From Berg to Fearless?

[azwipe]

Right now I play through a Bergantino IP112/HT112 stack (non-ER). Fed by an Aguilar Tone Hammer DI pedal. Sounds great, gives me plenty of volume, and I can juuust about move the rig in one trip.

But the Berg stuff is not super lightweight and the schlep is not that fun.

My main band is a hip hop project, but I'll occasionally take funk, jazz, rock, soul or other gigs. Looking to move to a lighter weight rig, but I don't want to sacrifice volume, low end or headroom.

Would a single Fearless 12/6/1, fed by a Tone Hammer 500 or similarly powered head, do the job?

 

[Jim Carr]

Right now I play through a Bergantino IP112/HT112 stack (non-ER). Fed by an Aguilar Tone Hammer DI pedal. Sounds great, gives me plenty of volume, and I can juuust about move the rig in one trip...

...Would a single Fearless 12/6/1, fed by a Tone Hammer 500 or similarly powered head, do the job?

Being a fEARful user 15/6/1 may not qualify me to answer this, but my suspicion is the answer would at times be no.

 

[bigtexashonk]

I used Bergie in the past - a 4x10 and 1x12. Very nice cabs, but I now use a fEARful 15/6/1 and 12/6. No coloration, excellent clarity, lightweight and the make any amp I use sound louder than any cab I've ever used.

 

[cfsporn]

Right now I play through a Bergantino IP112/HT112 stack (non-ER). Fed by an Aguilar Tone Hammer DI pedal. Sounds great, gives me plenty of volume, and I can juuust about move the rig in one trip.

But the Berg stuff is not super lightweight and the schlep is not that fun.

My main band is a hip hop project, but I'll occasionally take funk, jazz, rock, soul or other gigs. Looking to move to a lighter weight rig, but I don't want to sacrifice volume, low end or headroom.

Would a single Fearless 12/6/1, fed by a Tone Hammer 500 or similarly powered head, do the job?

Probably not. You are going from 1000 watts pushing two 12 inch cabs to 350 watts pushing 1 12 inch cab.

If you got a fEARfull 12SUB, then I would say yes.

 

[Jim Carr]

...the Berg stuff is not super lightweight and the schlep is not that fun...

What do they weigh?

 

[azwipe]

The HT112 is about 45 lbs and the IP112 is about 55. I've been carrying one in each hand, bass on my back, into the taxi, up the stairs, etc. Doable, but a pain. If I could get the same volume from one not-too-big cab I'd be thrilled.

What do they weigh?

 

[Jim Carr]

The HT112 is about 45 lbs and the IP112 is about 55. I've been carrying one in each hand, bass on my back, into the taxi, up the stairs, etc. Doable, but a pain. If I could get the same volume from one not-too-big cab I'd be thrilled.

A 12/6/1 is going to be about 35-40 lbs, I think. A 15/6/1 is more like 55-60 lbs (unless you are sporting sprayed on LineX, in which case add 4 lbs). A 12sub must be closer to 25-30 lbs.

You could lose 10 lbs. from the cabs. The TH head, dunno. GK MB800 is ~5.0 lbs.

Gym membership might be the way to go...

 

[CL400Peavey]

While you won't loose any bottom end (you will gain some), the TH 500 won't push a single F112 in to the range where it is showing it's best performance.

 

[azwipe]

While you won't loose any bottom end (you will gain some), the TH 500 won't push a single F112 in to the range where it is showing it's best performance.

That's helpful. Do you think a beefier head like the MB800 or Shuttle 9.2 would push the F112 into 2x12 volume territory?

I know that cone area trumps wattage all else being equal, but people here rave about the volume and bottom of the Greenboy cab designs. Anyone with experience with both F112 and Berg 2xHT112 setups? @KJung? @tombowlus?

 

[cfsporn]

That's helpful. Do you think a beefier head like the MB800 or Shuttle 9.2 would push the F112 into 2x12 volume territory?

I know that cone area trumps wattage all else being equal, but people here rave about the volume and bottom of the Greenboy cab designs. Anyone with experience with both F112 and Berg 2xHT112 setups? @KJung? @tombowlus?

Yes

 

[CL400Peavey]

That's helpful. Do you think a beefier head like the MB800 or Shuttle 9.2 would push the F112 into 2x12 volume territory?

I know that cone area trumps wattage all else being equal, but people here rave about the volume and bottom of the Greenboy cab designs. Anyone with experience with both F112 and Berg 2xHT112 setups? @KJung? @tombowlus?

I don't think either of those gentlemen have played a F112.

What ultimately matters is displacement. The F112 has a lot of displacement for its cab sze. Paired with a beefy amp it does amazing things.

That said it is very difficult to say what is "enough" for someone else when you are not comparing the gear side by side. For me a single F112 or 12/6 isn't enough. I went with an F212, as it is on kick back wheels and is easier to transport than my two 12/6's. The F212 does cover 98% of my needs, and for everything else I have a 66.

 

[Munjibunga]

Right now I play through a Bergantino IP112/HT112 stack (non-ER). Fed by an Aguilar Tone Hammer DI pedal. Sounds great, gives me plenty of volume, and I can juuust about move the rig in one trip.

But the Berg stuff is not super lightweight and the schlep is not that fun.

My main band is a hip hop project, but I'll occasionally take funk, jazz, rock, soul or other gigs. Looking to move to a lighter weight rig, but I don't want to sacrifice volume, low end or headroom.

Would a single Fearless 12/6/1, fed by a Tone Hammer 500 or similarly powered head, do the job?

Dunno why you wouldn't consider Jim's CN line.

 

[vbchaos]

my 12/6 cubes are 43 and 44 lbs. It is possible to have them even lighter (below 36), but I did not go for that.
While one cabinet can do amazing things I always use both. Dual woofer mojo cannot be overrated. For something with hip-hop and funk I'd expect you want to move some serious air below 100 Hz, so I'd go for something little more than just a single 12 cabinet.

 

[DukeLeJeune]

Being a fEARful user 15/6/1 may not qualify me to answer this, but my suspicion is the answer would at times be no.

I agree with you Jim.

Based on the Thiele/Small calculated efficiency, which is a reliable index for how loud a woofer will go below its breakup peaks, a single Kappalite 3012LF can do 121 dB at its rated power (450 watts).

I don't know what the woofers are in the Bergantino cabs, but assuming they are Deltalite-class, the two would theoretically be capable of 126 dB at their rated power (250 watts for the Deltalite 12).

If this assumption about the Bergantino woofers is in the ballpark, then a single 3012LF will fall short. Yes the theoretical fartout thresholds would be similar due to the enormous x-max of the Kappalite, but if the Bergs aren't farting out (due to careful design on Jim's part), then that advantage may not come into play, and the cab(s) with the higher thermal-limited SPL will go louder. And even if the Bergantinos fart out at half their rated power (which would surprise me), that's still 123 dB vs 121 dB.

My point being, I think it would take a Kappalite-class 115 to begin to approximate the pair of 12" Bergantino cabs. The Kappalite 3015 (non-LF) is good for 124 dB based on its T/S parameters, and the LF version is good for a calculated 123 dB. The LF version will have a bigger bottom end than the non-LF version, as efficiency trades off against bottom-end extension.

 

[MrLenny1]

Get a nice dolly, one that handles every thing well.
Keep the Berg's.

 

[onda'bass]

My fearless 2x12 55lbs never need more, never bring less. I usually hit it with 800-900 watts...plenty good for me but probably will take more.

 

[Low Class]

I own a pair of HT112ER's and was looking for a lighter one load cab solution myself. Picked up a MarkBass New York 151 and love it!! I'm not getting rid of the Bergs(in fact can't wait to get Jim's new amp to go with them), but the NY 151 is my go to for gigs where I want an easy load. Pushing it with a GK MB200 or kxb500, it's punchy and sounds huge!!

 

[tombowlus]

That's helpful. Do you think a beefier head like the MB800 or Shuttle 9.2 would push the F112 into 2x12 volume territory?

I know that cone area trumps wattage all else being equal, but people here rave about the volume and bottom of the Greenboy cab designs. Anyone with experience with both F112 and Berg 2xHT112 setups? @KJung? @tombowlus?

I have not gigged an F112, but I do have a 12/6cube/1 and a 15/6/1, and I am very fond of both of them. With the right head, my 15/6/1 will keep up with my IP112/HT112 stack. However, the 12/6cube/1 won't sound as big or move as much air. I really like my fEARfuls, and I also really like my Bergantino cabs. They are "different flavors of great." Even though both the fEARfuls and the IP cabs are designed to be very balanced and neutral from top to bottom (and I believe that both of them are, indeed, very balanced and neutral), they most definitely yield different results. It comes down to personal preference, IME/IMHO. Also, FWIW, the bigger IP cabs really take things to the next level. My IP212, for instance, is notably bigger and louder than my IP112/HT112 stack.

 

[Low Class]

Since you're in DC you should go by Chuck Levins and check out the BBC cabs.

Boom Bass Cabinets

 

[strictlybass_ic]

I have a single 12/6 which I initially powered with a GK MB500. If I'm honest, it wasn't that impressive. Then I got a Carvin BX1500, which can be bridged to a single channel with a lot of wattage. It was like night and day. From what I can tell Fearfuls seem to like a lot of power. I love the tone of my GK, love it, but my Carvin and my Fearful are basically a package deal. I don't use one without the other.