Cabinets for Mesa Walkabout (Fearful?)

[Deadsound]

The fEarful 12/6's main advantage over a conventional 12, IMHO, is it's higher volume output

The main advantage to me is how transparently it reproduces what you put into it.

Fearfuls need tons of power to get loud and sound quite wide.

I just played a very quiet acoustic gig with the aforementioned mega-heavy 12/6, in a very live/boomy room. HPF/EQ kept the low end nice and tight and my bass sounded terrific at the low volume.

Edit: I mis-read what I was quoting there...anyway, a 12/6 sounds great quiet and loud

 

[Mystic Michael]

IMHO a fearful is not a good choice with the walkabout. Fearfuls need tons of power to get loud and sound quite wide. The walkabout is also quite wide sounding so you end up with a lot of rumble and not much punch/volume. I would go with a mesa boogie powerhouse 112.

Seconded. Several TalkBass members who post actively are users of the Walkabout + (2) Powerhouse 1x12 combination, and to my knowledge, every one of them loves it. The Powerhouse 1x12 cabs weigh 42 pounds each, so they're not super light. On the other hand, they feel considerably lighter than that, at least to me. Moreover, and this is key, they're very efficient, reputed to be at about 105 db @ 1w @ 1m.

MM

 

[lomo]

OK......
How many cabinets can anyone name that are more efficient across the full frequency spectrum that is of interest to BASS players than a fEARful? (I don't care how efficient a speaker is at 1K. I do care how efficient it is below 80.)

It's not a matter of the fEarful being less efficient. It' simply a matter of it not being more efficient, and therefore, in terms of volume under a head pushing <200 watts, not offering a volume advantage.

The main advantage to me is how transparently it reproduces what you put into it.

That's cool, and that's why I included "IMHO" in my post. I have owned fearful 12/6 and sub and was blown away by the volume per weight ratio, but I prefer the colored tone of my GB cabs. When I used to gig bars, I loved my LDS 15/6 'cause it provided ample volume with great dispersion under 55 lbs, but I no longer need to squeeze max volume per pound out of my rig. The relatively flat response of the fEafuls was never what attracted me to them. YMMV.

 

[monsterthompson]

Walkabout +Baer ML112

Need more oomph, get 2 cabs.

WA Isn't terribly articulate on it's own, but should be with those cabs. I briefly had a WA with a Fearless 115. It was nice, but not terribly loud. For my needs, more cab would be needed.

 

[WoodyJ]

My Walkabout Scout started as a 1x12 combo which just wasn't enough speaker for larger venues without FOH support. Sold that cab, replaced with a 4x10 Powerhouse which worked well. But I prefer the sound of 15's and ended up getting a nice used pair of Powerhouse 1x15's. This is the perfect setup for me.

The Walkabout Scout has plenty of power if you want loud. It comes alive with more cone area.

 

[pickles]

I don't know where this idea came from, but I wish people would stop repeating it.
As I wrote above: a fEARful 12/6 should be just as loud/sensitive/efficient...whatever you want to call it...as most commercial market single 12 cabinets.

As for being "too wide" in conjunction with a Walkabout: A little EQ knowledge and/or a HPF goes a long way.

I got the idea from my F115 that wont keep up with a loud band with 600 watts from my titan. It does with a WT1200 or bridged plx1602.

 

[pickles]

OK......
I'll ask just one question before resuming my self-imposed banishment from this site.
How many cabinets can anyone name that are more efficient across the full frequency spectrum that is of interest to BASS players than a fEARful? (I don't care how efficient a speaker is at 1K. I do care how efficient it is below 80.)

My F115 is less sensitive then my DB212, which is less sensitive than my GS410.

 

[tom-g]

My F115 is less sensitive then my DB212, which is less sensitive than my GS410.

Of course that comparison is correct. Unfortunately it's absolutley useless as wcriley pointed out.

 

[pickles]

Of course that comparison is correct. Unfortunately it's absolutley useless as wcriley pointed out.

Why? That is not just the sensitivity spec, that is how loud they are on bass guitar when playing in a band with the same amp. What exactly would be more useful? All three also have plenty of lows for a nice full low B sound.

 

[tom-g]

Because sensitivity is measured at 1 Watt at 1 Meter at 1kHz ? At least that is what both wcriley and myself were talking about.

Edit: forgot to mention that how anybody enjoys and experiences loudness is only important to that person and just as useless as the sensitivity spec.

 

[wcriley]

I got the idea from my F115 that wont keep up with a loud band with 600 watts from my titan. It does with a WT1200 or bridged plx1602.

How does that support your statement that "Fearfuls need tons of power to get loud"?
What other 115 gets loud enough to keep up with your band when you use the Titan?


(BTW, the only things a FearLESS has in common with a fEARful are the designer and the LF driver.)

 

[pickles]

My old eden 115xlt did. My mesa powerhouse does ok.

I like my F115 a lot, but its only coming on a gig if I have a LOT more juice on tap than a walkabout. Remember its an 8 ohm cab, the walkabout will put out 150ish watts. The OP asked if they should get a 12/6/1 to go with the walkabout. I say no.

A PH112 would be a good start to a 2xPH112 stack that will sound great with the walkabout and go pretty loud.

 

[monsterthompson]

No Schroeder suggestions? Notoriously loud for their weight. I know they are midrangey, but that might work with the WA head tone and EQ. I have no direct experience, I'm just aware of their reputation.

 

[Bassgeer]

Great suggestions everyone! I think my new plan is to go with a pair of Berg CN112s! As fun as it would be to DIY, you can't beat the 28 lbs weight, and they will work good for any of the 3 Mesa heads I am looking at! I'll probably start with one, and add the other later as needed. A bit pricey, but this should be all the rig I will need for the foreseeable future! Now I have to get the heads side by side by side and A/B/C them!

 

[mimaz]

One of my favorite rigs has been a Walkabout with a pair of Berg 12's. I use a HT112 and a EX112. It's a compact and punchy rig that's easy to haul. For a few small rooms, I have gone with the Walkabout head and a Berg HT210.

 

[Foz]

There should be a web forum called "TalkMid".

Just saying...

 

[EastCoastThump]

No Schroeder suggestions?

There should be a web forum called "TalkMid"

The Schroeder 21012L is great with the Walkabout (that's a combination that especially loves a P bass). Chewier than the Bergantino, yet way more even than the smaller Schroeders. But it's also overkill for the volumes the OP is talking about, and (although you can carry it with one hand) it's above his weight requirements.

 

[exiii]

You want a light-weight, DIY, single driver option that will take advantage of 4Ω at low wattages?

Here's mine:
FaitalPro 12PR300 4Ω driver in a ported flip-top cab. The cab alone is 28 lbs. The whole rig with cables is 40 lbs total. The Orange Terror Bass 1000 is hardly a low watt cab, but I don't really open up this amp at all. It has serious volume (in a rock band setting) starting at 9 o'clock. I would have been more than fine with a Terror Bass 500.

I'd actually love to hear this cab with that Prodigy Four:88.

Here it is next to one of my fEARful 15/6s. They really are two different animals. I like them both for different reasons. If I want full spectrum and clean response (or a synth sounds), the fEARful is the way to go. If I want grungy or 70s metal/rock; with it's natural breakup, the 12PR300 in this little cab sounds great. Amp settings equal, the fEARful has better LF response, but that can be made up with one EQ knob.

fEARful or not, I say build.

 

[CL400Peavey]

Fearfuls need tons of power to get loud and sound quite wide.

This does not match my experience with any of the greenboy cabs I have played. Granted you may not be surpassing a standard 112 with a 12/6 or F112 if you only have 200 watts, but you wont be quiet, and you will be on par with the volume coming out of that standard 112. Now desired tonality, be it lack of/presence of bass, low mid, mid, high mid, or highs in reference to the surrounding bandwidths will vary. Some people want all low mids. Some want zero high mids. Some people want what ever tone tickles their fancy with all their knobs at noon. Those tonal choices are subjective, and personal. No sense in a pissing contest there.

What is objective is a 12/6 will be pretty dang loud below 250 hz with just a few hundred watts to push it. You may have to dial in more low mids to gain the tone you want, but the same can be said for any cab that doesnt have the exact tonal palette you want.

 

[phishaholik]

Great suggestions everyone! I think my new plan is to go with a pair of Berg CN112s! As fun as it would be to DIY, you can't beat the 28 lbs weight, and they will work good for any of the 3 Mesa heads I am looking at! I'll probably start with one, and add the other later as needed. A bit pricey, but this should be all the rig I will need for the foreseeable future! Now I have to get the heads side by side by side and A/B/C them!

You'll be super happy with that setup. I have a CN212 that I run my Walkabout through and there's nothing better in my opinion. It gets so much louder and the clarity is so much better than the standard Scout cabs it's unreal, not to mention the fact that it's one of the best sounding rigs I've ever played through. It's really one of the best smaller rigs out there, lightweight or not.


Michael