How good are the Genzler Bass array cabs?

[DAcat]

I've really been impressed by Jeff Genzler's creations over the years. I think his heavy weight Genz Benz 1200 watt head was probably the best and most powerful bass head for its time. And his Uber line of bass cabs were second to none- I still have my Uber 410 @1000 Watts RMS. Then I got his Magellan 800 watt mini head after he formed his new Genzler company, and it's my favorite 800 watt head by far. But I have lots of bass cabs - a Mesa PH 410 and 212, a Berg 410, a GB Uber 410, and a Schroeder 115 and 112 cabs. Just wondering how much other people like the different array cabs by Genzler, how they compare in tone and volume to other cabs that you had before. Thanks.
Peace, DAcat

 

[DAcat]

I'm especially interested in the 410 Bass array cab

 

[jjk2007]

I have one of the BA 410 cabs…and absolutely love it! It's compact, lightweight and packs plenty of punch! I have owned Eden, SWR, Hartke, EA and Mesa in the past, and I'd take the Genzler over all of them at this point. Since I guess my band is old school we use monitors on stage but typically try and run only vocals through them and only add instruments/kick drum when we must. That said our amps carry the stage volume and we always have PA support. We don't play the biggest stages out there but with the array system of the 410 I'm able to move around the stage and still hear myself very clearly, definitely better than a traditional 410 cab. I've been playing the same rooms for several years now and can hear the difference. Guitar/BL and drummer both love it too...they always hear plenty of bass. The 3" drivers add plenty of upper mid/top end without being as 'harsh' as a tweeter loaded cab to my ears. If you like a 'glassy' slap tone this cab can pull it off, you just have to EQ for it. It can get plenty of deep too. I also run the MG 800 head and always have plenty of volume with lots in reserve. All that to say, the BA 410 is a great single cab solution....it gets my vote......YMMV.

 

[S-Bigbottom]

And his Uber line of bass cabs were second to none- I still have my Uber 410 @1000 Watts RMS.

Think of it as an updated/upgraded Uber.

 

[Wasnex]

I could be wrong, but I thought @SeanOnBass did a comparison between the Bass Array cabs and the Uber Quad. I could not find the desired video, but I did find this thread (w/video) that compares the Genz Benz NX212T to the Genzler MG212T. Genzler Amplification video demos - Magellan and BASS ARRAY | TalkBass.com

See video in post #15 in the link provided above for review of the 12/3.

 

[Geri O]

I have one of the BA 410 cabs…and absolutely love it! It's compact, lightweight and packs plenty of punch! I have owned Eden, SWR, Hartke, EA and Mesa in the past, and I'd take the Genzler over all of them at this point. Since I guess my band is old school we use monitors on stage but typically try and run only vocals through them and only add instruments/kick drum when we must. That said our amps carry the stage volume and we always have PA support. We don't play the biggest stages out there but with the array system of the 410 I'm able to move around the stage and still hear myself very clearly, definitely better than a traditional 410 cab. I've been playing the same rooms for several years now and can hear the difference. Guitar/BL and drummer both love it too...they always hear plenty of bass. The 3" drivers add plenty of upper mid/top end without being as 'harsh' as a tweeter loaded cab to my ears. If you like a 'glassy' slap tone this cab can pull it off, you just have to EQ for it. It can get plenty of deep too. I also run the MG 800 head and always have plenty of volume with lots in reserve. All that to say, the BA 410 is a great single cab solution....it gets my vote......YMMV.

View attachment 4345554

What an absolutely gorgeous TL5!

 

[jjk2007]

What an absolutely gorgeous TL5!

I bought this about 4 years ago from a collector group down in Galveston. It used to be owned by Stu Cook (CCR) when he played in the band Southern Pacific. It was one of two TL's (the other was blue) Peavey gave to him while touring and I'm sure they picked out one that had good figuring etc. For all the places it has gone on the globe it is in great shape!! I was able to message with Stu after getting it and he said he put a Demeter pre in the blue one. He said there was just something about the way this red one sounded and played so he left it stock and used it the majority of the time.

 

[Geri O]

I bought this about 4 years ago from a collector group down in Galveston. It used to be owned by Stu Cook (CCR) when he played in the band Southern Pacific. It was one of two TL's (the other was blue) Peavey gave to him while touring and I'm sure they picked out one that had good figuring etc. For all the places it has gone on the globe it is in great shape!! I was able to message with Stu after getting it and he said he put a Demeter pre in the blue one. He said there was just something about the way this red one sounded and played so he left it stock and used it the majority of the time.

View attachment 4346062

Cool, very cool.

I'd love to have another one. If you decide you need to send it to another home, lemme know…. (Seriously).

 

[Combinator]

I could be wrong, but I thought @SeanOnBass did a comparison between the Bass Array cabs and the Uber Quad. I could not find the desired video, but I did find this thread (w/video) that compares the Genz Benz NX212T to the Genzler MG212T. Genzler Amplification video demos - Magellan and BASS ARRAY | TalkBass.com

See video in post #15 in the link provided above for review of the 12/3.

Sadly I never had an Uber Quad, but I have made several review videos of/for Genzler Amplification gear and cabs, including the Magellan line, Bass Arrays, and Nu Classic. www.youtube.com/c/combinatormusic

 

[bherman]

I have a pair of the 102 array cabs, and love them. Very clear, transparent sounding, super light. I used to own a Uber 212 and its hard to do a direct comparison as that was a beast of a cabinet. But for my needs (mostly double bass, paired with a Genzler Magellan 350) its an ideal small footprint, easy to carry rig. I'm sure that the larger cabs are even better. If I were in your shoes, I'd be looking at a pair of 210s or a 210 and a 12 - or maybe a pair of 12s. Easier to carry and more flexibility - based on my experience with 2-110s, there are alot of gigs that a single 12 or 210 array would handle.

 

[logdrum]

I have one of the BA 410 cabs…and absolutely love it! It's compact, lightweight and packs plenty of punch! I have owned Eden, SWR, Hartke, EA and Mesa in the past, and I'd take the Genzler over all of them at this point. Since I guess my band is old school we use monitors on stage but typically try and run only vocals through them and only add instruments/kick drum when we must. That said our amps carry the stage volume and we always have PA support. We don't play the biggest stages out there but with the array system of the 410 I'm able to move around the stage and still hear myself very clearly, definitely better than a traditional 410 cab. I've been playing the same rooms for several years now and can hear the difference. Guitar/BL and drummer both love it too...they always hear plenty of bass. The 3" drivers add plenty of upper mid/top end without being as 'harsh' as a tweeter loaded cab to my ears. If you like a 'glassy' slap tone this cab can pull it off, you just have to EQ for it. It can get plenty of deep too. I also run the MG 800 head and always have plenty of volume with lots in reserve. All that to say, the BA 410 is a great single cab solution....it gets my vote......YMMV.

View attachment 4345554

10 drivers beats most 4X10's . I was thinking of getting a Subway cab but may go with these instead. Not the 4X10 but their 12 offerings and maybe their 15. I hope those are quick responding

 

[BurnOut]

I got to use two Bass Array cabs on a backline for a couple different shows. I love em, wish they were in my budget, super light too

 

[Jesuguru]

I have one of the BA 410 cabs…and absolutely love it! It's compact, lightweight and packs plenty of punch! I have owned Eden, SWR, Hartke, EA and Mesa in the past, and I'd take the Genzler over all of them at this point. Since I guess my band is old school we use monitors on stage but typically try and run only vocals through them and only add instruments/kick drum when we must. That said our amps carry the stage volume and we always have PA support. We don't play the biggest stages out there but with the array system of the 410 I'm able to move around the stage and still hear myself very clearly, definitely better than a traditional 410 cab. I've been playing the same rooms for several years now and can hear the difference. Guitar/BL and drummer both love it too...they always hear plenty of bass. The 3" drivers add plenty of upper mid/top end without being as 'harsh' as a tweeter loaded cab to my ears. If you like a 'glassy' slap tone this cab can pull it off, you just have to EQ for it. It can get plenty of deep too. I also run the MG 800 head and always have plenty of volume with lots in reserve. All that to say, the BA 410 is a great single cab solution....it gets my vote......YMMV.

View attachment 4345554

I'll be slightly contrarian, I bought and returned a BA410 for just that reason - I play hi-fi active basses with rounds that need good treble response, the one thing it sadly lacked. Perhaps I should've messed with eq more in retrospect, but out-of-box I like some tweeter highs and wasn't getting them. Some players hate tweeters and I respect that, I'm not one. It was perfect in every other way. My ideal cab would have the bass/mids response and dispersion of the BA410, and the (adjustable, non-harsh) highs of my Barefaced 212. If only Jeff would add a tweeter option to his BA series.......

 

[logdrum]

I'll be slightly contrarian, I bought and returned a BA410 for just that reason - I play hi-fi active basses with rounds that need good treble response, the one thing it sadly lacked. Perhaps I should've messed with eq more in retrospect, but out-of-box I like some tweeter highs and wasn't getting them. Some players hate tweeters and I respect that, I'm not one. It was perfect in every other way. My ideal cab would have the bass/mids response and dispersion of the BA410, and the (adjustable, non-harsh) highs of my Barefaced 212. If only Jeff would add a tweeter option to his BA series.......

Thanks. I thought that those little speakers would provide highs as well. I also want and need highs represented. Maybe a Berg is what I want. I like my EA wizzy's but they are only 200 watts

 

[MaxSpinrun]

I have the BA 15-3. The best cab I have ever used. Have had other makers of 410 and 210 cabs. I don't need a 410 right now and my BA 15-3 is deep and tight without muddiness. The dispersion of the line Array is exceptional in being able to hear mids and highs so much better. Very smooth and not harsh as some tweeters can be. For me there no lake of highs, and I have 3 active basses. This is the best 15 I have ever used and it less than 40 lbs. The level of fidelity and clarity are amazing to me. I don't want to play anything else.

 

[ad9000]

I am very interested in the BA 410-3 also. However, I have a reservation based on playing through a BA 15-3 in my local store (the 15-3 was the only Bass Array model they had in stock). I am not a fan of high frequency drivers in most modern bass cabs, which are far too harsh and metallic for my taste - I usually end up turning the tweeter level controls down almost entirely. I thought the high end on the 15-3 was about the sweetest and most musical I've ever heard, and the dispersion was amazing. However, I did also hear quite a bit of midrange coloration. I was just curious if anybody else has found this to be the case, and if so, if it is limited to the 15-3 or present with the other models as well.

I was playing a Rock 'n Roll Relics P-bass clone the store had thru a Genzler Magellan 350 head, controls set flat and on the clean channel and blue LED contour selection. I expected to hear a very neutral midrange character out of that setup - I know "neutral" is subjective, but I own a Magellan 800, and with it set as described above it is pretty much that way with my other cabinets (various Bergantino and EA's). I may not set the controls flat in a gig situation, but my m.o. with a rig that is more on the hi-fi side is to at least use that as a starting point.

 

[MaxSpinrun]

I am very interested in the BA 410-3 also. However, I have a reservation based on playing through a BA 15-3 in my local store (the 15-3 was the only Bass Array model they had in stock). I am not a fan of high frequency drivers in most modern bass cabs, which are far too harsh and metallic for my taste - I usually end up turning the tweeter level controls down almost entirely. I thought the high end on the 15-3 was about the sweetest and most musical I've ever heard, and the dispersion was amazing. However, I did also hear quite a bit of midrange coloration. I was just curious if anybody else has found this to be the case, and if so, if it is limited to the 15-3 or present with the other models as well.

I was playing a Rock 'n Roll Relics P-bass clone the store had thru a Genzler Magellan 350 head, controls set flat and on the clean channel and blue LED contour selection. I expected to hear a very neutral midrange character out of that scenario - I know "neutral" is subjective, but I own a Magellan 800, and with it set as described above it is pretty much that way with my other cabinets (various Bergantino and EA's). I may not set the controls flat in a gig situation, but my m.o. with a rig that is more on the hi-fi side is to at least use that as a starting point.

My experience with the BA15-3 is different than you describe. As I mentioned I have 3 different basses with pre amps that have VERY versatile EQ on board. The Mesa D800+ head has very extensive EQ so I can get pretty much any sort of sound I want especially with it's extensive midrange section. I plan on getting the Magellan 800 as a second head as it has the 2 contour options which are extremely versatile and slow for a wide range of tonal options allowing for dialing a desired sound very quickly without a lot of dial fiddling which some players find annoying. Very versatile head. IMHO the BA cabs are game changers for me.

 

[ad9000]

Yeah, I guess we all hear things differently.

 

[jjk2007]

I'll be slightly contrarian, I bought and returned a BA410 for just that reason - I play hi-fi active basses with rounds that need good treble response, the one thing it sadly lacked. Perhaps I should've messed with eq more in retrospect, but out-of-box I like some tweeter highs and wasn't getting them. Some players hate tweeters and I respect that, I'm not one. It was perfect in every other way. My ideal cab would have the bass/mids response and dispersion of the BA410, and the (adjustable, non-harsh) highs of my Barefaced 212. If only Jeff would add a tweeter option to his BA series.......

I totally get it. I've been playing tweeter loaded cabs forever too. My TL (above) is a slap machine and can get that scooped mid/glassy snap sound through a tweeter loaded cab all day. With the BA 410 I definitely have to tweak the EQ more but can get very close, minus the very top end sizzle of a tweeter loaded cab that some players do like. We do a cover of 'Hungry Like The Wolf' where I do some slap/pop and the tone I get from the cab does just fine for me. I got the BA for the other 99.9% of the stuff we play (country/rock/blues) and so far there is no other cab I could see myself replacing it with. Genzler does offer some tweeter loaded cabs so perhaps those may be more to your liking.....

 

[Jeff Genzler]

Just a follow up comment to some that have found the Bass Array offering a different response in the top end than a tweeter based cabinet design. Certainly everyone has their own needs to what they want to hear from their rig and specific cabinet options that are available. And there are those that might prefer the "snap" that a tweeter loaded cabinet might offer, either in a 410 combination or different cabinet variations. But certainly the Bass Array design does offer that frequency response in top-end range, but it is smoother and thus is not as accentuated in the upper range as would be with a tweeter loaded design. Some think of the BA as more of a reference monitor for the bass instrument. The upper end is there and can be increased with a little treble enhancement via the tone controls or contour controls on amps, other means, (pick up selection, strings, etc). BUT we've always found it is much easier to add something than to take it away from a response characteristic.
And we all have a different set of ears, so we do all hear things differently. And this is also why we do offer other cabinet designs with woofer, tweeter combinations as well.
There is certainly not one cabinet design for all players, which is was just that easy. But not...