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Double Bass Ext cab for SWR WM10?

Greg Clinkingbeard

Greg Clinkingbeard

Commercial User
Apr 4, 2005
4,627
2,339
Kansas City area
Disclosures
Black Dog Bass Works
#1
I've been using a WM10 and for what I paid for it, it's a good amp, but it isn't quite enough for some gigs. Has anyone used the 10" ext cabinet with it? It occurs to me that I could vary the cabinet placement to make the sound less directional and/or provide more for the band to hear. All in all, it should move more air.

Any experience here?
 
#3
clink said:
I've been using a WM10 and for what I paid for it, it's a good amp, but it isn't quite enough for some gigs. Has anyone used the 10" ext cabinet with it? It occurs to me that I could vary the cabinet placement to make the sound less directional and/or provide more for the band to hear. All in all, it should move more air.

Any experience here?
Click to expand...

I agree it is a good amp. However, I choose a WM-12 over it, and then
returned that for the WM-15, which I have since sold. I just don't think
the WM-10 with ext. could do it for me, except as practice/rehearsal
amps. That's just me. :cool:

I don't know the size of your venues, but they must be modest. Coffee
houses, restaurants? Are you working with a drummer? Do you also
play electric through it? Are your working with a combo that is unamplfied?

IMHO, 1x12 or 2x10 with a lot more watts is more flexible, although
forget taking it on the subway. :D

But, the ext. speaker with a wm-10 also kills the "one-handed carry."
Maybe step up to a more robust combo? As you probably know,
Acoustic Image stuff sounds great. I use my SWR goliath Jr. III, and
SWR 350 head, and a sansamp paraDI with my old tyrolean, which is
equipped with a Gage Realist. This also works will with an Eminence
EUB I have on loan from a radio show I do every week.

I guess I could be more helpful if I knew more about your needs. Yes,
the 10 ext. will make it louder, but then what? Does a marginal
increase in volume represent with an extra carry trip really do it? :D
 
#4
Due to my relative 'noobieness' on DB (4 months), I'm using relatively modest gear now. I paid $145 for the WM10 at the Musician's Friend clearance center in KC. My bass is a used Chrissy ply that sounds much better with spiros than it should given the price I paid for it. Right now, I'm looking to get the best sound for the least $ to enable me to play the gigs and upgrade to a better bass in the next year or so.
Where do I play? Usually in a piano, sax, bass trio that taxes the WM10 at half volume.
There are a couple of big bands that I've played with and one of them is 18 piece in a large room.
I've been blessed in my short time with DB to have done my first gig (sitting in with the trio for 3 hours) within two weeks with the DB. As a converted slab player, I probably have some advantage over others starting from scratch.

I have an opportunity to pick up the SWR cabinet at a good price and was just wondering whether it sounds like a good idea.
Having used an AI contra a couple of weeks ago, I really like it, but it would run at least $800 more than my WM10 and ext cab and be serious overkill for my bass.

Hope this helps.
 
#5
clink said:
snip...Where do I play? Usually in a piano, sax, bass trio that taxes the WM10 at half volume.
There are a couple of big bands that I've played with and one of them is 18 piece in a large room...snip....

I have an opportunity to pick up the SWR cabinet at a good price and was just wondering whether it sounds like a good idea.
Having used an AI contra a couple of weeks ago, I really like it, but it would run at least $800 more than my WM10 and ext cab and be serious overkill for my bass. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

My advice is to get your music store/seller to let you try it and
return it if it is inadequate. If it doesn't cut the trio gig, it will be
hopeless with the 18 piece band.

While I am certain you don't need a lot of volume, what you will need
is clean volume and a good upright sound. Even though you may think
your instrument is not the greatest (and who but a few do), it is
difficult to get an amplified sound of ANY double bass that is as good
as the bass's unamplified sound (IMHO).

I guess what I am saying is: look to the future. If the 10 ext. will cut it
for very cheap, go for it. Otherwise, save your sheckels for a big step
up, and certainly look for good condition used gear. You can pay about
half for the same stuff, or less. :cool:

Since the ext. and the built-in are both 8 ohms, with it you can
probably draw closer to 80 rms the WM-10 amp can throw.
Experiment with stacking them for the supposed "coupling" effect.:ninja:

I find having an amplifier that is in the 300-400 watt rms
range frees me to select from a wider variety of speakers to fit the
venue, ensemble, and instrument. I wish I had 2 channels of 600 watts
(or more) at 8 ohms for some of my electric gigs. :p
 
#6
Jim,
I don't intend to double DB and EB. This will be strictly for DB.
I use an Ampeg B100r for EB and use PA support where necessary. It sounds like &*%$ on DB.
Sorry if I was unclear on the 'taxes at half volume' comment. The little WM-10 sounds good on the trio gig.
On the whole, I am very pleased with the tone I get out of my modest gear and while I expect to upgrade, it works for now.
Unfortunately, the budget just doesn't permit Eden, AI or GK right now and I think a bit more volume is a necessity.

I guess it makes the most sense to go for the ext cabinet and save my shekels for a better bass down the road. With what I'll have in the amp/cab, I can probably sell it for a profit in the future.:cool:
 
#7
francois said:
Yep.
I've done that, and the added depth and volume is outstanding.
FWIW, I presently on two 1x10T cabs, with a Clarus I head.
Easy to carry, sounds great.
Click to expand...

That's what I was hoping to hear. If I do this, I'll be able to have both the amp and ext cab for under $300.00. I don't think I could do better.
 
#9
clink said:
Jim,
I don't intend to double DB and EB. This will be strictly for DB.
I use an Ampeg B100r for EB and use PA support where necessary. It sounds like &*%$ on DB...snip...
Click to expand...

Just a thought: I found that a preamp helped tame my Piezo
(Gage Realist) such that I could use my SWR head as a power amp
and get a good clean upright sound. I use a Sansamp ParaDI, which is
designed for extremely high impedence pickups, like the Gage. I go
into the receive input of the effects loop, by passing the SWR pre.

You might try one of these ParaDI's in a music store with your upright
and your ampeg. I realize the B100r has no effects loop, and it IS a
15. However, I have found that with very creative EQ and the ParaDI,
you can go into a normal passive bass input with the upright, and get
decent tone. The 15 may be an issue, however. I have found that my
2x10s sound much better than my 15 for my upright. :cool:
 
#10
clink said:
I 'll also mention FWIW, that I've been running an MXR M-80 (similar to a sans amp) into the effects loop, bypassing the SWR pre. The MXR is a better sounding pre and much cleaner and more natural sounding.
Click to expand...

Disregard previous message. :cool:
You have probably tried it into the ampeg normal input, no? :p
 
#11
I have tried everything with the ampeg and it just sounds terrible. The 15 is the culprit. It's too damn slow and tubby; even when eq'd for a decent tonal balance. :(
The MXR on the Ampeg sounds better than anything I've tried on my Jazz basses (Fender). :hyper:

I'm using a Shadow 965 pickup which is comprised of a piezo under each foot and a preamp that I've attached under the tailpiece. Another player in town likes it better than the Realist. I don't know, it works for me.
 
#15
clink said:
Robgrow is one *&%% of a nice guy.
Click to expand...
Please don't spread that around. I have a reputation to protect! :D (Thank you for the very kind words anyway.)

Actually the SWR WM 10xT is a very nice extension cab. I had 2 for a while that I used with a Clarus, and that combo always sounded good. I'm currently in a down-sizing mode (you know you have too many speakers when you have to rent a larger storage unit), so it's nice be able to turn some things over to others here on TalkBass who will hopefully get some good use out them.
 
#17
Probably a little late but I was using a WM10 and WM10 Ext in the bigband in college.. It worked out just fine.. Actually, there were times that I used just the WM10 but liked the extra bottom end that the WM10Ext added to it..
 

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