• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Help Identifying Bergantino cabs

Fealach

Fealach

Apr 23, 2003
2,157
28
21
Gone to a better place
Visit site
#1
I came across these Berg cabs today. I had been looking for
an Office Depot, couldn't find it, and realized I was near a
Guitar Center. Figured I might as well see if they had
anything neat they were clueless about, it happens
sometimes.

Back in the PA room, I glimpse a bit of a familiar looking logo
hidden behind a row of generically uninteresting junk. I haul
some cabs around, and lo! 2 Bergantino 1X15 cabs. But not
HT115s, or anything on the web site. Tagged as "subs." The
guy that took them them in trade knew all about them.

"They're subs," he said. "Ah," said I. I love GC. So here is my
best description:

Basic squarish carpeted cab, seem bigger than the HT115.
Front ported, but it didn't look like a round port, sort of like
the corner was cut away inside. Frayed carpeting and wear
on the grille indicates some age. Grille is greyish/flat black
metal, grille openings are little circles. Connectors on the
back are mounted in a recessed plastic plate, 2 1/4 and 1
speakon. No labels or markings, not even ohms or watts.
Looking inside, the speaker (stock? not?) is painted black
which is wearing off. No markings. There's sort of a slanted
baffle leading to the port. Sorry I don't know the proper
terminology. The cab's handles are recessed molded plastic,
and there's a built in recessed pole holder like a PA cab would
have.

Any ideas? Ohms? Watts? And don't go looking for them.
 
#2
Call Jim to get a definitive answer and then let us know! Hes great to talk to. It could be an HT115 without the tweeter, similar in concept to the EX112. If so then it would be a great extension cab to match with a tweetered HT210 or 115!
 
#3
Tom Bowlus has a couple of these that I'm pretty sure he uses with his PA. They're housed in an HT322 box and only to be used as a sub, not a full range cab. Give Jim a call. He's great to talk to and he can answer any other questions you may have. Also, be sure to hunt down Jim's bass cabinets. I think you'll be very happy to do so.
 
#4
Emailed Jim as I knew I wasn't going to be around today. Any Bergantino cab I've played through has been the best of its type I've heard! I've had an HT115 and HT210, but had to sell them in an effort to stay out of debtor's prison.

Is there any harm in using a "sub" as a bass cab? Will something blow up? Would I need a crossover to protect the cabs, or will they just not have much highs?
 
#5
Heard back from Jim B. He says they are subs, made for someone about 4 years ago. I don't want to pepper the guy with questions about something he probably doesn't remember the details of, so I'm wondering if anyone here has any input.

EMJazz says they're only to be used as subs, pretty much what Jim said. Does this mean that something damaging will happen if I attempt to give them a full range signal? I was under the impression they just wouldn't reproduce higher frequencies, which would be fine, since I have other cabs I'd use them with. There was no internal crossover, just wires to the speaker inside. I'm concerned though about the wattage. Any way to measure this? The speakers aren't labelled at all, which makes me think they me not be original, but I really have no idea.
 
#7
Just realized this weekend it's No Sales Tax Days in MA, which is funny, since I knew I had to work because it No Sales Tax Days...

So I think after work I'll just go pick em up, when I get the chance plug em in and see what happens. I can test them with a multimeter, not that accurate I understand but it should give me some indication if they're 4 or 8 ohms. I guess they'd have to be 200 watts at least, I'll just go easy in the volume and play it by ear. After all, got 30 days to take em back.
 
#8
emjazz said:
Tom Bowlus has a couple of these that I'm pretty sure he uses with his PA. They're housed in an HT322 box and only to be used as a sub, not a full range cab.
Click to expand...

These sound very similiar to the 115Sub's I purchased from Jim. I would not consider them to be a "bass cab" as they were really designed for use as a PA with limited frequency response. But, paired up with a top cab they might work. They work great for PA, though.

Tom.
 
#9
Do you have any info on yours? Ohms/watts or anything?
I figured on pairing them up with something, depending on their ohms, I've got amps will drive a 2 ohm load, or even less.

Figured if they don't work so well, they can go in the PA, it's currently just a couple cobbled together cabs. If all else fails they can go back to GC. Does it sound right to you that the drivers are unlabeled? I'd have to guess they're either something custom, or dirt cheap castoffs.
 
#10
Fealach said:
Do you have any info on yours? Ohms/watts or anything?
Click to expand...

Jim told me that mine were loaded with Eminence Omega Pro's, which are rated at 800w RMS (8 ohm). This past weekend, I ran them along with an HT115 on each side for the lows, and with an HT310 and HT112 on each side for mid/highs. Here is a photo:

Berg-PA.jpg
 
#11
That's the best PA ever.

So I brought them home, and finally got the chance to hook them up. I'm in a financial; crunch, so I've had to sell off some nice stuff and replace it with stuff that was cheap and... well, it works anyhow. So it was nice to find these pretty cheap. I've got the 2 of them as 1 4 ohm load, and 2 Peavey 1820's as the other 2 4 ohm loads for my Fender 400PS. Should be playing with guitarist and drummer tomorrow. Tried it out today by myself, and these cabs are fantastic. At very low volumes, HUGE bass. The Peaveys provide the rest. I think I'll be able to run this setup at much lower volumes and still be felt/heard. I'd like to someday get 3 small 4 ohm cabs for a more portable way to run the Fender. Until then it'll most likely never be used at an indoor gig.
 
#13
The Bergs are tight, the 1820s not so much. They're basically just "for now" until I can afford and justify some real cabs. I'm thinking a couple NV series would be nice, but I can't decide which ones I want to dream about. To say it's a loud rig, while true, isn't the whole story. At lower volumes than I used to play at, the sound is so huge and low. The little speakers in the 1820s do a passable job of getting the highs and upper mids across. I wasn't sure how much low end the Fender would be able to put out, but it seems ...well, limitless. Too bad it's all so freakin huge and heavy, it'll only see the outside of the practice room rarely. Funny, my 400+ is now a lightweight amp for small gigs and practicing.
 
#17
Well, I'm not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV. I hope it's legal for me to have them. :p
I think I may have killed the drummer, he wanted one of the
stacks angled towards him so he could hear the bass,
because that used to be a problem. The Bergs are amazing, you can feel the air pressure
in the room change as I play. Well, almost. The Fender amazes me too, such volume and
low end without distortion, unless I want it. Took a while to realize how the tone knobs
worked, but I have it figured out now. It doesn't look as cool as a big stack w/ a head on top,
but the Fender sits on a little table behind the speakers
where it's safer. The tremolo doesn't seem to be working,
but the reverb is sweet. I can't help wondering what a Strat
would sound like if it was hooked up to guitar cabs.

But what sort of lunatic has that many guitar cabs?
Bass cabs are one thing...
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back