Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Official Barefaced Bass Cab Club
- Thread starter Stumbo
- Start date
Thanks Cuz. Getting ready to order a ST myself. What amp/s are you using? I go from blues/rock to Death/Black metal. Need to cover those bases.
Last edited:
No worries bro.
I used it with a Hartke LH1000 and it killed.
Have also used it with a Darkglass M900 and it kills as well.
The best things about the ST (mine is gen 3) is that it will basically pump out whatever you feed it transparently but by no means in a sterile manner.
It has enough bottom end easily but clarity is present at the top end.
If you get a lot of your time with pedals or your amp in front you won't go wrong, if you really do want a more vintage tone then the One10s in some form be it many of them, or a 210 will be what you want.
Sounds to me though the ST is right up your street
I used it with a Hartke LH1000 and it killed.
Have also used it with a Darkglass M900 and it kills as well.
The best things about the ST (mine is gen 3) is that it will basically pump out whatever you feed it transparently but by no means in a sterile manner.
It has enough bottom end easily but clarity is present at the top end.
If you get a lot of your time with pedals or your amp in front you won't go wrong, if you really do want a more vintage tone then the One10s in some form be it many of them, or a 210 will be what you want.
Sounds to me though the ST is right up your street
SO GUYS.....would this make me a glutton?
I've spoken with the master himself, Alex, and he/we think the best cab for me would be a Super Twin. And I'm happy about that. BUT, then I look, and I say, "the BTII is only $300 more, so why not just go for it"? Am I crazy talking here? Like I said in a previous post, I'm a hard rock, blues, metal guy. (Death/Black metal). I am not a slapper, never will be, and could care less about top end "sizzle", etc. I do play with fingers and a pick, and tune down to Bb, sometimes even A. I use a killer P bass and a powerful active bass as well. SO, do I NEED the BTII, probably not. But it seems it would be nice to have that extra power in the tank, even though right now I'm not really concerned about the crossover, etc. And right now I'm using a Darkglass 900, but I like to change heads and could see myself with a Mesa Prodigy, or maybe Ampeg SVT4, or something of that power ilk in the future.
So am I just being gluttonous by wanting more, is it just GAS?? Or do I have a legitimate thought process? Since I never played through a ST I don't know exactly what to expect. But I know the BTII is top of the food chain. I just think of Yngwie Malmsteen when someone asked him about "less being more". He said "less is not more. More is more".
So am I crazy? I'm placing an order later today/tonight..
I've spoken with the master himself, Alex, and he/we think the best cab for me would be a Super Twin. And I'm happy about that. BUT, then I look, and I say, "the BTII is only $300 more, so why not just go for it"? Am I crazy talking here? Like I said in a previous post, I'm a hard rock, blues, metal guy. (Death/Black metal). I am not a slapper, never will be, and could care less about top end "sizzle", etc. I do play with fingers and a pick, and tune down to Bb, sometimes even A. I use a killer P bass and a powerful active bass as well. SO, do I NEED the BTII, probably not. But it seems it would be nice to have that extra power in the tank, even though right now I'm not really concerned about the crossover, etc. And right now I'm using a Darkglass 900, but I like to change heads and could see myself with a Mesa Prodigy, or maybe Ampeg SVT4, or something of that power ilk in the future.
So am I just being gluttonous by wanting more, is it just GAS?? Or do I have a legitimate thought process? Since I never played through a ST I don't know exactly what to expect. But I know the BTII is top of the food chain. I just think of Yngwie Malmsteen when someone asked him about "less being more". He said "less is not more. More is more".
So am I crazy? I'm placing an order later today/tonight..
dude... such a hard choice to make for sure.... I'm a hard rocker myself and have been debating the dilemma of which cab to go for....
here's some excerpts from a TB'er that I had some PM chat with .... it's comparing the 410 to the BT2 but may help you in the right direction.... The 410 goes 2k htz higher than the super twin but people have stated there is plenty of treble with the super twin, just not the glassy highs you'll get out of the BT2.
"As far as songs, many of the classic rock and R&B recordings of electric bass have tones are that easily achievable with minimal eq, if you are playing through the four10. It still takes eq well, and you can add and subtract brightness, mids, or lows.
The BT2 on the other hand, is more a blank slate, and it's much more versatile, so harder to describe. It sounds great with flat amp eq when I'm alone, and is wonderful for practicing, as it reveals all the flaws in your playing, and has a beautiful tone everywhere on the fingerboard. The bass sounds like a fine solo instrument though this cabinet, because it's so fullrange. With a band, if you want the traditional mid-punch and slight upper-mid cut, you have to eq that in. It has a modern sound to it because without the band-limited bass cab sound, it reproduces a frequency range that bass cabinets of the past could never get close to. There are a LOT of mids, high mids, and highs into the "air" range, but it does not sound harsh at all, even when you dig in. The tweeter might get to be a little much if you are using a lot of distortion, but then of course you can roll it off. If you're fond of the huge clean MTD tone of some of the modern gospel guys, that might give you an idea of the overall tone reach of the BT2."
and.... this statement is pretty clear to me but depends on the tone you're trying to work towards..... depends on if you're a big tone shaper or like to set it and forget it IMO.
"Both cabinets can do a strong but tight low end. Both can get a snarly aggressive high end, but only the BT2 can get a shimmery/glassy top end and a crystal clear bell tone. It's a weird comparison, as they both take eq well, but the BT2 takes it REALLY well, and IF you have great eq, you can make it sound like anything. It would even make a great keyboard cabinet. The caveat is that the characteristic sonic signature of classic cabs (and the Four10) is a bit complex and hard to really nail with normal amp eq. It's not as simple as "cut the deep bass, boost the low mids, slight scoop in the high mids", even though it seems like it would be. So I guess my feeling is I wouldn't take my BT2 to a classic rock gig, because no matter what I do with my eq, it still has THAT sound. Kind of like a nice Ampeg with lots of added clarity and depth and punch. On the other hand, if I was playing a bunch of Tool covers, the BT2 (and a crapload of effect pedals!) would kill at that."
Another TB'er mentioned the 410 had good weight when playing the D and G strings of his Spector. I mentioned to him my current cabinets seem to get lost higher up in the register....
maybe this stuff helps you make a decision..... maybe it doesn't.... lol..... good luck
Alex suggested the Big Twin II for me over the Super Twin because it sounds 'bigger, deeper, and clearer'. And if it came down to those two for me, I would definitely get the Big Twin II. It's physically not that much bigger. What I really had in mind was the Super Compact because of the size, but if I were to go ahead with the dual driver cab I'd just get the Big Twin II.
This is Talkbass and suggesting to another TB'er that "less is more" is pretty much blasphemy. But, at the risk of being accused of blasphemy, I'd say that if you gave Alex honest info and he recommended a Super Twin, then you can feel 100% confident that it will meet all your needs and make you very happy for a long time.
That being said, I believe the tweeter control on the Big Twin works the same way it does on my Big Baby 2 and, rather than being used to adjust the tweeter level, it adjusts the crossover frequency. Assuming that's correct, then setting the crossover to the highest frequency should make the Big Twin sound pretty close to a Super Twin (because almost all of the original signal would be going to the 12" drivers and only the highest end would be going to the tweeter to provide a hint of air/sparkle/brightness). Because the Big Twin has the tweeter as well as the unique tweeter control, it's a more flexible cabinet and has more tonal options, but those options aer only worth it if you'll use them. And you'll have to decide that for yourself.
That being said, I believe the tweeter control on the Big Twin works the same way it does on my Big Baby 2 and, rather than being used to adjust the tweeter level, it adjusts the crossover frequency. Assuming that's correct, then setting the crossover to the highest frequency should make the Big Twin sound pretty close to a Super Twin (because almost all of the original signal would be going to the 12" drivers and only the highest end would be going to the tweeter to provide a hint of air/sparkle/brightness). Because the Big Twin has the tweeter as well as the unique tweeter control, it's a more flexible cabinet and has more tonal options, but those options aer only worth it if you'll use them. And you'll have to decide that for yourself.
I own two BB2's and play them with the HF knob between half and all the way up most of the time. I am mainly playing rock and blues. I am using a Quilter, Bergantino or Tantra for amplifiers. I lean towards an old school round sound and the horns never get in the way. The extra air helps round out the top end. I have let other old school types use my rig while sitting in the audience and spoken with them about my sound when they are listening to me. We all concur that it is warm, not clanky or too bright. It is round, full and present and sits well in the mix. I don't use a lot of EQ but do usually take a bit of the top end off. I also usually have a little bit of drive going, not a distorted sound but just on the edge. I have not played much with heavy distortion as it's not my thing. I prefer to have the HF option and do not find it interferes with dialing in other more lo-fi sounds. Hope this helps.
You've gone to Alex asked his advice, which he gave, and now you want to buy something totally different that will not sound as you both discussed!
The BT2 is a great cab, no chance of being a bad cab but will it be the best cab for you? Don't know, but if the BT2 was the better cab for your requirements Alex would have said.
I've been caught out with this before. In reality, more is only more. More is not always better.
Anyway, why ask us? We know nothing. Get back on email with Alex and throw this idea his way and see what he says.
As I understand it, the BT2 with the tweeter control all the way up should be equivalent to the Super Twin (confirm that with Alex of course). If that's the case, it's "just" a money question. If you can afford the price difference, you won't be losing anything.
Don't discount the difference in cab volume, since the dimensions are bigger. The BB2 with the crossover/compression driver off isn't the same as the SC. The low end behaves a little differently. The BT2 has some extra cab volume on the ST.
BT2
33.5" high x 20.5" wide x 14.6" deep
ST
29" high x 19" wide x 13.4" deep
I can't say that is a game change that most people will really notice, and it can probably be EQ'd to get pretty darn close.
Thanks Jx, this is probably the best sentence I've seen yet to describe the BF 12's
Two combo Speakon / 1/4" jacks
I think it's going to be the Four10 Friday night with a Fender Supper Bassman 300 head. Mostly, lately, I have been using a single BB2 and a GK MBF800 head, sometimes adding a SM on top of the BB2. I like the extra cut, snap, and clarity that the 12"+tweet offers, but tomorrow will be more blues oriented than usual. Great cabs, all of them.
I actually had two replies attached. The other was Jx's comment about the 12" drivers being akin to PA speakers ...that was very helpful.
Just placed my order for a Super Twin!! Very excited!!!
Latest posts
-
-
What I am finding out with regards to playing as I grow older- Latest: bigdaddybass12
-
-
