Official Barefaced Bass Cab Club

[monsterthompson]

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.

Buster = tube amp that acts solid state-ish

Demeter = hybrid that acts tube-like

You'd think they'd cross in the middle

YMMV.

I spent some time with Smeet and his Ampeg 212 and Nordy 5 string P. It was interesting to hear how each cab (Ampeg/BB2/Two10) reacted with each bass. His Nordy 5 P was brighter and more mid scooped than my Nash 4 string P. I found my darker P bass and his Ampeg cab combined better than my P and the 210 with the same head. I also liked my P and the BB2 better than the 210. However, his P and the 210 sounded much better than his P and Ampeg. His P and the BB2 was a better fit than the Ampeg but not as nice as the 210.

Then we plugged in my J and my Spector and swapped cabs all around. It was interesting to hear the pairings. None was a clear winner, though there were ones which clearly weren't winners.

It's all voodoo. Roll the dice.

 

[boristhespider7]

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.

How many ohms total would that make?

 

[ahc]

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.

How many ohms total would that make?

And what would be the division of power between the cabs? I at least know it's not 50/50. I'm also pretty sure, but not positive, that the Four10 would get more watts because of the lower ohm rating.

 

[Tim1]

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.

Thanks for that, Alex. I will follow your advice, not fit wheels and continue to use my trolley/platform. I had not considered the issues you raised and the cabinet is light enough for an easy lift onto my trolley. Many thanks for the followup.

 

[Tim1]

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.

I know what you mean, Monster. I used a Mesa 400+ for a few years and its bottom end sounded tighter and more like solid state than other tube amps I have played. That Demeter is pretty special too, and hard to beat. I have four tube amps in the arsenal: Ampeg V4, Fender Super Bassman 300, Orange AD200 and a Trace Elliott V4. I am really looking forward to seeing how the cab treats each head and which I end up preferring with it.
Like you I am also very keen on hearing how the FR800 runs as a PA, it would be nice to stop lugging the JBL 215s around.

 

[HaphAsSard]

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.

As far as the respective low-end figures, I guess the amp and other innards in the powered cab eat up some space, ergo lows. As for the trebleage, no idea.

 

[monsterthompson]

@smeet - Thanks for the ear opener. Been toying with my bass. Finding the lows in my P output are too hot. I need to get a more upper mid sounding pickup in there. With my BDPG, I can hear low frequency distortion on the attack side of the envelope. It's now impossible to unhear. I find running low gain into the BDPG sounds better. In fact, I'm running my Enabler ahead of the BDPG pre to lower the gain and cut lows. The overdrive through the 210 is much nicer.

 

[BigEarl]

I have two Barefaced One10 cabs with a GK MB800 head. The ultimate portable stack.

Marty, this is the EXACT rig I'm looking to get! (I have the MB800 already) can you give your impressions of the cabs, what styles/volumes do you play what kind of venues can be covered without PA support, yadda, yadda. TIA!

e

 

[Tim1]

@smeet - Thanks for the ear opener. Been toying with my bass. Finding the lows in my P output are too hot. I need to get a more upper mid sounding pickup in there. With my BDPG, I can hear low frequency distortion on the attack side of the envelope. It's now impossible to unhear. I find running low gain into the BDPG sounds better. In fact, I'm running my Enabler ahead of the BDPG pre to lower the gain and cut lows. The overdrive through the 210 is much nicer.

I have just returned from a band practice and, despite being a few tequilas over the limit, this post rings a bell with me from the opposite point of view. I took my newly acquired 2008 Fender Custom Shop 59 relic precision along with my Orange AD200 head and Ampeg SVT 212AV cab for a change. I do normally match the 212AV to an Ampeg V4B but I was surprised that the band leader/lead guitarist/singer found the combination way too midrangey in our practice space. I did point out that I could have eq'd it differently had he said something during the practice, but since the Orange is voiced deeper than most cabs I was surprised by his comments (and I did notice and enjoy the extra punch). My parting comment was that I expected things to be very different at the next band practice when my Barefaced will be here, as I am sure they will be. I could have pointed out the science of bass and that midrange on stage is good to avoid mud further away, but I also understand that it has to sound right on stage for everyone to play better.

 

[tallboybass]

How many ohms total would that make?

I believe it would be 4.8 ohms total.

 

[Dp1363]

Just got back from doing a gig with my two BB2 cabs and my Mesa D800. All I can say is Wow!!! Full, thick lows and great midrange. I was smiling ear to ear the whole night. I got compliments on my sound from everyone.

A bass player in the bar came up to me and was amazed at the bass I was getting from the E string out of the cabs, and was totally intrigued by the BB2's. He never heard of Barefaced before tonight. I gave him the full sales pitch. Alex, owes me some commission money lol!!!

 

[monsterthompson]

Well. I wasn't expecting this. Pulled out my old 20w tube Mesa Subway Rocket guitar amp and plugged into it with my Spector and ran it through the BB2. Insanely nice sound.

 

[Tim1]

I believe it would be 4.8 ohms total.

Close enough to four ohms, then and a good match for most heads. This could be a great do all rig as you could use the Two 10 for smaller gigs and have a Two, Four or Six 10 option which would do just about any gig. The only issue would be that the Two 10 alone would be 12ohms, which could be limiting with some amps.

 

[Dp1363]

I know what you mean, Monster. I used a Mesa 400+ for a few years and its bottom end sounded tighter and more like solid state than other tube amps I have played. That Demeter is pretty special too, and hard to beat. I have four tube amps in the arsenal: Ampeg V4, Fender Super Bassman 300, Orange AD200 and a Trace Elliott V4. I am really looking forward to seeing how the cab treats each head and which I end up preferring with it.
Like you I am also very keen on hearing how the FR800 runs as a PA, it would be nice to stop lugging the JBL 215s around.

I too would like to know how the FR800 sounds. I am getting tired of lugging around two EV 15's at 50 lbs a piece. I would also like to not to have to lug a
88 lb sub anymore

 

[Tim1]

Pretty excellent service! Ordered Tuesday, sent Friday and in this country on the other side of the world on Sunday - I have just had a call from FedEx to get my import license number to release it from customs! The irony is that it will probably take the same length of time for it to travel the remaining 250 odd miles to get from Auckland to me. I have had to wait longer for a local shop to get a speaker just from one branch to another for me. Alex makes internet shopping so easy - long live the global village.

 

[tallboybass]

I noticed that the price went up to 759 pounds ($1108.90) but it still says "introductory price" on the Four10. Will it go up more later? @alexclaber

 

[Plutonium244]

Close enough to four ohms, then and a good match for most heads. This could be a great do all rig as you could use the Two 10 for smaller gigs and have a Two, Four or Six 10 option which would do just about any gig. The only issue would be that the Two 10 alone would be 12ohms, which could be limiting with some amps.

What would the effective wattage be, on average, with a 12 ohm cab by itself? If, say, a 800W head gives you 800 into 4 ohms, roughly 400 into 8 ohms, how much into 12 ohms?

 

[tallboybass]

What would the effective wattage be, on average, with a 12 ohm cab by itself? If, say, a 800W head gives you 800 into 4 ohms, roughly 400 into 8 ohms, how much into 12 ohms?

Not sure, but the GK MB800 does 560 watts at 8 ohms so @12 ohms might not be too bad.

 

[middy]

My Super Compact performed quite admirably at rehearsal last night. Great dispersion and nice room filling lows without low mid muddiness. A nice warm top end with plenty of beef on the g string. Very punchy with excellent note definition. 225 watts from my gk 700rb-I was plenty to fill a medium room with a loud drummer and a cranked up Fender Deluxe Reverb. It also recorded very well with a single room mic... It sat in the mix very nicely.

 

[Tim1]

Purely out of curiosity, does anyone know if the 10CR250 driver in the ten inch cabs is neodymium? Been surfing the net as you do while I wait for my cab to get here and some places say neo, some ferrite. I don't have any preference, just interested and wondering whether Alex made it so light just by cab design or reduced speaker weight as well. The Barefaced site says the twelve inch is neo, but makes no comment on the ten that I can find..