Official Barefaced Bass Cab Club

[BigEarl]

...also,

I honestly was a tad disappointed with my SC when I got it. Well, more confused. It took me some rethinking of my eq and signal. Once I had things sorted, I was much happier. The SM and BB2 seem more pleasant and balanced, at first blush, as they are full range. The rolloff on the SC top end can seem a bit weird at first, when solo, but works in a mix, and as the cab breaks in. Paired with my old Buster 200, the SC was one of my favorite tone combos. With my Jule Monique, it wasn't. I'm glad I sold the Monique and not the SC.

Monster, would you say the SC sounds sterile to the One/Two10 cabs? I've owned my share of relatively hi-fi cabs (Epifani, Accugroove, etc) and know in my DNA that full range, or "transparent" or "sterile", is not to my taste.

That said, I do prefer clean punchy thump but I think by design the One10's are not giving me exactly what I'm after (though it is darn close, and there are so many things they do right, I love 'em!)

I've been toying for a while now of adding a Two10 to make a verticle 410 (Two10, One10, One10) that Alex says I can get away with by doing some "creative wiring" (I think that was the term) to have the whole enchilada come in at 8ohms instead of 2 ohms requiring a limited selection of amps.

The question then is, will doubling my speakers increase the punchiness I'm looking for on stage (hint: the most satifying stage sound very ever had was with a fridge, so double from 2 to 4 speakers gets me closer to the 8 in a fridge.)

I'm just trying to understand the realities of the BF 12". You description helped immensly, I am starting to lean toward the Two10.

Thank you!

 

[monsterthompson]

Let me meditate on this. I have some knee jerk responses, but I need to work in my fretless playing right now. I just plugged in

 

[monsterthompson]

Monster, would you say the SC sounds sterile to the One/Two10 cabs? I've owned my share of relatively hi-fi cabs (Epifani, Accugroove, etc) and know in my DNA that full range, or "transparent" or "sterile", is not to my taste.

That said, I do prefer clean punchy thump but I think by design the One10's are not giving me exactly what I'm after (though it is darn close, and there are so many things they do right, I love 'em!)

I've been toying for a while now of adding a Two10 to make a verticle 410 (Two10, One10, One10) that Alex says I can get away with by doing some "creative wiring" (I think that was the term) to have the whole enchilada come in at 8ohms instead of 2 ohms requiring a limited selection of amps.

The question then is, will doubling my speakers increase the punchiness I'm looking for on stage (hint: the most satifying stage sound very ever had was with a fridge, so double from 2 to 4 speakers gets me closer to the 8 in a fridge.)

I'm just trying to understand the realities of the BF 12". You description helped immensly, I am starting to lean toward the Two10.

Thank you!

Sterile isn't the word I'd use. Accurate seems better. I've played a Fearless 115 and it was probably a little closer to being sterile, but neither cab really left me feeling displeased. The SC voicing started off as a little congested to my ears, whenbutvwas brand new. It opened up over time and with a little adjusting of my ears. The SM sounded much more balanced out if the box. However, the SC didn't feel like I had to push it as hard to get what I wanted out of it in the low end. Maybe I didn't push the SM hard enough because I was unnecessarily afraid. I've never really played the sterile cabs you noted, so I can't relate them.

As for the thump and punch, the SC could be the ticket, though I found the SM had a tad more "spring" and life to it. A tad. Honestly, I still think about the idea of a SM pair. Couldn't say if a Super Twin would be the same. I understand the fridge love. I had a blast playing through a Mesa PH610 once, in their shop.

I posted this earlier, but I think a Barefaced BB2 and a DSM Omnicab pedal is an awesome pairing, which allows you to dial in the voicing features you want. It's not a cheap route, but if you're already considering multiple Barefaced, you've probably got the budget for it. Flip the One10 cabs. Get a Super Twin and an Omnicab and likely never want for tone not volume again. Of course, you could pair the Omnicab with the SC and reap the benefits of most of the tone shaping it offers except for the changes it makes over 4kHz.

 

[pbass6811]

Sorry, did you say your Compact replaced the DB410?? What do you mean by "replaced"? Like , replaced as an equal , or replaced as a lower weight/volume option?

Different model, but my BTII replaced TWO Ampeg PN410s. Replaced, as in "those two Ampeg cabs are GREAT cabs, BUT, this single 212 does the same work, with the same output, and with more clarity, than those two Ampeg cabs did.".

I really have no words to describe how amazing this cab is...

 

[smeet]

I have a BTII and a Four10. They both sound great. I like practicing with the BTII because it's so revealing. But playing with a band, the Four10 wins out. The Four10, mic'd into a good PA, is to me everything good about the Ampeg voice, but with lots more articulation.

For a flat response cabinet, the BTII is not sterile sounding. But it's closer to that than the Four10, which is more punchy and growly in the mix.

 

[JxBass]

My first Barefaced was a One10. It was so great I soon found myself the owner of two Super Midgets and a BB2. While the 12" cabs are phenomenal, the best PA-like cabs I've ever owned (Acme, AudioKinesis, Greenboy), I found myself gravitating more and more to the One10 for its beautiful voice. I sold the Super Midget and BB2 cabs and added a second One10. I've never looked back.

 

[Funkmabassup]

Im really intrigued by barefaced after reading everything about them and was hoping someone could answer: how are the top end in the super twin? 4khz seems a bit low for a treble response, how would it compare too a Gk neo 212 with tweeter disabled for example? The super twin just looks so tempting weight and size wise

 

[MartinB]

Does anyone here have real-world experience with both the 12XN550 driver and the 10CR250 driver? And if so, can you explain the sonic differences between them.

how are the top end in the super twin? 4khz seems a bit low for a treble response

I asked BF on their Facebook page about the possibility of impulse response files for the 10 and non-tweetered-12 cabs, but I don't think they saw it . It'd be such a simple, objective way to preview the way they sound with your amp.

 

[lomo]

I like the BF website, but a well done video in which all the cabs are quickly but properly demo'ed would take it to a whole 'nother level........but I guess
they must be busy building cabs

 

[monsterthompson]

Im really intrigued by barefaced after reading everything about them and was hoping someone could answer: how are the top end in the super twin? 4khz seems a bit low for a treble response, how would it compare too a Gk neo 212 with tweeter disabled for example? The super twin just looks so tempting weight and size wise

The 4K was plenty for me on the SC. Not too bright. Not too dark. YMMV.

 

[saltydude]

..but I guess
they must be busy building cabs

And amplifiers hopefully.

 

[lomo]

question:

I loved the One 10s, but they were a bit too much of a 1-trick pony for me and when I started into ABG with piezo they were a fail for that. Now I have a Genzler 10-2 array which scratches that itch. My next cab will be the smallest cab I can play with a rock drummer (think 50 people-house party/ small bar/ backyard BBQ-no bass in PA). A normal, good 112 is enough for this for me, but I'd love a smaller, lighter cab. My GB NX2-112 does it, at just under 40 lbs , 16x16x22". Smaller and lighter would be great, but I still need decent lows....not Pink Floyd pillowy, not downtuned doom, just Motown/Stax lows (really low mids). I am considering SM, SC and Duke's Hathor 12. I know the SC will have more lows than I need (I briefly owned one before the One 10s), and am wondering if the SM will have enough. I suspect it will. Waddya think?

PS-I know a 210 would work, but at 24" in length and 30 lbs doesn't offer enough of an improvement in schleppability to be worth it for me.

 

[anton72]

if the SM will have enough. I suspect it will. Waddya think?

I have both One10 and SM. One10 does that "one trick pony" job for me and SM takes the rest. SM can get low, not "wooly" wide-range low but rather tight mid-low. I think this will meet your tone goals.

 

[anton72]

P.S. I mostly run my SM with the tweeter just around 25% on or fully off. This 12" speaker does the job very good by itself.

 

[lomo]

I have both One10 and SM. One10 does that "one trick pony" job for me and SM takes the rest. SM can get low, not "wooly" wide-range low but rather tight mid-low. I think this will meet your tone goals.

How would you compare the bass/low mids of the One10 to the SM? Does the SM get lower/deeper/wider?

 

[anton72]

How would you compare the bass/low mids of the One10 to the SM? Does the SM get lower/deeper/wider?

They are quite different animal. SM sounds generally "louder" but not lower/deeper if you know what I mean. But it is perception which is sometimes different from the fact, as SM naturally pushes more air and physically is more capable of reproducing lower freqs. I would say that I "hear/perceive" SM tone is more aggressive(mids?) vs One10. But I generally prefer One10 tone, it has more character into it. SM is a flat response cab, it quite accurately reproduce what you put through it while One10 adds its own signature character.

 

[anton72]

...and I prefer the way one10 distorts signal when pushed over SM in the same situaton, although it will take more watts to bring SM to its limits...

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

question:

I loved the One 10s, but they were a bit too much of a 1-trick pony for me and when I started into ABG with piezo they were a fail for that. Now I have a Genzler 10-2 array which scratches that itch. My next cab will be the smallest cab I can play with a rock drummer (think 50 people-house party/ small bar/ backyard BBQ-no bass in PA). A normal, good 112 is enough for this for me, but I'd love a smaller, lighter cab. My GB NX2-112 does it, at just under 40 lbs , 16x16x22". Smaller and lighter would be great, but I still need decent lows....not Pink Floyd pillowy, not downtuned doom, just Motown/Stax lows (really low mids). I am considering SM, SC and Duke's Hathor 12. I know the SC will have more lows than I need (I briefly owned one before the One 10s), and am wondering if the SM will have enough. I suspect it will. Waddya think?

PS-I know a 210 would work, but at 24" in length and 30 lbs doesn't offer enough of an improvement in schleppability to be worth it for me.

One SM will be fine for that goal. You'll also be able to ditch the Genzler cab. My SM is super fine for acoustic bass guitar. Weight of the cab is about 23lbs I believe.

 

[RasGK]

Im really intrigued by barefaced after reading everything about them and was hoping someone could answer: how are the top end in the super twin? 4khz seems a bit low for a treble response, how would it compare too a Gk neo 212 with tweeter disabled for example? The super twin just looks so tempting weight and size wise

I used to have a GK Neo 410, and now have a Super Twin, and I greatly prefer the Barefaced top end (and there's also a massive difference in the capability to reproduce the lows by the way). It's not as harsh and cheap-sounding as the GK, and with just a bit of boost in the highs from either the amp or the bass, I can get a nice slap sound with enough brightness. I also play in a couple metal bands, which require a more aggressive tone to cut through the mix, so that requires a more exagerated boost in the highs and high mids to get me there, but that can still be achieved with the Super Twin. It also depends on what amp and bass you are using. This examples are with the Tecamp Puma 900, but something like a Darkglass M900 could give you more pronounced highs without so much knob tweaking...

 

[Funkmabassup]

I used to have a GK Neo 410, and now have a Super Twin, and I greatly prefer the Barefaced top end (and there's also a massive difference in the capability to reproduce the lows by the way). It's not as harsh and cheap-sounding as the GK, and with just a bit of boost in the highs from either the amp or the bass, I can get a nice slap sound with enough brightness. I also play in a couple metal bands, which require a more aggressive tone to cut through the mix, so that requires a more exagerated boost in the highs and high mids to get me there, but that can still be achieved with the Super Twin. It also depends on what amp and bass you are using. This examples are with the Tecamp Puma 900, but something like a Darkglass M900 could give you more pronounced highs without so much knob tweaking...

nice, this was kinda what I was hoping to hear I play a passive jazz with pretty bright elixir rounds, and want to be able getting a good slapsound which can cut the mix when needed, I might jump on one of those super twins, gonna buy a high wattage lightweight head for it too, the microtubes 900 is definitly one worthy contender, so is GK mb800