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Fearful 15/6 help

L

LouieLouie16

Jul 16, 2013
76
3
#1
What's up fellow bass players

I'm getting the ball rolling on a fearful 15/6 cab. 2 questions:

1. Do I really need the horn? I've never used one but heard that they really don't come through live, or is that incorrect(don't flame me, I played upright bass for like 7 years and never really looked into cabs until I started playing my electric bass again with the band I'm in now)
2. Should I make a 12/6 cube to stack with it or just go with another 15/6? I currently use an 810 so that's what I use to compare to.
 
#3
1. For bass guitar the horn is not really necessary... unless you do alot of Marcus Miller type stuff. If you ever want to use your cabs for recorded music or PA duties the horn would be useful there. The newly designed, latest addition crossover brings the horn to a whole new level. But yeah, totally not necessary for the majority of bassists.

2. More cab will give you a fuller, louder sound, but the fEARful cabs all have basically the same tone... just that the bigger ones, well, sound bigger. If you dont mind schlepping two large-ish cabs two 15/6s will crush. I have a 12/6 and 12sub and honestly its quite mind blowing. I've been having issues with a crossover and just today I had a gig where I could only bring my 12/6 to an outside car show. It sounded great and kept up fine all by itself to a rock band volume (but not crazy loud). Its amazing what the 12/6 can do all on its own. Add another 12/6 or 12sub or 15sub or 15/6 and you have alot of versatility... and *thunder*.

Outside car show gig today during setbreak.
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The little cab that could:
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Definitely check out the greenboy forum as Cableguy mentioned. Its all greenboy all the time. A huge resource for his designed cabs.
 
#4
How does the 15 sub compare instead of stacking 2 identical cabs? I'm guessing boomier lows? Or nice and balanced? My band only has 1 guitar player, my style in it is very percussive but also huge in the pocket groove part as well. I pretty much need to fill the gaps where the nonexistent 2nd guitar player would be, so would a sub cab work in that situation?
 
#5
Its not advisable to use one of the fEARful subs as a stand-alone for bass. I've tried it. Basically you get very little, if any, high mid/upper content.

Best bet is to start with a 15/6 and then perhaps add a 12/6 cube (which stack perfectly on top) if you feel you need it for smaller gigs or a super portable alternative for band practice etc.

The 15/6 can get you almost anywhere you want to be... with the proper application of eq. It will definitely get thumpy *if* you want it to or super hi-fi *if* you want it to.
 
#8
LouieLouie16 said:
I was asking the differences of stacking a 15/6 with a sub and how it compares to stacking 2 15/6 cabs. Sorry if I worded it wrong.
Click to expand...

More or less the same. The mid in each 15/6 is padded back in the crossover. To run one with a sub, you use a switch to remove the padding... the single mid can keep up with two woofers that way.

Thing of it as two mids running at half capacity (dual 15/6) = one mid going full tilt (15/6 + 15 sub).
 
#10
LouieLouie16 said:
I was asking the differences of stacking a 15/6 with a sub and how it compares to stacking 2 15/6 cabs. Sorry if I worded it wrong.
Click to expand...

There is a fixed pad on the mid in both the 12/6 & 15/6 - when you add a sub you remove this pad [with a switch] and the mid matches the output of the dual woofs = same tonal balance / higher overall output.

Look here:

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15+6_22.png


there is a sub crossover mod - it causes the additional woof to concatenate as a more smooth transition from mids to lows - more here:

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15_6_d220_7_27_2013_subby_sub_fcurves.jpg


===

If you are thinking of adding a tweet consider using the true three-way xover mod.

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#12
LouieLouie16 said:
I was asking the differences of stacking a 15/6 with a sub and how it compares to stacking 2 15/6 cabs. Sorry if I worded it wrong.
Click to expand...
The advantage of having two 15/6 cabs is each can be used on its own while the 15sub cannot. Meaning you could leave one 15/6 at your jam spot and leave one at home or just use one for gigs and then for really loud gigs use both.
 
#13
makohund said:
More or less the same. The mid in each 15/6 is padded back in the crossover. To run one with a sub, you use a switch to remove the padding... the single mid can keep up with two woofers that way.

Thing of it as two mids running at half capacity (dual 15/6) = one mid going full tilt (15/6 + 15 sub).
Click to expand...

This is what I found with my stack . With the variable mid switch adding the 15/sub gave the same sound , just more volume . Not boomy at all , just incredible ,tight gut rumbling bottom end . I added a horn to my 15/6 later because it was an easy mod but didn't need it really . One 15/6 is really a loud stand alone cab and was all I needed with my band but for what you want one with a 15/sub would more than do it for sure . A 12/6 cube with a 15/6 would be really more versitile than the 15/sub though and would be a great option .

fEARfulstack001.jpg
 
#14
Your original question was to Horn or Not to Horn? It's entirely up to your own taste.
Many of the fEARful guys think it's crazy talk to consider not having a horn... suit yourself. But as a bassist, I personally have absolutely no use for horn-high frequencies; they're nothing but trouble IMHO - string squeaks, continual HISSSSSSSS, etc. Some people love that crap. Not me. Tweaters suck.

fEARful.jpg


I will say that the 18Sound midrange is a monster at delivering those uppers highs. Plenty. Capable of more than I even care for! I was skeptical for the first 6 seconds I tried my new FF, and was stunned at what the 6" did. I can't imagine how those who build a 15-15-6-6 can keep that upper midrange in check! Logic would say that the two 15s would overwhelm that little 6" guy, but it's still a more than adequate and cutting little driver. A horn in the mix (IMHO) would fubar everything for me. I gleefully left the horn out of my build and never looked back.

But take everything I say with a grain of salt, because I'm just a hack.

I will add here that I am about to build a 6" midrange headcase, so I'll have a 15 & 6 to keep in the rehearsal room, and the other one stays in the equipment trailer. Then I'll have the sub available for those bigger outdoor gigs.
 
#15
So I'm guessing there's a ton of options. The other thing I like is I can build these for the same price or cheaper than most name brand cabinets and actually like the sound. I'm just tired of lugging an 810 everywhere. I love the way it looks and sounds but I'm over it as far as practicality goes. Maybe I'll just build a bunch while I'm at it lol
 

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