Need it louder. Guitar players super loud.

[Five or Six]

Just my opinion. All your doing by adding speakers or another cabinet to just get louder isn't the answer. This is adding to what you are complaining about. You can do that and still add to the quality of your overall sound as long as the guitar player turns his crap down. It will solve nothing if you get "louder"!

The entire band needs to come down, bottom line! How do you hear vocals, or isn't that an issue? Or, doesn't it matter? Record your band at the current volume and see what that shows. Review it as a band. Seems to me your drummer would complain if he can't hear you? All the guitar player is doing is creating a situation where your crowd will bail by the second set, if it takes that long? Blues need to be tasty.

I don't care what music it is, blowing an audience out the door is uncalled for! You won't play much with that rep! Quitting solves nothing unless no middle ground can be reached.

 

[mrjim123]

As an old man (71) with some hearing loss and hearing aids I second "find another band".

 

[Grinderman]

The OP ought to be asking how to save his hearing, or he won't.

Perhaps, though I don't see my place is to be the OP's dad. Maybe the guitar player is truly way too loud; maybe they're an ass, but we don't know.

It's the OP's situation; they're in it. They're ultimately the best equipped to decide what they want and what to do. The best we can do is help by answering to the question/s they asked.

Can't help based on a lot of assumptions.

 

[socknroll1]

Sounds like 2 1x12s isn’t enough.

As long as we're nitpicking (hey, what is the internet for, right?), the OP did not say that. It sounds like he hasn't even tried 2 1x12s, yet anyway.

 

[Slough Feg Bass]

first, get yourself some custom molded earplugs, you will use them way more than you realize.

second, more speakers, more loud.

I play in a metal band and use a 4x12 cab with a preamp/poweramp setup, and more often than not, the guitar players are asking me to turn down because I am shaking the foundations. if you gonna play loud, then make sure you are equipped to handle it. Some shows I use 2 fridges on each side of the stage and sounds awesome.

 

[_Some Dude]

FWIW, I find my 800w amp and 115 borderline underpowered with my band. Adding a second cab let’s me use all 800w, which helps considerably.

I know you said you don’t want two cabs, but I’m not sure where you’re going to find a 4ohm 112 that can handle 700w.

 

[Grinderman]

I run an Aguilar tone hammer 700 and a single 112 Aguilar 8ohm cab.
This band that I just joined practices at such a high volume but I can't hear the detail in my playing that I would prefer.
The Aguilar cab is rear ported.
I'm considering a new 4ohm cab so that I can get the full 700 Watts out of the amp.
I do own a second 112 8ohm cab but I hate to have to schlep two cabs and an amp to every rehearsal.
Will a single 4 ohm cab make a big difference? Would a front port vs rear Port make a big difference.
Suggestions welcome.

Another question about the situation in the rehearsal space... I gather leaving one of the two 112 cabs you have at the space isn't an option, or a good option, true?

//The drummer and the guitar player/s are schlepping in and out ll of their gear too?

 

[Jeff Scott]

Is the drummer under control?

Yes, he is.

 

[iiipopes]

Turn down instead. When the guitar players and drummer say they can't hear you, tell them they are too loud and to turn down their rig instead.

 

[satantango]

Turn down instead. When the guitar players and drummer say they can't hear you, tell them they are too loud and to turn down their rig instead.

"Sorry, this is as loud as it goes"

 

[Zooberwerx]

Virtually an irreparable defect. If you can’t keep up with a modest rig, time to bail. IOW, I’m not spending any more of my hard-earned dough because YOU can’t turn down.

Riis

 

[jdjk7]

I run an Aguilar tone hammer 700 and a single 112 Aguilar 8ohm cab.
This band that I just joined practices at such a high volume but I can't hear the detail in my playing that I would prefer.
The Aguilar cab is rear ported.
I'm considering a new 4ohm cab so that I can get the full 700 Watts out of the amp.
I do own a second 112 8ohm cab but I hate to have to schlep two cabs and an amp to every rehearsal.
Will a single 4 ohm cab make a big difference? Would a front port vs rear Port make a big difference.
Suggestions welcome.

If you don't like the idea of carrying two smaller cabs to rehearsal, I'm not sure carrying a single, bigger, heavier cab will do you much better anyway...

My suggestion: Try the rig with the two 1x12s. If you like it, then leave one of the 12s at the rehearsal space, so you only have to move one. Then, when you have a gig, just grab it from there (or, if the space is a bandmate's house or something, see if they could transport the other cab for you). That's how one of my drummers does it-- he just leaves his kit at the rehearsal space (keys players' basement) and then grabs it before the gig. He's working on getting a second kit together so we don't have to do this, but this method has worked for us for years.

It would be a little bit of logistics work, but at least you wouldn't be lugging both cabs around all the time.

I'm personally switching two a "two smaller cabs vs one big cab" setup for myself for the opposite reason-- I'm sick of carrying one big cab around all the time even if I could use one small cab for small gigs and two small cabs for big gigs.

 

[mambo4]

I can't hear the detail in my playing that I would prefer.

one thing not mentioned enough here is speaker placement
If the only problem is the fidelity of what you hear,
then get your cab off the floor and next to year ears.
A TH700 + 112 placed a foot or two away from your head
will probably be loud enough for the details

If the gigs you play have FOH support, then problem solved

The best stage sound I ever got was from an unplugged 6x10 cab that I used to prop up my 112

 

[Rumfoord]

Hand truck??

I'm firmly in the just-bring-both-112s-duh camp. Did you buy two 112s for some other reason?? No, exactly this one! And needing more than one 112 cab is NOT crazy for a band with a drummer. You seem to have acquired a 700w amp, so...you already know a thing or two about ear protection, yes? I SHOUDL HOPE SO!!!1!! If you're not playing with earplugs already, then why even have a tone hammer? There are probably even better/smaller solutions to this problem if your volume context is really that low (like: try a combo, or try a preamp into the PA, maybe in-ears, etc).


(I don't think anyone answered this already...) a 4 ohm 2x12 is not going to be different than two 8 ohm cabs—a 4 ohm 2x12 just has two 8 ohm speakers inside. Of course, the different drivers, cab dimensions, sensitivities, etc will make it sound slightly different.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I run an Aguilar tone hammer 700 and a single 112 Aguilar 8ohm cab.
This band that I just joined practices at such a high volume but I can't hear the detail in my playing that I would prefer.
The Aguilar cab is rear ported.
I'm considering a new 4ohm cab so that I can get the full 700 Watts out of the amp.
I do own a second 112 8ohm cab but I hate to have to schlep two cabs and an amp to every rehearsal.
Will a single 4 ohm cab make a big difference? Would a front port vs rear Port make a big difference.
Suggestions welcome.

To answer you question, in general more speakers will create more dBs than watts. Buying a different 4 ohm 112 cab is not going to help you much. A 212 cab, or a 215 cab sounds more like what you are going to need. When shopping, the cabs should be efficient. the higher the efficiency, the more dBs per watt.

Just a couple of things, one make sure you amp is EQ's correctly. You need low mids more so than uber low bass. Secondly try getting your speaker cab closer to ear level Check these suggestions out before investing more money in this band.

Thirdly, you need ear protection and I can't state this enough. Ear filters ( not ear plugs or cotton wads) are sold at GC and are affordable, and the sound is much like the real thing, only less loud. Better yet, an trip to an audiolgist for a custom fit ear filter is better yet. You only get one set of ears. An investment to protect them is a wise decision!

 

[coy garcia]

maybe check out the Big Boob Bass cabs...4ohm, small, light, and stupid loud.

 

[Swampish]

Our drummer has kind of forced our hand at upping the levels. We (maybe just I) are working to isolate him with sound panels to help cut his volume, but I'm using a 2x10 that is quite punchy and has a fair amount of definition. Possibly smaller speakers might give you more definition and help to cut through the mix, even when the volumes are ever more reasonable. All I know is that they seem less muddy than 12s and 15s and might be a better option for you. Good luck!

 

[Medicine Man]

Front or rear porting, no difference. But don’t position the rear port against a wall that impedes airflow. As others have said, you need more speakers. Try the guitar player’s speaker cab and blow them imposing speakers.

Note to guitar player: If you’re a good player, you don’t have to play loud. The audience will listen.

I’ve never heard of a band being asked to turn up. I have heard requests to turn down.

We used to get asked to turn up all the time.

 

[Killing Floor]

I'm seeing awfully quick reacts suggesting the OP quit over a situation where a single 8 ohm 1 x 12" cab isn't moving enough air to keep up with the volume of the guitar player/s. That's not even close to utilizing the full capacity of the OP's amp head.

Maybe they're joking.

The OP says they're super loud but with such little contextual information I'm not sure how loud that actually is. I'd probably look at getting a Barefaced cab.

This exactly.
If it’s a jazz combo playing at a steak house “too loud” means I can’t speak with my lovely wife without raising my voice. If it’s a rock band, too loud means the second guitarist has 2 stacks instead of one and probably needs to kill one amp for rehearsals. I get that. Uneven isn’t the same as too loud. “Uneven” isn’t a product of thinking James Taylor is edgy. That’s just a balance issue and easily fixed. As a bassist and a guitarist I think stomping off and quitting because someone is playing at rock’n’roll normal volume is overreacting at best.

But there’s nothing wrong with asking them to dial down while you’re learning the material. Good luck.

 

[JimChjones]

a 4 ohm 2x12 is not going to be different than two 8 ohm cabs—a 4 ohm 2x12 just has two 8 ohm speakers inside.

This. Realistically there isn't a way of getting significantly more volume than your one cab that won't give you as much weight and physical volume to carry around as your 2 1x12s. Unless of course you can persuade the guitar player that as he's creating the problem he should store and transport the second cab [grin]. If your cabs are larger and heavier than the current state of the art there are gains to be made by replacing with modern lightweight compact kit, but it's not likely to be that great unless your current stuff is really old school.