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Double Bass External tweeter?

C

coldsalmon

Mar 8, 2006
50
24
New York, NY
#1
Hi,

I like my GK 150-MBS, but I've noticed that it's missing some high frequencies. Does anyone know of an external tweeter that I could just carry around and plug into the external 1/4" output? Is this even possible? I'm afraid that I'm quite ignorant of electronics. I'm thinking of something like the Markbass External Tweeter:

http://accessories.musiciansfriend....Box-External-Tweeter-for-Micromark?sku=421639

If that would work with my GK that would be great, but as I said, I'm ignorant of electronics.

Otherwise, I was thinking of maybe just getting one of those Fender Mini Twin guitar amps:

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-57-Mini-Twin-Amp?sku=481134

Anyone have a better idea?
 
#4
#6
Thanks for all the responses!

I talked to a guy at the music shop down the street, and he said that if I plugged the Fender Mini-amp (or any mini amp) into the external speaker output it would instantly explode because of the GK's high wattage. So much for that idea.

If I were to get the Goldwood GT-1016 tweeter (or something like it), how would I hook it up? Would I have to open up the case and mess with the wiring? Also, the specs say that it can handle "50 watts RMS/75 watts max," and my GK has a 150 watt amp.

I'm really looking for something I can just plug in with a 1/4" cable. If you're saying that my only option is to open up the amp and wire it in, I'll just have a professional shop do that for me.

This post seems to suggest that wiring in a tweeter to the GK 150 can work well:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=171253
 
#7
coldsalmon said:
If I were to get the Goldwood GT-1016 tweeter (or something like it), how would I hook it up? Would I have to open up the case and mess with the wiring? Also, the specs say that it can handle "50 watts RMS/75 watts max," and my GK has a 150 watt amp.

I'm really looking for something I can just plug in with a 1/4" cable. If you're saying that my only option is to open up the amp and wire it in, I'll just have a professional shop do that for me.
Click to expand...

Connecting a piezo tweeter like this is very easy. You just need a short length of 18 gauge lamp cord and a 1/4-inch phone plug. Connect the phone plug to one end of the lamp cord and the other end to the terminals on the tweeter and you're done. No crossover is necessary. (If you don't know how to solder, get a friend or a tech to help.) Plug the tweeter into one of the external speaker jacks on the MB150, and set it on top of your amp or wherever you want it. No internal work on your amp is necessary, and the tweeter can easily handle all the power your amp can deliver, since it's not reproducing anything below a few thousand Hertz, and its impedance is extremely high.

If you want to get fancy, you can mount the tweeter in a small box like the Markbass external tweeter.

Disclaimer: I am not promoting the use of a tweeter here. Just suggesting an inexpensive solution for anyone who might want to try adding a tweeter.
 
#9
Just for kicks, and since I needed a practice headphone amp for my electric anyhow, I went out and bought a Danelectro Honeytone mini-amp and plugged it into the line out on my GK. It pretty much did what I wanted, replacing some of the high frequencies that the GK is missing. It doesn't have the volume that I would need on a gig, and I don't want to have to buy a new 9-volt every time I play out, so I'm definitely going to build an external tweeter along the lines of what robgrow suggested.

Now that I'm sure I'd like to invest in this, I want to do it properly the first time. How hard would it be to add a simple volume knob? Also, is a piezo tweeter the best choice in the long run?
 
#11
coldsalmon said:
...the specs say that it can handle "50 watts RMS/75 watts max," and my GK has a 150 watt amp.

I'm really looking for something I can just plug in with a 1/4" cable.
Click to expand...
At the frequencies the tweeter works at, there is very little power coming form the amp - nearly all your 150 watts is happening below 1 kHz.
I used to have a similar tweeter (Motorola piezo) that I just soldered a jack lead onto. I eventually made a little plywood box just to make it look neater, but a tweeter really doesn't need a cabinet like a low frequency driver does.

There's not much action from a bass above 3.5kHz, but you will get a little 'edge' and crispness to your sound. I suspect what you're looking for is happening down around 2 kHz - that's the frequency I usually add when I'm running PA for a show and want the bass to cut through the mix more.
 
#12
If your planning on making this a permanent mod I would suggest the CTS powerline series. They can handle alot of power, have good sensitivity, and dont sound near as harsh as your average piezo. I use the ksn-1165's in my 2x10 and 4x10 but i was using a ksn-114 as an external before I rebuilt my cabs.
 

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