Cerwin-Vega B-36 Information Wanted (18"+12" horn)

You might find this thread interesting

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=29546&highlight=bass+bin

 

Back in the early 70's till 80 I used a pair of B-36s with an SVT head for my bass rig.I almost never used both at the same time as one would cover almost any club.Mine didn't have the 12"in the front.They were 4 ohm ,handled 300watts RMS,and measured 24"by24"and were36"tall,thus the B-36 model.The one in your picture looks like a B-48.This cabinet style was used by Acoustic(360-371 cabs),Fenders PS-400 cabinet and Peavey had a 48" cabinet and also a shorter cab similer to the B-36.They all had the 300watt Cerwin Vega 18.That speaker was the first bass cab I ever used that you could hit a low E as loud as you want and it wouldn't distort unless your amp ran out of power.The bad thing was you couldn't hear them that well on stage. They got louder farther away from the stage so when you got it to where you could hear pretty well you were killing peoples ears 20'away.These were used by sound companys also for their subs.A pair of B36s with the horns coupled would really rumble.

 

Had one. It was sometimes great idea. Especially with an SVT head. My 12" was crappy so I put a JBL d120 or k120 in it. while doing this I found out how thin the plywood was compared to what is in use today. The ring that the speaker sits in was not wide enough to hold T-nuts securely. We half did it. The 12" was held by wood screws. The crossover used to cut out, it has a circuit breaker. When reset it sometimes worked. It has wheels and when rolling it off a curb in the hand truck position one wheel hit a little too hard and I heard a crack. Later when looking in the cabinet from the front I noticed that behind the tolex the whole lower piece of wood that the left wheel bolts through had caved in from the back and was protruding inward. Another indication of the thinness of the plywood. It was very heavy to move if not on a smooth surface, didn't roll over grass very well. You could roll it up to wagons or vans or SUVs an turn it around then pick up[ the bottom and slide it in. Basically I've described living with a DeLorean. don't do it. There are other vintage cabs better executed then this one. The SUNN folded horn 18" with a vintage bassman small 2-12" cab is all better quality if you up grade the twelves. Get something newer.

 

For those that are familiar with how a folded horn's sound develops well out front of the stage...

I used a custom made Acoustic-style 370 folded horn cab in disco bands in the 70s. I used crossovered 10" JBL cab for highs. I ran this with a GK 400B. I would diligently adjust my stage volume at every gig so that I sounded balanced with the other instruments in the mix, from where I was standing on stage. Then, 9 times out of 10, the manager and the soundman would come up to me in the middle of a set and tell me that the bass was too loud out in the audience. They drove me nuts at most every gig. The one thing that I could be sure of is that every one could hear my bass.

 

I think I might just have these. Will have pictures here ..Hopefully tommorrow. The ones pictured with the 12" are not the B36. I need to replace the Bright Red Logo Screen on one of these. Does anyone know where I would get it.
If anyone wants to buy them, They are up for sale too. 1000 Canadian Dollars is a fair price I guess for these monsters.

 

And another dead thread shambles slowly from its grave.

The model with the 12 was the B36 MF.

Had one. BOOM BOOM BOOM twang. Pretty cool unless you have to move it. Paid $200 for it, sold it for $200. I'm thinking 4 Ohms.

 

I had a Cerwin Vega B36MF cab I used with a Sunn Concert head back in the day. I think I bought it in 1977. It was a smokin rig at the time. I remember it being very "middy" sounding. The head was stolen, and I sold the cab in the mid 80's I guess it was...

 

Resurrects an old thread back from the dead

And..............breaks the rules by advertising an item for sale.

 

Sorry...Guys...I did not mean to advertise them for sale.......I did not know the rules. But I have woken them up from the dead.....I will hopefully get pictures soon....

 

I thought the B36 had just the 18 and the B36-MF had the 18 and the 12 (?) Anyway...

When I was a freshman in college (1974) one of my bass-player friends bought a B36-MF. The first time I heard it, his band was playing outdoors on central campus and I was just getting out of class about 1/4 mile away. I was astounded at how clear the bass sounded -- even that far away! I decided that's what I wanted, too and soon had one of my own.

I used it as my main bass cab from then up until sometime in the '90s. For much of that time I drove it bi-amped with a Phase Linear 700, a Furman PQ-3 preamp and a Furman TX-3 crossover. I replaced the 12 with a higher power Cerwin Vega unit. At a few shows that my friend and I were both playing at, we'd stack both our B36-MF and create a giant folded horn that stood about 7 feet tall. The low end was incredible.

For several years after that, I had it mounted in the crawl space under my home theater room as a "sub-subwoofer" Then, a year or so ago a new bass-player friend offered to buy it from me. He now uses it as his main bass cab and I've got to hear it -- and play through it again -- several times recently.

It's got a huge sound. When you're standing near it you can hear the 12, but you mostly "feel" the 18. When you get about 20 feet in front of it, the sound all comes together and it's awesome.

Oh, and I never had any problem moving it. It would tilt back and roll easily and when I needed to load it into the pickup / van / station wagon, I'd just lean the top against the tailgate, pick up the bottom end and slide it right in. Actually easier than the 4x10 cab I use today.

 

I have a pair of B36-MF. They are the ones with the front facing 12" drivers. My problem is that the 12" are missing and I can't find any info on what to replace them with.
I bought the pair for $200 Canadian. They actually have 18" JBL drivers in them (which are a good substitute) I use them in combination with a pair of PD 18, 3 ways that I got for $122.50 CDN each when I use them for P.A. (Low end that can rip a hole in your crotch!) Or, I run a Traynor TS 120 B into 1 of them for bass.
If anyone has one of these monsters, would you mind checking the model of the 12" driver for me? Or if you know any specs for the 12 specifically, or a good substitute, I would greatly appreciate your help.Thanks

 

bass emporium in austin has one on the web site for 299

 

Here is a pic http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=462281

 

Here is one you have been looking for...
Go to www.bassemporium.com click on prouducts,then
amplification then used amps then scroll down you cant miss
it .
eno

 

The original front-facing 12's were Cerwin Vega ER-124, 8 ohms.

Here's a recent thread on the unofficial acoustic control message board that started out being about what Acoustic equipment Uriah Heep used and ended up being mostly about those old Cerwin Vega cabinets. In one message there is a link to a Norwegian website with a comprehensive table containing driver part numbers for many Cerwin Vega speakers.