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Ideas? Taking suggestions for cab purchase

mindwell

mindwell

Aug 17, 2006
1,916
3,762
Wichita, KS
www.youtube.com
#1
Hey TB Gearheads,

What ideas do folks have for a standalone, multi-driver cab, no more than 100 lbs--preferably less, because I'm OLD--in the $500 used neighborhood?

Right-hand wise, I play (roughly) 80% fingers, 15% slap, and 5% pick. Taking, for example a Euphonic VL-208 as a clean point of reference, I could stand to have a cab with just a bit more of its own sound. I'd like a full range sound so as to bring out the highs for slap, and accuracy for the low B and C. However, my personal tonal "voice" is in the low-mids around 200 hz (think 1st position on SVT rocker switch), so I'm more about the punch than the boom. Clean and dry--that's me.

Present rig: bass is a Ken Smith CR5, amp is a Markbass F1, and style is 13-piece corporate show/dance band with an emphasis on R&B/soul along with some hot country, rock, and oldies. No Marshalls here! Only low-end competition comes from keyboard. But for that, my bass really provides the base for everything else.

Having set the parameters, what do folks think?
 
#3
Since you ask for suggestions at 500 used, mine are: LDS or fEarful 15-6 if you are lucky enough to see/find one, Avatar TB153 (again, if you can find one used) or GB Neox 212-there's one in the TB classifieds now.
 
#4
Personally I'd save a few more nickles and go fEARful. Invest once and be done, you won't want anything else. going to be very hard finding used, and definitely not@$500, these are too good. If price is definitely the sticking point, there are some DIY options, but you're going to have to understand the engineering behind it and realize lower cost is going to mean lesser performance..
 
#5
Gents (I presume), :hiding:

Thanks so much for the threads and suggestions! Very helpful, and fun to look at what's working for other folks.

I have toyed with going the fEARful route, but I've hesitated because I've generally preferred smaller drivers (10" / 8"). I know it's partly a matter of eq'ing these cabs correctly, but from various comment threads, it also sounds as if having such a tonally balanced speaker means that the humped frequency 'whump' of 10's won't be there. Which is the problem: listening to cabs on YouTube or links here is one thing, but being in the room with them and playing through them is entirely different.:hmm:

In any event, lots of food for thought, and again, thanks. The search continues...
 
#7
I'd suggest fEarfuls too if you're play styles that crosses a wide frequency. Given that you prefer 10"s and 8"s, then maybe have a look at the Megoliath or Henry the 8s. The Ampeg 810s also pop up quite frequently on your local CLs around the $500 mark.
 
#8
To conclude, thanks, everyone, for the suggestions. So, you ask, what did I end up buying? Drum roll please....



...a Bergantino HT322! :hyper: $540 shipped off Ebay. For those who don't know the cab, here are some reviews.

And I couldn't be happier. It's the best bass cab I've ever owned, bar none: Ampeg, Euphonic, Schroeder, Bag End, SWR--best one I've found for me. Outrageously loud, outrageously punchy, outrageously sparkling--and, at 95 lbs, 50 lbs lighter and 1' shorter than my SVT cab. Its voicing is a perfect match for my Smith CR5 and Markbass F1. Guitarist and drummer from my band are speechless, and I'm just happy to have all the frequencies of my instrument reproduced.

So, again, thanks for helping me to think through this decision. It's nice not to have buyer's regret after a blind purchase.
 

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