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Official Barefaced Bass Cab Club

#5,481
BigEarl said:
I'm wondering if the 30hz bottom on the BBII makes a significant difference with the feel on stage of the cab versus the 37hz bottom on the SM, SC and BT models.
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IMO a big, deep, woolly low end is not what I think of when I imaging my best bass tone. I want my playing to be clearly heard as much as felt.

I spent 10 years with Bergantino cabs and they are in my top 5 cabs ever built. I moved to a BB2 and soon discovered the big low end was not at all what I wanted. The low end on the Bergs is very tight and punchy so the BB2 was the wrong choice for me. I spoke to Alex at BF and he said he wouldn't have recommended a BB2 for me at any time. So I bought an SC which sounded so good I went right out and bought a second one. The low end is still "bigger" than the Bergs but I don't care about that, my bass now sounds full, fat, punchy and huge. Can I emphasise that. . . . HUGE. I can shake the room, shake the stage and every note can be clearly heard.

It's only taken 50 years, but now with my Lull P, Sadowsky J and a TH500 I've finally got the sound I've always wanted.
 
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#5,486
Took my One10/MB200 rig to a rehearsal last night, and once again, I was blown away. I'm subbing a corporate gig this weekend for a multi-piece pop/R&B band (drums, keys, bass, guitar, horn section and 4 lead vocalists), and it kept up with no problems. I swear I'll stop raving about this cab at some point, but for now, I'm still in amazement mode! The gig is this Fri in a large event hall, but I'm not worried at all about my tone.
 
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#5,487
friskinator said:
Took my One10/MB200 rig to a rehearsal last night, and once again, I was blown away. I'm subbing a corporate gig this weekend for a multi-piece pop/R&B band (drums, keys, bass, guitar, horn section and 4 lead vocalists), and it kept up with no problems. I swear I'll stop raving about this cab at some point, but for now, I'm still in amazement mode! The gig is this Fri in a large event hall, but I'm not worried at all about my tone.
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Not helping my GAS for a one10, or an SC for that matter. Been tossing the idea of one or the other
 
#5,488
friskinator said:
Took my One10/MB200 rig to a rehearsal last night, and once again, I was blown away. I'm subbing a corporate gig this weekend for a multi-piece pop/R&B band (drums, keys, bass, guitar, horn section and 4 lead vocalists), and it kept up with no problems. I swear I'll stop raving about this cab at some point, but for now, I'm still in amazement mode! The gig is this Fri in a large event hall, but I'm not worried at all about my tone.
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I certainly can't speak for everyone, but I can say that I'd be surprised if anyone in this thread wants you to stop raving about this cabinet. ;)
 
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#5,489
monsterthompson said:
If you like a slightly deeper low end, with a dab more cushion, then the BB2 will deliver it. If you want it to be a bit tighter, the SC is plenty.

The SC is a tad easier to carry around. There is added depth to the BB2 size and it is just a tad bigger than I'd like. It's not that heavy, and it's perfectly manageable (for those of you without significant physical handicaps/disabilities). The SC is an easier one-hand carry.

Edit:
The BB2 crossover is pretty nice. It's not exactly smooth enough that I'd use it all the way up with heavy distortion, but it really is useable.
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Is it conceivable , that with the appropriate amount of power at 8ohms, the BB2 is the ultimate single 12 cab solution for bass on the market right now? What I mean, is that if the cabinet will take up to 800 Watts at 8 ohms , will it deliver in terms of volume and low-end like a decent average 210 or 410 fed 300-500 watts?
 
#5,490
Pbassmanca said:
Is it conceivable , that with the appropriate amount of power at 8ohms, the BB2 is the ultimate single 12 cab solution for bass on the market right now? What I mean, is that if the cabinet will take up to 800 Watts at 8 ohms , will it deliver in terms of volume and low-end like a decent average 210 or 410 fed 300-500 watts?
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Possibly. I couldn't begin to measure those apples and oranges. 800w into 8 ohms isn't easy to come by in bass amps, but could be with rack-mount PA amps. Definitely gonna kill an average 210.
 
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#5,491
monsterthompson said:
Possibly. I couldn't begin to measure those apples and oranges. 800w into 8 ohms isn't easy to come by in bass amps, but could be with rack-mount PA amps. Definitely gonna kill an average 210.
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I'm thinking a separate power amp and preamp. I've read on other threads and articles of guys doing that, like @edfriedland for example with his Fearless F112. I forget what power and Pre he was using, but he said that the first time he used the F112 with this setup, he left his 410 in the van for the rest of the tour. I imagine that the BB2 could perform similar feats if not exceed them...
 
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#5,493
Ok, so I've been kinda busy since last weekend, but I wanted to drop in and let you guys know how last weekend went with the new setup...

Kiesel Vader 5-strings/Mesa Strategy/Barefaced BT II=Are you SERIOUS!! Holy $#!+! Is that sound really coming out of a single 212?!

Halfway through the first song, I was thinking "OMG! I've got to get this under control, there's so much BASS!" Because I hadn't been able to really test the amp at gig volume before we started the show, it was a learn-as-we-go deal. I tried to set it like my D800+, thinking that would be a good starting point. Yeah, it was just overpowering the PA, LOL! About halfway through the first set, I had it dialed back and it was just glorious! Our sound guy came up after the set was over and was like "Do those guys make PA cabs? If that little 212 can put out that much bottom cleanly, I need to think about using them for subs..."

The Strategy still seems to be a bit "middy" to me. I really had to dial back the mid knob to make me happy, but when I went out front, I could still hear everything I was doing. What I may try, is turning the Mid knob down and using the graphic eq to find my Mid range happy spot. I'll let you know how it goes. The cab was the star of the show! It took everything I could throw at it. I was constantly tweaking knobs and changing sounds and the BTII just kept putting out what I was putting in. I never heard it complain. I LOVE THIS CAB!

I'm a pretty happy bass player right now...
 
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#5,496
pbass6811 said:
Yeah, I told him. Of course, he's a cheap bast...um, frugal gentleman. He'll have a conniption fit when he converts from GBP to USD, LOL! It'd be awesome though. I'd so love to hear a Barefaced PA...
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Yeah. Sticker shock.
I'm kinda tempted to get a second BB2 and a power amp and run it all as a PA for one my current projects. It'd be about the same cost as buying a decent entry level PA/sub, and it'd weigh less than half as much and be plenty loud.
 
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#5,497
monsterthompson said:
Yeah. Sticker shock.
I'm kinda tempted to get a second BB2 and a power amp and run it all as a PA for one my current projects. It'd be about the same cost as buying a decent entry level PA/sub, and it'd weigh less than half as much and be plenty loud.
Click to expand...

I've been thinking for a long time how to justify replacing my already pretty good home stereo system (MacIntosh and Magneplanar speakers, etc.) with a couple of BB2s and a pre- and power amp that could serve double duty as a gig rig....

But I'm perfectly satisfied with my Big Twin II and Mesa D800 for now. Liking the looks of the DSM OmniCabSim.
 
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#5,498
Pbassmanca said:
Is it conceivable , that with the appropriate amount of power at 8ohms, the BB2 is the ultimate single 12 cab solution for bass on the market right now? What I mean, is that if the cabinet will take up to 800 Watts at 8 ohms , will it deliver in terms of volume and low-end like a decent average 210 or 410 fed 300-500 watts?
Click to expand...

The BB2 is one of the greats, but if you need to push that much power through it, I think you'd get a better sound with 2 BB2's.
 
#5,499
Pbassmanca said:
if the cabinet will take up to 800 Watts at 8 ohms , will it deliver in terms of volume and low-end like a decent average 210 or 410 fed 300-500 watts?
Click to expand...
As far as low end I'm confident that it will amply surpass an average 210 and be a contender for a 410. Overall volume? Depends on the 410 I think.
This said, apologies for being Captain Obvious but I don't think it useless to remind the less clueful reader-by that those power figures are to be taken, at best, as shorthand for a more complex story with a few caveats. The Barefaced 12" driver cannot take 800 watts continuous, nor do they state it can anywhere in their literature: they do say you can hook up an amp capable of delivering that much power continuously, if you like clean amp tones, and if you are able to use the volume knob judiciously. If you feed the cab 800W RMS you can and will blow it.

[EDIT: buzz-nope: partly pure poppycock. See below.]
 
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#5,500
Pbassmanca said:
I'm thinking a separate power amp and preamp. I've read on other threads and articles of guys doing that, like @edfriedland for example with his Fearless F112. I forget what power and Pre he was using, but he said that the first time he used the F112 with this setup, he left his 410 in the van for the rest of the tour. I imagine that the BB2 could perform similar feats if not exceed them...
Click to expand...

I remember this. I believe he used a BBE BMAX, And a Carvin amp, not sure which.

Sidenote... just with my Mesa D800 into my fEARful 12/6, it will absolutely slay a 210. When I bridge my Crest Prolite 2.0 ( 1200 watts ) it's a beast. It'll chew up a 210, spit it out, and leave it for the birds
 

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