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How does a well built DIY 112 cab compare?

#41
I've built cabs as far back as the 70s. Some were fantastic, some maybe less so.

I can tell you folks like Jim Bergantion, don't use OFF THE SHELF DRIVERS.... they have contracts with manufacturers, that do custom build for their cabinets. Stuff you can't have ready access to in the DIY market.

Be hard for me to think I can custom build a better designed system than a master in the business like Jim Bergantino. BTW many players find his cabs to be the best in the business for a reason.
 
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#42
matti777 said:
I've been mulling over a new 1 x 12 cab purchase. I'll probably order a Hathor 1203 but delivery time is long. In the meantime, just for fun, I was thinking about building a single driver tweeterless Deltalite 2512 II cab based on the Eminence design. How will this compare with the higher end 'off the shelf' cabs such as an Aguilar DB112 or Bergantino Reference 112 or such? Will it be in the same ballpark or are cabs like this with custom drivers (I assume) better engineered?
Click to expand...

Get on the Speaker Hardware site...
Check out the fEARful 12/6 flat pack..
Absolutely amazing cab! Loved mine.. bridged a Crest Prolite 2.0 (1100 watts)
Didn't blink. Unfortunately had to sell it, want another... but it'll easily handle lots
 
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#43
Eddie LeBlanc said:
...I can tell you folks like Jim Bergantion, don't use OFF THE SHELF DRIVERS.... they have contracts with manufacturers, that do custom build for their cabinets. Stuff you can't have ready access to in the DIY market.
Be hard for me to think I can custom build a better designed system than a master in the business like Jim Bergantino. BTW many players find his cabs to be the best in the business for a reason.
Click to expand...
Yes I realize that many mfg's use custom speakers. I wonder what's custom about them? Does Eminence or the like give the consumer their second rate stuff? :) I doubt it.
MTN.bass72 said:
Get on the Speaker Hardware site...
Check out the fEARful 12/6 flat pack..
Absolutely amazing cab! Loved mine.. bridged a Crest Prolite 2.0 (1100 watts)
Didn't blink. Unfortunately had to sell it, want another... but it'll easily handle lots
Click to expand...
Yeah I've checked that out when I was thinking of building the 12/6 but I'm going a different direction. They are not cheap either. The flat pack is $300 alone by the time it gets to my door. I figure a DIY single driver build is around $400 all in (plus the parts I forgot) assuming I can borrow the odd tool instead of buying.
 
#44
matti777 said:
Yes I realize that many mfg's use custom speakers. I wonder what's custom about them? Does Eminence or the like give the consumer their second rate stuff? :) I doubt it.

Yeah I've checked that out when I was thinking of building the 12/6 but I'm going a different direction. They are not cheap either. The flat pack is $300 alone by the time it gets to my door. I figure a DIY single driver build is around $400 all in (plus the parts I forgot) assuming I can borrow the odd tool instead of buying.
Click to expand...
matti777 said:
Yes I realize that many mfg's use custom speakers. I wonder what's custom about them? Does Eminence or the like give the consumer their second rate stuff? :) I doubt it.

Yeah I've checked that out when I was thinking of building the 12/6 but I'm going a different direction. They are not cheap either. The flat pack is $300 alone by the time it gets to my door. I figure a DIY single driver build is around $400 all in (plus the parts I forgot) assuming I can borrow the odd tool instead of buying.
Click to expand...


It is not second rate. But specially designed for the enclosure build and what the cabinet is trying to do. It can be a combination of things that make a special designed speaker to work at a specific frequency output, power ratings, and excursion necessary for the designer to obtain what they need in a special designed cab.

There is a reason Jim has an HDN112 cab and a Reference 112 cabinet, they are totally different animals. Even Jorg Schroeder is having B&C specially construct drivers for his cabs. They have super wide frequency response and high efficiency and power capability. And these drivers are proprietary designed and not sold on the open market under contractual agreement. That is the way this business works.

BTW I replaced the 10" drivers in my older Epifani 310 UL cabinet with three special made dual voice coil ones that shipped straight from Eminence about 6 years ago. Nick Epifani is using dual coil special designed 10s, and putting the coils in series in order to get super excursion and wide frequency response into a three 10 cabinet. Those speakers aren't on the open market.

Eminence, B&C, Faital all do it Amigo.

I'm not saying you can't build a nice cabinet, but I am saying it is hard to surpass some real high end cabinet folks, due to inability to use what they can get special ordered for their designs. Times have changed since the era of only dropping a JBL or EV into a proper sized cabinet. Just saying.
 
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#47
Redbrangus said:
This is the point where I wish a certain elderly equine could weigh in with some other pertinent info.
Click to expand...
Definitely. It would be very interesting to hear from someone on the inside. I'm wondering if they would share ideas on what their objectives are/ what their customers want tonally? I doubt they would want to articulate that. Most of this will have nothing to do with my quest specifically and is probably over my head but its interesting nevertheless.

ps put a deposit down on my AK Hathor 1203....long wait now
 
#48
To the "no tweeter" brigade, David Norchow does pretty well with his DNA horns, which cross-over much lower than most other do. Of course, it would be easier to preserve
the fantasy that a bass cabinet needs no tweeter, since that makes it so much easier to build. Since the 70's, I haven't heard a cabinet with only a bass driver that sounded
"right," at least to me. If you can do without a horn or other tweeter or other decent hi-freq device, more power to you.

A 3012 Kappalite may do okay by itself. I've done fEarful and fEarless boxes, LDS with Faitals, DNA, Aguilar, etc. I like to have the cabinet give me ALL of the frequency range,
and let me dial in what I want or don't want. I don't need my cabinet limitations to dictate what my bass will sound like, but I switch around with several high end basses
with active electronics. Your mileage may vary. I have a friend who is a much better bassist than I and a total groove player: he's happy with a twelve or fifteen in boxes from the 1960's.

YMMV.
 
#52
Redbrangus said:
Sorry...I edited that post right after I put it up, but not before the previous poster had seconded the emotion. It makes less sense now, but I think the sentiment is still valid enough.
Click to expand...
Me, I like tweeters.... that's those little birds in the yard that eat all the bird seed and crap everywhere... LOL

Gotta inject a little humor from time to time to make this life livable.
 
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#54
I use an 1x12 Augi and I'm very impressed with the 1x12 Berg, not sure I'd buy one retail so, I'll keep looking used. ... Before that I used a 12" Tel cab loaded with an EV. ... Great sound just heavy.
 
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#55
Update: I acquired an Ibanez SWX65 for free (traded some 40 year old stereo stuff I had laying around). I didn't know they built bass combos. It sounds alright for quiet practise but breaks up if you crank it. I ordered a Deltalite 2512 for $165 Cdn. I'll bypass the 65W amp and run my amp into the cab. It should be interesting.
 
#56
matti777 said:
I've been mulling over a new 1 x 12 cab purchase. I'll probably order a Hathor 1203 but delivery time is long. In the meantime, just for fun, I was thinking about building a single driver tweeterless Deltalite 2512 II cab based on the Eminence design. How will this compare with the higher end 'off the shelf' cabs such as an Aguilar DB112 or Bergantino Reference 112 or such? Will it be in the same ballpark or are cabs like this with custom drivers (I assume) better engineered?
Click to expand...
Ive done it with a 2512ii.
Based off same volume as SL112, although mine is more square than rectangular, has thicker layer of foam on inside (all sides) and different port tuning (higher).
Its my main single 12" cab (and tweeterless).
 

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