Can my cabs handle a low B?

Hi.

Well, those cabs can't "handle"/reproduce E (40Hz) either, but neither can the majority of 4*10" cabs anyway .

It might still be OK though, the fundamental isn't usually that strong anyway, it's the combination of the upper harmonics that we hear and our brains do the magic. Just listen for the speaker fart and back off a bit so You don't destroy your speakers.

When I switched one of my basses to BEAD all I had to do was to add a 15" to the stack. First I used the 15"s 150Hz cross over, but full range parallel sounded better. A lower cross-over frequency would help a lot.

Regards
Sam

 

No!!! You'll probably tear a hole in the universe if you play your low B!!!

Just kidding. You are reading the spec sheet a little bit wrong. 60 Hz is the lowest frequency where the cab will still produce the given response (-3dB). When you go past that point with a lower sound, it just won't be as loud. From the spec sheet you also can find the following: "Usable Low Frequency (-10dB): 43 Hz". So the volume drops when yuo go down with your frequency and you can also see that like Sam said it can't even handle your E But I bet you haven't had any problems so far. Buy the bass first and try it out and then see if you need a cab with a 15" or 18" speaker.

 

...or a cab that's properly designed to reproduce sub-50hz (eg, Acme, Bill Dickens, etc.). Not necessarily the driver size; Phil Jones uses 5" drivers...

 

You'll be fine

 

quick answer... you should be fine

if you want earth shaking sub-lows...then no... but the B string should be completely playable and sound fine with your cabs. i prefer how the B sounds through 10" drivers typically.

i find bigger drivers (15/18) a little boomy for my taste.

 

Meh. IME the 410 HE does not do a very good job with the low B. i think that half of the complaints I read about floppy B strings have more to do with the cab than the bass.

Still, try it with your current cabs first and then see if you want to add/replace a cab.

 

It depends on the cab. I had a Carvin Redline 2x10 that was tuned really badly for a five string. The drivers would be moving like crazy but you'd hear pretty much nothing out of them.

Other cabs I've had do great with a five string. I'm leaning more and more on mids these days, so having F3 remotely close to 30 Hz isn't what I want. Those cabs are pretty much always inefficient and I want my wattage to mean something. Cabs with F3 in the 50's or higher are fine by me.

By reputation your Ampeg cabs will do you well. Try it and find out. I think you'll find that the B string has a lot of definition. If it helps, my little Ampeg PortaBass 1x10 handles a B string just great.

KO

 

You need 2 matching Ampeg SVT-15Es and a 1000 watt power amp to add to your rig!

FUN FUN FUN!

Actually, you'll probably be alright but I bet, before long, you'll be looking for a 15" cab so you can rattle the floor.

 

You're fine.

 

When I built my rig, I didn't like the way the ampeg cabs I tried handled the low B, I guess they will work since you already have them, but they certainly lose some of the thump imo. My advice is to find someone with a 5 string and give it a try and see what you think. I also disagree with some of the opinions here that the B won't sound good through 10's, it sounds just fine when I'm only using one cab.

 

fwiw one of the best "b" experiences I ever had was through a 4x10. It was a ampeg svt and a cheapie hartke or gk cab (i forget) and it really made my clothes move!

edit - it was a hartke aluminum cone 4X10

 

There is a big difference between a cab simply not farting out and actually doing a B string justice. You will know the difference when you hear it.

If you play the 6er through your cabs and say to yourself: "Self, I think the B sounds ok through this cab." Then you haven't found it yet.

 

The B's that I have heard on those cabs sounded compressed. Although this could have been the speakers, it was most likely the power amp. That said, this is one of my fav 410's, but the weight keeps it out of my arsenal.