Official Barefaced Bass Cab Club

[anton72]

I think your TH350 will not drive a SM to its' volume potential and it will be cleaner in tone than the One10s. It sounds to me as though you will not miss the tweeter and quite frankly, for the Motown vibe, my pair of One 10s is really the schizz, in spades, with a cherry on top. I usually put a TH350 or Walkabout on top of them. The One10 stack should provide similar volume to your 604 stack with the same head. Frankly, if you used a head that pushes a few more electrons into the 110 stack (500 at 4 Ohms) , I am not sure you'd need the 604s at all. When I drive my 110s with a Mesa D-800, they can really get into the zone....plenty loud enough for a small bar gig with no PA as long as the drummer isn't lead-fisted. With a bit more juice, I can bump up the lows without losing head room and these cabs seem to enjoy it, within reason.

I've played the 604 and it is a cool cab. I bought it but returned it and GAS'd up to a Greenboy cab. I've ended up owning Barefaced cabs. I've owned the Super Compact and Super Midget and the One10. I'm currently holding a Two10 and a BB2. I think for your goals you'd like the One10, particularly based on my 604 experience. I also currently own a Spector Forte 4SS, so I've got that experience, too

Based on your gear and goals, I'd say you might want to consider a Super Compact over a Super Midget. It's closer to the tone you're after, since it's missing the tweeter. It's also a bit bigger in the bottom, and for being only a little bigger, it gets much louder. However, I think the One10 stack may be what you want and where to start. The cabs have a voicing that should be closer to what you're after than the SC or SM. They get quite loud for their size. Your head won't drive the SC nor the SM to their full potential. I've played with a SM and One10 stack and it's a potent combo. I'm thinking a stack of One10 cabs will be sufficient, particularly since I've used a Two10 with a louder than needed-be rock band, though I was driving it with an 800w head (with an ear on the output to make sure I wasn't murdering the speakers).

The other reason to start with the One10 cabs is that they flip pretty easily for a decent price, and they ship cheaply based on their size and weight. If you find the tone or volume is close but not quite, then flip up to the SM or SC.

Thank you for sharing this my friends. I really do not need tweeter and from what I've read one10 drivers have more of a vintage vibe than SM and SC and you are right, TH350 will not provide enough power to 8 Ohm SM and SC but a stack of two 10" will be pushed at 4 Ohm so there's a bigger chance to make the stack operate at full capacity/efficiency. I think I will order them quite soon.

 

[lomo]

Thank you for sharing this my friends. I really do not need tweeter and from what I've read one10 drivers have more of a vintage vibe than SM and SC and you are right, TH350 will not provide enough power to 8 Ohm SM and SC but a stack of two 10" will be pushed at 4 Ohm so there's a bigger chance to make the stack operate at full capacity/efficiency. I think I will order them quite soon.

I predict that both your ears and back will be smiling broadly when you fire them up, and that your 604s will be for sale. Be well. One day I will visit Russia, motivated by the fact that all 4 of my grandparents fled it at the turn of the 20th century. The world is a crazy flying rock, but the 'net has happily made it far smaller than only a few short years ago.

Peace.

 

[anton72]

I predict that both your ears and back will be smiling broadly when you fire them up, and that your 604s will be for sale. Be well. One day I will visit Russia, motivated by the fact that all 4 of my grandparents fled it at the turn of the 20th century. The world is a crazy flying rock, but the 'net has happily made it far smaller than only a few short years ago.

Peace.

Thank you my friend. I hope by the day you decide to visit Russia it will have different president than the one we have today Speaking on selling 604 I will probably sell it even before I buy two one10. My only concern is that two one10 weigh the same as one 604, so I must be sure that two 10 will be more powerful than one 604, otherwise is it worth the replacement? However the advantage of having two 7 kg cabs instead of one 15 kg is that you can split the stack and just use one in smaller settings.

 

[lomo]

Thank you my friend. I hope by the day you decide to visit Russia it will have different president than the one we have today Speaking on selling 604 I will probably sell it even before I buy two one10. My only concern is that two one10 weigh the same as one 604, so I must be sure that two 10 will be more powerful than one 604, otherwise is it worth the replacement? However the advantage of having two 7 kg cabs instead of one 15 kg is that you can split the stack and just use one in smaller settings.

I agree with your politics

On the bass side, I can 100% assure you that 2 One10s will easily and deeply bury a single 604. In my experience (having played a 604 before), the 604 about as loud as a premiere quality 112 (like my Genz Benz NX2-112). A One 10 is about as loud as one of those.

 

[Plutonium244]

Thank you for sharing this my friends. I really do not need tweeter and from what I've read one10 drivers have more of a vintage vibe than SM and SC and you are right, TH350 will not provide enough power to 8 Ohm SM and SC but a stack of two 10" will be pushed at 4 Ohm so there's a bigger chance to make the stack operate at full capacity/efficiency. I think I will order them quite soon.

I agree with much of this and you can't go wrong with two One10's or a SC or SM IMO... but I'd say the TH350 will be able to power more cab that you might be thinking it will.. I have run my Barefeced Big Baby2 with a TH350 and thought it did remarkably well. It provided room-filling bass without PA support that (much credit to the BB2 for this) sounds like you have PA support for the bass, in a medium-sized bar venue. TH350 has the same ICE power stage as the GK MB500 and a few other "500W" amps, so the 350 is fairly conservative compared to a lot of other brands.

I think you'd be very happy with two One10's-- I love the tone and clarity of those but just wanted to add that I think the TH350 would also pair pretty well with a SC, SM, or even BB2.

 

[monsterthompson]

I agree with much of this and you can't go wrong with two One10's or a SC or SM IMO... but I'd say the TH350 will be able to power more cab that you might be thinking it will.. I have run my Barefeced Big Baby2 with a TH350 and thought it did remarkably well. It provided room-filling bass without PA support that (much credit to the BB2 for this) sounds like you have PA support for the bass, in a medium-sized bar venue. TH350 has the same ICE power stage as the GK MB500 and a few other "500W" amps, so the 350 is fairly conservative compared to a lot of other brands.

I think you'd be very happy with two One10's-- I love the tone and clarity of those but just wanted to add that I think the TH350 would also pair pretty well with a SC, SM, or even BB2.

I'd agree that the TH 350 is conservative in rating. I'd guess it won't power one SM (8ohm) to be loud enough in all scenarios and that two One10 cabs (4ohm) would be a better fit. If he had the higher rated head, a single SM "might" work and a single SC would probably work. Alex had said that a Two10 is about as loud as a SC (the 8 vs. 4 ohm issue might make a small difference) . My only other suggestion would be to consider a single SC (the BB2 is great but it's a bit overkill for his needs in terms of the tweeter and the extra size). However, the 2 One10 cabs seems like a good fit here.

 

[Plutonium244]

I'd agree that the TH 350 is conservative in rating. I'd guess it won't power one SM (8ohm) to be loud enough in all scenarios and that two One10 cabs (4ohm) would be a better fit. If he had the higher rated head, a single SM "might" work and a single SC would probably work. Alex had said that a Two10 is about as loud as a SC (the 8 vs. 4 ohm issue might make a small difference) . My only other suggestion would be to consider a single SC (the BB2 is great but it's a bit overkill for his needs in terms of the tweeter and the extra size). However, the 2 One10 cabs seems like a good fit here.

I agree, two One10's would probably be a great fit. Just didn't want that sweet innocent TH350's reputation besmirched is all! Having 4 ohm operation would help a bit (3dB).

Though I have a One10 and a BB2, I am considering (at some point in the intermediate future) maybe adding a 2nd One10 since I like the tone and 2 would allow me to cover more stuff with that tone. Love the BB2 though, and also, in a perfect world, would add a SM to the stable also so I can use it individually, or pair with the BB2 for outdoor sound level needs.

Monster, you've tried them all... me, just these 2 that I have. So, I generally defer to your comparisons between them all, which have been quite helpful.

 

[Bassheart365]

I've played the 604 and it is a cool cab. I bought it but returned it and GAS'd up to a Greenboy cab. I've ended up owning Barefaced cabs. I've owned the Super Compact and Super Midget and the One10. I'm currently holding a Two10 and a BB2. I think for your goals you'd like the One10, particularly based on my 604 experience. I also currently own a Spector Forte 4SS, so I've got that experience, too

Based on your gear and goals, I'd say you might want to consider a Super Compact over a Super Midget. It's closer to the tone you're after, since it's missing the tweeter. It's also a bit bigger in the bottom, and for being only a little bigger, it gets much louder. However, I think the One10 stack may be what you want and where to start. The cabs have a voicing that should be closer to what you're after than the SC or SM. They get quite loud for their size. Your head won't drive the SC nor the SM to their full potential. I've played with a SM and One10 stack and it's a potent combo. I'm thinking a stack of One10 cabs will be sufficient, particularly since I've used a Two10 with a louder than needed-be rock band, though I was driving it with an 800w head (with an ear on the output to make sure I wasn't murdering the speakers).

The other reason to start with the One10 cabs is that they flip pretty easily for a decent price, and they ship cheaply based on their size and weight. If you find the tone or volume is close but not quite, then flip up to the SM or SC.

So, being a Greenboy cab guy thus far, I'm curious about your opinion on Greenboy vs. the Barefaced cabs you now have...

 

[monsterthompson]

Monster, you've tried them all... me, just these 2 that I have. So, I generally defer to your comparisons between them all, which have been quite helpful.

I'm also a hack

 

[monsterthompson]

So, being a Greenboy cab guy thus far, I'm curious about your opinion on Greenboy vs. the Barefaced cabs you now have...

I had a notoriously bad experience with my greenboy cabs. It was more of a build issue than a sound issue. That said, i think I got a fair experience with the general sound of a 15/6 and F115. I'd say the fair comparison would be a BB2 vs. a F115. Both are nice full-range cabs, intended to be flat/neutral sounding. I think Alex's 12" driver can compete with the 15 in the greenboy designs. You get a smaller, lighter package that does a similar job. They aren't identical sounding, but they are in the same general region. I think a Barefaced 12" would outperform the 12" greenboy cabs for volume (while sounding similar) though maybe not by a gigantic margin (it was a while ago when I tried a 12/6).

The SC is lacking a tweet, so it isn't a fair comparison to the greenboy cabs i've tried, however it is much like a BB2 with a little less low end and rolled off highs. The SM is a scaled down BB2, so the tone is similar, but the output isn't as great.

The BF 10" sound is a whole other family of sound. I don't know what greenboy cab it would compare to, if any.

 

[bassfootballguy]

I've had a plethora of cabs and I have no idea what I would compare Alex's 10" cabs to currently. There's just nothing out there like them.
2 one10s is a formidable gig stack.

 

[lomo]

I previously owned an LDS nEarful 15/6 as well as a true fEarful 12/6 and sub. Never heard a fEarless other than via the 'net. I find the Barefaced 12" cabs lighter per volume potential and with ample low end, although the BF lows are less deep and wide to my ear than the fEarful designs. IMHO a SC compares well to a 12/6 for volume potential, but is lighter/smaller.
The One 10 will NOT go nearly as low at volume as either a SC or 12/6.

 

[Bassheart365]

I had a notoriously bad experience with my greenboy cabs. It was more of a build issue than a sound issue. That said, i think I got a fair experience with the general sound of a 15/6 and F115. I'd say the fair comparison would be a BB2 vs. a F115. Both are nice full-range cabs, intended to be flat/neutral sounding. I think Alex's 12" driver can compete with the 15 in the greenboy designs. You get a smaller, lighter package that does a similar job. They aren't identical sounding, but they are in the same general region. I think a Barefaced 12" would outperform the 12" greenboy cabs for volume (while sounding similar) though maybe not by a gigantic margin (it was a while ago when I tried a 12/6).

The SC is lacking a tweet, so it isn't a fair comparison to the greenboy cabs i've tried, however it is much like a BB2 with a little less low end and rolled off highs. The SM is a scaled down BB2, so the tone is similar, but the output isn't as great.

The BF 10" sound is a whole other family of sound. I don't know what greenboy cab it would compare to, if any.

Monsterman - I have no experience with fEARful cabs. I bought a Fearless F112 and F115 from Jayhawk about a year ago. I bought both because I couldn't decide which one I wanted Then, after using them separately and in combination, I decided to buy a second F112 so I could have a more compact and modular "loud" rig. It absolutely kills it. No single piece of gear I own does more to enhance the joy I feel when playing music than my Fearless cabs! And I've been playing bass for almost 40 years. Totally focused bass and remarkable clarity on the top end. Never ever muddy.

I've ordered a One10 to have a super light/compact rehearsal and home rig. The Greenboy F110 is kind of pointless IMO - it's only a couple inches smaller than the F112 and only a couple of pounds lighter (28 lbs.) That's quite a bit heavier than the One10. I'll be pairing the One10 e with my Puma 900. Very excited to try that little guy. I may get a second one if I'm digging the reported "colored" bass tone. I will also be curious to see how the One10 plays with one of my F112 cabs.

Here is my current set-up:

 

[anton72]

I've had a plethora of cabs and I have no idea what I would compare Alex's 10" cabs to currently. There's just nothing out there like them.
2 one10s is a formidable gig stack.

I am very intrigued by reports about Alex' 10" drivers, seems like they sound quite different from his other creations, is that right? From what I can understand they are more vintage sounding with less highs and more lows? What about low mid punch, is it present with them? Sorry for a pack of questions, I'm just thinking of ordering two of them at once.

 

[anton72]

Just didn't want that sweet innocent TH350's reputation besmirched is all!

You are absolutelly right. TH350 is rated very conservately so it has about the same power as my rated 500 Watt LMII.

 

[Cowboy in Latvia]

If you ever find yourself in Riga, Latvija you can try out my One 10. Mine is vintage-ish but still pretty transparent with a lot of low end and moderate low-mids. It can get a bit boomy if you are not careful with the EQ but I really like how mine sounds and how loud it can get.

 

[anton72]

If you ever find yourself in Riga, Latvija you can try out my One 10. Mine is vintage-ish but still pretty transparent with a lot of low end and moderate low-mids. It can get a bit boomy if you are not careful with the EQ but I really like how mine sounds and how loud it can get.

Thank you for invitation, Bro. Not sure what happens first, my order to Alex or my visit to Riga, but anyway thank you for this suggestion. Never been to Riga before, my mother was there and told me it was beautiful city. Hopefully I will make it once too

 

[bassfootballguy]

I am very intrigued by reports about Alex' 10" drivers, seems like they sound quite different from his other creations, is that right? From what I can understand they are more vintage sounding with less highs and more lows? What about low mid punch, is it present with them? Sorry for a pack of questions, I'm just thinking of ordering two of them at once.

They do have a vintage-ish tone to them, and there is a lot of low end push, but I think the main strength is in the low mids. They do have good highs, but it's true that you have to EQ for that side of things a bit.

 

[anton72]

They do have a vintage-ish tone to them, and there is a lot of low end push, but I think the main strength is in the low mids. They do have good highs, but it's true that you have to EQ for that side of things a bit.

Your description just nails my expectation of tone. Low mids is what you really need in a mix. Great!

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

So, being a Greenboy cab guy thus far, I'm curious about your opinion on Greenboy vs. the Barefaced cabs you now have...

I'll chip in on this one. I have about six or more years of experience gigging nEarful 15/6 and 12/6 cabs (built to Greenboy specs by LDS except for the ports, which I asked for round tubes instead of the standard shelf ports), and Fearless 110 and 210 cabs built by Jhawk about 3 or 4 years ago. Last fall I bought a pair of Big Baby 2 cabs, which are closer to the Fearless "tone," which is flat and uncolored.

Bottom line: if you are happy with your Fearless cabs, don't bother buying the BB2 cab because you will not experience a dramatic difference in tone. (Sorry Alex!). I cannot comment on other Barefaced cabs because I haven't played them.

On the other hand, there are significant differences in BB2 specifications that could motivate a switch depending on your requirements.

First up is weight: a BB2 weighs 29 pounds. I've owned many cabs and believe me, 29 pounds is a featherweight for the performance of the BB2! A comparable Fearless 115 (in terms of volume potential) weighs about 43-52 pounds depending on wood type and options. That's a huge difference and is very important to me.

Another reason for the weight difference is construction. The BB2 has a sophisticated internal bracing system that I suppose allows for using less wood. It also dispenses with requiring a mid-range driver, so that saves more weight including a reduced size for the crossover assembly.

Cab design is another factor. I needed to find a different option from Fearless because I adopted a new #1 amp, the Reiner Studio 1200, which is about 12" x 12" and cannot fit safely atop a F110 or F210. Keep in mind, the Fearless wedge design is handy, but in my case it was a detriment. I did not want to move around more weight just for the extra space atop the cab.

The other key difference is the rear panel dial that adjusts output of the BB2's horn. The F110 and F210 also had this dial, but to my ear, there was never a dramatic difference irrespective of where the dial was turned. With the BB2, however, there is a dramatic difference in tone. With the horn on full, the BB2 produces a pristine, PA-type clear tone. Dialed off, the BB2 sounds more vintage in tone. In between is a range of useful, musical options -- especially if you're gigging different kinds of basses such as a Jazz vs. P-bass vs. acoustic bass. The BB2's dial also brings out dramatic differences in strings, such as round wounds vs. flat wounds vs. ground wounds vs. black nylon tapewounds. I've played all of the above through the BB2 and it provides much more granular control over tonal variations using the horn volume dial.

Dave Green's cabs are superb. So are Barefaced cabs. You can't go wrong with either brand. Your selection will be more practical if you focus on specific requirements and match those to the respective cabs' specifications.