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help required chosing a fEARful design

#41
scottfeldstein said:
So you're saying that other designs might be "louder" but not in a way that's useful to many bass players?
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No what I am saying is looking only a sensitivity rating doesnt tell you much.

You can design a rig that will be louder than anything else on this planet at one frequency, with relativity low power. Doenst mean it will be useful to a bass player. There are cabs out there that go lower than the fEARfuls, they trade up some sensitivity and power handling to do so. There are cabs that are more sensitive than fEARfuls, but do they go as low and what is their power handling.

In my mind what makes greenboys designs special, is that he doesnt compromise on the materials the designs are formed around. This lets him get a great balance of low end extension, power handling, total SPL, and sensitivity. Are there cabs out there that will be "louder" with less power, sure. Are there cabs out there that can cover the range that the fEARful does, and are more sensitive? possibly, but I have not run across one that does.
 
#42
I wouldn't be looking at a fEarful modular rig with my tube head. Just being honest. My tube head doesn't run at 8 ohms though, but even still I'm not sure it'd be loud enough for a lot of my needs even with just a 15/6. I barely scraped by with an MB500 (375w into 8 ohms) and had to dime it on occasion.

I run my '66 with my 300w tube head and it's super, but I'd probably look at more sensitive cabs if I was trying to find something modular. Maybe Baer ML-112's or Greenboy Bassic 15's, or Duke's Hathor 1544's.

Nice thing about the Hathor is you can get'em in 4 ohms.
 
#43
rpsands said:
I wouldn't be looking at a fEarful modular rig with my tube head. Just being honest. My tube head doesn't run at 8 ohms though, but even still I'm not sure it'd be loud enough for a lot of my needs even with just a 15/6. I barely scraped by with an MB500 (375w into 8 ohms) and had to dime it on occasion.

I run my '66 with my 300w tube head and it's super, but I'd probably look at more sensitive cabs if I was trying to find something modular. Maybe Baer ML-112's or Greenboy Bassic 15's, or Duke's Hathor 1544's.

Nice thing about the Hathor is you can get'em in 4 ohms.
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+1

Why did I go with a '66? Increased sensitivity over a 15/6tube, and I didnt want to perch my 100 pound tube head on anything but a stable base.
 
#44
Well, I have no money right now so it's just daydreaming. But I am trying to decide whether to daydream about a 15/6 and 15 sub combo or maybe go with 12s...or..*head asplode* ... a combination? I run a GK MB500 and I want the ability to play loud when needed. The equivalent of a good commercial 2x212 stack, minimum. And modular.
 
#45
scottfeldstein said:
Well, I have no money right now so it's just daydreaming. But I am trying to decide whether to daydream about a 15/6 and 15 sub combo or maybe go with 12s...or..*head asplode* ... a combination? I run a GK MB500 and I want the ability to play loud when needed. The equivalent of a good commercial 2x212 stack, minimum. And modular.
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Swing through Grap and you can play through my rig.
 
#49
My experience with "modular" is that people either end up bringing both 95% of the time or just one 95% of the time, making the extra money sunk into a paper weight (or the extra money sunk into having two cabs) mostly pointless. People often get their minds stuck in a loop on modularity because it appeals to our minds' aesthetics and other goofy inner workings.

Just my two pence; not judging anyone. If it works for you, that's great.
 
#50
rpsands said:
My experience with "modular" is that people either end up bringing both 95% of the time or just one 95% of the time, making the extra money sunk into a paper weight (or the extra money sunk into having two cabs) mostly pointless. People often get their minds stuck in a loop on modularity because it appeals to our minds' aesthetics and other goofy inner workings.

Just my two pence; not judging anyone. If it works for you, that's great.
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+1

I dont want to carry two cabs, I want to roll one in and be done.

If anyone is on the fence, just get a fEARless 215 and be done with it. :D
 
#51
rpsands said:
My experience with "modular" is that people either end up bringing both 95% of the time or just one 95% of the time, making the extra money sunk into a paper weight (or the extra money sunk into having two cabs) mostly pointless. People often get their minds stuck in a loop on modularity because it appeals to our minds' aesthetics and other goofy inner workings.

Just my two pence; not judging anyone. If it works for you, that's great.
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That's a really, really good point. And if I went with 12s, I might have to seriously consider going with a single 12/12 cab.

Still, even if the idea of gigging a small rig and a big one is largely imaginary, it still leaves other issues. Like fitting it into your vehicle. Being able to lift it safely. Or bringing home one small cab from the rehearsal space for some serious woodshedding over the holiday break.

A very thought-provoking point, though.
 
#52
I basically never lift my 1515/66. It has skid rails and wheels. It goes up to the back of my car and into the wagon, then up to a stage and slid onto it.

What I do is I keep a decent backup cab at home (a thunderchild 115, and a Jack 112 at this point cos I'm a hoarder), and my gigging rig (1515/66) at the studio. Maybe not financially sound for everyone but it works well for me.
 
#53
I like my 15/6, but it's almost too much for what I'm using it for right now. Knowing what I know now, I think I'd have preferred a 12/6 for band practices (being more portable for jamming at different spaces), with a 12sub extension cab for gigs.

I was looking forward to using it live for the first time at my first gig with a new band next month, but the show just fell through. :(
 
#56
rpsands said:
My experience with "modular" is that people either end up bringing both 95% of the time or just one 95% of the time, making the extra money sunk into a paper weight (or the extra money sunk into having two cabs) mostly pointless. People often get their minds stuck in a loop on modularity because it appeals to our minds' aesthetics and other goofy inner workings.

Just my two pence; not judging anyone. If it works for you, that's great.
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Agreed, at least for my own situation. Not a fearful, but mine is in a 12/6+12sub configuration and I play both 95% of the time. Even times when I end up only using one I still brought both and just unplugged the 112 to tame down output, get a little more travel in the knobs, etc.

Some reasons for going modular....

1. Folks with back problems, other medical issues, injuries, etc. that need lighter carries, even if it means more trips.

2. Folks that really can use the 1 cab often enough to make it worth it, adding the second for the occasional larger gig.

3. Packing a lot of gear in a small vehicle. The smaller boxes are better for tetris, fit more places.

With respect to #3, that's what I do, carrying rig, smallish PA and all the extra stuff that goes with it in a hatchback, though I've figured out a cab design and packing scheme that will allow me to rebuild it as a single box 1212/6.


Yep, the 12" LF's are a good 3-4db lower spl than the 15's. Using 2 of them makes up for it. It may seem like a wash, but getting away from the technical and into the artsy-fartsy subjective here, things happen when you move from a single woofer to multiples. There is a bit of coupling in the lowend from the multiple woofers. There might be a bit of narrowing of vertical dispersion, focusing more sound forward, but I wouldn't think that would have much if any effect considering the fearfuls 750hz-ish crossover point. Ultimate power handling is increased. There may be some psychological effect in knowing you have more speakers behind you, but, whatever the reason, or combination of reasons, running a single woofer rig and a dual woofer rig to the same measured spl, the dual woofer rig will still "feel a little bigger", IME.
 
#57
When I was 14 I played bass in a basement band with my cousin and some friends. We liked loud rock music. There I was with my 15" Peavey combo amp, never heard by a single human ear during the entirety of that musical project.

I made a decision right then and there: As God is my witness, I'd never be hungry--I mean, too quiet--again!

/therapy

So it's hard for a guy like me, who learned to play in the early 80s, to accept that two of the same size drivers guitar players use in their suitcase-sized combo amps are going to carry me in a loud rock band.

Technology marches on, but we old-timers are still trying to "dial" our smartphones. :P
 
#59
Here is what I do for modular . This stack fits in my Honda Accord and I can carry it by myself easily , I'm 61 and my back isn't what it was so this is nice . We only play big gigs with supplied sound a couple times a year and on some bigger stages it's hard to hear your rig if you don't have enough horsepower . The fEARfuls really are easy to hear without having to use a ton of power , I have never had a rig that I can hear this well on stage . Most of the time we just play in our rehersal space and the 15/6 does that easy even though I play with a couple of loud guitar players and we play at gig levels . My 15 sub stays at home and I have another 12" three way cab I could use with it if I got a call for a gig but that doesn't happen anymore . I'm with you Scott on the having a rig big enough to do anything , this is my answer , it's the biggest rig I can haul around and I can cover any gig . This is a picture from out 4th of July gig .

001-18.jpg


scottfeldstein said:
When I was 14 I played bass in a basement band with my cousin and some friends. We liked loud rock music. There I was with my 15" Peavey combo amp, never heard by a single human ear during the entirety of that musical project.

I made a decision right then and there: As God is my witness, I'd never be hungry--I mean, too quiet--again!

/therapy

So it's hard for a guy like me, who learned to play in the early 80s, to accept that two of the same size drivers guitar players use in their suitcase-sized combo amps are going to carry me in a loud rock band.

Technology marches on, but we old-timers are still trying to "dial" our smartphones. :P
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#60
Fearful needs to bite the bullet and go small commercial. I bet they could make decent livings off TB orders alone.

They need to do it smart and possibly have an actual businessman manage things. They need to charge a lot for their cabs. People will pay it. Just get a reasonably good bass player to demo the damn things on Youtube. Also make a construction video. Back up information with charts and graphs.

If Fearful cabs are as amazing as people say (and I have no doubt they are great) then they need to go ahead and take the final step and get them on some dealers floors.
 

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