fEARful™ Part Ten (10)

[Sundogue]

That looks incredible. How did you attach the grill? Did you just make a wood frame, stretch the material over the wood frame, and then screw it into the 3/4 inch standoff frame around the baffle?

There is no grill standoff on the baffle. Yes, it is a wooden frame that the pet screen grill cloth gets stretched over and stapled on the back.

The baffle has the fuzzy velcro all the way around it and the back of the grill frame has the looped velcro in the corners and the middle. So it just velcros on.

 

[cableguy]

Damn, where are you guys located?
I am trying to hurry, now.
If I wait it'll be too hot to work outside!

The snow melted a few weeks ago here. Acording to the TV weatherguy we had our 1st day with above normal temps for the year. In the mid-30's in the morning now. Starting to warm up though. Alpental has fresh snow every morning lately. Wish I could enjoy that. Hopefully we'll get daytime highs in the 60's soon. Love the Pacific NW.

 

[Bill Whitehurst]

It's 85, here.
They say it may be warmer, later.

I think I'll use that pet screen.
Probably get it when I get teh plywood and insulation.

 

[bwoodman]

I just read Sundogue's review and I'm looking forward to building my 15/6. My plan was to build the 15/6 with tweeter (compression driver / waveguide) with L-pad so I can dial it out if desired. I know that with my pair of SWR-style cabs, I usually only have the tweeter on about 2 on only one of the cabs - so, I'm already not a fan of the high-end click clack of tweeters, but it's good to have a little dialed in.

Maybe some of you folks who have built 15/6 cabs can chime in with your ideas and reasons why you built with or without the tweeter.

Thanks!

 

[Foz]

chime in

veddy punny

 

[Nightlyraider]

Maybe some of you folks who have built 15/6 cabs can chime in with your ideas and reasons why you built with or without the tweeter.

Thanks!

I built two 15/6 without tweeters in the interest of Fuzz and other Distortion type effects. To me tweeters always have quite a bit of non-musical "hiss", and I was interested in a bass ranged cab that could still deliver.

The 15/6 is perfect!

 

[::::BASSIST::::]

I just read Sundogue's review and I'm looking forward to building my 15/6. My plan was to build the 15/6 with tweeter (compression driver / waveguide) with L-pad so I can dial it out if desired. I know that with my pair of SWR-style cabs, I usually only have the tweeter on about 2 on only one of the cabs - so, I'm already not a fan of the high-end click clack of tweeters, but it's good to have a little dialed in.

Maybe some of you folks who have built 15/6 cabs can chime in with your ideas and reasons why you built with or without the tweeter.

Thanks!

No tweeter required IMHO.

My 15/6 does not have a tweeter and am ordering my nidacore 15/6 without a tweeter as well. There is PLENTY of high-end coming out of the mid driver already. Now if you want Marcus Miller highs, then I'd say yes to a tweeter. For me I prefer very little highs in my tone and dont require it.

 

[Foz]

tweeters always have quite a bit of non-musical "hiss"

Well... really crappy ones like you find on your average commercial bass cab perhaps, not applicable here IMO. But I do agree/understand that some just don't want/need that top end sheen.

I have horns with attenuators on both of my fEarful stacks so I have had a chance to hear em both with and without. I prefer em on - YMMV. Also, I use one stack for a e-drum montior and the horn is a very nice add-on in that role. Its still a hella cab even with the horn turned off but given the modest cost increase I say put one in if your budget allows.

Using a fEarful has changed the way I play - if its effects you likewise you might find out you like having a horn!

Bet this guy would put a horn in if he built a fearful...

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[Robby Hoinsky]

Maybe some of you folks who have built 15/6 cabs can chime in with your ideas and reasons why you built with or without the tweeter.

Thanks!

The fEARful tweeter is much different than most bass cab tweeters. You can't really hear the tweeter in isolation because it blends in with the mid so well. So forget about that clackle, or sizzle you are used to. It comes in at 6.5kHz. 6.5kHz! that is freaking high, way above any fundamental on any instrument. That is basically the frequency domain of cymbals and overtones. The tweeter in the fEARfuls add more of an air or a sparkle. On a clean, not overdriven bass sound you won't even notice whether you have the tweeter or not. Once you get some fuzz, or overdrive, or the like is when the tweeter will make a difference.

The tweeter doesn't add much to the cost or complexity whether it is diy or from a builder like me, so I say if you are considering it, then put it in with an l-pad. A kill switch is nice too so you can keep your tweeter setting on the l pad when you turn it off.

Also, if you ever want to use it as keyboard or guitar cab, or for some e-drums, you'll be glad you have that tweeter.

I'm going to get some recordings going soon with an a/b of tweeter on vs tweeter off.

Robby

 

[singlemalt]

I did a Eminence 1001 and the Dayton HO7 wave guide in my 15/6/1. The compression driver & wave guide added about $40 to the project. Cheap because I didn't have to buy any extra crossover parts. I run it off the biamp section of my GK 1001 rb 2. The GK high section only supplies 5K and up, with a 10K cut off switch. 50 watts at 8 ohm.

It looks really cool. It makes a difference in how much breathy sparkle I get. I can really fine tune the highs, between this and the main amp section, but that's not the area that really does it for me. I would be just fine without it. The underwhelming results may have more to do with the GK's limitations.

I might get better results if I built a different crossover to get the 1K info to the driver, but I most likely won't bother.

If I was to do it over again, I would leave it out. If I hadn't been itching to try and do something with the GK's biamp section, I would have left it out. It's far from being a failure, just not my cup of tea. It does, however, look really cool!

I would not short cut on the 18 sound mid driver, or any other parts in this design. What looked expensive now seems like a very good deal. You get major bang for your buck.

 

[bwoodman]

Thanks for all the great info! I'm probably going to go ahead with the tweeter version - better to have it and dial it out if I don't like it.

 

[thudfromafar]

Yeah if you plan on ever using it with recorded music, e-drums, or keyboards, you will definitely be glad to have the tweet. Makes a big difference with those as opposed to bass.

 

[Matt916]

Damn, where are you guys located?
I am trying to hurry, now.
If I wait it'll be too hot to work outside!

I'm just south of Chicago. It's only been in the 30's the end of this week. Look's like we might get into the 50's by the end of next week.

I got my baffle and back cutouts and all my rabbits and dados completed. I was curious about the weight so I stepped on a scale while holding all the pieces - total wood weight is 25 lbs. I started some gluing tonight. I'm hoping to have the rest glued tomorrow.

 

[Sundogue]

Maiden voyage with my fEARful 15/6, first gig review...



WOW!!!

 

[Sundogue]

Perhaps I could elaborate...just got home from the gig.

Here's the setup...Yamaha BB415 into a Carvin BX1200, bridged into a single 8 ohm fEARful 15/6.

5 piece (drums, keys, two guitarists and bass) Classic/Hard Rock band at a bar gig (about 300 people) and VERY loud.

fEARful only on dolly/cart, perhaps 4 inches off floor. First set consists of covers of Bon Jovi (Livin on a Prayer, You Give Love a Bad Name), Journey (Any Way You Want It, Don't Stop) as well as some Scorpions, Kiss, Poison, Sammy Hagar, etc. and we are already cranking right from the first note of the first song. As the night progressed we went into Night Ranger, Aerosmith, Alice in Chains, Kansas and so on.

How'd the fEARful work for me tonight? Tight, focused low end, yet buttery smooth without being boomy. I could feel my pants flapping from the 3015LF but the lows were so tight, every note was jackhammer solid. The rhythm section was just plain dead on tight with such a solid punch. REAL low end, especially on the low B string. I ended up accentuating certain parts of songs by using the low B and the whole band was all smiles. Unbelievably tight low end.

Even with the cab sitting so low the mids and highs were so easily heard regardless of my location in relation to my cab and anywhere in the room. We had PA support, but the high stage volume was not an issue because the bass sound was so focused. I have the upper mids and highs dialed back a bit but there was a nice snap or attack to the notes without being harsh. Even the lower notes on the lowest strings had a brilliance to them that really helped define them. The D and G strings had so much authority to them. There was so much more content to the notes on those strings. Despite playing with two guitarists with Fender twins, there was not a single moment that I could not hear myself all night long.

Honestly I don't even know any adjectives that can fully describe how it sounded and felt. Pure, clean thunderous bass. I played louder than I ever recall playing with this band, but it was so clean not a single person in the band asked me to turn down. We were all loving how the bass sounded. It carved out its own sonic space where the guitars could just have at it without either of us getting in each others way.

I'm sitting here about three hours removed from the last song and I'm still loving how fabulous the bass sounded at the gig. Yeah, this is one helluva cab. Perfection.

Time for some sleep.

 

[BurningSkies]

So, what you're saying is that your going to build a 15/sub next?

 

[greenboy]

Matt916,

If you worked from the current plan - with 1.5" bracing "sticks" - I strongly suggest you cut new bracing WITHOUT any holes drilled in it. That just isn't going to do the job. Other than that, what you cut looks really NICE.

bwoodmansmith,

HF section probably adds 3 pounds total including the highpass circuit. If you find you don't ever use it, you can remove the compression driver and the highpass filter, and block off the throat of the waveguide.

But they do open up many options, and if someone wants a cab sound like typical woofer/tweeter arrangements, a big scoop in the 3.5K-4.5K Hz area and cranking the tweeter attenuator up will give that flave of aggressiveness. Voicing is just as much about what you cut as what you boost.

 

[greenboy]

Glad to hear it's working for you, Sundogue. As time goes by you'll be hearing more variation in string choices, bass choices. and hand position than you ever thought possible. The plucking position thing is the biggest thrill.

At one point I did a comparison of how many BP102 it took to keep up with a single fEARful 12/6 when driven by the same wattage, and when driven to full potential. I think now you might be in a position to appreciate that comparison. Unfortunately, it's a SEARCH to reprint that ; } -- but suffice it to say the 12/6 is a great companion piece ; }

I got personal pages up for several of youse guysez yesterday, but if I've missed anyone, SPEAK UP : }

EDIT: Here's roughly how it works out: "...each 3012LF is about like TWO BP102 when the wattage is low and THREE of them when you have enough wattage...". Actually the 3012LF seems to have quie that advantage in terms of [thermal] power compression too, so the SPL comparison in practical box sizes might be a tad conservative.

 

[greenboy]

Foz my man,

Maybe you could resurrect the greenboy cab badge thing in such a way that anybody could easily already have the file on tap and order wherever you did. Then in turn, I could link it on the fEARful site.

Link Removed

The 2" x 2" metal badge actually looks quite fetching (if you think I am tolerably handsome) - and can be placed right over a midrange cone or waveguide, for anyone who wants to get that old-school "box stuffer" sound.</joke>

 

[Foz]

I'm on it.