I recently bought a new sound set up in place of my Ampeg BA210. I bought a used British made Trace Elliot GP7SM 130 amp to power a used Bag End 15 cabinet. Although I am extremely pleased with the tone (especially the midrange ) that the amp and cabinet produces, It doesn't seem to put out that room rumbling low end I expected from a 15. The same room rumbling lows that my Ampeg could produce with the two tens. Am I missing something or might I have something connected wrong? This is the first time I have had a separate amp from the cabinet. Is there a way to maybe add something to get the lows I want?
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No Bottom end to my Bag End 15
- Thread starter bigbzbassline
- Start date
I believe that's just the way it is with that cab. As you've just learned, speaker diameter is almost irrelevant to the sound you'll get.
Assuming you're talking about an S15D they are not known for their extreme low end. They are cut off at 50hz IIRC.
They really shine in a mix though, so make sure you try it out in a band environment if you can.
They really shine in a mix though, so make sure you try it out in a band environment if you can.
I own the same Bag End and run a Eden 2x10 separately.
The Bag End does not have the low end that the Eden does.
The Eden is rated for 31 Hz. Different animal.
The Bag End does have great mid range, very loud and punchy for a 15".
I do boost the lows & low mids and it holds up very well to my active low B basses.
B.E. does make a S15 deep cab and their single 18 is killer for blues w/ an upright bass.
The Bag End does not have the low end that the Eden does.
The Eden is rated for 31 Hz. Different animal.
The Bag End does have great mid range, very loud and punchy for a 15".
I do boost the lows & low mids and it holds up very well to my active low B basses.
B.E. does make a S15 deep cab and their single 18 is killer for blues w/ an upright bass.
Yes. After posting this, I went to the specs page for the Bag End SD15 and saw the low was a mere 50 HZ. I'm guessing I could add a 12 with a lower frequency range ?
That's another whole can of worms. You never know what the pair will sound like together until you try it. Might be great, might be awful as the cabs cancel and/or reinforce certain frequencys. Total crapshoot. You're usually better off just starting over.
I have an S15-D and you're right, they don't have an abundance of low end throb as they only go down to 50 Hz and I suspect that the response is somewhat rolled off at the low end of its range. I have found several ways to get the most low end out of them ...
1) Use a pair of them ... the low end response and efficiency improvement as a result of speaker coupling with these cabinets borders on remarkable.
2) When using just one S15-D, put it on the floor to couple with the stage and have the rear of the cab be a foot or two from a wall for the bass off the rear port to bounce off of and project out.
3) Use an amp where the bass control center point is 60 - 80 Hz. The bass control on my Tech 21 RPM preamp is centered @ 80 Hz and thumps nicely with my S15-D.
4) Play a P-Bass through it as it has little to no frequency response below 50 Hz anyway. ;^)
1) Use a pair of them ... the low end response and efficiency improvement as a result of speaker coupling with these cabinets borders on remarkable.
2) When using just one S15-D, put it on the floor to couple with the stage and have the rear of the cab be a foot or two from a wall for the bass off the rear port to bounce off of and project out.
3) Use an amp where the bass control center point is 60 - 80 Hz. The bass control on my Tech 21 RPM preamp is centered @ 80 Hz and thumps nicely with my S15-D.
4) Play a P-Bass through it as it has little to no frequency response below 50 Hz anyway. ;^)
With the exception of the newest Neo offerings, it's one of the most compact and lightest commercially available 15's out there. They certainly could be lighter, but I can't complain.
When I got my pair of Bags, they were dirt cheap used, half the price of a single new neo cab.
keep in mind that while the BE's are known for punchy low mids/mids, 50hz is well in the useable bass range for a balanced band mix. If you look at many other commercial cabs, you won't see tons of them with -3db numbers much below the mid 40 hz range.
Bassplayers sometimes do think that they have to have tons of fundamental in their tone, and of course, some really know what that sounds like and want it, but it's just as often the case that what you get way down low is mud mud mud. Bass is very effective in a band mix at 50hz and up.
As others have said, before you give up on your BE 15, use it in a band setting and see if it does not work well in the mix. You can always adjust your rig to taste after that.
Bassplayers sometimes do think that they have to have tons of fundamental in their tone, and of course, some really know what that sounds like and want it, but it's just as often the case that what you get way down low is mud mud mud. Bass is very effective in a band mix at 50hz and up.
As others have said, before you give up on your BE 15, use it in a band setting and see if it does not work well in the mix. You can always adjust your rig to taste after that.
Had a pair of them. If they make noise anywhere near 50 I would be shocked unless it is about 12 to 20 db down from 80 .... A pair of them can sound pretty dang good in the country and blues settings I was working in when I had them. Just no low end. So tonally I floated above the kick andit was good. The weight though... That was the deal buster... I have a custom 2x15 using 3015's now that weight right aout what 1 of the BE's weighed...
Pretty much what the others said.
I usually use two, and they are great as monitors when going through a PA.
I have no trouble shifting them, they are easy to lift and carry. For the three hundred odd bucks they regularly go for used, two of them make a superb rig for very little money.
Pair one with one if the bigger BE 15" cabs and you'll have it all, but at a big cost in weight and ease to move.
I usually use two, and they are great as monitors when going through a PA.
I have no trouble shifting them, they are easy to lift and carry. For the three hundred odd bucks they regularly go for used, two of them make a superb rig for very little money.
Pair one with one if the bigger BE 15" cabs and you'll have it all, but at a big cost in weight and ease to move.
honestly you do not need that sub low anyway. I learned that mistake the hard way. I had this great low end tone dialed in with this one metal band I used to play with. I could hit the low notes and just rattle everyones spine.
Then we go out to play a show and that low end positively did not carry in larger rooms.
It was still there, if you stood right on the amp rig. But out in the house it was just fighting the kick.
Had a sit down with the guitards and got them to lean out their low end to let me get more into a low mid territory. That carried much better and helped us tighten up our live shows.
Then we go out to play a show and that low end positively did not carry in larger rooms.
It was still there, if you stood right on the amp rig. But out in the house it was just fighting the kick.
Had a sit down with the guitards and got them to lean out their low end to let me get more into a low mid territory. That carried much better and helped us tighten up our live shows.
- Jun 29, 2006
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As others have said, add a second one - makes a huge difference. They take EQ very well so you should be able to dial in additional lows if you want them. They may not have a super deep bottom end, but they are massively punchy, very musical sounding, and should work in most contexts unless you are playing Reggae or something along those lines. The form factor makes them an easy schlep - if you can't manage these, it's time to hit the gym.
I've owned the 15 and the 12 inch version of those cabs. I know it sounds strange, but the 12" seemed to put out more lows/low mids to my ear. A pair of those makes a great, versatile, rig. I also had good luck using one 15 and one 12, but I really think the 12's sound better. I also had much better luck getting a bottom heavy sound in rooms where I could corner load the cab, and of course in smaller rooms. YMMV.
