Can Someone Please Help Me? Someone Who Has Played or Plays Metal?

[CBall]

I am in a metal band. I play an Ibanez 5 string with the Low B tuned down to a G# and the rest of the strings down a half step. I have an SWR 350x head and I am pretty satisfied with it, but I am not sure what cab would be the best for my style of music.

I was interested in a GK Neo 412, Mesa Powerhouse 412, Ampeg 610, or an Ampeg 810.

What do you think? Please someone help me with this haha

 

[JeanBG]

Go with the Mesa! I've tested the 610 powerhouse and compared it to the ampeg 810 and 610 and it was the best of those three. Didn't directly compare the 412 with any of the other but loved the tone. Never tried the GK though, but my vote goes to the mesa! Oh and i play metal and use a 5-string tuned ACGCF (drop C but with an extra low A in this case)

 

[hdracer]

The SWR Goliath Senior 610 ROCKS with that 350X head.

 

[RickenBoogie]

Yeah, if it were mine to do over, a 412 it would be. The Powerhouse 412 kills, I'm sure the GK Neo would, too.

 

[Muaguana]

I am in a metal band. I play an Ibanez 5 string with the Low B tuned down to a G# and the rest of the strings down a half step. I have an SWR 350x head and I am pretty satisfied with it, but I am not sure what cab would be the best for my style of music.

I was interested in a GK Neo 412, Mesa Powerhouse 412, Ampeg 610, or an Ampeg 810.

What do you think? Please someone help me with this haha

So have you actually played with this band before and are using a borrowed cab, or are you looking to get a cab before jamming with them for the first time?

 

[Bassmec]

I am in a metal band. I play an Ibanez 5 string with the Low B tuned down to a G# and the rest of the strings down a half step. I have an SWR 350x head and I am pretty satisfied with it, but I am not sure what cab would be the best for my style of music.

I was interested in a GK Neo 412, Mesa Powerhouse 412, Ampeg 610, or an Ampeg 810.

What do you think? Please someone help me with this haha

I have and do play and mix metal.
The most speakers you can lug is the reliable way to go, I would see if you can find an old eden
8 x 10 LXT. its a bit heavy
(hopefully you can find one cheap for this reason) but it has a great low end and a mid that works well and will cut through a heavy down-tune guitar 4 x 12 barrage.
Its very efficient and is going to make the best of every one of your 350 watts even though it will take up to 1400 if you need to upgrade at all.
This was the top cabinet in the range that really made Edens name back then, I have one that lives in my rehearsal studio is used by all sorts of extreme metalers including Dave Pybus
of CoF, Staff from Extreme noise terror loves it too.
It has never been broken. how ever hard they have tried.

 

[Korladis]

I'd go with either the Mesa 412 or the Ampeg 810.

Not the 610HLF, because that's a bit of a mid scooped cab, which, added to an SWR head, which is already somewhat scooped, will probably not work in a metal setting.

 

[countrybassist]

Ampeg 810

 

[knuckle_head]

You will get more low end extension out of a 4x10 HLF than you will the Ampeg 6x10 or 8x10.

 

[Korladis]

You will get more low end extension out of a 4x10 HLF than you will the Ampeg 6x10 or 8x10.

An ampeg 6x10 is usually also HLF. I wouldn't recommend using those with an SWR in a metal band. SWR's amps are notoriously mid-scooped. The HLF cabs are also a bit mid-scooped. This might not be that great a combination when played with the loud, overdriven guitars common in metal.

 

[countrybassist]

An ampeg 6x10 is usually also HLF. I wouldn't recommend using those with an SWR in a metal band. SWR's amps are notoriously mid-scooped. The HLF cabs are also a bit mid-scooped. This might not be that great a combination when played with the loud, overdriven guitars common in metal.

Exactly, which is why the OP should get the 810.

 

[rodl2005]

Bergantino NV412 or NV215.... Ported cabs usually go lower don't they??

What about the Aguilar GS412 or a similar 412??

 

[Burlington]

The SWR Goliath Senior 610 ROCKS with that 350X head.

I second this. I have an old SWR 350 but have never used it with my 610. I run my GB Shuttle 9.0 thru it and it SLAYS.

 

[hdracer]

I second this. I have an old SWR 350 but have never used it with my 610. I run my GB Shuttle 9.0 thru it and it SLAYS.

I can not believe how loud that 350X head is with that cab. I picked up the 610 used a few weeks ago off CL mainly because it was cheap I thought I would flip it but after plugging into that head I was shocked. That head never sounded that good or that loud through my 212 Edens. It is the perfect pair.

 

[countrybassist]

Bergantino NV412 or NV215.... Ported cabs usually go lower don't they??

What about the Aguilar GS412 or a similar 412??

The Aguilar DB series would be a better choice since it's more mid ranged than the GS. Also I'd go with 10's. Faster response than a 12, which is needed for metal, IMO

 

[CBall]

So have you actually played with this band before and are using a borrowed cab, or are you looking to get a cab before jamming with them for the first time?

I just started playing with the band and I have a hartke 2x15 right now, but I am looking for something different.

 

[RNV]

DO NOT GET A SEALED CAB!!!!!!! I don't care what you end up getting, but make sure it is a ported cab. The best way to destroy a sealed cab is to drop it off a building, the second is to blast lows through it. If you are playing a faster style of metal I would suggest 10s or 12s, but if you are doing a doom style thing than 12 or 15 would be fine as well.

 

[Korladis]

Exactly, which is why the OP should get the 810.

Agreed.

 

[Korladis]

Bergantino NV412 or NV215.... Ported cabs usually go lower don't they??

What about the Aguilar GS412 or a similar 412??

Even when playing low notes, often times for metal bass what's needed isn't so much the really low rumbling sub bass frequencies so much as the low mids.

My friend plays mainly hard rock/prog metal and he uses a classic Ampeg SVT+810 set up. Sounds big, but tight. Fat sound, but not muddy at all.

 

[knuckle_head]

Bubba's tuning to G# - 25 Hz or so - and he is gonna want to have the second harmonic covered.

Ain't none of the cabs listed in this thread capable of that - except maybe the 410 HLF.

.... jus' sayin'