Coverting an open back 2x12 cab for bass use

[bherman]

One of the rarer Peavey models, I would think. Did they call those the "K" Series?

If you look at the ad, they're selling both a Kustom and a Peavey.....I've owned both over the years back and would definitely do the job.

 

[yodedude2]

... I'm definitely going the external cab route. ....

smart call. 20th century peavey cabs are heavy, tough, relatively cheap, and still reasonably plentiful. i had to play through a newer MF/GC-brand acoustic cab as a backline once, and it was ... better than i thought it would be.

 

[Redbrangus]

If you look at the ad, they're selling both a Kustom and a Peavey.....I've owned both over the years back and would definitely do the job.

Sorry 'bout that. I had already edited my post. When I see pics of later-era Kustom stuff, I tend to look away.... But I got nothing but respect for the durability of that era of PV gear. As you say... countless gigs have been played on that stuff.

 

[yodedude2]

If you look at the ad, they're selling both a Kustom and a Peavey.....I've owned both over the years back and would definitely do the job.

$40. for a peavey 15" 4 ohm cab? there ya go!

 

[bherman]

$40. for a peavey 15" 4 ohm cab? there ya go!

And it even includes a head that blows fuses. Can be used as a doorstop which he'll need as he moves that cabinet in and out.

 

[Clark W]

Just tell everyone else to turn down.

This is why a bassist should always have more power than needed to thump the head of everyone in the band. Then you don't have to tell anyone to turn down

 

[pbassjbass]

Old peavy's around here sometimes show up on the curb for "you haul". The heads aren't much more. I suspect you can get the whole rig for less than two new speakers.

 

[Redbrangus]

Two EV TL606 clones would give you a 215 rig in a manageable package.

Edit: Although I personally don't care for the 410 format, they ARE plentiful and cheap in the used market. If that works for you, then I say have at it. If you're sticking with the bass, you might get tired of lugging that Twin around just for the amp -- maybe a 500-watt Class-D amp is the next logical upgrade.

 

[Matty Koff]

For $329 you could get one of these and it's probably going to sound way better than a bassman through a bass cabinet. They make great guitar amps but the 50w Fender Bassman I plugged into my 410 cabinet sounded awful. Where, this Bugera combo amp claims 1000w. Downside is it doesn't seem to have capability for an extension cab. That could be a problem if you find the lack of speaker surface lacking in total decibels.. at the same time.. my recent experience through a single Mesa Subway 115 with my WD-800 says a single 15" driver can be plenty.

I also don't really trust the 1000w rating.. but the reviews say it's keeping up with a Rumble 500w combo.

I know you said "only a couple hundred bucks".. but at least from my perspective.. it'd be worth the extra $129 to not have to move a combo amp + a speaker cabinet and you likely wouldn't have issues keeping up with an acoustic drum kit.

Bugera BXD15A 1x15" 1000-watt Bass Combo Amp with Compressor

It's not the lightest at 47lbs.. but.. that is within the realm of doable for me.


Also.. if you shop around for something used you might find something in your budget that will be more appropriate for playing bass than your current thought process.

Just scouring through guitar center's used selection.. I've seen a couple 410 cabinets for $150 or less. I've also seen a couple 100w combo amps.

You might even be able to purchase a head and cabinet for the cost of the Bugera, which leaves room for additional cabinets later on if you choose.

There's an Acoustic B200mkII 200w +1x15 combo for like $169.

Finding a cabinet shouldn't be a problem especially if you live near a guitar center where you can return even used gear within a certain timeframe.

If I were in your shoes budget wise I'd probably be eyeballing that Bugera though, as it will be new and have warranty coverage. IMO it's probably going to sound way better than a Fender Bassman for bass. My experience was that the Bassman was plenty loud.. but pretty meh in the tone department.

Those bassmans sound absolutely amazing for guitar though. If you can find a way to earn the money otherwise I'd keep it in case you get a hankering to play a gitfiddle.

 

[Chickenwheels]

An all-tube Fender is one of my favourite bass amps. But as you'll know by now you'll need a decent speaker cabinet for it to usable. If I was you, I'd get a Fender Pro Neo 410. A beautiful sounding bass cab that is super efficient (loud for amount of power) and nice and lightweight. And will look cool.

 

[Chris Marinelli]

I have absolutely no plans to sell the Tweed Twin. I'm primarily a guitar player and always will be. I'm just picking bass up again to help a friends band with just a few gigs here or there right now. I'm going to start with a cab as an interim solution that I can build on if I start gigging regularly and get tired of hauling around the twin and a speaker cab.
I'm pretty sure it will sound quite good with a decent bass cab. It's a very warm and clean amp with a lot of headroom and low end.

 

[Patrice B]

I have absolutely no plans to sell the Tweed Twin. I'm primarily a guitar player and always will be. I'm just picking bass up again to help a friends band with just a few gigs here or there right now. I'm going to start with a cab as an interim solution that I can build on if I start gigging regularly and get tired of hauling around the twin and a speaker cab.
I'm pretty sure it will sound quite good with a decent bass cab. It's a very warm and clean amp with a lot of headroom and low end.

With the right cab, it'll do fine as you already know the limitations and your goal is clear. Happy music and glowing tubes!

My « Canadian » Twin (the YGL-3) is a joy to play at school and makes a killer recording rig. The kids on guitar uses the second channel with lush reverb and tremolo (the OEM circuit was dead - failing opto - so I converted the circuit for the ubiquitous Fender opto roach. Kinda impressive too with a keyboard).

 

[mexicanyella]

Thanks for the advice, and I sort of had a feeling this was the case. Thankfully the combo weighs in just over 40 lbs so it's very manageable.

So, do you all think it would it be best to bypass the internal speakers altogether and just go out to a bass cab, or would the existing 2x12s at least give some volume and upper-end content to go along with say a 1x15 or 2x10/2x12 bass cab? The amp is somewhat unique in that it accepts a 4 ohm cab on each of the two speaker output jacks, so it is 4 ohm to the internal speakers and switches to an 8 ohm tap for 2 4 ohm cabs wired in series when an extension cab is plugged in.
I'm not really looking to go up to a 4x10 as the size and weight starts to become an issue for transport. My gut tells me a 1x15 paired to the existing open back 2x12s could sound great, but I'm also scared the 12s will fart out and distort before the extension cab gets loud enough.

I have a Peavey Special 150 guitar combo, which is a 1 x 12 solid state 150-watt amp. I have used it to drive a bass cab before, running the clean channel and bypassing the internal Scorpion 12 and instead powering my Audiokinesis 4 x 8" bass cab.

I've also used it, in a pinch, into the low frequency inputs (horn tweeters bypassed) of a pair of Peavey 1 x 15 PA speakers.

It worked well, and was loud enough for loud basement practice with a loud drummer and a Marshall half-stack. I'd bet a 100-watt tube power section could do the same, but that's a lot of stuff to carry, when current stuff has gotten so much smaller and lighter.

Worth trying, if you have a bass cab(s) that presents the appropriate ohms rating to the amp circuit, but if you try it be honest with yourself about whether it's really making a magical, otherwise unobtainable sound for you or not. In the case of my Peavey guitar amp, it sounds pretty good for rock P-bass but it's a bulkier, messier way to get a sound much like I dial in through just about every other gear combination I've tried.

 

[Chris Marinelli]

Well, I've managed to find a genzler 12-3 bass array and a pair of Raezers Edge bass lite 1x12s within driving distance to me for about the same price.
Anyone have an opinion on these two cabs?
Seems like the pair of 1x12s would maybe get louder, but I don't really have experience with modern cab designs such as the genzler. If the bass array would get me near the same volume I'd rather have just one cab tbh.

 

[agedhorse]

Well, I've managed to find a genzler 12-3 bass array and a pair of Raezers Edge bass lite 1x12s within driving distance to me for about the same price.
Anyone have an opinion on these two cabs?
Seems like the pair of 1x12s would maybe get louder, but I don't really have experience with modern cab designs such as the genzler. If the bass array would get me near the same volume I'd rather have just one cab tbh.

You might look at what players who have the Bass Array are saying on the Genzler thread.