• 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 freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Official Barefaced Bass Cab Club

There's a "night of the round table" joke in there.


I'd call the Quilter slightly colored based on my experience with it and a BB2. It rounds off the highs and makes them "polite." It's subtle and not terribly noticeable on clean sounds, but it took the teeth out of my distortion pedals. If I was looking for a bright and open top end, I'd look elsewhere.

I'd consider Genz. Demeter. Berg.
IME YMMV
I do agree to that on the BB800. I didn't have it when I discovered Barefaced, I used if mainly with an Aguilar SL410x and that thing has the loudest horn known to mankind. I eventually moved on because I needed better eq control with that cab. Then I discovered talkbass and the rest is history.
 
I do agree to that on the BB800. I didn't have it when I discovered Barefaced, I used if mainly with an Aguilar SL410x and that thing has the loudest horn known to mankind. I eventually moved on because I needed better eq control with that cab. Then I discovered talkbass and the rest is history.

I think it's more of a compression/limiting effect than an eq curve.

The TB gear rabbit hole :)
 
Hi! I'm looking for an FRFR cab that can be loud and available in Europe, so I'm leaning towards Barefaced. On the official website, the promo video states that the Big Twin 2 has more displacement capacity than an Ampeg 810 (1100 cc vs. <1000 cc). With 1600W RMS and 133dB, that seems huge. Any input on real world use?

Also, could a Big Baby II cope with a really loud drummer and two guitarists in a baritone drony-doomy-sludgy-metal setup?

Not sure if you'd need a tweeter playing that style, you might want to look into the Super Twin.
These cabs are superb in terms of displacement. Did a gig where i played over the main act's Ampeg fridge. It was a cool experience, but i prefer my own sound.

I used to play in a stoner band. If that band would ever be revived, i wouldn't consider downsizing my Big Twin ;-)
Go for the Super Twin, that way you're never short on headroom.
 
I do agree to that on the BB800. I didn't have it when I discovered Barefaced, I used if mainly with an Aguilar SL410x and that thing has the loudest horn known to mankind. I eventually moved on because I needed better eq control with that cab. Then I discovered talkbass and the rest is history.
I set my BB800 dead flat and use a Q/Strip for all EQing. Works like a charm (and has a somewhat functional LPF built in!)
 
  • Like
Reactions: mmbass21
I probably would've kept the BB800 but I had an issue on a gig where it wouldn't power on. Quilter was great and repaired it within a couple of weeks at no expense to me. However it was a simple thing where a wired detached from the internal fuse however if I opened it and repaired it myself it would've voided the warranty. After I got it back I just wasn't comfortable with the reliability of it so I moved on. That was all in my head of course.

While not having it I tried other things and TB GAS took over during that time. I moved on from it before discovering Barefaced.
 
Hi folks, I'm right on the edge of ordering a barefaced cab, looking for opinions before I pull the trigger. I've contacted Alex and got his thoughts, which were the same as I was thinking myself.(I won't spoil
it by saying what that was yet!) I'm currently using a TC BH800 amp through 2 Markbass traveller 2x10 cabs (8ohm each), but they don't seem to take much lows before they threaten to fart, and the lows aren't terribly solid either. My most common gig is with a Bon Scott-era AC/DC tribute act, but also play in jam sessions which are mostly blues and classic rock. Most gigs are in pubs or smaller clubs, but occasionally on bigger stages. (Usually with pa support) My gear is also occasionally used by other players at local festivals too, so needs to be at least a bit versatile. I guess my priorities are a loud, fat, and solid sound. I don't really play much slap, but it would be good if it would do that passably. So...what's your thoughts - Two10s or super compact? I'd be looking at one cab just now and probably adding a second when funds allow.
Cheers!
 
Hi folks, I'm right on the edge of ordering a barefaced cab, looking for opinions before I pull the trigger. I've contacted Alex and got his thoughts, which were the same as I was thinking myself.(I won't spoil
it by saying what that was yet!) I'm currently using a TC BH800 amp through 2 Markbass traveller 2x10 cabs (8ohm each), but they don't seem to take much lows before they threaten to fart, and the lows aren't terribly solid either. My most common gig is with a Bon Scott-era AC/DC tribute act, but also play in jam sessions which are mostly blues and classic rock. Most gigs are in pubs or smaller clubs, but occasionally on bigger stages. (Usually with pa support) My gear is also occasionally used by other players at local festivals too, so needs to be at least a bit versatile. I guess my priorities are a loud, fat, and solid sound. I don't really play much slap, but it would be good if it would do that passably. So...what's your thoughts - Two10s or super compact? I'd be looking at one cab just now and probably adding a second when funds allow.
Cheers!
My BB2's can handle anything.
 
I'll agree 100% with that.

That being said, I bought a One10 for kicks because it was offered to me at a great price by a TBer I've dealt with multiple times who approached me about it before he posted an For Sale ad (and two other great TB'ers suggested he contact me because they knew I was considering a One10!). I didn't hesitate. My impression is that the Barefaced 10s are kind of designed to have a warmer tone with less high end sizzle that would be well suited to classic rock, blues, etc. Since that's a lot of what I play and I do like the tone of the One10 a lot, I've occasionally wondered if I might have been even better off with a pair of Two10s. That would give me the option of using only one if that's all I needed and also give me the option of setting them up in a vertical stack when using both. But, I can't imagine making a change at this point. As was already said, my pair of BB2's can handle absolutely anything!
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Coleye
Hi folks, I'm right on the edge of ordering a barefaced cab, looking for opinions before I pull the trigger. I've contacted Alex and got his thoughts, which were the same as I was thinking myself.(I won't spoil
it by saying what that was yet!) I'm currently using a TC BH800 amp through 2 Markbass traveller 2x10 cabs (8ohm each), but they don't seem to take much lows before they threaten to fart, and the lows aren't terribly solid either. My most common gig is with a Bon Scott-era AC/DC tribute act, but also play in jam sessions which are mostly blues and classic rock. Most gigs are in pubs or smaller clubs, but occasionally on bigger stages. (Usually with pa support) My gear is also occasionally used by other players at local festivals too, so needs to be at least a bit versatile. I guess my priorities are a loud, fat, and solid sound. I don't really play much slap, but it would be good if it would do that passably. So...what's your thoughts - Two10s or super compact? I'd be looking at one cab just now and probably adding a second when funds allow.
Cheers!

Having owned both the SC and 210, though not knowing your amp, I'd go 210. I never pushed either cab to the limit so I don't know which was truly louder, but they each got sufficiently and comparably loud when driven with my Demeter 800w head. I'd jam with some unrestrained friends in a good sized rehearsal room, getting loud enough to wear hearing protection. Neither cab left me wanting for much.

For your most common gigs the 210 will slot right. It's a good classic sounding bass cab.

My initial SC impression was that it took me some EQ experimenting to get it to sound right. I didn't initially like it with some of my usual EQ settings or certain amps. After it broke in and I had time to adjust, I found it to be a very good cab. I particularly liked it with a Mesa Buster tube head I had.

My current rig is a pair of BB2 cabs used as a PA. I'm not playing out, but I've kept them "in case" and because I run synth and full-range playback through them. If I only wanted a cab to play bass through then the 210 would be my choice.
 
Hi folks, I'm right on the edge of ordering a barefaced cab, looking for opinions before I pull the trigger. I've contacted Alex and got his thoughts, which were the same as I was thinking myself.(I won't spoil
it by saying what that was yet!) I'm currently using a TC BH800 amp through 2 Markbass traveller 2x10 cabs (8ohm each), but they don't seem to take much lows before they threaten to fart, and the lows aren't terribly solid either. My most common gig is with a Bon Scott-era AC/DC tribute act, but also play in jam sessions which are mostly blues and classic rock. Most gigs are in pubs or smaller clubs, but occasionally on bigger stages. (Usually with pa support) My gear is also occasionally used by other players at local festivals too, so needs to be at least a bit versatile. I guess my priorities are a loud, fat, and solid sound. I don't really play much slap, but it would be good if it would do that passably. So...what's your thoughts - Two10s or super compact? I'd be looking at one cab just now and probably adding a second when funds allow.
Cheers!

Get a 410, especially if you're gonna be needing a bit more power sometime and doubly so if you have other people using it (I don't trust others with my 210 as it has switches for one and they are more likely to break it). The sound your going for won't come as easy with the 12s IMO
 
Having owned both the SC and 210, though not knowing your amp, I'd go 210. I never pushed either cab to the limit so I don't know which was truly louder, but they each got sufficiently and comparably loud when driven with my Demeter 800w head. I'd jam with some unrestrained friends in a good sized rehearsal room, getting loud enough to wear hearing protection. Neither cab left me wanting for much.

For your most common gigs the 210 will slot right. It's a good classic sounding bass cab.

My initial SC impression was that it took me some EQ experimenting to get it to sound right. I didn't initially like it with some of my usual EQ settings or certain amps. After it broke in and I had time to adjust, I found it to be a very good cab. I particularly liked it with a Mesa Buster tube head I had.

My current rig is a pair of BB2 cabs used as a PA. I'm not playing out, but I've kept them "in case" and because I run synth and full-range playback through them. If I only wanted a cab to play bass through then the 210 would be my choice.

Thanks for that, and yes, I would only be playing bass through the cab as I've already got a full pa. I usually just plug straight into the amp, no pedals, and I've read a few posts saying the BF 10's are great at that. My last rig was a Trace Elliot with 15's, so I'm guessing I won't miss not having a tweet either. My impressions from reading this thread are that the SC will go lower, (I just wonder if I'd want any lower than the Two10s goes), but the Two10s extends higher that the tweeterless cabs, am I right there?
 
Get a 410, especially if you're gonna be needing a bit more power sometime and doubly so if you have other people using it (I don't trust others with my 210 as it has switches for one and they are more likely to break it). The sound your going for won't come as easy with the 12s IMO

Thanks for that, I would be tempted with the 410 right enough, but I sometimes sit in with a small folk/blues outfit as well, with limited space and volume needs, which is the reason I was looking more towards a modular, 2-cab approach. As for breaking it, if anybody else was using it, it would only be people I know and trust, and I'd be there as well. Learned that lesson the hard way after a visiting player plugged the output of his bass head into the speaker out of my Trace combo and destroyed the output section. Apparently he 'thought it was a speaker cab'. No reimbursement for the repair unfortunately. I gather you're right about the 10's being easier to dial in than the 12's though, quite a few have said the same.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Waltsdog
Thanks for that, and yes, I would only be playing bass through the cab as I've already got a full pa. I usually just plug straight into the amp, no pedals, and I've read a few posts saying the BF 10's are great at that. My last rig was a Trace Elliot with 15's, so I'm guessing I won't miss not having a tweet either. My impressions from reading this thread are that the SC will go lower, (I just wonder if I'd want any lower than the Two10s goes), but the Two10s extends higher that the tweeterless cabs, am I right there?

Technically the SC will go lower with that woofer and the cab design and tuning, but I wouldn't say the 210 is limited in depth to the point of a meaningful handicap. In fact you might even EQ or HPF some of the SC depth out to get a tighter sound. If you're running standard tuning and not trying to get a low B fundamental, the 210 should be suitable for most applications.

The top end is plenty on both cabs. The SC starts rolling off around 4K but it can stay quite bright. Not zingy tweeter bright, but for your styles, you should be good. The 210 brightness isn't something I recall focusing on. It was plenty but not overpowering.

I believe Alex mentioned the 210 was designed to have a bit of that pushed speaker sound when pushed, whereas the SC wasn't. So if you like that distortion then the 210 is where I'd lean. For pristine clean, the SC is the choice. The other big factor is midrange voice. If you really want to cut through with a growling midrange, the SC is the better tool. Not exactly the AC/DC sound you mentioned you play.
 
I should have added - I use a 4-string precision bass. No plans for a 5. (So far...!), so not overly concerned about big extended deep lows.
Correct me if I'm wrong anywhere here, but from what I've read here, the two10s response extends slightly higher than a tweeterless 12, the lows would be more than enough, with the benefit of being tighter into the bargain, smaller footprint stacked vertically, and with an in-built tone flattering to electric bass?
I can see this forum emptying my band account..... One thing I wondered about was impedance - my amp only goes down to 4 ohms, so if I stacked 2 two10s I'd have to switch to 12ohms, giving 6ohm total load. I take it you wouldn't be losing too much output compared to a pair of 8ohm cabs pulling full whack at 4 ohms?
 
I should have added - I use a 4-string precision bass. No plans for a 5. (So far...!), so not overly concerned about big extended deep lows.
Correct me if I'm wrong anywhere here, but from what I've read here, the two10s response extends slightly higher than a tweeterless 12, the lows would be more than enough, with the benefit of being tighter into the bargain, smaller footprint stacked vertically, and with an in-built tone flattering to electric bass?
I can see this forum emptying my band account..... One thing I wondered about was impedance - my amp only goes down to 4 ohms, so if I stacked 2 two10s I'd have to switch to 12ohms, giving 6ohm total load. I take it you wouldn't be losing too much output compared to a pair of 8ohm cabs pulling full whack at 4 ohms?
You can't go wrong either way with their 12s or 10s but if your primary player is P and with the music you mentioned you play above I'd personally recommend going with the 10s. I had a BB2 and currently own a Two10s and One10. The Two10s is more versatile than some make it out to be because they're a little warmer for that old school type of tone.

I can't speak directly about using 2 Two10s (but I have thought very hard about getting a second one) at 6ohms but I will say the difference from 4ohm to 12ohm isn't as overly drastic at you might think. Running 2 at 2 ohms is outdoor concert volume IMO and at 6 ohms I think you'd be more than satisfied with their output. Remember these cabs have incredible dispersion out front, every time I comment on here I try to bring up dispersion because it makes such a big difference. Someone can do the math on what the different ohms to spl will be and it'll probably be a nominal difference in decibels overall.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Coleye and ahc
Hi folks, I'm right on the edge of ordering a barefaced cab, looking for opinions before I pull the trigger. I've contacted Alex and got his thoughts, which were the same as I was thinking myself.(I won't spoil
it by saying what that was yet!) I'm currently using a TC BH800 amp through 2 Markbass traveller 2x10 cabs (8ohm each), but they don't seem to take much lows before they threaten to fart, and the lows aren't terribly solid either. My most common gig is with a Bon Scott-era AC/DC tribute act, but also play in jam sessions which are mostly blues and classic rock. Most gigs are in pubs or smaller clubs, but occasionally on bigger stages. (Usually with pa support) My gear is also occasionally used by other players at local festivals too, so needs to be at least a bit versatile. I guess my priorities are a loud, fat, and solid sound. I don't really play much slap, but it would be good if it would do that passably. So...what's your thoughts - Two10s or super compact? I'd be looking at one cab just now and probably adding a second when funds allow.
Cheers!
Having owned two One10's (now I just have one of 'em) and my current SC, for AC/DC tributes/covers I would go with the SC with the 12" for that Cliff Williams low-mid drive. CAVEAT! Although I've never owned one, but from the spec's a BBII might be an even better choice. I was unhappy with the stacked One10's and feel the 12" drivers would work best. My $0.02
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dp1363

Latest posts