Official Barefaced Bass Cab Club

[lomo]

I can assure you that a single One 10 produces approx the volume and punch of a good 112 or 210. Mine is as loud as my GB NX2-112 and close (but not quite as loud ) as a Berg CN210 I used to own, both of which I compared side by side. However, the One 10s' lows are not as big and wide as either of those cabs. My pair of One 10s easily produces "usual" 410 volume.

 

[ericsmith]

BB2 on the way!!

 

[smeet]

Just ordered a Four 10.

 

[Plutonium244]

Just ordered a Four 10.

Congrats! Especially at the intro price, it's an insane deal. Smeet, I hope you got in on the intro price. If not, still well worth it.

I gigged the Four10 cab last night for the first time. Very impressive! Highly recommend.

Not exactly sure how to describe the awesomeness of it. It's just 4x10, perfected. If you've liked 4x10's you will love this cab. I used a GK MBF800 to power it. The cab takes 1000W, running 8 ohms out of the amp is 400 W. Super solid lows and well-articulated mids, I felt like every little nuance, snap and bounce was coming through. Very even in every range. High end is nice and snappy despite not having a horn, and never harsh. There is plenty of output available and I did not last night nor perhaps will I ever get close to pushing it to its limits. I didn't take much EQ at all to get just what I was looking for.

It's less "vast" sounding than a Big Baby II but that's not a knock. LOTS of low, just not so much that it makes the mids sound less pronounced by comparison ( with the BB2 I tend to add or emphasize a little mid on the amp EQ). The BB2 has this ability to make it sound like there is PA support when you hear it from the back of the room with fat thick warmness. I don't know if the Four10 does that exactly or not since I didn't get to listen from afar; that's more BB2's "thing." I have used 4x10 enclosures for decades, having only recently began experimenting with 12" drivers, so it was very intuitive, comfortable, and pleasing to play through and hear-- it just feels and sounds right. It has lots of low thump, solid chest-moving bottom, it can bite a little if you want it to. It fits perfectly on a standard-sized Gramma Pad.

So, what's not perfect about this cab? Well, not much at all, but to the extent that I can think of any, they are these.

Getting up to Four10 size/weight means leaving, a bit, the zone of "super light weight" which is why many of us are attracted to Barefaced. It's not a one hand carry at 49 pounds with side recessed handles, and a little awkward getting through doorways for one person carrying it since it is broad across (24"). Pretty slender at only 13" deep, though. And I'd point out that 49 pounds is exactly half the weight of the last 4x10 I'd been using. It doesn't have wheels like my last 4x10 and I won't put any on. It's super light for it's size and output, but not super light in the general, old-man gigging sense.

They don't have covers for them yet (they are working on it) so I am a little nervous about moving it in and out until I get a cover for it. I'll either buy theirs (preferred0 or have a custom cover made if it's taking too long.

Just a little bit, I can see the protrusion of the middle cross brace on the silver cloth grill, which I'd prefer not to see. It's not extreme, and maybe not noticeable to most people, but I see it. This is nit-picking, but I'd rather have not noticed it with my sharply critical eye. I tend to notice all small flaws in things though, whether it's laying patio block or checking out basses.

That's all I can come up with for criticism. It sounds GREAT. I played it at low volume at home for a week before having a gig; I had thought "well, this sounds good". Of course it takes gig level volume to break these in, and after an hour of playing at the gig, it sounded even better-- it sounded great. Responsive, fluid, smooth, punchy tight bottom and lots of it, pleasing highs, plenty of volume. It's only one gig, but I am tremendously impressed. I'll still take a One10 or the BB2 for some gigs; I am really enjoying having a variety of super nice BF cabs for the room, genre, my mood of the day, etc. They are all terrific but the Four10 is first among equals until further notice.

I am looking forward to hearing from others when they get theirs. Super impressed.

 

[monsterthompson]

Just ordered a Four 10.

Glad to be a bad influence.
If you need funds, I can take that Nordy off your hands

 

[smeet]

Yes, I got the introductory price, 8 ohms, silver grill cloth. @monsterthompson was kind enough to let me come over and check out his Two10 (and BB2 and Nashes and Spector and Demeter, oh my!), so that made up my mind. Thanks man! I think I'll be hanging on to the Nordy for a while though...

It's a nice round sound, with that mid-scoop that brings out the low mids. Rolling off the low end seems to give it a pretty good "modernized Ampeg" kind of vibe. I like that it has a wide enough frequency response that it can easily sound bright or middy with a little eq.

I was an early adopter of Acme, I've built two fEARfuls, and I owned a Baer ML212. So I am not easily impressed by small cabinets with lots of volume and bass response. I actually like the fact that the Two10 bottom end is not as wide as some of the FRFR cabs. From what I heard, the sound of the Retro 10 line is very close to *that* sweet spot of vintage and modern. And it's pretty efficient and light.

I'm not bothered by the size, 50 pounds seems like a good compromise. I have a nice cart and I hate not having enough oomph for the gig. I'd rather carry an extra 10 or 20 pounds and have confidence that my amp and cab will be more than enough to fill the room without straining. My old man back has been dragging an SVT-II around for the past year or two, so what's an extra 50 pounds...

My only trepidation is whether the 410 form factor will make it hard to hear the notes if I'm really close to the cabinet.

By the way, Alex said that Four10(8 ohm) + Two10(12 ohm) will work impedence-wise to make a Six10, so that could be a possibility in the future. If more overkill is needed.

 

[Plutonium244]

Yes, I got the introductory price, 8 ohms, silver grill cloth. @monsterthompson was kind enough to let me come over and check out his Two10 (and BB2 and Nashes and Spector and Demeter, oh my!), so that made up my mind. Thanks man! I think I'll be hanging on to the Nordy for a while though...

It's a nice round sound, with that mid-scoop that brings out the low mids. Rolling off the low end seems to give it a pretty good "modernized Ampeg" kind of vibe. I like that it has a wide enough frequency response that it can easily sound bright or middy with a little eq.

I was an early adopter of Acme, I've built two fEARfuls, and I owned a Baer ML212. So I am not easily impressed by small cabinets with lots of volume and bass response. I actually like the fact that the Two10 bottom end is not as wide as some of the FRFR cabs. From what I heard, the sound of the Retro 10 line is very close to *that* sweet spot of vintage and modern. And it's pretty efficient and light.

I'm not bothered by the size, 50 pounds seems like a good compromise. I have a nice cart and I hate not having enough oomph for the gig. I'd rather carry an extra 10 or 20 pounds and have confidence that my amp and cab will be more than enough to fill the room without straining. My old man back has been dragging an SVT-II around for the past year or two, so what's an extra 50 pounds...

My only trepidation is whether the 410 form factor will make it hard to hear the notes if I'm really close to the cabinet.

By the way, Alex said that Four10(8 ohm) + Two10(12 ohm) will work impedence-wise to make a Six10, so that could be a possibility in the future. If more overkill is needed.

That's great info re: being able to add a 12 ohm Two10 if desired, to make a 6x10. Right now I can't see needing that, but it's good to know! I suppose if you stacked a Two10 on it, maybe that would take care of any concern over hearing it at close proximity since the extra cab would raise the overall height. Not sure you'd have a problem hearing it without the stack but I've only had one gig under the belt with the Four10 so I couldn't say definitively. I'd suspect it wouldn't be problem.

Kudos to monsterthompson for helping a brother out and demoing the gear.

 

[monsterthompson]

Smeet once helped me out. It's nice to return a favor

The 210 12ohm 610 idea is great! Never thought of that. Makes perfect sense though.

 

[Bassheart365]

My One 10 is on it's way to California It's going to be my new rehearsal cab.

 

[Plutonium244]

I just had a terrible thought. What if I start jonesing for Barefaced PA gear?

Tom Bowlus really liked the FR800. A pair for $3000 would work in many places where'd you'd normally want subs in addition to tops.

It also helps explain why a number of us have said the Big Baby 2 makes it sound like you have PA support when you don't-- it actually is pretty much a PA with subwoofer-equivalent capability. You could run bass through it easily I'd think. You can add a sub for $1300 but Alex says for audience up to about 200, not really needed. Outdoors, you might want it in some loud cases.It doesn't extend the frequency range down, just shares power/air movement duties and helps carry the load in the range with the highest wattage demand.

As far as I can see, the FR800 is pretty close to a BB2 with an amp built in; but, the specs for example, show FR800 covers 42Hz-16kHz whereas BB2 is 37Hz to 20kHz. Enclosure looks the same and driver is the same; horn looks the same too. I wonder why the FR800 specs out with a slightly more compressed range? Maybe it's the limitation of amplifiers and not the speakers that dictates this difference in numbers.

The idea of 33 lb. PA mains that'll handle bass and kick drum well sounds awesome. Or am I expecting too much out of a couple of BF PA speakers?


I can only imagine (but Tom could tell us) how great this would sound as a PA.

 

[tombowlus]

I just had a terrible thought. What if I start jonesing for Barefaced PA gear?

Tom Bowlus really liked the FR800. A pair for $3000 would work in many places where'd you'd normally want subs in addition to tops.

It also helps explain why a number of us have said the Big Baby 2 makes it sound like you have PA support when you don't-- it actually is pretty much a PA with subwoofer-equivalent capability. You could run bass through it easily I'd think. You can add a sub for $1300 but Alex says for audience up to about 200, not really needed. Outdoors, you might want it in some loud cases.It doesn't extend the frequency range down, just shares power/air movement duties and helps carry the load in the range with the highest wattage demand.

As far as I can see, the FR800 is pretty close to a BB2 with an amp built in; but, the specs for example, show FR800 covers 42Hz-16kHz whereas BB2 is 37Hz to 20kHz. Enclosure looks the same and driver is the same; horn looks the same too. I wonder why the FR800 specs out with a slightly more compressed range? Maybe it's the limitation of amplifiers and not the speakers that dictates this difference in numbers.

The idea of 33 lb. PA mains that'll handle bass and kick drum well sounds awesome. Or am I expecting too much out of a couple of BF PA speakers?


I can only imagine (but Tom could tell us) how great this would sound as a PA.

In truth, my plan is to pick up a second FR800 for just this purpose. I have a bigger QSC powered PA rig (two KW153's and two KW181's), and I am sure that two FR800's could cover some of the gigs I am lugging the full PA to. I keep meaning to A/B the FR800 against one of the KW153's. That should make for an interesting visual, if nothing else!

 

[Plutonium244]

In truth, my plan is to pick up a second FR800 for just this purpose. I have a bigger QSC powered PA rig (two KW153's and two KW181's), and I am sure that two FR800's could cover some of the gigs I am lugging the full PA to. I keep meaning to A/B the FR800 against one of the KW153's. That should make for an interesting visual, if nothing else!

When you do your PA cab comparisons, let me know what your thoughts and conclusions are. I'd be interested to hear what you think.

 

[lomo]

Attention BF shoppers.......if you live out west and want to add to your stable:

For Sale - Barefaced Big Twin II Gen 3

 

[tombowlus]

When you do your PA cab comparisons, let me know what your thoughts and conclusions are. I'd be interested to hear what you think.

Will do!

 

[monsterthompson]

Will do!

Also interested in the FR800 vs PA test.

 

[Tim1]

Just heard from Claire at Barefaced that my Four 10 has shipped . Not bad service, ordered on Tuesday from the other side of the world and in the air on Friday.
Reading the comments above on this cab just builds up the anticipation, we may have to start a Barefaced waiting room to keep each other calm. Having owned and recently sold an Ampeg 410HLF which was more than twice the weight of the Four 10 and gigged for years a pair of SWR Goliath 410s the Barefaced will be like a feather in comparison.
I differ from some of the other users in that I have purchased mine solely for use with all-tube heads, with which Tom Bowlus reported that the Two 10 just came into its own. Therefore a major consideration for me is having a cabinet that is wide enough to fit (look good with) a wide tube head sitting on top of it, and the Four 10 nails this requirement. Barefaced state on the site that the cab is designed to approximate a sealed cab, which I prefer with my tube heads, being a long time user of the Berg NV series. I suspect the tight low end response of the Four 10 will be magic with the occasional tendency to bloom which tube heads can display.
I will be fitting wheels as soon as it arrives, makes a simple load in and out using it as a trolley with the head sitting on top. I will also order a padded custom cover straight away.
Don't have a gig for a few weeks as we are reorganising things in the band, but do have a few practices so will report back as we go.

 

[monsterthompson]

Just heard from Claire at Barefaced that my Four 10 has shipped . Not bad service, ordered on Tuesday from the other side of the world and in the air on Friday.
Reading the comments above on this cab just builds up the anticipation, we may have to start a Barefaced waiting room to keep each other calm. Having owned and recently sold an Ampeg 410HLF which was more than twice the weight of the Four 10 and gigged for years a pair of SWR Goliath 410s the Barefaced will be like a feather in comparison.
I differ from some of the other users in that I have purchased mine solely for use with all-tube heads, with which Tom Bowlus reported that the Two 10 just came into its own. Therefore a major consideration for me is having a cabinet that is wide enough to fit (look good with) a wide tube head sitting on top of it, and the Four 10 nails this requirement. Barefaced state on the site that the cab is designed to approximate a sealed cab, which I prefer with my tube heads, being a long time user of the Berg NV series. I suspect the tight low end response of the Four 10 will be magic with the occasional tendency to bloom which tube heads can display.
I will be fitting wheels as soon as it arrives, makes a simple load in and out using it as a trolley with the head sitting on top. I will also order a padded custom cover straight away.
Don't have a gig for a few weeks as we are reorganising things in the band, but do have a few practices so will report back as we go.

Not to be a downer nor contradict Tom, but I found my Demeter hybrid worked better with the 210. With my all tube Mesa Buster I didn't like the combo with the 210 as much, and preferred using it with my BB2. The Buster is a fairly "solid state" sounding head to some people. I'm curious to hear your experiences. It never ceases to interest me how different gear interacts, and the different sounds people like.

 

[alexclaber]

I will be fitting wheels as soon as it arrives

This worries me! We make our cabs strong to survive years and years of gigging, so they're braced for stiffness and reinforced for durability where required. If we were fitting wheels to the Four10 the enclosure would be reinforced to handle the potential side/torsional loads on the base panel, just as on our taller cabs with the tilt and roll casters.

 

[tombowlus]

Not to be a downer nor contradict Tom, but I found my Demeter hybrid worked better with the 210. With my all tube Mesa Buster I didn't like the combo with the 210 as much, and preferred using it with my BB2. The Buster is a fairly "solid state" sounding head to some people. I'm curious to hear your experiences. It never ceases to interest me how different gear interacts, and the different sounds people like.

Yeah, there is always a heavy dose of YMMV thrown in, and we are all the better off if multiple people share their varied experiences, so thank you for sharing yours!

That being said, while I am most definitely a Mesa/Boogie fan, the few times that I tried a Buster, it did seem to have a different vibe from most of the other all-tube amps I had played. Maybe this is at play? Of course, the Demeter is pretty darned impressive, too. But at least IME/IMHO, the Two10 has been lovely with all the tube heads I have tried with it.

 

[Plutonium244]

Just heard from Claire at Barefaced that my Four 10 has shipped . Not bad service, ordered on Tuesday from the other side of the world and in the air on Friday.
Reading the comments above on this cab just builds up the anticipation, we may have to start a Barefaced waiting room to keep each other calm. Having owned and recently sold an Ampeg 410HLF which was more than twice the weight of the Four 10 and gigged for years a pair of SWR Goliath 410s the Barefaced will be like a feather in comparison.
I differ from some of the other users in that I have purchased mine solely for use with all-tube heads, with which Tom Bowlus reported that the Two 10 just came into its own. Therefore a major consideration for me is having a cabinet that is wide enough to fit (look good with) a wide tube head sitting on top of it, and the Four 10 nails this requirement. Barefaced state on the site that the cab is designed to approximate a sealed cab, which I prefer with my tube heads, being a long time user of the Berg NV series. I suspect the tight low end response of the Four 10 will be magic with the occasional tendency to bloom which tube heads can display.
I will be fitting wheels as soon as it arrives, makes a simple load in and out using it as a trolley with the head sitting on top. I will also order a padded custom cover straight away.
Don't have a gig for a few weeks as we are reorganising things in the band, but do have a few practices so will report back as we go.

Interesting discussion and monsterthompson has also contributed interestin

This worries me! We make our cabs strong to survive years and years of gigging, so they're braced for stiffness and reinforced for durability where required. If we were fitting wheels to the Four10 the enclosure would be reinforced to handle the potential side/torsional loads on the base panel, just as on our taller cabs with the tilt and roll casters.

I have been pondering if there is a way to make/obtain a platform that has wheels, that can clamp on in a non-destructive way to the Four10 and stay in place for wheeling, without doing any drilling. A loooong time ago I had an ampeg 1x15 cab that had a smallish platform that attached on the bottom with one screw/bolt, with a plastic knob to unscrew and remove it, akin to a handle on a speaker stand for tightening/loosening. That still required one small hole into bottom of the cab, though. I'd wheel it in, and then remove the platform if I wanted to place it for coupling directly on a surface.

Probably just easier and better to have a good dolly, but at least wheels on a detachable platform would have the advantage of being able to be move/roll with a narrow profile (i.e., the 13" depth, easier to roll through a doorway than the 24" width on a dolly/hand cart.