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Help choosing a cab

mmesco

mmesco

Dec 4, 2025
35
31
23
Los angeles
#1
Hi there just wanted some advice on choosing a cab for myself. I recently sold my peavy rig which was a peavy Vl 400w head and 2x15 cab, I bought an orange terror bass 500. I’m very excited too use it and I’m looking for a good 4x10 cab too go along with it, any advice in brands ? Ive seen a lot of Hartke and ampeg cabs however im not sure which too go with it if i should choose another brand thanks for the help it is very much appreciated
 
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#3
mmesco said:
Hi there just wanted some advice on choosing a cab for myself. I recently sold my peavy rig which was a peavy Vl 400w head and 2x15 cab, I bought an orange terror bass 500. I’m very excited too use it and I’m looking for a good 4x10 cab too go along with it, any advice in brands ? Ive seen a lot of Hartke and ampeg cabs however im not sure which too go with it if i should choose another brand thanks for the help it is very much appreciated
Click to expand...
Nothing wrong with Ampeg & Hartke....the two brands are known quantities and you're apparently familiar with both...at least fleetingly. You're at an advantage as you're located in LA so availability of new and secondhand components shouldn't be an issue. The amp is rated at 250 / 500 watts (8 / 4 ohms) so I'd be looking at a either a single 4 ohm 4 x10 or, better yet, (2) 8 ohm single 12" enclosures...you'll appreciate the modularity. What's your budget? Here's a matching 1x12 Orange cab...a couple would run you ~$1200 but it would look oh-so-cool:

www.guitarcenter.com

Orange Amplifiers OBC112 400W 1X12 Bass Speaker Cabinet | Guitar Center

Shop for the Orange Amplifiers OBC112 400W 1X12 Bass Speaker Cabinet in and receive free shipping and guaranteed lowest price.
www.guitarcenter.com www.guitarcenter.com

If the price tag is offsetting, check your local used gear platforms. If unfamiliar with assessing used gear, you're better off buying new for the peace of mind.

Riis
 
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#5
Nebadon2000 said:
GC has Ampeg Venture 4x10 on sale open box 40% off $889

Fender 4x10 Pro or Markbass Hartke HD

Companies like RevSound, Mesa, Bergantino, Darkglass and Aguliar
will cost $1400-2400
Click to expand...


Good picks! Here's a 4 ohm Aguilar 410 in the LA area per TB classifieds for a grand. I figure it's within driving distance for the OP but what do I know?!?

Aguilar SL 410 ***Price drop

For sale Aguilar SL 410 ***Price drop

Great cab for local pickup
$1,000.00
2 watching

Riis
 
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#8
mmesco said:
Hi there just wanted some advice on choosing a cab for myself. I recently sold my peavy rig which was a peavy Vl 400w head and 2x15 cab, I bought an orange terror bass 500. I’m very excited too use it and I’m looking for a good 4x10 cab too go along with it, any advice in brands ? Ive seen a lot of Hartke and ampeg cabs however im not sure which too go with it if i should choose another brand thanks for the help it is very much appreciated
Click to expand...
Mesa Subway 115, and you will realize how lucky you were to have chosen it : )
 
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#9
Bonecat said:
Don’t sleep on the Mesa Subway 115. A pair of those will rock your face off. That cab is magic…
Click to expand...
I wasn't in need of or really looking for a cab, but a Mesa 115 showed up locally in great condition for a great price so I bought it thinking if I didn't like it, I'd be able to sell it on easily. A couple of rehearsals with the band so far and I'm digging it. My amp pushes 400W @ 8 ohms and I've probably only gotten to 200W or so and that's plenty loud, yet the 115 is rated to 400W @ 8 ohms so there's plenty of headroom.

Back on topic — OP — is there a specific reason you're looking at 4x10s? If you def want that diameter and that quantity of drivers, I'd also suggest considering 2 vertically oriented 2x10s that you can stack. I have a Revsound 2x10 that sounds great when I put it on a stool to get it closer to my ear. 2 of those would be killer. One 2x10 is plenty for a lot of situations, but if you need a 4x10, you need a 4x10. The modularity of 2 2x10s has some nice perks though: bring only one if needed, easy load in even with two, small footprint and again gets that top driver up much higher.
 
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#10
mikeynets said:
I wasn't in need of or really looking for a cab, but a Mesa 115 showed up locally in great condition for a great price so I bought it thinking if I didn't like it, I'd be able to sell it on easily. A couple of rehearsals with the band so far and I'm digging it. My amp pushes 400W @ 8 ohms and I've probably only gotten to 200W or so and that's plenty loud, yet the 115 is rated to 400W @ 8 ohms so there's plenty of headroom.

Back on topic — OP — is there a specific reason you're looking at 4x10s? If you def want that diameter and that quantity of drivers, I'd also suggest considering 2 vertically oriented 2x10s that you can stack. I have a Revsound 2x10 that sounds great when I put it on a stool to get it closer to my ear. 2 of those would be killer. One 2x10 is plenty for a lot of situations, but if you need a 4x10, you need a 4x10. The modularity of 2 2x10s has some nice perks though: bring only one if needed, easy load in even with two, small footprint and again gets that top driver up much higher.
Click to expand...
+1 to all of that and consider the Mesa Subway 210 with it's 600w at 8 ohm rating, lightweight and modular with the SW115's
20260220_202348.jpg
: )
 
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#15
Zooberwerx said:
Good picks! Here's a 4 ohm Aguilar 410 in the LA area per TB classifieds for a grand. I figure it's within driving distance for the OP but what do I know?!?

Aguilar SL 410 ***Price drop

For sale Aguilar SL 410 ***Price drop

Great cab for local pickup
$1,000.00
2 watching

Riis
Click to expand...
I am selling this just north of downtown, come on over and demo it @mmesco! I have an Ampeg Venture 1x15 you can check out as well.

Thank you for linking the ad @Zooberwerx
 
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#19
Played through an Ampeg PR-410HLF for 25 years; fabulous cab but HEAVY at 128 lbs. I'm old now, so I replaced it with a Hartke HyDrive HD-210 and a G-K NEO115 and have absolutely no complaints with either. Two light cabs are easier to transport than one heavy one, and I can just take one or the other for rehearsals/small gigs. Initially bought a Peavey Headliner 210, but the cabinet rattled at very low frequencies, and it wasn't the grill, it was a brace inside the cab, so I returned it for the Hartke. I would recommend staying away from Peavey bass cabs.
 
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