How Important IS The Cab?

[cchorney]

The OPs example was great... Hartke and Ampeg cabs have VERY different sounds. You might be able to get an Ampeg like sound out of a Hartke cab and vice versa by tweaking the equal settings on the amp, but you are way better off starting with the sound you like and then using the equal settings to dial in the room.

 

[Pbass67]

Very important (8x10x8x10x8x10x8x10)!!!

 

[SactoBass]

Cab quality is of paramount importance, so I agree with the other TB'ers who share that opinion.

I've had a plethora of cab brands over the past 39 years of playing bass, and I would have to say that I was happiest with Bergantino cabs.

 

[Igotsoul4u]

I personally think the cab is more important then the head. My cabinet costs almost double what I paid for my head. All I know is a great head into a crappy speaker will yield worse results the a crappy head into an amazing cabinet. Proper powering is assumed.

 

[JohnMCA72]

The closer to either end of the signal chain, the more important it is. The speaker (cabinet) is what actually moves the air that your ears hear. I can't imagine what could be more important than that.

 

[billfitzmaurice]

The closer to either end of the signal chain, the more important it is. The speaker (cabinet) is what actually moves the air that your ears hear. I can't imagine what could be more important than that.

+1. The cab is to your sound as your tires are to your car. 500HP won't do you much good if that power can't be effectively transformed into motion, nor does it do you any good to have 100MPH capability if you can't hold the road.