• 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

#8,041
After some months without a cab, I'm thinking about getting a Barefaced cab for my Quilter Bass Block 800.
I use the amp at home for practice (XLR out into mixer into active monitors or headphones) and when I go to rehersals I always use one of the cabs they have there, but I think it's time to gey MY personal cab.
I talked via email with Alex from Barefaced and he suggested me the Super Midget, based on the needs I described to him.
I play in a friend's studio rehersal room with other 2 guitarists/singers and a drummer. Both guitarists use 30/32W guitar amps and the drummer isn't extremely loud. I never had any volume problem, so I guess a single Super Midget should work very well for my needs. Plus it's small, light and easy to carry.
If you have experience with this specific cab, share your experience.
Thanks!
 
#8,042
Hypercaffium said:
If you have experience with this specific cab, share your experience.
Click to expand...

I've owned a one10 and currently have a SM and a SC.
The SM doubles as my home cabinet. In direct comparison with the one10 the one10 wins hands down as a bedroom speaker. Why? Because it sounds more like a loud amp at bedroom volumes. The SC sounds sweet, but will make your cupboards rattle.
So if you're sitting in a rented flat with paper thin walls and neighbors that don't like bass playing, the SM might be a bit too loud.

I play in a band with two guitars that are in the 20W range with a not too loud drummer where the SM can easily hold its own - in fact, I have to turn down quite frequently.
It is amazing what that small little cabinet can do. Especially with a 5 or 6 string bass. I suppose you can run the Quilter on full or very close to that without farting from the cab. But protect your ears when you do so!
 
  • Like
Reactions: CunniMingus
#8,043
I guess you described your requirements accurately to Alex? As long as you got the requirements info right, I'd go with his advice.

All we can do is tell you what we use. I use Two10's and Super Compacts. I did borrow an SM to go with my SC and the combination was fantastic. Even so 2 Two10's are my current go-to rig.

Alex is pretty good at this and I'd trust his advice on which of his cabs would be best for you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CunniMingus
#8,044
el murdoque said:
I've owned a one10 and currently have a SM and a SC.
The SM doubles as my home cabinet. In direct comparison with the one10 the one10 wins hands down as a bedroom speaker. Why? Because it sounds more like a loud amp at bedroom volumes. The SC sounds sweet, but will make your cupboards rattle.
So if you're sitting in a rented flat with paper thin walls and neighbors that don't like bass playing, the SM might be a bit too loud.

I play in a band with two guitars that are in the 20W range with a not too loud drummer where the SM can easily hold its own - in fact, I have to turn down quite frequently.
It is amazing what that small little cabinet can do. Especially with a 5 or 6 string bass. I suppose you can run the Quilter on full or very close to that without farting from the cab. But protect your ears when you do so!
Click to expand...
At home, I just plug my P bass into a preamp/DI pedal or my Quilter BB800 (XLR out only) and practice through active monitors or heaphones. That's why I've never felt the need for a bass cabinet for home practice.
I'm sure I'd love to play through a "real" cabinet at home but the main goal is to have a light, compact and portable cab for rehersals. I'm sure I'd find a way to use the cab at home, that's not a problem.
Plus, the cab should be suited for acoustic instruments also, and voiced pretty flat. That's when Alex suggested the Super Midget, I told him I was trying to get an all-around light/compact/portable setup for pretty much any music genre.
He also told me that the BB800 is a great starting point for that. Add a good flat cabinet and some pedals (including preamp/DI pedals, if needed) and you shold be covered.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: John D Harris
#8,045
Hypercaffium said:
the main goal is to have a light, compact and portable cab for rehersals. I'm sure I'd find a way to use the cab at home, that's not a problem.
Plus, the cab should be suited for acoustic instruments also, and voiced pretty flat. That's when Alex suggested the Super Midget, I told him I was trying to get an all-around light/compact/portable setup for pretty much any music genre.
Click to expand...

For this profile, the SM is by far the best cabinet I've ever laid hands on. I've replaced a 212 that was three times as heavy and nearly three times the size with a SM and in terms of woofing and total volume they were on equal terms. That little box is a mere ten kilograms - a one hand carry.


It's so ridiculously small and light. I've thrown a 450W class D unit on top and tried to find the limit of the cabinet by slowly increasing the volume. Well, on the one hand, 450 watts were not enough but on the other hand was I already way past any volume I'd need with a single cab. I like to bring both cabs when I can justify it (I mean, it's not really an issue. My pedalboard in its case is heavier than one of my cabs).
 
  • Like
Reactions: Plutonium244 and CunniMingus
#8,047
el murdoque said:
For this profile, the SM is by far the best cabinet I've ever laid hands on. I've replaced a 212 that was three times as heavy and nearly three times the size with a SM and in terms of woofing and total volume they were on equal terms. That little box is a mere ten kilograms - a one hand carry.


It's so ridiculously small and light. I've thrown a 450W class D unit on top and tried to find the limit of the cabinet by slowly increasing the volume. Well, on the one hand, 450 watts were not enough but on the other hand was I already way past any volume I'd need with a single cab. I like to bring both cabs when I can justify it (I mean, it's not really an issue. My pedalboard in its case is heavier than one of my cabs).
Click to expand...
So a single SM should cover my needs, I guess. But I must pay attention to the amp wattage and use the internal limiter of my BB800, 800 watts are too much for a single SM.
 
#8,052
Hypercaffium said:
After some months without a cab, I'm thinking about getting a Barefaced cab for my Quilter Bass Block 800.
I use the amp at home for practice (XLR out into mixer into active monitors or headphones) and when I go to rehersals I always use one of the cabs they have there, but I think it's time to gey MY personal cab.
I talked via email with Alex from Barefaced and he suggested me the Super Midget, based on the needs I described to him.
I play in a friend's studio rehersal room with other 2 guitarists/singers and a drummer. Both guitarists use 30/32W guitar amps and the drummer isn't extremely loud. I never had any volume problem, so I guess a single Super Midget should work very well for my needs. Plus it's small, light and easy to carry.
If you have experience with this specific cab, share your experience.
Thanks!
Click to expand...


Echoing what others have said-- SM is a great cabinet. Sounds like it would suit you well, and if Alex concurs, well, he knows his stuff. The SM is a perfect "all-purpose" cab-- small enough to go anywhere with ease, big enough to cover a lot of gigs. When I don't know a venue in advance, I'll often go with the SM, since it'll do big and small. I might sometimes go with a One10 for something I know is small, like a restaurant, coffee house of small pub--but SM does what the One10 does and more, and is only 6 pounds more (21 lbs). It's a safe choice. For all but the biggest, loudest gigs.

I am fortunate enough to have an array of Barefaced cabs-- One10, Two10, Four10, SM, BB2-- I find the SM to be the most versatile, taking into account size/weight, volume, sound quality, ability to combine with other cabs for large gigs, etc. I think you'll like it a lot. And, if it turns out you're not a tweeter guy, the tweeter control is a freq crossover type, so when you dial it out, you don't lose the frequencies-- they just move to the 12" driver for a smoother more rounded tone. The tweet helps to cut through mixes when playing live, though.

Enjoy.
 
  • Like
Reactions: imabuddha, loki2772, Mingus_Habens and 1 other person
#8,053
Plutonium244 said:
Echoing what others have said-- SM is a great cabinet. Sounds like it would suit you well, and if Alex concurs, well, he knows his stuff. The SM is a perfect "all-purpose" cab-- small enough to go anywhere with ease, big enough to cover a lot of gigs. When I don't know a venue in advance, I'll often go with the SM, since it'll do big and small. I might sometimes go with a One10 for something I know is small, like a restaurant, coffee house of small pub--but SM does what the One10 does and more, and is only 6 pounds more (21 lbs). It's a safe choice. For all but the biggest, loudest gigs.

I am fortunate enough to have an array of Barefaced cabs-- One10, Two10, Four10, SM, BB2-- I find the SM to be the most versatile, taking into account size/weight, volume, sound quality, ability to combine with other cabs for large gigs, etc. I think you'll like it a lot. And, if it turns out you're not a tweeter guy, the tweeter control is a freq crossover type, so when you dial it out, you don't lose the frequencies-- they just move to the 12" driver for a smoother more rounded tone. The tweet helps to cut through mixes when playing live, though.

Enjoy.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the infos.
I'd like to experiment more with preamp/DI pedals too, so I guess a SM+BB800 combo should be one of the best options if you're looking for a neutral/clean platform. The BB800 is very flat voiced with minimal but very effective controls, plus a Line in if you want to completely bypass its EQ section, so changing preamps can give you tons of possibilities in an extremely compact and lightweight setup.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Plutonium244
#8,054
Hypercaffium said:
Thanks for the infos.
I'd like to experiment more with preamp/DI pedals too, so I guess a SM+BB800 combo should be one of the best options if you're looking for a neutral/clean platform. The BB800 is very flat voiced with minimal but very effective controls, plus a Line in if you want to completely bypass its EQ section, so changing preamps can give you tons of possibilities in an extremely compact and lightweight setup.
Click to expand...

I hear so many good things about the BB800, I'd like to try one. I have way too many amps, good amps, for me to justify buying one, though. Instead, I am trying to persuade my friend to buy one, so I can take his for a test drive, lol. It's been 11 years since I was in Rome, but next time I come, I am dropping in on you to try out your BB800 and SM. Hell, clearly, I need to go there for the sole purpose of doing that. Surely I can convince my wife we need to go do this. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: CunniMingus, GoofusInsanius and anton72
#8,055
Plutonium244 said:
I hear so many good things about the BB800, I'd like to try one. I have way too many amps, good amps, for me to justify buying one, though. Instead, I am trying to persuade my friend to buy one, so I can take his for a test drive, lol. It's been 11 years since I was in Rome, but next time I come, I am dropping in on you to try out your BB800 and SM. Hell, clearly, I need to go there for the sole purpose of doing that. Surely I can convince my wife we need to go do this. :)
Click to expand...
BB800 is quite unique class D Head today cause it uses its own proprietary design of power amp instead of ICE module used by most mass manufacturers bass heads.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CunniMingus and Plutonium244
#8,057
Just a short note on import duties. On my first new BF cab, a One10 tweed, I never received a bill from FedEx for the import duty. It may still show up. On my second new cab, the above pictured Eight10, I received the bill for "Customs Duty" today, 12 days after the cab arrived. It was 1.2% of the insured (I believe) value, or $26.77, plus a $7 "Advancement Fee" which I suppose is FedEx's charge for handling the transaction. For $7, they are losing money. The 1.2% duty was what I was expecting based on a Google search on the Fed. Govt. website. Very minimal compared to sales tax anywhere around here.
Tim
 
  • Like
Reactions: imabuddha, monsterthompson and bonin in the boneyard
#8,058
Another Quilter fanboy here. With the BB800's built-in HPF, LPF, compressor, and overdrive, I can leave my pedalboard at home!

To keep it on-topic: I'm still hoping to join the Barefaced club someday soon. For a long time I was thinking Two10 or SC would be the best match for my tastes (P bass with flats, baby!) but I have to say the SM is definitely on my radar now thanks to this discussion. :)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: CunniMingus
#8,059
Plutonium244 said:
I hear so many good things about the BB800, I'd like to try one. I have way too many amps, good amps, for me to justify buying one, though. Instead, I am trying to persuade my friend to buy one, so I can take his for a test drive, lol. It's been 11 years since I was in Rome, but next time I come, I am dropping in on you to try out your BB800 and SM. Hell, clearly, I need to go there for the sole purpose of doing that. Surely I can convince my wife we need to go do this. :)
Click to expand...

Owned a Quilter, but sold it. It was fine, but it was a bit dull sounding. It put a blanket on the distortion pedals I ran through it, and took the teeth out of them. I wouldn't say it's a bad amp, but it isn't my cup of tea.
 
  • Like
Reactions: grimmchaos, cjlembo and Mpike
#8,060
monsterthompson said:
Owned a Quilter, but sold it. It was fine, but it was a bit dull sounding. It put a blanket on the distortion pedals I ran through it, and took the teeth out of them. I wouldn't say it's a bad amp, but it isn't my cup of tea.
Click to expand...
I still have mine but I feel the same way. As I used it I liked it less and less over time. It sounds good with my One10 but the One10 roars with my D800+. It'll look silly but I still need to try it with my 100T.
 
  • Like
Reactions: grimmchaos and monsterthompson

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back