Minimum spec for audible B string.

IME it's more about the "growl" than about faithfully reproducing the lowest fundamentals at volume. (Apparently there is this "psychoacoustic" effect where our brains perceive a lower note even when our ears are mostly receiving harmonics, not the actual pitch.)
I've always had best results, blending in the bridge pickup at least 50% and having some "presence" in the amp setup. Smaller diameter woofers seem to help in that regard - I'm not interested in having a sub-woofer onstage.
I had one of my best ever low B experiences last night, rehearsing for a Jazz quintet with Acme Low-B1 (10" woofer, 5" mid driver + tweeter). The bass - Warwick Streamer Stage I - is particularly growly and the drummer was playing down to an acoustic piano and un-mic'd horns.
Obviously more woofers & wattage will be required as the volume increases. But IME mud can be a low B's biggest enemy.
HTH

 

I’m not sure you can really put a couple of numbers on it and say for sure that a setup will do the job of amplifying the lowest notes of a 5/6 stringer.

I have an AER amp one and it kicks hard down low at very impressive volumes for its size. Great for rehearsals and gigs in small venues or with quieter bands. Loud rock? No, you need to move more air.

My Greenboy F112 is ridiculous for the lows, but it buries many much bigger cabs, so I’d just suggest trying stuff out until you find what works for you. If you’re looking for compact and great performance, Greenboy are great.

 

What happens when you use one cabinet (either one) but not both?

 

Do it.
Speakers out of phase will lose the lows.

 

Curious - what style of music are you playing where you need the heavy bottom? Metal? Reggae?

 

When you write that the low B is not audible do you mean there is no sound or that the low B lacks fundamental?

 

Check your B for a good witness point over the bridge. Detune and press firmly in front of bridge. That could be it.
I use a little 1x8 for practice and the B is there and balanced. Play some other 5s and see if they sound different to you. Just problem solving.

 

Lmao! Good one!

 

He stated the B is fine on his 2x8 at home.

There's a real possibility that two cabinets of different brands may be out of phase, especially if the 1x15 is an older JBL driver.

 

Phasing is the culprit.

Minimal spec for tone from a low B is, bump up 300-800hz. Bump down 100-20 hz. Do that, and you'll hear your low notes through anything.

 

Was that from Fury Road?

 

Maybe, maybe not. Without doing some of the troubleshooting I suggested, it’s nothing but a wild ass guess.

 

I'm proud of you, talkbass. No one yet has chimed in with the simple, concise, and wrong answer that the fundamental of the low B is 31hz therefore you need a speaker that is flat at 31hz to hear the low B.

Thr MB500 has plenty of oomph down there. Most modern ported cabs (that are in phase) will do the low B job just fine. Fwiw, I use a high pass filter at usually around 40 or 50hz.

 

Absolutely. I play a 35" scale Ibanez just so that I can have a really strong B string. I play it through a HPF and either a single 112 or a pair of them. It sounds like house on fire. I can guarantee I'm not getting much of anything in the 31hz frequency. Psychoacoustics or something. Freaky stuff.

 

Like others have said, maybe the cabs are out of phase.