• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Need some help... Adding another cab to my rig

J

jbasso

Mar 1, 2006
107
1
Hugo, MN
#1
Well as some of you know, I got my first "real" rig not too long ago

GK Backline stuff...210BLX-II cab with a BL600 head.

Sounds great. Awesome tone after some playing around with the eq. One problem I have, is that now I am in a band, I have to play it even louder than I do in a personal setting. I basically have to crank it to be heard at practice. With the volume up, the tone turns from amazing, to amazingly boomy, in a bad way... It sounds muddy and sort of distorted I suppose. If I had some recording gear, I could let you hear, but I dont.

Anyways, I figured I might as well add another cab to my rig to keep the clarity I have when I play by myself, but as a higher volume when I am playing with the band, ya know?

I play in a post-hardcore band, all original songs, which are somewhat driven by the bass, so I want to have a cutting tone. Im not really up on what to look for to get what I am looking to get out of my rig. I dont even know what cabs will work, to be honest with you. I dont even really understand what these "ohms" are, and I am worried those might have something to do with what I need to buy. I need to do some research on some terms, unless you would be so kind as to explain it to me ;)

Budgetwise, no more than 400, even that is pushing it. At 17, currently no job, I dont have much of a budget.

Any tips/help is highly appreciated. Thanks for taking your time to help:smug:
 
#2
before you go and by another cab, make sure your amp can handle it. First find out what your amp is rated at in ohms. Check the Manufacturers specs. Then check what your cab is rated for.

If your amp is rated @ 4 ohms and you have a 4 ohm cab, then thats all you can have. you cannot add another cab to that amp.
The minimum impedence has been met, max wattage has been met

If your amp is rated @ 4 ohms and your current cab is rated at 8 ohms, you can add another 8 ohm cab. Now you will be pushing maximum amp wattage, and impedence.

If your cab is rated @ 2 ohms, you can have 2- 4 ohm cabs, or 4- 8 ohm cabs, or a mix like 2- 8 ohm cabs and a single 4 ohm cab you are then maxed out and your amp is running max wattage

Check the other threads, there is alot of info there.

So if your amp can handle another cab, and you want to buy new, I would suggest an Avatar 212 to go with your 210.
I just got mine today and it rocks
 
#3
Just checked my head/cab

amp is rated 4 ohms, cab is 8

So this means I can add another 8 ohm cab without issue? Sounds good

I hear lots of good things about the avatar line. Any suggestions of an online sotre that may carry them? There arent many good music stores around me. There is a GC, which is where I got my GK stuff, but I am unsure if they carry Avatar.
 
#7
The backline is what like 300 watts into 4 ohm ? (that's a guess) That isn't a whole lot of power but ... with 1 efficient cab, you can still get pretty loud. OK efficiency in this case means making more loud with the watts you got!

A couple of thoughts.

Buy used and make your budget go a bit farther.

An old Peavey 2x15 with Black Widow's woud be friggin' loud and pretty full with the Backline. You could do better tonally, but you also need the db's. and with a decent ear and judicious use of the backline's eq, it will sound OK, not killer, OK. Won't set you back too far either. Killer costs like all outdoors, no exceptions.

I recently sold a Sunn 2x15 loaded with very efficient JBL 15 for $300. That was best I could get locally and as I didn't want to deal with packing and shipping - I let it go. Watch Craigslist for a deal in your area.

Older speaker cab's tend to be larger and tend to be more efficient - louder per watt. They can also be thrashed. Try before you buy.

and of course, to develop full power, your GK needs to be 4 ohms. So do what you have to, to run it at 4 ohm...

Good luck in the hunt!
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back