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fEARful™ Part Ten (10)

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#21
fEARful is on thread #10, which must be a record for TalkBass. In celebration of this landmark, I present the Ten Commandments of fEARful.


One. Thou shall have no other cabs before me.

Two. Thou shall not build carved images in my name and call them fEARful.

Three. Thou shall not blaspheme fEARful by adorning this sacred name on any cab not fully compliant with Official Specifications.

Four. For bass players, every day you play is holy so I command you to perpetually worship the sonic propulsion of low tone by never ever using any cab but a fEARful.

Five. Honor your father fEARful (15/6/1) and mother fEARful (12/6/1), for these formats are progenitors of diverse fEARchildren used throughout bassdom.

Six. Thou shall not kill fEARful Official Specifications with bastardized form factors such as round ports in lieu of the sacred full-shelf port. Beware false prophets who proclaim the virtue of a grill covering the entire front side of a cab to keep the critters out; they will lead you astray.

Seven. Thou shall not commit adultery by posting positive comments on TalkBass about a nEarful, for verily it is an unspeakable sin to deprive a single soul the superior audio performance of a fEARful (see Commandment Nine).

Eight. Thou shall not steal. It’s only a fEARful if it precisely follows every specification. (Older fEARful models built with retired specifications or out-of-production components are exempt from this commandment.)

Nine. Thou shall not bear false witness by claiming a nEarful sounds the same as a fEARful. Verily, while such claims are true to the naked ear (especially for drinkers, smokers, and pill-popping dancers rockin’ out in a slammin’ loud nightclub), verification may be possible by professional audio experts operating in a state-of-the-art mastering studio.

Ten. Thou shall not covet professionally built nEarfuls, such as by Low Down Sound, BEARFACED Cabs, LoPHAT, or Avatar. Whilst these quality products may offer a superior appearance to the “rugged” aura of most home-built cabs, I command you to remember always: nothing beats a self-built fEARful (see Commandment Nine).
 
#26
I don't seem to be able to quote across the threads, but someone was asking on #9 who was making fEARfuls from plans, and a student of mine, who is a carpenter, is considering making a few. I'm going to have him build me a 12/6/1 and I think he's going to make a 15/6 for himself, so if anyone in the front range of Colorado is interested, get in touch as we can work some economy of scale in our favor. He made me a TL606 a few years ago which I brought on the road for 150 shows a year and it is the most robust cabinet I've owned, so I know he does great work.
 
#28
edwinhurwitz said:
someone was asking on #9 who was making fEARfuls from plans, .
Click to expand...

I'm in the process of setting up my shop, and have been interested in gaining an authorized builder endorsement. My plans are to start building cabs in the spring, and I'd rather work honest and above-board w/the designers' blessing...
 
#30
Billy Low said:
Thanks...might have to roll with the 1515. I need abit more than what my single 410 is giving me. Granted, it is an 8 ohm cab, I really need to take advantage of my both of my amps capabilities. I have an EVO 900 that is begging to be pushed!
Click to expand...

a 1515/6 or two 15/6 cabs will destroy the output of a single 410. If you only need "abit more" than your 410, chances are a single 15/6 would do. It will be much louder on the low lows than what you are used to.

Don't worry about getting more mileage out of your amp if the impedence isnt bottomed out if you are going to build a fearful.
 
#32
dhomer said:
I'm in the process of setting up my shop, and have been interested in gaining an authorized builder endorsement. My plans are to start building cabs in the spring, and I'd rather work honest and above-board w/the designers' blessing...
Click to expand...

Hey dhomer,

I emailed you, but I'll repeat part of that for others. Things are different than they were one or two years ago.

I don't know that I want to authorize anyone unless they have a website and a business presence in the field. That goes a long way in assuring any customers that a builder is fEARful™ approved not only because the builder will faithfully represent the points I prioritize in design - but also because the builder has a track record delivering good enclosures and has a responsible service record.

I want to minimize problems for both myself, and for people who want fEARfuls. I already know what the alternative is. Feel free to email back if you wish further dialog. We can examine this to your satisfaction, because it's possible you already have some business web presence I am not aware of.
 
#33
I am going reiterate a modest proposal - though GB has rejected the notion both here and in private. With all due respect to his altruistic sentiments I think a formalized fee structure for fEarful builds is in order - perhaps presented as a suggested fee for the R&D work, maybe as simple as a PayPal account operated on the honor system.

How do yall feel about a honor system fee? Some small amount per woofer for completed cabs - would you PayPal say $10 per woofer to GB and feel good about it?

I respectfully request GB set a PayPal account and let's find out.

My $0.02
 
#35
There has been some talk here about using fEARful cabs for PA, so I’ll share a recent experience.

My drummer/son dropped in yesterday to try out some digital drums I’d bought. We experimented with them through cheap 12+horn PA cabs, BFM jack10s, and a fEARful 12/6 (Alpha).

The 12+horn cabs struggled with the kick and floor tom sounds at volumes louder than that of acoustic drums. I was able to crank the Jacks to an uncomfortable level, but even with lots of low end EQ, they lacked “girth”. For $hitz and giggles, I plugged the drums into my GK 1001RB (EQ set “flat”) and fEARful. Big, full, and natural drum sounds but the cymbals were a bit “dull”. That’s to be expected without a tweeter.

The only problem I see with using fEARful X/6/1 cabs for PA is that having the cabs separated (as is typical for PA cabs) would mess with the very low frequencies. The problem of the port divider interfering with pole mounting could be solved by using a flat mounting bracket (like the old Bose 802s used) rather than a “top hat”.

FWIW, yesterday’s experience has me thinking about building a fEARful 12Sub to add to the Jacks when/if the band starts gigging again.
 
#36
A local friend and I are very interested in sticking a couple of these together; are there any fEarful owners in central Indiana who would be willing to let me come over and hear your rig? I'll bring beer. Good stuff, that is. :D
 
#37
Big, full, and natural drum sounds but the cymbals were a bit “dull”. That’s to be expected without a tweeter.
Click to expand...

Have used both of these stacks as drum monitors sans PA support - both work great. Though the cymbals are real in this example, the cabs are just fine on cowbells, chimes, and various Latin percussion samples with high frequency content.



I am not saying that the fEarful is the best PA you can get - merely that I would not hesitate to use em [in fact, we sort of do, and we like it].
 
#38
Foz said:
I am going reiterate a modest proposal - though GB has rejected the notion both here and in private. With all due respect to his altruistic sentiments I think a formalized fee structure for fEarful builds is in order - perhaps presented as a suggested fee for the R&D work, maybe as simple as a PayPal account operated on the honor system.

How do yall feel about a honor system fee? Some small amount per woofer for completed cabs - would you PayPal say $10 per woofer to GB and feel good about it?

I respectfully request GB set a PayPal account and let's find out.

My $0.02
Click to expand...

I haven't built mine yet, but would happily donate $10 in thanks for all the R&D that went into the fEARfuls. The fact that so many folks who have owned high-end cabs say the fEARfuls are "it" speaks volumes. Also, ALL DEBATE ASIDE about fEARful vs. LDS vs. JoeCabCompany's 3-way from 1978 etc, it's widely acknowledged that the fEARfuls perfected the 3-way (or two way or "woof and a mid") design. The fact that the fEARful threads exist and THRIVE here on TB and that a wide range of folks from real engineering background to Joe Musician have successfully built them, champion them and help others speaks loudly and clearly to me. :)

With the dawn of "fEARful By Mail" courtesy of Leland, it brings the cab within reach of a lot of folks with the desire but possibly not the time/skill/interest to build their own. I've not built one yet b/c I'm working away from my tools. I've scanned hundreds of build pictures; I can do this. It's within the reach of anyone with basic woodworking skills. Time and experience will teach you shortcuts (like cutting all panels "this wide" at the same time so you don't move the rip fence on the table saw). But other than that, there's nothing inherently difficult. No weird angle cuts, no biscuits. OK, that's enough out of me.

Count me in for a ten spot when the account is open. :)

Mike
 
#39
Foz said:
Have used both of these stacks as drum monitors sans PA support - both work great. Though the cymbals are real in this example, the cabs are just fine on cowbells, chimes, and various Latin percussion samples with high frequency content.


I am not saying that the fEarful is the best PA you can get - merely that I would not hesitate to use em [in fact, we sort of do, and we like it].
Click to expand...

would a fEarful 15 sub and a BFM OmniTop 12 be a better setup for PA ? And would the extra cash and weight be worth it ?
I am trying to decide between going a full 15/6/1 route [one package, cheaper, easier] or a 15sub + omnitop12 [more expensive, 2 separate cabs] for my bass rig that could double as a PA once i get 2 of each.

Any thoughts ?
 
#40
:hyper:

Finally. I'm in. Found out last night we are getting more back in a tax refund this year than we hoped. Typically we don't use it much as fun money, but we are getting enough back to treat ourselves to some nice things this year, and for me that means...

I'm finally going to get to build my fEarful!!!

By the time the 3015LF gets back in stock at Parts Express, I'll have my money for it. I am really stoked to build a 15/6.

Sorry, nothing else new to report...no build pics or anything like that yet...just had to share. :D

Have to go back through and read up again, just for the fun of it.
 
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