Double Bass New Acoustic Image 'DOUBLESHOT'

[BassChuck]

I have one in a 14x14 tom case. Works fine.
BTW, I'm visiting from the EB side. I use the Double shot with my fretless and it works great. I play music theatre pits and big band. Claris SL amp. Never had a volume issue. For me clarity is the issue and this speaker and amp work well together. I've yet to try it with the GK 200 or Markbass III, I suspect the low end will be too much with those amps.
On that point, I do feel the speaker sounds best up off the floor. I have a small folding foot stool that works very well.
cheers.

 

[JeffreyG]

I'm considering a doubleshot and would like the advice of this group. I purchased a Quilter BB800 last year and have been loving the sound and portability (it replaced a GK 400RB IV as my main head). I'm currently running it through an Avatar 2x10. I was considering downsizing my cab to improve portability.

When Quilter announced the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] that seemed like a no brainer... but haven't pulled the trigger yet. Now reading about the doubleshot has me re-thinking.

I play both DB and EB - but rarely on the same gig. EB tends to be typical bar gigs (americana/roots/blues rock for the most part) with FOH support. DB gigs are bluegrass and/or acoustic folk/country with no drummer.

My biggest concern with the Doubleshot would be the rock bar gigs. From a volume perspective with the larger speaker surface area and 4 ohm vs 8 (comparing to the BassDock) I think the doubleshot would be fine. But I'm worried the unique format would not perform well in a typical bar gig backline. The 2x10 avatar will likely remain an option so I'm not dead in the water if it doesn't work though.....

Long story short (too late) - Doubleshot vs BassDock for a doubler that rarely doubles on the same gig.

 

[Ric Vice]

I’d think one the Quilter docking cabs
would work better for Doubling.

 

[PB+J]

Ok if someone is willing to indulge me I'm also wondering about doubling. I do mostly upright gigs now and my electric gigs are lower volume. I used to use a GenzBenz 2x12 for loud electric gigs but it got ruined in a flood. Can't bring myself to get rid of it. I have an epifani 1x12 that's really great--did an electric gig with it last night and it was more than loud enough with a Clarus head. Can the Doubeshot work better than the Epifani 1x12 for electric gigs? And can it get louder/fuller? I don't expect it to replace the GenzBenz 2x12, but the GB was more than I need anymore anyway.

Can any electric players give a little more detail about the sound and the voicing? Mike Goodbar I await your report!

 

[basss]

I asked @Mark Gollihur this question and he said that while the Doubleshot is the better for electric bass than any cab AI has put out it's still not going to have the punch and focus of a traditional cab. He said it would work fine for theater pits, acoustic music but maybe not for rock. I imagine its sound is more spread out with the side firing drivers and doesn't have the kick drum like punch and focus that a regular cab has. Would like to hear more from those with experience with this cab on electric too as I do theater pit and acoustic gigs on electric and a 15lb cab sounds nice.

 

[jmlee]

I asked @Mark Gollihur this question and he said that while the Doubleshot is the better for electric bass than any cab AI has put out it's still not going to have the punch and focus of a traditional cab. He said it would work fine for theater pits, acoustic music but maybe not for rock. I imagine its sound is more spread out with the side firing drivers and doesn't have the kick drum like punch and focus that a regular cab has. Would like to hear more from those with experience with this cab on electric too as I do theater pit and acoustic gigs on electric and a 15lb cab sounds nice.

I've had quite a bit of opportunity to use the DoubleShot in an 18-piece big band situation, both with upright and with electric bass. Due to some rehearsals stacking up, I've used the DoubleShot and EB with the big band for a few weeks in a row and really gotten a feel for what it can do in a *reasonably* loud setting. While I love this little cab for upright, it's just OK for electric. The tonally neutral quality of all the AI cabs is certainly present in the DoubleShot and it takes quite a bit of EQ to get something approaching an interesting EB sound from it—and that would pose some issues in a doubling setting. It has no problem handling a 5-string and that's nice. Would I use it in a rock and roll setting? Almost certainly not. I have other cabs which will do that better—but admittedly at 35 lbs apiece rather than 15. Would I use if for a low-volume coffee house type thing? Yeah, maybe...especially since it kind of disappears into the stage and that can be nice, tucked into a corner of a restaurant. I just finished playing Newsies at my daughter's school and toyed with the idea of taking the DoubleShot. In the end I didn't and used an Eden CXC112 combo which was much more the thing, even though it's a ridiculously heavy pig of an amp to move (fortunately just in and a week later back out). For me, the DoubleShot is a great upright cab and an OK electric cab in the right situation. Easily worth having.

 

[JeffreyG]

Thanks guys... confirmed my suspicions that it's not going to be one size fits all solution (that probably will never exist huh....).

Now I just need to decide if the doubleshot is the right solution for DB anyway and stick with the 2x10 for the rock stuff, or pull the trigger on the BassDock....

 

[Mike Goodbar]

I used the DoubleShot for a medium-loud electric gig in a bar Saturday night. Band was gtr/bs/drums with two female vocalists. Guitar and vocals were through a Bose L1 setup, and bass and drums were stage volume. Along with the DoubleShot, was using a 1966 Fender Jazz bass through my AI Focus 2R Series III head. Repertoire is pop covers, from Maroon 5 to Otis Redding to Bonnie Raitt. Standard bar fare.

I pretty much agree with the assessments above...although it was plenty loud enough to fill the club and compete with the drums handily, it spread the sound around rather “punching” it forward. That said, even with the cab on the floor I could hear myself perfectly and clearly, as could the rest of the band. I could feel the "gut rumble" when I hit the E string, and overall, I'd say the sound was very "present" and consistent on the bandstand, no matter where I stood. Reports from musicians in audience were favorable...said I could be heard perfectly throughout the room, and tone was warm and distinct.

Maybe it's because my ear leans toward upright, but I personally did not miss the the forward punch of the 12" Genzler cab I'd have normally used in this room. However, now using an all-AI rig, the sound is very uncolored, maybe even a bit dull with this bass...will explore using an outboard preamp to liven up the sound a bit.

One interesting note is that I felt a much quicker, cleaner respose from finger to sound than from my 12" cabinet. Not sure why this might be, but don't think it was my imagination. I set the rig on a tall barstool at one point to hear how it sounded off the floor, and it did change the tone dramatically. I thought it sounded a little thinner, and I had to roll some bass into the tone. I'd still, like to try it off the floor but a little closer next time, maybe use an amp stand.

In summary, at this point in the game I agree that this rig has an edge for upright, but will continue to use it as my main rig for both. I have a Clarus SL 2 on the way, and can't wait to stroll into each gig, electric, upright, or doubling, with my entire amp rig in a backpack.

 

[OogieWaWa]

Great info in the last four or five posts, folks, just what I needed to hear. Thanky kindly.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

Adding a bit of low mids could be the way to add a bit more character to the EB tone..

 

[Mike Goodbar]

Adding a bit of low mids could be the way to add a bit more character to the EB tone..

Yes, the new Clarus has a 4-channel EQ as opposed to 3 on the Focus. Can maybe dial in a better tone with that configuration.

 

[Jazzdogg]

I would make a separate thread for this, but i think many people who regularly check on this thread might have an answer for me:

Anyone know of a good bag (presumable a tom-tom bag) that could fit the Doubleshot AND a series iii clarus at the same time? I'm thinking I'd just put the clarus on one of the speaker faces for schlepping so i could have everything in one bag. the alternative would be to just strap the clarus bag to the outside of another tom bag. any thoughts?

Have you seen Meinl Cajon bags?

I use one to carry a Crazy8 (small speaker) and an AI head, with room for cables. A second bag holds a Crazy88.

The ones I bought are "fleece" lined, with handy straps and an outside pouch. Well made.

 

[jmlee]

Have you seen Meinl Cajon bags?

I use one to carry a Crazy8 (small speaker) and an AI head, with room for cables. A second bag holds a Crazy88.

The ones I bought are "fleece" lined, with handy straps and an outside pouch. Well made.

I used to carry a Barefaced One 10 around in in of those bags, likely not their best bag. Well made, but not really protective. Size could be right. Worth a look. I’m getting by with the AI backpack—but *never* as a backpack.

 

[Sean Riddle]

I did a free improv show last night and the Clarus/Doubleshot combo was superb for it. I used my Ischell into an Art Tube Mic Preamp into the Clarus. The little tube pre helped solve some little sonic issues I was having with clarity at higher volumes with the Ischell and Clarus, and I think it got me really near the never ending MBOL search. Pizz was round and clear and normal arco and extended techniques came through with no issue. I’m gonna look into getting a nicer tube pre down the line, but I think I may have found my amplification setup for the foreseeable future.

 

[james condino]

I don't do a lot of electric bass gigs. It was able to handle the Boss OC2 sub-octave trick with flying colors though.

You were able to use both octaves on the OC2 successfully with this tiny cab??????

 

[Sean Riddle]

You were able to use both octaves on the OC2 successfully with this tiny cab??????

Just the first octave. I never use the second octave. After a few weeks in though I'm definitely thinking of saving up to get a cab for electric bass/doubling gigs. The Doubleshot is really really nice for double bass and while it sounds nice for electric bass, it really isn't the best. Still I dig this cab for the double bass gigs I do.

 

[Jazzdogg]

Please keep us posted (perhaps best in a separate thread) about your search for tube pre-amps.

 

[Ric Vice]

Please keep us posted (perhaps best in a separate thread) about your search for tube pre-amps.

If you haven't already checked it out you might want to take a look at the Octal V8 as a tube preamp. Piro Patten has one and loves it. So do a few others. My take is that unlike the Grace Designs Felix that I own,
most tube musical instrument preamps don't have a lot of the features found on the Felix, so you'd want to take that into account.

 

[Jazzdogg]

If you haven't already checked it out you might want to take a look at the Octal V8 as a tube preamp. Piro Patten has one and loves it. So do a few others. My take is that unlike the Grace Designs Felix that I own,
most tube musical instrument preamps don't have a lot of the features found on the Felix, so you'd want to take that into account.

Thanks, Ric! I'll check i out.

 

[Michael Drost]

I purchased a 3D printer recently and had my first go at designing a mounting bracket for the Doubleshot. It is based on my previous design. This 3D stuff is new territory, for sure.

I hope you all are happy and healthy!