Help me decide! (115 cabinet)

[Reace George]

Dear Talkbass,

I need to grab a new cabinet. I'm looking for a 115, and I've asked around, and got several options. Now, I don't have any experience with any of these cabs or their brethren, so I'd like any help I can get. The cab will unleash the sound of my PF-500, and I need it to be smaller than my 215; it needs to sit in the station of our drummer with his kit and all.

I've received the following offerings:
- GK GLX 115 (Goldline speaker), €100.
- Peavey TX 115 (Black Widow 1504 speaker), €175.
- Empty Hughes & Kettner cabinet (no speaker), €?? (probably less than €50).

I'm currently leaning towards the GK GLX, for I think it's smaller and more portable than the Peavey and the H&K, and it's the cheapest option. If, however, the Peavey sounds much better, or ends up being smaller, I might go that way. Another thing to mention; the GK GLX is closest to where I live, and easiest to pick up.

Now, since I dislike the look of a grate in any case, I'm thinking of grabbing some nice design to serve as speaker grill, as I've seen several people do this; does it matter what kind of material this is? Does a thin blouse serve just as well?

Excuse me for the amount of questions, and thanks in advance for taking the trouble reading it all!
- Maurice

 

[pie_man_25]

I think you should be fine with the GK, but check them both out anyways, and if you like the TX115 that much more, then get it. I haven't played through either, but they're both well-known for being affordable, high-quality equipment that doesn't give out on you. Just be a bit conservative with the volume knob and you should be golden with either one.

As far as speaker grills, you might as well keep the metal grills on. If you really don't like them though, they DO sell speaker grill cloth, and you'd just have to staple it to a frame that you could make, from there if you really wanted you could just spray-paint a stencil pattern or design that you would make right onto the cloth.

 

[Bass_Pounder]

As far as I remember, the Goldline cabs were entry level beginner gear made for GC.

 

[scottfeldstein]

Yeah, I'm a GK guy but I'd steer clear of the goldline series. I've heard bad things. I've had their MBX, BLX and Neo cabs. They range from serviceable to pretty darned good. See if you can get one of those used. I picked up a 210 BLX cab for less than $200 about a year ago. It's a pretty decent secondary cab for me now.

 

[B-string]

NO to the GLX, I also play G-K equipment and say stay away.
The Peavey is your only real choice from those listed. An empty cab is a bad bet unless you know how to back engineer to find a speaker that could be made to work with the existing "bookshelf".

 

[Reace George]

Alright, thanks for your information!

There's been a new reply on my search, a bass cab with Eighteensound 15w700 speakers in it. It looks like he made the cabs himself, I wonder how those speakers sound and work? He lives right in my city, so that's ideal.

The specs he shared are:
15" Eighteensound 15W700
400 Watt AES
8 Ohm
Sensitivity: 99dB
38Hz - 5000Hz
Qts: 0.30
Fs 38Hz
Weight: 9.6 kg/st

 

[B-string]

Sounds like a road trip with your amp and bass is in order!

 

[Reace George]

Indeed! If I like the sound, I'll probably grab them right away!

 

[iualum]

Actually 450 AES. Also 6.5 mm Xmax.

No contest. If the price is right & the cabs are built well, the 18Sound boxes will destroy the others you're looking at.

Invalid Link Removed

 

[Reace George]

Picked up the cab just this evening, sounds awesome. There's but one problem; the only connection is speakon, and I don't own any speakon cables. However, I've got some 1/4" jacks (open style), and could use them to connect the cab to my amp for the time being. My question is, is there any danger in using the open style jack outs, and how do I wire them?

Picture of jack (I've got stereo and mono ones):

 

[scottfeldstein]

You'd rewire an input jack instead of buying a $10 speakon cable?

 

[Reace George]

..well, I'm kind of lazy, and I've already got two perfectly working 1/4" speaker cables. Buying a speakon cable means either going out and getting one, or ordering one, and I'm not sure if it'd be the best choice.

Then again, speakon cables don't cost the world, and I can easily order one too. You've got a very good point.

 

[rodl2005]

Buy a couple speaker leads. One Speakon to Jack. One Speakon to Speakon. Cover ALL your possibilities

 

[B-string]

Lazy you say? Buy a 4 pole speakon ($3-$6) cut off a 1/4" jack on one end of a speaker cable and attach the speakon (NO soldering, just insert wire and tighten a couple screws. Tip to 1+, sleeve to 1- on the speakon).

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] there are other sources with even cheaper shipping.

 

[Reace George]

So, I've finished the speaker cloth, and if I must say, it looks pretty damn awesome. But that's just me, I like it

 

[walterw]

no comment on grandma's old housedress as grillcloth, but did you get the other one too?

if not, get it before it gets away, and you can sell your 215 cab!

two matching well-made compact single 15 boxes are a thing of beauty, and will cover just about any gig, small to loud.

how do i know, you ask?

 

[georgiagoodie]

Try to find a used Genz-Benz Uber 115T. FANTASTIC!

 

[BassmanPaul]

Sorry Bro but I think that cloth is an insult to the cabinet. If it is not for the specific purpose of audio it'll muffle the sound somewhat. I too suggest that you go back and get the second if it is still available. That should cover you for quite a while.

 

[Reace George]

no comment on grandma's old housedress as grillcloth, but did you get the other one too?

if not, get it before it gets away, and you can sell your 215 cab!

two matching well-made compact single 15 boxes are a thing of beauty, and will cover just about any gig, small to loud.

how do i know, you ask?

Well, the seller contacted me today, to ask if I'd be interested in the second cab as well. I've reserved it now, and I'll be picking it up in a week or four!

 

[Omega Monkey]

Yeah, I'd guess those 18Sound cabs are better than your current 2x15. So if you have both of those, you could sell your 2x15 and have a much easier rig to deal with.

Did you just want a single 15 to put by the drummer? Isn't that kind of his responsibility? And can he really not hear you playing through a 2x15? That's kind of weird. If you still needed a 3rd 15 for the drummer, you could pick up the Peavey if it's still available, or find something else similar. But what were you going to run the 3rd 15 from anyway? Most amps won't be too fond of the 2.67 ohms you'll get from 3 8 ohm cabs.

Oh, and definitely just buy speakon cables to use with the 18Sound cabs. If you're lazy, that's easier anyway, than trying to mess with changing the jacks.