Fearless cabs Whats the Hype??

[N. Kentucky Bass]

If the Greenboy website is accurate Joseph Hawley in Mesa is an authorized builder.

Joseph has made me five Greenboy cabs. He's an excellent builder and is very reliable.

One aside, I've owned and gigged many cabs over the years. My first foray into Greenboy was with 15/6 and 12/6 "nearful" cabs built by Don at LDS. Those were very good cabs. I still have a vivid memory of bringing the 15/6 to its first gig and hearing its wonderful tone in the mix. It was almost like hearing "mastered" bass on a CD. The Fearless design sounded even more balanced and clear.

Yes, they cost more. But they also deliver more. As they say, "you get what you pay for." Good luck and have fun with the journey!

Here is a mic'd Fearless 210 in performance, with a Puma 900 amp and P-Bass w/groundwounds.


Here is a mic'd Fearless 110 in performance, with an EA Micro amp (or Puma 900? can't remember) and a Rob Allen Deep 4 fretless with black nylon tapewounds:

 

[Foz]

Where in Arizona? I'm in Arizona

Mesa... go here:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

join the forum and click on the user map at the bottom of the page - there is also a user in Flagstaff - be polite he might let you take his cab for a whirl.

There are a number of GB cab owners in California - follow same procedure described above if you want a sample.

Or contact someone at:

greenboy audio

 

[hintz]

I love it when people say "try it." Sure, this thing that only exists on TB, that is hand built and very expensive is easy enough to find to try out. It's like saying "You should ride a Pegasuses, so much easier than driving. Try one out."

Normally id agree with you as I'm living in Oahu(no GC here), and there is lots of gear I can't just try out without a plane ticket, *but* I lucked out and got to try out FEARful/FEARless from 2 different TB members who live here, Jim Carr and Kekani(who built my crossover too)..

So id say if someone lives on the mainland it should be much easier to try one, even if it meant driving a few hours...

Anyways, I was torn between a Barefaced or building a fEARful as I read they shared similarities of light weight, flat response, awesome volume, and price!! I have some past cabinet shop experience so I went for it(I chickened out and ordered a flat pack as I found my skills somewhat deteriorated), it took me about 2-3 months of working on it in my spare time

Its simply the best cab I ever owned or played through, I'm so glad I built this from the flat pack!!

Most clubs I played here have backlines , one had an ampeg fridge setup, well, I like my 1212/6/1 much, much better, another refused to even let me use my rig(that ticked me off) so I used their SWR/hartke setup
(I'm almost tempted to move back to the mainland so I can use my rig)...

Anyways, my cab accurately reproduces anything you put in it, some would call it "sterile", id disagree but I also wouldn't fault anyone for preferring any "colored" cabinet either, but I can really hear the details of FX pedals so much better and I also understand what soundguys would tell me about my tone much better as well, I've cut down on treble, low midrange and bass significantly(I dont need an exaggerated eq to get *my sound* anymore!!)!! Its also lighter than most 4x10's I've owned or even my Hartke 1x15, so eventually I plan on building other cabs from greenboy as it was a blast doing so

Edit: Almost forgot, one of the biggest ones for why I dig it, if you walk around the room while playing a normal bass cab your sound changes until you find that "sweet spot", well these cabs dont do that, *everywhere* in the room is a sweet spot, I've never experienced that before trying a fEARful/FEARless the way they disperse....

 

[hdracer]

Don't know. What's a GTG?

TB get together. I believe they hold them in north, central and southern Cal. Keep a eye out for them in the Social Events forum.
We just had our Mn GTG last Sunday with over 30 members attending. I have tried them all and learned a lot.

 

[monsterthompson]

I love it when people say "try it." Sure, this thing that only exists on TB, that is hand built and very expensive is easy enough to find to try out. It's like saying "You should ride a Pegasuses, so much easier than driving. Try one out."

Get on the Greenboy forums and ask if someone near you will let try one of theirs. That's how I met a few good people and got to see what I was getting into.

 

[hintz]

Get on the Greenboy forums and ask if someone near you will let try one of theirs. That's how I met a few good people and got to see what I was getting into.

I just did it through TB, but I did join the Greenboy forum as well after(still haven't figured out how to post pics there, I dont have a labtop and my phone isn't a true smartphone)

 

[monsterthompson]

I just did it through TB, but I did join the Greenboy forum as well after(still haven't figured out how to post pics there, I dont have a labtop and my phone isn't a true smartphone)

The community there has lots of TB overlap. There are several good people. It's a solid resource.

 

[hintz]

I don't want to derail the thread, but 80% of what is mentioned on TB will never been seen in the wild; either in stores or on stage. My 2x112 GKs stacked vertically with a Genz Benz Shuttle is pretty exotic based on what I've seen at shows over the last 3 years. GK, Ampeg, and Markbass; that's it. typical 410s, 115, or 810 configs.
Most people stare at my Laklands or Pedulla like they are from Mars. Dingwall, Rosecoe, Wal, Sandberg? Never.
I use more interesting pedals than my guitarists do.
We are a pretty odd ball bunch here on TB. We forget that a lot.

Yeah, you do make a good point on this one, I work with 2 other bass players and neither of them knew anything about fEARful or alot of other brands mentioned here so much("Darkglass, what's that??")... But most bassists aren't members here either, I wouldn't have known either a little over a year ago

Edit: Actually, I knew of DG from bass player magazine, but fEARful, no way, but I'm glad I did find out...

 

[DavC]

if you're referring to " hype " in general ... as meaning it costs more than normal and you're not sure why ..

i'd say that research and trial/error is the answer to that ... so your question leans towards research ... ?!

anything built with better parts, by people who supposedly know what they are doing, will usually cost more !

we all reach our own point of diminishing returns ... as in , we will all find various price points for things that work for US ... ! which is a rather personal thing ... and really, your opinion becomes the only one that really matters ...!

 

[JxBass]

.... I work with 2 other bass players and neither of them knew anything about fEARful or alot of other brands mentioned here so much("Darkglass, what's that??")... But most bassists aren't members here either ....

And as a result I bet they spend less ...

 

[BurningSkies]

And as a result I bet they spend less ...

Or possibly more. I haven't bought a new piece of bass gear in quite a while. The only time I have in recent years is when my power amp failed and I replaced it with the updated model. I actually have few basses now than I have in decades.

 

[DwaynieAD]

A lot of "whats the hype" posts lately. short answer cuz people like them. long answer they are transparent full range cabs if thats what you're looking for they are for you.

 

[ajm1966]

i tried one for a week ( a dually ) i heard all the hype and had to try one , but it wasn't for me , sure you can pick up a 2x15 cab with one hand ( easy to transport )
but for me it was lacking in sound , notes lacks sustain and the cab itself didn't have any personality ( sound wise )
it sounded a bit better with an eden head than it did with a tube head , but it still wasn't for me .............don't rip my head off - this is just my personal opinion

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

I don't want to derail the thread, but 80% of what is mentioned on TB will never been seen in the wild; either in stores or on stage. My 2x112 GKs stacked vertically with a Genz Benz Shuttle is pretty exotic based on what I've seen at shows over the last 3 years. GK, Ampeg, and Markbass; that's it. typical 410s, 115, or 810 configs.
Most people stare at my Laklands or Pedulla like they are from Mars. Dingwall, Rosecoe, Wal, Sandberg? Never.
I use more interesting pedals than my guitarists do.
We are a pretty odd ball bunch here on TB. We forget that a lot.

Very good point. I think people forget what section TB represents, it is not the general public of bass players, it is predominantly bass nerds.

Dingwall is a perfect example. The shop is local and they are still rare birds here. I would be shocked if anywhere on the planet has a higher concentration of Dingwalls and you still rarely see one on a gig.

 

[BurningSkies]

Very good point. I think people forget what section TB represents, it is not the general public of bass players, it is predominantly bass nerds.

Dingwall is a perfect example. The shop is local and they are still rare birds here. I would be shocked if anywhere on the planet has a higher concentration of Dingwalls and you still rarely see one on a gig.

Which is exactly why I put mine into the hands of as many players as possible. Same for my other stuff. Hearing it live is believing, and it's opened up a bunch of conversations about it. There are now 3 Dingwall owners in town to go along with the Greenboy Audio cabs owners. We also had a shop in town open that carried Brubaker and MTD basses, so some of those walls are coming down.

 

[hintz]

And as a result I bet they spend less ...

Well, one of them has a Bergantino 6x10 so that's debatable... And ill say my fEARful was cheaper than some other cabs I was looking at

 

[Brother Goose]

I was intrigued by the concept of a clean reference monitor and and specs of these designs but really had no idea until I finally played one.

If you are looking for the ability to move serious air and have a cab that responds to demanding techniques- I cannot imagine a better solution.

We played a number of active 5 strings into a 12/6 with at least 800watts of power and proceeded to PUMMEL the low B string.

This polite little cab reproduced every note with crystal clarity and absolutely zero negative effects. LOUD.

I can't wait to sell my GS112 and LDS "nearful" in order to obtain the real deal.

Gear/basses can't make you a better player- but being able to clearly reproduce the magic (and mistakes) with a rig that (with a class d poweramp/amp) weighs under 50lbs is a great incentive to play more.

Best of luck in your research- I hope the end result is a great sound for you and your audience!

 

[silky smoove]

Having owned an LDS 15/6/1 built to fEarful specs in the days before authorized builders existed, and having played several other fEarful cabs, and one Fearless model, I will say this: They're awesome cabs that deliver exactly what they say and what the hype would have you believe. They're incredibly loud for such a small package and have a more even voicing than your typical 2-way, woofer + tweeter cab.

There are a few things that get tossed around regarding them that in my experience is simply not true.
1. They're flat in terms of frequency response. This is not true. They're flatter than a traditional 2-way cab, but they are not flat. They have a character to them. It either works for you, or it doesn't. The same holds true for any cab.

2. They can sound like anything you want. This is not true. Just as I mentioned above, they do have a character to them. The 3015LF and 3012LF woofers, even when EQ'd to sound like woofers with lower excursion (basically by way of high passing down low), don't sound like lower excursion woofers. A midrange driver, while absolutely sounding smoother than a tweeter and reducing the chasm of midrange response typically found between the top of the woofer and the bottom of the tweeter, also has its own character.

3. Once you try one you won't ever go back to a traditional 2-way design. This is not true. I drank the Kool-Aid for six years. My 15/6/1 (again, an LDS model built to fEarful spec in the days before authorized builders existed) was always an absolute tank. It never came up short on volume, or in ability to fit a given band mix tonally. That said, while it always worked, there were plenty of times where I simply did not love it. I recently went back to a traditional 2-way cabinet and have come to realize that the engineering deficiencies in this type of design compared to a fEarful/Fearless type are a big part of what I'm looking for in terms of tone. That gap between the top of the woofer and the bottom of the tweeter is a good thing for me. The limited excursion capabilities of the woofer compared to my previous 3015LF are a good thing tonally. It all just added up to me preferring the caveman technology.

I highly suggest trying one of these types of designs for yourself, and if possible in a band mix. As with ANY piece of gear, they're not all things to all people, and the hype may or may not hold true for you.

 

[carl h.]

These cabs will highlight any fault on your setup. A crappy head (even an expensive one) will sound crappy - clearly crappy. Bad technique previously covered by mud will be blatantly obvious. Clanking frets and other setup issues will be heard loud and clear. What these cabs do is accurately bring out what is fed into them. With sufficient eq they can be made to sound like almost anything out there but I find hearing myself to be a great benefit to my playing. I had to tighten up my technique and the rest of my gear.

A couple weeks ago I ended up backlining an outdoor festival. I just knew and trusted most of the other bassists playing that day. I played the first and 2nd to last set that day and took my rig off the stage then. The sound guy was thrilled with the sound and said there was no reason to mic or line out my rig, it sounded great - with all 3 different bassists playing. 15/6 shuttle 9.2

It was the first time I was able to listen to my rig outdoors with someone else playing it on a gig. The sound had total clarity and presence. It wasn't too loud or too soft, it just held down the bass perfectly. I walked all around out front, around the corners, down the street and over the next block. It sounded like we would all like to sound - clear, even, balanced - there was no off axis dead spot. 2 blocks away some of the definition was gone, but the tone was still there, along with the cymbals and bass drum. The rest of the band was long gone.

 

[BurningSkies]

I was intrigued by the concept of a clean reference monitor and and specs of these designs but really had no idea until I finally played one.

If you are looking for the ability to move serious air and have a cab that responds to demanding techniques- I cannot imagine a better solution.

We played a number of active 5 strings into a 12/6 with at least 800watts of power and proceeded to PUMMEL the low B string.

This polite little cab reproduced every note with crystal clarity and absolutely zero negative effects. LOUD.

I can't wait to sell my GS112 and LDS "nearful" in order to obtain the real deal.

Gear/basses can't make you a better player- but being able to clearly reproduce the magic (and mistakes) with a rig that (with a class d poweramp/amp) weighs under 50lbs is a great incentive to play more.

Best of luck in your research- I hope the end result is a great sound for you and your audience!

But to be honest, that GS112 was a great sounding little cab. Not really the same thing but in the test setting we were goofing around with, I thought it held its own pretty well until it hit its limits. Tonally it sounds like a traditional cab.