Maybe an ignorant question

[Eddie Jones]

I am new to bass, just getting started. I have been playing guitar a while, albeit not that well, but have always loved the bass for the groove. I am starting from scratch but have some guitar equipment that I could make work for now I think. I have a DM cab with a 12" Peavey Black widow. Could I use a solid state head with that speaker and get a passably good sound for home playing and practicing? I used the Black widow cabs for guitar and a little Hotone head to just mess around but would the 12" BW be able to handle bass playing?

 

[bholder]

Only if very very quietly. Bass frequencies tend to shred guitar speakers.

 

[Eddie Jones]

Only if very very quietly. Bass frequencies tend to shred guitar speakers.

Thanks for the response. Right now, "quietly" is what I would do. I will get something dedicated to bass as I progress.

 

[basscooker]

I think with that driver, the answer to the question lies with the cab it's in. IIRC Black Widow is the designation for Peavey's premium bass speakers. I could be wrong but I think you actually have a bass driver. Tell us more about the cab, and what amp you want to use.

 

[Eddie Jones]

It is an old Dean Markley 12" cab covered in Butterscotch tolex. Worked great for guitar although a little muffled unless cranked.

 

[Eddie Jones]

Amp, for the time being,will probably be a solid state amp head

 

[basscooker]

Is the speaker the original?
Was the cab marketed as a bass cab?
Is it open back?
What can or have you been able to real as far as any model numbers or cone markings on the driver?
If you do in actuality have a bass driver, you're at lower risk of damage, no matter the cab details.

 

[Eddie Jones]

Not sure on originality of speaker. It is open back. I'll check for markings.

 

[charlie monroe]

There were several iterations of BW speakers. Not all were designed for bass frequencies.

 

[Eddie Jones]

I checked. Looks original. Absolutely no markings on driver. Huge black coated/painted magnet. Silver grill screen in center seen from back of magnet. Chrome center from front.

 

[pfschim]

Not sure on originality of speaker. It is open back. I'll check for markings.

open back generally will be a guitar cab

 

[pfschim]

I use a 70's era Fender Champ to play bass quietly when my usual gear is set up elsewhere.
Its not loud, pretty loaded on the upper mids/treble side as far as tone (its a guitar amp after all), tends to distort pretty easily, but it works fine for very quiet practice.

good luck

 

[basscooker]

Theres the answer. Yeah OP not much good happening there. It MIGHT be a guitar driver, AND its open back. Id say just keep low end at way down and keep it quiet until you get a bass rig or combo.

 

[Eddie Jones]

open back generally will be a guitar cab

Thanks..I'll probably just get a cheap combo like a Rumble to start with

 

[pfschim]

and welcome to TB and the wonderfully interesting world of bass playing.
its good you came over to the low side when you did ... so many great gear options, at all price levels, for bass players these days compared to when I started.

enjoy!

 

[Riff Ranger]

If you can get up to Nashville, I hear people are literally giving away old Peavey bass cabs (with Black Widow bass drivers in them), presumably now that there's so much lighter stuff readily available.

 

[LoTone]

Pictures of your gear could help us sort this out.

 

[CryingBass]

Welcome to Talk Bass. As the guys above point out ( and in my 2cent words ) maybe you pickup a small combo made for Bass Guitar ( BG ) and save your amp/speakers. Or, take the route most dudes on this site would do: Blow it up, then start the GAS Cycle ( gear acquisition syndrome )!

 

[Ostie]

Peavey BW driver in a Dean Markley cab is not original, but that doesn’t really change anything. It’s a guitar cab, and if you crank it, you will blow it. Save yourself the trouble and get a bass cab. It will sound better and last longer.

There are hundreds of Peavey TKO and TNT combos out there, usual asking price is $150. If you can find one for $100 it’s probably worth it. Test it, if it works, it will probably keep working. Peaveys are built like a brick poop house.

 

[Downunderwonder]

Pictures of your gear could help us sort this out.

Not really. An open back cab is nearly the same as having no cab wrt low end bass frequencies.