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Cabinet Speaker Advice Please!

G

Gingrilla1987

Jan 7, 2013
13
0
#1
Hey Guys,

I'm going to apologize now. I can be a bit long winded in real life, and after typing this out, the internet is no exception.

This is my first post on TB, but I've been reading for the past year or so, and I must say, bravo to everyone with their great advice and expertise!

Anyway, here is my situation. I've been playing in this post-metal type band for like 8 months now. Our close influences are Cult Of Luna, Opeth, Mastodon and The Ocean. I've been using borrowed gear (I was always a guitarist, until about a year ago), excluding my bass, so I'm looking to get my own cabinet and head. I'll list the equipment I'm using below.

I want to pick up a cabinet from this local Chicago/Colorado based company called Atlas Cabinets, that builds great cabs, but being relatively fresh to the bass scene, I was hoping you guys could help me in picking the right speaker arrangement. Don't want to dish out the cash and be disappointed.

Note: I know that I can go to a local music shop and listen to the tones, but with it being a custom cab, I wouldn't get a true representation, so I just figured I'd see what you guys think.

Current Gear In Use:
- Hartke HA450
- SWR Henry The 8x8
- SX Ursa 2 w/ 2 Passive J-Pickups (130 to 65 strings, tuned to Drop B)

Future Gear Options:
- TC Electronic RH450 or Fender TB600
- MXR Bass Octaver Deluxe or Aguilar Octamizer pedal (To really shake your chest in some parts) :bassist:
- MXR Bass Compressor pedal
- Darkglass Vintage Microtubes (For a little grit)
- MXR Carbon Copy
- I may switch out the pickups on the bass to a passive PJ set

So as far as tone goes, I like a warm, low end shake, that you really feel, with not a lot of mids and the high end rolled off a bit, to lose the harshness. I play with a pick and fingers, but mainly a pick. Basically, I'm looking for something that really rumbles and holds down the low-end (letting the guitars shine), but can have some clarity/presence/high end, on certain parts, if I needed a part to cut through.

The 8x8 I'm playing with now is okay, but I worry that if I were to throw the octaver through it too hard, I would blow something. Also, I know rock bassists staple of an 8x10 works well. So here are some ideas I've had.

- 6x12
- 6x12 with a Tweeter
- 8x10

I'm leaning towards to 6x12, but I'm wondering if I should throw in the tweeter and blend that in, to get a nice compromise.

So what do you guys think? Thanks for your help in advance!!
 
#2
Grit usually sounds pretty bad through a tweeter, IMHO don't spend the cash on it. 6X12 could be one MASSIVE sounding cab with the right raw speakers and properly designed cab for them. 12" can have good high end response and would most likely be thinking a sealed cab. A properly designed ported cab could be really way too big and heavy.
 
#3
Speaker diameter and numbers tells you nothing about sound properties, so don't think in those terms. Low end booty and scoopy mids says Aguilar GS cabs to me, that's Eminence Delta12LFA tuned to about 45hz from memory, gives a hump about 80hz, rolls off some top as they are pretty dark drivers.
 
#4
B-string said:
6X12 could be one MASSIVE sounding cab with the right raw speakers and properly designed cab for them.
Click to expand...

Atlas told me that they use Celestion Vintage 30s for their cabs. I know those are a classic for guitars. Any idea on the use of them with basses?

Mr. Foxen said:
Speaker diameter and numbers tells you nothing about sound properties, so don't think in those terms.
Click to expand...

Can you explain why that is? I was always under the impression that the bigger speakers tended to have lower frequency response, since it to more to move them.
 
#5
PASS on Vintage 30's for bass. Look elsewhere, they are offering guitar speakers for a bass cab they do not have the knowledge to build you a proper bass cab.

A good 8" bass speaker will out perform a Vintage 30 with a bass guitar. Size alone means nothing, cone area with the Xmax/Xlim (displacement) are just one factor.
 
#7
Gingrilla1987 said:
Can you explain why that is? I was always under the impression that the bigger speakers tended to have lower frequency response, since it to more to move them.
Click to expand...

Just plain not true. Not much more to it, only thing diameter affects is angle of dispersion, and it stops being the main thing as soon as there is more than one speaker.

I use V30s for bass guitar, but for guitary sounds, with no bass. Avoid any cab maker that sells big guitar cabs as bass cabs, just is a formula for a heavy box with no guts.
 
#11
It is infinitely much harder to find a speaker for an existing box to make it work well. Boxes need to be design FOR a specific speaker. When the box already exists you can't redesign the speaker.

As MR Foxen said "I use V30s for bass guitar, but for guitary sounds, with no bass. Avoid any cab maker that sells big guitar cabs as bass cabs, just is a formula for a heavy box with no guts."

The Vintage 30's just don't have enough allowed cone movement or low end response for bass. They are likely to reach the limit with about 15 to 20 watts of full range bass guitar. Unless you like the sound of hitting a thin cardboard tube with a stick, then go for it?
 
#13
B-string said:
The Vintage 30's just don't have enough allowed cone movement or low end response for bass. They are likely to reach the limit with about 15 to 20 watts of full range bass guitar. Unless you like the sound of hitting a thin cardboard tube with a stick, then go for it?
Click to expand...

They can sound great with bass, but its Lemmy bass. Or general Rickenbacker bass where you want as much distortion as possible to make it sound 'good'.
 
#15
Gingrilla1987 said:
Atlas told me that they use Celestion Vintage 30s for their cabs. I know those are a classic for guitars. Any idea on the use of them with basses?
Click to expand...

Celestion, the guys who make the Vintage 30, put out a video about using guitar speakers for bass:

 

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