I put casters on my AE212, hundreds of gigs later, no problem except caster wear. I'm old, everything has wheels.
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New Bergantino Neo Line; Pt. 2
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I like that answer.
Doug Parent
Supporting Member
...they carry a little fold up hand dolly for $24 that folds up to a very small dimension. Been using that for my AE212 for a long time with great success.
I already have a small folding hand truck, but we move gear by committee. I wouldn't expect someone to use the cart. As I said, everything else in the trailer is on wheels.
So after a long hiatus my band started rehearsing again. My wife graciously allowed us to rehearse at her house. So for the first and second rehearsal I used my new Berg CN212 and my Streamliner 600. Fairly modest volume level...what I would call wine shop levels. The rig sounded good to me. My extremely critical bandmates were impressed, as well. Fast forward to tonight, our third rehearsal. I substituted my Aggie DB 115 loaded with a 4 ohm Faital 15PR400 underneath the 600. To my ears it sounded every bit as good as the Berg and was more even note to note. I was focused on vocals and playing rather than obsessing about tone. My bandmates were raving. They said I was clearer, more forceful in the mix, and had a more rock edge. All settings on the amp were identical to the previous rehearsals. Same bass. A Stambaugh ODB 5 strung with Sadowsky flats. The only difference tonight was that we were playing a touch louder than before. I'm surprised that the DB 115 made the impression that it did. I'm not about to give up on the Berg. I paid way, way too much for it. LOL. We just need to spend more time together. It will get its first gig tryout on May 3rd at a venue famous for being unkind to bass tone. I will report back. 
M. M.
M. M.
I think hearing more edge has to do with getting the volume up higher. I really don't care for my nv610 at home, at low volume. Sounds really dark and congested. At a loud gig it really rocks. I would expect that the faital would sound rather smooth next to the berg, at the same volume anyway.
So after a long hiatus my band started rehearsing again. My wife graciously allowed us to rehearse at her house. So for the first and second rehearsal I used my new Berg CN212 and my Streamliner 600. Fairly modest volume level...what I would call wine shop levels. The rig sounded good to me. My extremely critical bandmates were impressed, as well. Fast forward to tonight, our third rehearsal. I substituted my Aggie DB 115 loaded with a 4 ohm Faital 15PR400 underneath the 600. To my ears it sounded every bit as good as the Berg and was more even note to note. I was focused on vocals and playing rather than obsessing about tone. My bandmates were raving. They said I was clearer, more forceful in the mix, and had a more rock edge. All settings on the amp were identical to the previous rehearsals. Same bass. A Stambaugh ODB 5 strung with Sadowsky flats. The only difference tonight was that we were playing a touch louder than before. I'm surprised that the DB 115 made the impression that it did. I'm not about to give up on the Berg. I paid way, way too much for it. LOL. We just need to spend more time together. It will get its first gig tryout on May 3rd at a venue famous for being unkind to bass tone. I will report back.
M. M.
That Faital speaker with the Streamliner is a beautiful thing. Mix and match. The 3015HO boxes sound wonderful with that head also (even a touch better to me). I'm sure the Streamliner with the CN212 sounds great also. That Streamliner is quite a different thing than most other heads.
Of course, comparing at different volumes and not taking the time to dial in the EQ to optimally match to a given cab makes the comparison a little dicey, but for a Streamliner, my guess is it would be hard to beat that DB cab with that very nice speaker upgrade!
So after a long hiatus my band started rehearsing again. My wife graciously allowed us to rehearse at her house. So for the first and second rehearsal I used my new Berg CN212 and my Streamliner 600. Fairly modest volume level...what I would call wine shop levels. The rig sounded good to me. My extremely critical bandmates were impressed, as well. Fast forward to tonight, our third rehearsal. I substituted my Aggie DB 115 loaded with a 4 ohm Faital 15PR400 underneath the 600. To my ears it sounded every bit as good as the Berg and was more even note to note. I was focused on vocals and playing rather than obsessing about tone. My bandmates were raving. They said I was clearer, more forceful in the mix, and had a more rock edge. All settings on the amp were identical to the previous rehearsals. Same bass. A Stambaugh ODB 5 strung with Sadowsky flats. The only difference tonight was that we were playing a touch louder than before. I'm surprised that the DB 115 made the impression that it did. I'm not about to give up on the Berg. I paid way, way too much for it. LOL. We just need to spend more time together. It will get its first gig tryout on May 3rd at a venue famous for being unkind to bass tone. I will report back.
M. M.
Good review, I've been wondering just how much "Better" the Berg is vs other similar cabs... say a GK NEO 212 with very similar specs at half the price.
Again, define 'better' and define 'similar specs'
For example, the cost of a DB115 with that Faital speaker swap is probably pretty close to the CN212 (the DB cabs are pretty pricey). However, that is where the similarity ends IMO. VERY different voicing and vibe (from my experience with similar 15 Faital and 3015HO cabs built by LDS over the years). With the GK Neo, well.........
That being said, is my $1,800 Glockenklang 'better' than my $600 Aguilar TH500? I don't know, but they sure are different. If you want a Glockenklang, or a Thunderfunk, or a Bergantino or a Fodera or an MTD, etc. (i.e., uber quality products from small manufacturers), you are going to pay more (sometimes significantly more). Whether that cost is worth it is purely personal, since most 'lower end' gear will work just fine for a decent player in most situations.
I guess I default to the cab that costs twice as much to prove that its better not just tonally different. The crossover & tweet on the GK Neo 212 isnt that great but I'm wondering how much that difference has in real world gig performance.
Similar specs... I mean weight, size, watts.
Similar specs... I mean weight, size, watts.
I would just be happy with your GK cab.... they are nice. Again, for those on a budget, these discussions get very circular (is a Sadowsky worth more than an American Standard Fender, is a Fodera worth more than a Roscoe, is an Aguilar cab worth more than a GK cab, etc., etc., etc.).
There are some VERY expensive cabs that you couldn't pay me to play (since their tonality doesn't really match the tone in my head). There is some lower end gear that sounds great to me.
If a Fodera or a Bergantino cab speaks to you better than some other piece of gear, then you will have to pay up
. If a piece of gear that doesn't cost much is 'good enough', then that is a win!As far as similar specs, again, wattage rating of a cab means very little. A two or three way cabs' performance is all about the tuning/voicing of the designer, the quality and voicing of the crossover, and the quality/mechanical capability of the drivers (which has very little if any relationship to 'thermal power rating'. Box stiffness and quality of construction is another issue that is important to some.
The good news for those of us that are willing to pay a bit (or a lot) more to achieve that 'tone in our heads', the additional cost is trivial given how long this stuff lasts (of course, if you are a 'gear churner', that is a bit different thing). A cab that costs $500 more or whatever, over the years and hundreds of gigs it is used on (and after the tax deduction) comes out to pennies per gig for the most part.
Agree with all you said...
Yeah, I keep trying to justify grabbing one of these & supporting the local guy but with the solid performance & price of GK I just can't.
Fender American Deluxe J bass vs Sadowsky? Night & Day with all those electronics problems. The difference in these 2 cabs in terms of build quality... pretty close.
Thanks for the responses. I'll keep with I know & love
Yeah, I keep trying to justify grabbing one of these & supporting the local guy but with the solid performance & price of GK I just can't.
Fender American Deluxe J bass vs Sadowsky? Night & Day with all those electronics problems. The difference in these 2 cabs in terms of build quality... pretty close.
Thanks for the responses. I'll keep with I know & love
NOTHING wrong with the GK stuff, and in general (other than those very cheap combo units) the stuff is a VERY good price value.
Good morning men. Question for you Ken....how would you compare the Glock Blue Soul to the Thunderfunk as far as similarities/differences in sound? I ask because I'm using a TF with a CN212 and think it sounds really good when I run it flat, but I'm not much of a knob tweaker and the thing is a beast at 28 lbs. (lazy/old/yes) I'd like to find something that offers that really clear & true tone, but fat and tight, in a smaller package. I can dirty up the sound in other ways if needed, Agro, etc. I gave the Big Bang a full two day trial and returned it. I was actually disappointed, it was not what I expected. I'll save that for a different post. I have no access to the Glock which is why I ask. If anyone else can add any thoughts please chime in.
VERY different. Much deeper in the low end, WAY more hi fi/treble extended up top, cleaner mids. Definitely not a replacement. I find the closest thing to the TH750 is the Markbass LMIII. A bit more low end, and a bit sweeter top end. Not the same of course, but at 4ohms (wattage is relatively similar), I actually preferred it. Not sure how the Big Bang compares to the LMIII, but reports are they are quite different.
The Aguilar TH500 might make you happy. Similar mid warmth, with that sort of 'organic' top end. However, every head has a particular sound that no amount of knob twisting will change. The Thunderfunk heads are great (gigged a 550 for years, and spent a LOT of time with a 750a), and no other head sounds like them. I guess in micro land, the TH500 or LMIII would be closest to the same 'tone universe ' (i.e., relatively clean, warm, organic, relaxed up top). Another option would be the Puma500 (the newer model). Somewhat similar to the LMIII, but with a bit more oomph and better low mid EQ point.
However, the Glock is NOT in the same tone universe, at all. It has way more 'oomph' than the 750a at 4ohms, but just sounds so, so different.
Edit: One thing to consider is the wonderful Cabbage case that you can buy from Dave. The 750a and 800 are spec'd at 21 pounds. If you get that head out of a rack and use that case (plenty of space for cables), it becomes a bit easier to schlep. The case isn't cheap, but it is a very cool design, and actually quite a bit more protection than a rack. That head looks GOOD sitting on top of the CN212 also. Just a thought. It will still be around 25 pounds or so all together, but the 'briefcase' style case makes it seem lighter.
I am just as guilty as anyone when it comes to this. I see these guys paying $9,000 or whatever for a Fodera Emperor bolt on with single coils, and think 'what the....'
However, they have a line years long waiting for them, and if you want a bass that plays and sounds like a Fodera, well, then there you go (been there, done that too... although a decade ago when they weren't as crazy expensive)!One man's 'crazy waste of money' is another man's 'money well spent'
It is a fine line between 'a fool and his money are soon parted' and 'you get what you pay for'!
I'm curious, when you say you're running it flat (which I agree, sounds great) are you also running the Timbre knob right on the middle detent? With that head and similar cabs I always rolled it a bit to the CCW direction (just 1 "dot" or less on the scale).
Actually Jeff that is exactly one of the minor adjustments I've made. I like the head a lot, I'm just thinking smaller, lighter, less to fiddle with. I like to set it and forget it.
. I do like the sound.
I found the Big Bang to be overly warm. Warm to the point of sounding unfocused, if I can say it that way. Not muddy, just unfocused. I found this underlying weird vibe going on with the overall sound no matter what I did with the EQ. It's like this new baked in warm/weird thing going on. My LMII never had that vibe. I will say that little sucker is powerful and LOUD...it's definitely got cojones.
I thought of the TH500, I've used one with my Baer in the past. I was a little worried that it might be too warm, and not clean/tight/punchy enough. And when I say punchy I mean throwing out a focused articulate note, even at higher volume. I guess tight/punchy can be the same thing to me. I could always order a TH500 from one of the big online retailers for a test drive and return it if need be. Part of my problem is I'm evolving and actually starting to find my own identity as a bass player, and I have the idea in my head, the sound I'm trying to hear, I just need to find the amp to help me get there. Bass I'm good, cab I'm good, I think.
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