my 15/6 is 45lbs. Not as light as BASSIST's, but in my book, 45 lbs for a cab that good is simply wonderfully light.
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fEARful part 13: the bad luck's done, son
- Thread starter greenboy
- Start date
- Status
- Dec 18, 2000
- 13,201
- 340
- Disclosures
- greenboy designs: fEARful, bassic, dually, crazy88 etc
Down, boy. I wasn't suggesting that he get one instead of building from your design.
So the point of my post escaped you perhaps... I wouldn't have bothered to even reply, save for the ending bit: "...it was a design inspiration for the fEARful equivalent."
Nope. It was merely a sidetrack to something already in motion. If anything was an inspiration, it was the many great PA cabs and old home stereo cabs I've heard or used, and the bi-amp rigs I've cobbled together using smaller cabs on top and long-excursion boxes underneath.
But I will repeat that I think Carvin really downgraded their initial product entry, which was then brilliant for the price. If Carvin was losing money on that configuration of components and materials, in my eyes it would have been far preferable for them to up the price to where it was more realistic - rather than degrading its performance and reliability in downward revisions. That would have been better for PA users as well as bass players.
Your comments are appreciated. I have noticed either all love or total disregard for Carvin out there... now I know why. Those 15/6 boxes they have are being cleared out at prices less than good parts cost. Play and leave.
Companies have choices to make... the quality path or the disposable path. Hard to survive in the middle.
My 15/6 out of Italian Poplar Eurolite ply weighs in at 36 lbs. PM me if you want all the specs, etc.Hi all-
I have been drooling over these cabs for a while now. But, with a bulging disc in my lower back I have to get rid of my 120lb Mesa Boogie cabs. So with an excuse to finally pursue a fEarful cab(s) I wanted to get some opinions:
1. Who around here has the lightest cab? What does it weigh in at?
2. Does going with fiberglass, which at this point I assume to be the lightest material, affect the massive low end these cabs are known for?
3. I need massive volume about 1/3 of the gigs/jams I go to. Is there a preferred cab configuration that will get allow me to have the volume I need on tap without throwing my back out? I am fine with matching a couple cabs if need be. Just looking for options.
4. And, finally I wanted to take a shot in the dark and see if anyone knew of anyone rockin' a fEarful in the Kansas City Missouri area. I figured it was worth asking.
Anyway, sorry for the questionnaire. Just wanted see what options I may have.
Thanks!
My Man! 36LBS??? That is insanely light for a ply 15/6! Could you please list the specs and perhaps post a pic?
I'd love to know what you did to get the weight that low.
OK, I'm starting to put together a woodshop in my garage, and I think I need to build a 15/6...
I'm currently playing through and very happy with a Genz Benz Streamliner 900 through a Genz Benz Uber 410. Has anybody tried the Streamliner through a Fearful? I'm wondering if the somewhat mid-scooped nature of the Streamliner will be too much through such a flat-response cabinet.
Thanks!
I'm currently playing through and very happy with a Genz Benz Streamliner 900 through a Genz Benz Uber 410. Has anybody tried the Streamliner through a Fearful? I'm wondering if the somewhat mid-scooped nature of the Streamliner will be too much through such a flat-response cabinet.
Thanks!
I know Ron builds them, but my purpose in building one myself is twofold - first to learn and better myself, and secondly to hopefully save some money. But...
Ron charges $895 for a 15/6. Could anybody give me a ballpark estimate of how much it might cost me to build it myself (just the parts and raw materials of course)?
Your cost will depend on how good a deal you get on the 3015LF and the 18sound.
Get a good deal on those two components and the rest is pretty much set.
I built a 15/6/1 a little over a year ago for under $500. Back then a 3015lf went for $150 and the 18 sound $120. The rest for crossover parts, handles and hardware, and shipping of those things. I used some scrap plywood I already had.
This time around the I bought Baltic birch, $70 for two sheets gave me enough for a 12/6 cube and the 15/6/1.
Check out the cheap but good crossovers on the fEarful websight for prices and links to the parts, erse gets you pretty good on shipping. Parts express for hardware and parts, save your self some trips to the hardware store and order screws and any other supplies there, $100 gets you free shipping and they have lots of useful stuff and tools for wiring.
I figure I put 20 hours into a cab from cutting the first plywood to plugging it in, with a couple hours on the computer ordering and looking for answers. It's a fun project.
Get a good deal on those two components and the rest is pretty much set.
I built a 15/6/1 a little over a year ago for under $500. Back then a 3015lf went for $150 and the 18 sound $120. The rest for crossover parts, handles and hardware, and shipping of those things. I used some scrap plywood I already had.
This time around the I bought Baltic birch, $70 for two sheets gave me enough for a 12/6 cube and the 15/6/1.
Check out the cheap but good crossovers on the fEarful websight for prices and links to the parts, erse gets you pretty good on shipping. Parts express for hardware and parts, save your self some trips to the hardware store and order screws and any other supplies there, $100 gets you free shipping and they have lots of useful stuff and tools for wiring.
I figure I put 20 hours into a cab from cutting the first plywood to plugging it in, with a couple hours on the computer ordering and looking for answers. It's a fun project.
Built mine w/o the front overhangs to save weight and ease of construction.
Shelf is the same length, gap behind it a little smaller. Otherwise, the internals are exactly to plan. I consulted Greenboy directly on how to proceed. Much easier to build as the front and rear panels are put on flush on the side panels. Then I put on little 1/2"x1/2" strips around the port. Height and width are to plans but the depth is less, at 14 3/4", minus a hair.
Used Fender "Dog Bones" for handles . Placed them so the cab would balance when carried sideways like in the pic. Much easier to do, no hole to make, just some bolts w/ nylock nuts.I did use somewhat lighter weight grills. Finish is a catalyzed poly. It's made out of Eurolite ply ( Italian poplar) and it weighs just under 36 lbs.
Attachments
Check out the kits at speakerhardware.com.
Leland sells everything from individual parts, through component kits and precut plywood, to completed cabs.
Thanks!
I'm new to all of this, so pardon me if these are stupid questions...
It seems there are three types of bass speaker cabinets out there that are basically equivalent in terms of their goals, accuracy, efficiency, weight, etc.: fEARful, Bill Fitzmaurice, and Barefaced. Is that correct?
If I'm going to build my own, what are the considerations in choosing between a Bill Fitzmaurice design and a fEARful design?
Thanks!
I'm new to all of this, so pardon me if these are stupid questions...
It seems there are three types of bass speaker cabinets out there that are basically equivalent in terms of their goals, accuracy, efficiency, weight, etc.: fEARful, Bill Fitzmaurice, and Barefaced. Is that correct?
If I'm going to build my own, what are the considerations in choosing between a Bill Fitzmaurice design and a fEARful design?
Thanks!
Wow! I've been schooled by the replies I received. I read through a lot of the material on Greenboy's site and have a better understanding now.
I was also planning on attempting to tackle building my own. I looked into AoN and I think a 15/6 in it's lightest form may be a little too pricey for me at at this time. I'm going to be selling my current cabs and putting that money towards (hopefully) the majority of my fEarful build. I had some regrettable summers working in a wood shop so I imagine I should be fine.
I am amazed at the weights mentioned above. Going from two 120lb cabs to a 45, 39 or an insane 36 pound cab would simply be a night and day difference. I would imagine a DIY wood build would probablly going to be easier to manage than a fiberglass? Structurally are there any disadvantages with the lighter birch? Would it be able to handle long term gigging abuse?
So many questions, so little time! I greatly appreciate all the responses I have received to far. Thank you!
I was also planning on attempting to tackle building my own. I looked into AoN and I think a 15/6 in it's lightest form may be a little too pricey for me at at this time. I'm going to be selling my current cabs and putting that money towards (hopefully) the majority of my fEarful build. I had some regrettable summers working in a wood shop so I imagine I should be fine.
I am amazed at the weights mentioned above. Going from two 120lb cabs to a 45, 39 or an insane 36 pound cab would simply be a night and day difference. I would imagine a DIY wood build would probablly going to be easier to manage than a fiberglass? Structurally are there any disadvantages with the lighter birch? Would it be able to handle long term gigging abuse?
So many questions, so little time! I greatly appreciate all the responses I have received to far. Thank you!
I think the 3 of them are superior to most commercial cabinets out there. But I don't think they are equivalent. To begin with the 3 cab designers provide different models with similarities, but not equivalent.
Trying to summarize in too few words (which can be very unfair!):
fEARful maximize acoustic power at any frequency (including lowest useful frequencies for a bass player) at a good size with decent efficiency.
BillFitzMaurice maximizes efficiency with decent low freq. capability and reasonable size.
Barefaced has 2 lines, one is similar to fEARful in a smaller, lighter form factor. The other has both low end capability and efficiency between fEARful and BillFitzMaurice. Both relatively high, but not the highest.
Always Hoffman's iron law: For best Efficiency, low end capability and small size... pick just 2 or get a nice balance among the 3.
To me the 3 proposals you mentioned are 3 different and good trade-offs regarding these 3 factors.
Depending on your goals one could fit better than the others.
Thanks, that's very helpful, and about what I thought.
All things considered I think I'm going to go with building a fEARful.
lelandcrooks
Commercial User
Well, after a long summer of business travel and family committments, my dual 15/6/1 cabinets are built, finish coated and are FINALLY ready for driver/hardware installation.
Up until now, my previous big rig of the past five years has been a Schroeder 1010 x 1210, blazingly loud but I could never quite adjust to the huge mid bump and somewhat unnatural boxy quality to the sound.
Prior to that, I used a pair of Acme B2s, beautifully even up and down but I kept blowing up drivers.
Coming from the Schroeder world, what should my ears, my brain and my EQ be ready for when I fire these bad boys up for the first time? I'm extremely excited, let's start there!
Lonnybass
Up until now, my previous big rig of the past five years has been a Schroeder 1010 x 1210, blazingly loud but I could never quite adjust to the huge mid bump and somewhat unnatural boxy quality to the sound.
Prior to that, I used a pair of Acme B2s, beautifully even up and down but I kept blowing up drivers.
Coming from the Schroeder world, what should my ears, my brain and my EQ be ready for when I fire these bad boys up for the first time? I'm extremely excited, let's start there!
Lonnybass
It's more like, coming from the Acme B2 world is what you should expect...only even better! If you are using two 15/6/1's be prepared for true deep lows all the way up through upper mids and highs to be more than you are used to.
Not in a bad way, only in that everything from the extreme lows all the way through the upper high end content will be produced with such clarity you will hear things you never did before...and at any volume you care to hear it at. You may find some of the upper end content to be too strong, when in fact it is just that the fEARful's reveal everything other cabs do not. So it will take some EQ'ing at first until you get used to it. Using two 15/6/1 cabs you will not be able to tolerate them cranked. Word of warning...if you do crank them, please remove anything off shelves, tables, walls, etc. before you play through them. Just sayin'.
Oh, and be prepared to have a huge grin stuck on your face for quite a long time.
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