Do you use fEARful?

[wcriley]

If not for this forum I wouldn't even know they existed.

I seem to be the odd man out around here.
I'd never visited TB until several years ago when someone in another forum suggested I check out greenboy's fEARful 12/6 design when I was looking for something lighter, louder and less awkward to carry than my Acme B-2.

 

[Munjibunga]

And an update on percentage: it has been currently been hanging between %20-25. Everyone, and especially non-fEARful users are encouraged to vote. I'm sensing this thread being very fEARful driven now. And I'd just like to kindly ask that fEARful users not argue with others about about their reasoning as to why they don't use them. It is simply a sharing of opinions and a gathering of information for the common good

I originally estimated less than ten percent of players use them. I'm revising that to less than five percent.

 

[Hobobob]

I originally estimated less than ten percent of players use them. I'm revising that to less than five percent.

Heck Munji, I'd say that less than 10% of bass players in general have even HEARD of them.

 

[bassballs27]

I originally estimated less than ten percent of players use them. I'm revising that to less than five percent.

Well, since we have close to 230,000 members (if they're all legitimate, some could be dormant) and with 100 in the group....well....it might be even less than five percent.

Just wish these cabs were more easily accessible.

If they were just a bit cheaper.....I'd probably have one.

The 1515/66 does look cool, but need to hear one in person to believe it using my amplifiers.

 

[thekyle55]

I built my 12/6 with the Alpha mid for 400 bones. I'd never heard one, the closest ones were around 8 hours away, I just love building stuff and experimenting. I cut all the wood myself, and it turned out pretty decent, and sounds really good.

Then I built a 66. It cost me right about 1200, I bought the drivers used and bought a flat pack, so I could have saved 200 or so but I didn't want to risk anything on it.

I won't try to convince anyone about them, but my jam room is always open if someone wants to try it. Or if I'm making a trip I'll throw my 12/6 in for anyone to try.

 

[mbelue]

Black Widows......there's more than one.


1505 KADT-- xmax .9mm. They're mids to be used over subs in triamped systems.

1502 DT-- xmax 2.8mm. Growly mids for bass cabs.


1505DT ( not KA )-- xmax 4.8mm. Stay clean. Used more in PA/SR stuff, but I like them in bass cabs.


All were/are pretty high sensitivity.

All of the BWs I replaced were 1502s. I'm not generally subtle with my bass knob so its on me.
My 12/6/1 doesn't mind boosting bass though.

 

[bigboy_78]

I built my 15/6 for $705 dollars US

The drivers alone would set me back $600 (Aussie $) at current prices.

 

[Munjibunga]

Heck Munji, I'd say that less than 10% of bass players in general have even HEARD of them.

OK, I can go with that. I'm trying to be generous.

 

[Jim Carr]

OK, I can go with that. I'm trying to be generous.

+1

...and it's all good. I am more in love than ever with my 15/6/1. Night after night, gig after gig, and rehearsal after...well this is obvious...the cab is just making everything clear.

Yeah, "Day by day, in every way, I am getting better and better." Ha Ha Ha!

 

[Arjank]

Care to share what you ended up with?

Of course.
It's a 210 with long excursion 10's and a coaxial mid/high unit.
The whole system acts as a pointsource, no phase related issues (and orientation doesn't matter), great dispersion, small, loud with low distortion. What you put into it is what you hear, it's like an onstage studio-monitor.

One pic shows my own cab the other pic the build for another bassplayer.

 

[Bigwan]

Say someone had a REAL bad back... Would a fEARful 12/6 + clean amp + Sansamp VT (with cab sim on) get close enough to mini-SVT goodness to be satisfied??? Anyone tried this?

 

[CL400Peavey]

Say someone had a REAL bad back... Would a fEARful 12/6 + clean amp + Sansamp VT (with cab sim on) get close enough to mini-SVT goodness to be satisfied??? Anyone tried this?

Never tried the VT. I had an RBI for a while and I played/recorded with it through my fEARfuls. Sounded pretty good. I sold it and bought a TH instead. Not that the SA sounded bad, the TH just meets my needs better.

 

[guy n. cognito]

Sorry, but if thats the case I'd say that its a ripoff.

Not this again.

Greenboy made these plans publicly available. Many of us, before any "authorized builders" existed, took these plans to guys like Don and had these cabinets built. There is no patent violation (and Dave Green knows that full well- its a non-original design that CAN'T be patented). Don never directly offered these plans for sale, never advertised them, and quite honestly, had to be pushed pretty hard to follow the plans exactly. He built what his customers requested, and this is what many of us requested.

To call it a ripoff is dishonest......at best.

 

[Arjank]

its a non-original design that CAN'T be patented

+1

Many people also said to me that I should patent my design, I told them I can't, can a cook patent his recipe? no
And are the fearful designs the 1st 15/6/1's no they aren't.

 

[delta7fred]

I use fEARful exclusively and don't see that changing.

I got dissatisfied with my old rig and looked for something better and hopefully lighter (I'm getting on in years). Here in the UK I have never seen most of the cabs that get rave reviews on TalkBass.

I looked at Barefaced and through researching them discovered fEARful. Being an incurable DIYer I decided to build a 15/6, then a 12/6 when I needed something a little smaller for cramped stages.

I still have my old rig but it is out on loan to a friend, I am hoping he takes a liking to it and offers me money for it because I will never use it again.

I should think the number of bass players in the UK that have even heard of a fEARful is less than 1%. In 2.5 years of playing one I have yet to meet anyone who knows what it is. I have had all sorts of comments from bass players, the best one being "if I had known you were going to bring a little 12" cab I could have brought you a proper rig, a 410 + 115". I thanked him but said I thought I had it covered. At the first break he came to see if I was through the PA, nope it's just that little 12" cab.

 

[wcriley]

Many of us, before any "authorized builders" existed, took these plans to guys like Don and had these cabinets built.

This is something a lot of people forget during these discussions. Don was pretty much the only game in town for someone who didn't have the skills/tools or a friend who could do the work for them.

I think Bassist thought you'd had your cab built after the authorized builder network, cheating Greenie out of his small "commission".

Don...<clip>...had to be pushed pretty hard to follow the plans exactly. He built what his customers requested, and this is what many of us requested.

The bad blood started when people ordered "to spec" fEARfuls, only to find out after they received them that changes had been made to the crossover or dimensions. And when people would change the specs when ordering from LDS, but still called the finished product a "fEARful".

 

[lomo]

To those who don't "believe": tone is obviously subjective, but the depth, clarity and volume per pound of my LDS 15/6 and fEarfuls are undeniable. I have A/Bed this beast against many other, larger cabs (top quality 212s and 410s) and it has handily exceeded all of them. No contest. With a versatile head like an M9 or GB S-Max I can get any sound I like from it.

 

[wcriley]

In 2.5 years of playing one I have yet to meet anyone who knows what it is.

It's been even longer for me. fEARful is as unknown around my area as Genz-Benz.

 

[guy n. cognito]

This is something a lot of people forget during these discussions. Don was pretty much the only game in town for someone who didn't have the skills/tools or a friend who could do the work for them.

I think Bassist thought you'd had your cab built after the authorized builder network, cheating Greenie out of his small "commission".

Irrelevant. The design, to this day, cannot be patented, and the plans are still available to the public. Anyone who wants to build one of these can, or can engage any builder to build one, "authorized" or not.

The bad blood started when people ordered "to spec" fEARfuls, only to find out after they received them that changes had been made to the crossover or dimensions. And when people would change the specs when ordering from LDS, but still called the finished product a "fEARful".

Not completely accurate. IIRC, the "bad blood" started when Dave approached Don about becoming an "authorized builder" and Don refused. The story has been a bit convoluted since then.

Remember, there were LOTS of changes to the "fEarful" in the early days. Lots of experimentation. That was the point of making it public, as I recall. Any anger felt by the current loyalist at those who chose to make modification to the design....at any point..... is misplaced and unwarranted.

 

[guy n. cognito]

It's been even longer for me. fEARful is as unknown around my area as Genz-Benz.

I live in a town full of musicians with a pretty well connected "authorized builder." In the last 5 years, I've only seen one other fEarful in this town, and that guy contacted me via TB in order to test his fEarful vs my LDS "fEarful". I've never seen one in the wild in town.