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MB CMD121P Ext Cab Question

Ed Goode

Ed Goode

Jersey to Georgia
Nov 4, 2004
6,656
1,467
75
Acworth, GA
edgoode.com
#1
I've been using a 121P since last November and I'm amazingly happy with the thing. It's light, it's loud, it handles my ERB's surprisingly well, I happen to really enjoy the voicing of the combo, I don't even mind the yellow-ness of it. In other words, I'm a happy MB combo user :D

When needed, I've been pairing it with an Eden D210XLT, maybe one gig a month .... the rest of the time I just use the 121P. I've also used it with an Eden D115XLT, but I'm not as satisfied tonally with this set-up. While I like the two paired together (121P + 210XLT), the weight of the Eden is wearing me down.

Reading through the assorted MB love-fest threads I see some who have used the 121P with the 102P as well as the 102HF, and most seemed happy with the results. I'm more interested in the 102P for weight-related reasons, though. So my question to the MB users is, how does the 121P/102P pairing match up with 121P/D210XLT in terms of tone/range/performance? I have done the shop test runs for comparison but that's not the same as live playing. Anyone ever used both of these pairings? And would there be any added value to going to the single MB 12 or 15 cabs?

Just for the record .... I'm not at all interested in switching out the 121P, it is too good at what it does and I have no need for a different unit. I like the sound of the MB cab, a lot, and so I'd imagine that a 2nd MB cab would work out well. If it approaches (or better yet, exceeds) the 121P/210XLT pairing I'll be set for a very long time. My large venue days are pretty well over and the occasional festival gigs always have significant PA support ...

Opinions welcome ..... :cool:
 
#3
That's because it's doubtful a lot of people have done it, Ed. I've never heard of people pairing the 121P with a 102 cab of either style. I've heard of a lot of people pairing the 102 cabs with a 15, though.
 
#7
Update:

I was lucky to be able to get my hands on three MB cabs Wednesday night and use them at will all night long with the expanded version (6 pieces) of my classic rock band. Using the 121P combo I was able to pair up to the 102P, the 121H and the 151P.

With a nod to the wisdom that is JimmyM, the 102P was all right but definitely nothing special. Very, very clean sounding but almost too sterile for the ERB's, the cab didn't really add anything but more power. The 121H was better, I got a noticible difference in the lower end with a tad more punch.

But the 151P was clearly what I was looking for. Big bottom, clarity in the mids and very clean chording in the upper ranges, all without having to continually make adjustments at the head to compensate for the desired tone. This pairing allowed me to have the bass's natural tone come rolling through (like most who use the LMII, everything pretty much at 12:00 and VLE/VPE off) .... that's the voicing I've been looking for since I had these basses built .... :D

Problem solved .... a 151P cab is enroute to me from GC ... :cool:
 

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