How Important IS The Cab?

[NKUSigEp]

I don't know if anyone else mentioned this but it really depends on the situation - if you don't have a PA, it's possibly the most important part of the equation but if you only use it to monitor yourself on stage with PA support, then it's importance is determined by how well you need to hear your playing. If you have a couple of stage monitors, then the cab is really just for show. There are guys who don't even use a cabinet and go straight to the PA.

 

[Slowgypsy]

Just love threads like this. :scowl:

Making music with a bass guitar is such an wholistic experience. Every part makes an important contribution. Amp, cab, instrument, strings, pups, technique, etc.

The original question is sort of like, how important are tires on a car?

 

[mc2ny]

The cab choice also determines if you need a roadie and will have to pay him, so you make less for the gig

The head and bass normally don't. So, IMO, that makes the cab decision the more important.

Sometimes I wonder if that is why 810 cabs are made big enough to live in, after going broke from roadies.

 

[NKUSigEp]

The cab choice also determines if you need a roadie and will have to pay him, so you make less for the gig

The head and bass normally don't. So, IMO, that makes the cab decision the more important.

Sometimes I wonder if that is why 810 cabs are made big enough to live in, after going broke from roadies.

Don't forget that not everyone is a professional musician touring the country with three truckloads of gear.

 

[will33]

The speaker is the part that speaks to you, it's what's reproducing all the sound you've generated up the line. If you have a poor quality, bad sounding speaker, you won't hear all the intricate little bits of that stellar sound you've put together with the rest of your equipment.

OTOH, if you have a great speaker that can gloriously reproduce all the fine detail it is given, then you hook it up to a cheap bass and a cheap amp, it's still going to sound cheap.

So, I say, get the best you can afford across all the components. Having one piece really high end and another piece cheap stuff may not sound as good together than if all the pieces working together were medium grade.

 

[Awake DT]

With all of that said I ask:
Have NEO speakers lost the charm of a good cab?

What do you consider your top 5 cabs? (Best sound for buck)

 

[steve_rolfeca]

Technically speaking, the differences in electrical response between amps of roughly equal quality, are pretty small compared to the huge differences between cabs. Cabs are the least linear element in your signal chain.

Practically speaking, like Will33 mentioned, unless money is no object, it's a matter of balance. If you pauper yourself to get a really great cab, and that forces you to drive it with a crap amp, you'll be no further ahead.

The good news, is that there's never been a better time to get a new rig. There's a ton of great-sounding, lightweight cabs and micro heads out there, which has to ease your problems with overseas postage...

 

[mc2ny]

TB,

I've often wondered how important the quality of a Cabinet would really be, and how badly it impacts the sound of the Amp Head.

Say you have an Ampeg SVT head and you plug it into a Hartke VX410 and later you plugged it into an Ampeg SVT cab. Will there be a big difference between the two experiments?

The reason I ask is because I am looking for a new/used amp and I don't really know if I should buy a good amp head and pair it with any cab I can lay my hands on or should I just keep saving up for the best cab to pair it with. To thoroughly explain why I'm having so much trouble: I live in Panama, so not only do I have to buy it in USA, I also have to ship it here, and trust me: it gets expensive.

If I buy a Shuttle 6.0 from Genz-Benz, should I go crazy over what cab I will pair it with or should I get any old working cab? I want a 500 to 600W rig. I'd love to have a 4x10/2x10 + 1x15 or two 2x12 cabs .

Suggestions are desperately welcomed and be patient with my english!

On a more serious answer....

First: I'd buy used if you can. More bang for the buck. Or, if buying new, from now until Jan is the best time, as dealers blow out last year's stock to make room to order new models at NAMM show in Jan.

Second: Figure out which speaker type/size/configuration you get the sound you like best from. Go to a music store and try out 1x15, 2x10, 4x10, etc. Aso be aware if they have a horn/tweeter/attenuator control on the back.

Third: Once you figure out the configuration you like best, make sure it fits in your car along with the other gear you use and might have to transport to gigs or rehearsal. If it doesn't fit, you might want to reconsider something that does fit.

Fourth: Make sure you try our cabs WITH THE SAME MODEL HEAD and the bass you use. Not all cabs sound right with certain heads. Best to use your own bass too.

Fifth: More expensive does NOT mean "better." If you like a certain speaker cab, ask on forums if there is a similar less expensive equivalent.

Sixth: (Gonna get flamed here...) No matter how much you try to perfect "your sound".....once the rest of the band starts playing at a gig, ten feet past the stage no one will be able to tell the difference. And past the ten feet, it will depend on what the soundman does to your bass signal. It's mostly all a big evil marketing scam to sell gear

 

[Joe Louvar]

How Important IS The Cab?

At least as important as the bass guitar, amp, and playing ability.

 

[T Bassman]

It's important to remember that in many cases the cab is essentially just your personal bass 'monitor', ( except in smaller gigs where you don't send a mic or DI signal to FOH).
For me, my head is the 'brain' of my rig, and creates the fundamental personality of my tone in conjunction with my bass and hands. The cab is all about reading what the head puts through it. That said, the cab will 'colour' the heads tone to varying degrees, so it's up to you whether that will effect how you perform, if it just for monitoring purposes.
I've toured Europe with just a VT pedal and BBE Sonic Stomp through a DI, and used whatever wedge was available onstage and had great results.
Ultimately, I think as long as you find a cab that reproduces what you Bass Head is feeding it you'll be happy. Just my 2 cents...

 

[Slowgypsy]

With all of that said I ask:
Have NEO speakers lost the charm of a good cab?

What do you consider your top 5 cabs? (Best sound for buck)

Whatever the top 5 list ends up being in terms of best sound for your buck... GK Neo series cabs would have to be on that list in my opinion. First rate cabs for very, very little money.

 

[ptybass]

On a more serious answer....

First: I'd buy used if you can. More bang for the buck. Or, if buying new, from now until Jan is the best time, as dealers blow out last year's stock to make room to order new models at NAMM show in Jan.

Second: Figure out which speaker type/size/configuration you get the sound you like best from. Go to a music store and try out 1x15, 2x10, 4x10, etc. Aso be aware if they have a horn/tweeter/attenuator control on the back.

Third: Once you figure out the configuration you like best, make sure it fits in your car along with the other gear you use and might have to transport to gigs or rehearsal. If it doesn't fit, you might want to reconsider something that does fit.

Fourth: Make sure you try our cabs WITH THE SAME MODEL HEAD and the bass you use. Not all cabs sound right with certain heads. Best to use your own bass too.

Fifth: More expensive does NOT mean "better." If you like a certain speaker cab, ask on forums if there is a similar less expensive equivalent.

Sixth: (Gonna get flamed here...) No matter how much you try to perfect "your sound".....once the rest of the band starts playing at a gig, ten feet past the stage no one will be able to tell the difference. And past the ten feet, it will depend on what the soundman does to your bass signal. It's mostly all a big evil marketing scam to sell gear

I totally agree with you in all this points, which are very important in the decision making of a overall practical set. Price, sound, seize, weight. Your rig is as good as your weakest link, but one of the most important I think is the cab. A good cab can make a average amp sounding decent and a good amp sounding better and seize does not matter so much as quality components and design. I think most of the bass player here have spending and space limits, so choosing a good starter rig is crucial. From this point you can then grow according to the necessities and financial possibilities.
Keep the grove...

 

[Tom Howland]

Really? I prefer to find the right head first, and then find the cab that sounds best with it. But yes, cabs are important determinant in your tone.

I agree.
To me, the cab is 50% of your amp sound.
You need a good head & cab.

 

[mb94952]

Wow, this thread is very exciting. I'm sure the original poster wasn't expecting a sandstorm of answers.

So many good answers here ! As I said, my SWR's never give me bad tone. I am using a Mesa Walkabout head.

Also, to address the soundman / stage sound (or bedroom/studio vs live venue, etc ), I was using my Peavey Firebass 700 all solid state amp at one show and it was going D.I. through the system. I had so many compliments on my crystal clear tone. Maybe it was because I was using a Peavey Cirrus through a Peavey amp. Either way, the sum of the parts equaled amaing tone that cut through.

For the Neo cab question, I've tried them all and in my opinion, the GK Neo series is at the top for reproducing non-neo tone.

 

[dhomer]

Onstage for me, feel is everything.. I HAVE to have the tone I want, at the volume I need, to be able to be an effective player. Since the cab is at the end of the signal chain, I consider it essential, and the most important part of the rig..

 

[J.KEEFE_bass]

I agree with both guys above. All of my cabs (ok, most of them) are SWR and I NEVER get bad tone.

+1. all of my cabs are SWR Goliath III and I NEVER get bad tone either.

 

[Korladis]

The cab choice also determines if you need a roadie and will have to pay him, so you make less for the gig

The head and bass normally don't. So, IMO, that makes the cab decision the more important.

Sometimes I wonder if that is why 810 cabs are made big enough to live in, after going broke from roadies.

I always move my 2x15 myself, with help from the other band members. My friend was the same with with his 810.

 

[Korladis]

Sixth: (Gonna get flamed here...) No matter how much you try to perfect "your sound".....once the rest of the band starts playing at a gig, ten feet past the stage no one will be able to tell the difference. And past the ten feet, it will depend on what the soundman does to your bass signal. It's mostly all a big evil marketing scam to sell gear

Only if you have PA support. If you don't, your cab is carrying the house... so in that situation it matters quite a bit.

 

[dog1]

Cabinet choice is my #1 concern. I use 2-112 cabs. With any of my amps, my tone and volume is excellent. While different amps don't give the exact same results with the cabs I use, it is your cab (s) that actually reproduce your sound. If I could not afford a quality head and a quality cab, I would save money on the amp head.

 

[MNAirHead]

cab is more important than the amp