Flex user until I went through this convoluted evolution that started with trying to find a small, lightweight rig for rehearsals and small gigs. After lots of stops on the way, I ended up with a Genzler Magellan MG350 and a BassArray 12-3. Next thing you know, I was using two of the cabinets and got another head so I could play in stereo. Finally, added a BA15-3 to get some really deep thump. It covers all my gigs from tiny to drawing 10,000 to a venue and it's lighter than any other rig I've had that can cover so many different types of gigs. It literally sounds like what is coming through my IEMs, which has always been my goal. My MAS 210 will be up for sale (although, ironically, it's been living my rehearsal space, where all of this first started.). I love MAS cabs, but this is next level.

View attachment 5245547
Click to expand...

Wow this looks incredible Edwin. I'd love to hear all of this!
 
#4,337
Kesslari's situation points out the risk of buying from a startup company without a long history of customer support. Somewhere deep in this thread history was the name of the engineer Mike was working with at Eminence. Bass Guitar. Might be able to get guidance from Eminence re a suitable replacement or repair. Has anyone opened up one of these boxes? Does not seem easy.
 
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