Official Barefaced Bass Cab Club

[xav_paris]

Hi all. I'd appreciate the benefit of your knowledge in helping me select an affordable, lightweight amp to drive the BBIII I'm about to order.

I play 5-string active basses (BEADG), generally in pursuit of a more modern/brighter tone palette. From watching Alex's videos, the BBIII seems like the right choice of cabinet to help me get a fuller sound from my low B-string, as well as the general sparkle of a tweeter.

But which (affordable) amp to purchase...?

Realistically I will only ever be playing medium sized pub style venues. Or maybe small crowds outdoors. The BBIII does up to 800W at 8ohms, which I imagine is loud when driven by an adequate amp. I always like to have too much sound pressure rather than not enough, though there's probably no point in me spending a ton of money on a huge wattage amp if the dial will never move past 2.

I'm attracted to the TC Electronic BQ500 Thrust, which does 500W at 4Ohms. But that's only 250W at 8 Ohms. The Behringer Ultrabass BXD3000H Bass Amp Head offers good bang for buck, but only 300W @ 4Ohms, translating to 150W at 8Ohms.

Are there any other amps I should be thinking about at the "affordable" end of the spectrum? Thanks in anticipation of your advice.

Alex's advice from the Barefaced website's "Which Bass Amp to Buy?" page, is pictured . View attachment 4854885

Mesa Boogie Subway D800+

 

[Oldbasslover]

Hi all. I'd appreciate the benefit of your knowledge in helping me select an affordable, lightweight amp to drive the BBIII I'm about to order.

I play 5-string active basses (BEADG), generally in pursuit of a more modern/brighter tone palette. From watching Alex's videos, the BBIII seems like the right choice of cabinet to help me get a fuller sound from my low B-string, as well as the general sparkle of a tweeter.

But which (affordable) amp to purchase...?

Realistically I will only ever be playing medium sized pub style venues. Or maybe small crowds outdoors. The BBIII does up to 800W at 8ohms, which I imagine is loud when driven by an adequate amp. I always like to have too much sound pressure rather than not enough, though there's probably no point in me spending a ton of money on a huge wattage amp if the dial will never move past 2.

I'm attracted to the TC Electronic BQ500 Thrust, which does 500W at 4Ohms. But that's only 250W at 8 Ohms. The Behringer Ultrabass BXD3000H Bass Amp Head offers good bang for buck, but only 300W @ 4Ohms, translating to 150W at 8Ohms.

Are there any other amps I should be thinking about at the "affordable" end of the spectrum? Thanks in anticipation of your advice.

Alex's advice from the Barefaced website's "Which Bass Amp to Buy?" page, is pictured .

Affordable is a relative term obviously, but the amps you are looking at seem to be in the $350 range. You might be able to get some used amps that have more wattage at that price range. I have the Aguilar TH 500 which runs around $750. But it puts 250 watts into 8 ohms. I also have a BB3. I recently played an outdoor venue with about 100 people and my master volume was set at 11 o'clock with gain and drive set at 9 o'clock respectively. I think you will find the BB3 is a very capable cab with a 250 watt amp.

In the realm of “not all electronics are equal” - I played the same outdoor gig a couple years back with a TC BG250 112, had the master at 3 o’clock and was “honking” the speaker and didn’t get the volume of my current rig. Is it the speaker, the amp, or ??? I don’t know, but the BB3 with my Aguilar is a beast. I’ve played in large facilities that hold several hundred people (dinner type music) and had the master around 10 oclock.

Also, I’m very nearly grade school education with sound electronics, but I seem to recall that a doubling of wattage does not come close to doubling the dB.

So, I don’t have suggestions for you, but if you can test drive one of those amps you mentioned with the BB3, you might it more than capable for your needs. Good luck!

 

[chris_b]

Hi all. I'd appreciate the benefit of your knowledge in helping me select an affordable, lightweight amp to drive the BBIII I'm about to order.

Finding the right amp is very important. These cabs don't massage the tone, they reproduce what you put in. Buy the right amp and you'll be loving every second of every gig.

Don't skimp on the amp.

I play a 5 string bass through either a BB2/SM or SC/SM rig with my Aguilar AG700. Sometimes I'll run a TH500 through an SC on its own.

 

[RVBASS]

Hi all. I'd appreciate the benefit of your knowledge in helping me select an affordable, lightweight amp to drive the BBIII I'm about to order.

I play 5-string active basses (BEADG), generally in pursuit of a more modern/brighter tone palette. From watching Alex's videos, the BBIII seems like the right choice of cabinet to help me get a fuller sound from my low B-string, as well as the general sparkle of a tweeter.

But which (affordable) amp to purchase...?

Realistically I will only ever be playing medium sized pub style venues. Or maybe small crowds outdoors. The BBIII does up to 800W at 8ohms, which I imagine is loud when driven by an adequate amp. I always like to have too much sound pressure rather than not enough, though there's probably no point in me spending a ton of money on a huge wattage amp if the dial will never move past 2.

I'm attracted to the TC Electronic BQ500 Thrust, which does 500W at 4Ohms. But that's only 250W at 8 Ohms. The Behringer Ultrabass BXD3000H Bass Amp Head offers good bang for buck, but only 300W @ 4Ohms, translating to 150W at 8Ohms.

Are there any other amps I should be thinking about at the "affordable" end of the spectrum? Thanks in anticipation of your advice.

Alex's advice from the Barefaced website's "Which Bass Amp to Buy?" page, is pictured . View attachment 4854885

You might consider a Quilter Bassblock 800 or 802. I have the 802 and it works well with my BB2. A used GK MB500 would be a good inexpensive choice too, I have one of those as well and it too works well with my BB2.

 

[dave64o]

Got my Two10S last week. Beautiful little cab, very loud, sounds like a much bigger box lol.

I was a little surprised on how dark it is compared to my SVT212av with the tweeter rolled off, but I’m in no way disappointed with the tone.

Here’s a shot of my amp area, less a Berg CN212.

View attachment 4854948

Sorry for veering off topic, but that Sadowsky is a beautiful bass!

Nice collection of amps and cabs, too.

 

[StephenR]

Finding the right amp is very important. These cabs don't massage the tone, they reproduce what you put in. Buy the right amp and you'll be loving every second of every gig.

Don't skimp on the amp.

Totally agree with this statement with one minor caveat... the price isn't as important as finding an amp with robust EQ that you like the sound of. If a cheaper amp sounds good, has enough power and achieves the tone you are looking for then you don't need to spend more money. During the pandemic I had plenty of time to practice and did so playing through my BB2. I own a number of amps/preamps and basses. Comparing them through the BB2 I was able to hear very distinct differences between each component or instrument. What you put in is what you are going to get out. You mentioned wanting a fuller sound from your B string. The BB2 and BB3 have a beautiful deep creamy low end but to really get the tone you are looking for you will almost certainly need to use some EQ since the response of the cabinet is so flat. If you are used to hearing any kind of hump in the low-mids it will have to be added via EQ. Ideally you should check out an amp head by playing it through your BB3. IMO deciding based on wattage is not the way to go. What good are 800 watts if you can't achieve the tone you are looking for?

 

[Tim1]

Totally agree with this statement with one minor caveat... the price isn't as important as finding an amp with robust EQ that you like the sound of. If a cheaper amp sounds good, has enough power and achieves the tone you are looking for then you don't need to spend more money. During the pandemic I had plenty of time to practice and did so playing through my BB2. I own a number of amps/preamps and basses. Comparing them through the BB2 I was able to hear very distinct differences between each component or instrument. What you put in is what you are going to get out. You mentioned wanting a fuller sound from your B string. The BB2 and BB3 have a beautiful deep creamy low end but to really get the tone you are looking for you will almost certainly need to use some EQ since the response of the cabinet is so flat. If you are used to hearing any kind of hump in the low-mids it will have to be added via EQ. Ideally you should check out an amp head by playing it through your BB3. IMO deciding based on wattage is not the way to go. What good are 800 watts if you can't achieve the tone you are looking for?

Agree, especially with the twelves. I find with the BF 10s that basically any amp sounds great as the baked in tone dominates (and is perfect to my ears). With the 12s any "good" amp still sounds good, but the difference between them is far more obvious. I have certainly found an hpf to be important in tweaking both the BB2 and the SM, but always for a great result. I tend to prefer a Mesa 800+ or Aggie DB751 with the tens and a Bergantino Forte HP with the twelves.

 

[Tankdave]

I will 2nd the Berg Forte HP for use with the 12's, the LPF is also useful as it pretty much does what the horn control will do but without having to fiddle around the back of the cab, the only downside is the cost.

 

[crd]

Quick question to bb3 owners, would 270 watts power the bb3 properly?

 

[sears]

270 tube watts or solid state watts (just kidding!)

 

[chadhargis]

Quick question to bb3 owners, would 270 watts power the bb3 properly?

Wattage is an often misunderstood measurement. You can generate some VERY high (dangerously loud) sound levels with 100 watts. Speakers have an efficiency rating typically measured at 1 watt @ 1 meter. Lets say for example you have a really efficient speaker and it produces 95db at 1 watt @ 1 meter. To generate 3 more db of sound pressure, you need to double your wattage....so to get 98db in our example you'd need 2 watts. To get 101db you'd need 4 watts...so on and so forth.

If you do the math, you'll find a couple of things. Sound pressure level is not linear. 60db is very quiet. 100db is loud but not painfully so. 120db will produced permanent hearing damage.

The advantage of higher powered amps is what some refer to as "headroom". Think of it this way. You have a small 4 cylinder pickup truck towing a camper up a mountain. It's at it's maximum load and it's moving that load up the hill...but it's engine is struggling to do so. Now hook that same small trailer up to a big semi truck. The same work will get done by both trucks, but the semi will do the work with much less stress on the drive train.

In amps, pushing them to the limit can cause distortion or overheating. So a 270 watt amp at maximum output for a 4 hour gig might not hold up as well as a 1000 watt amp producing the same sound level.

So...the TLDR answer...yes...270 watts will push just about any speaker cabinet to very loud sound levels.

 

[ReeV0]

Just had my first rehearsal A/Bing my SuperTwin and BB2. I was hoping to sell the BB2 and just keep the SuperTwin as an all-purpose cab, but I found myself greatly preferring the BB2. It was surprisingly loud, almost managing to keep up with the SuperTwin and pushing half as much air...

When playing around with it by myself at low volume, I really didn't care for the tweeter. I thought it sounded harsh, especially with distortion. Hence why I hoped the SuperTwin would suffice. But, when blasting it near max volume with an 800w head and a guitarist and drummer, I definitely preferred the BB2. The tweeter really helped the bass cut through the mix.

So - I guess that means I'm keeping the BB2 and selling the SuperTwin! I'd like to add another speaker to it, for those larger gigs. Rather than buying another BB2, is there any reason why I shouldn't opt for a SuperCompact? I seem to recall reading in one of Alex's posts that he doesn't recommend mixing the Super and Big series. Is there a reason for this, other than the slighly narrower depth of the SuperCompact (I would have the BB2 on top)? Seems a bit silly to pay out for another expensive BB2 if the second tweeter will be redundant...


EDIT: I found the post (#5) - so not advisable to stack the BB2 on top of the SC due to the size difference. Makes sense. But what is wrong with having the SC on top of the BB2? It would mean the tweeter is in the middle, but a lot of cabs have it in this location (like my Bergantino for example)?

Barefaced G3 Cabs - Supers vs Bigs User Opinions

 

[StephenR]

I use my BB2 on top of a SuperTwin works great… you already have a SuperTwin.

 

[Tim1]

Just had my first rehearsal A/Bing my SuperTwin and BB2. I was hoping to sell the BB2 and just keep the SuperTwin as an all-purpose cab, but I found myself greatly preferring the BB2. It was surprisingly loud, almost managing to keep up with the SuperTwin and pushing half as much air...

When playing around with it by myself at low volume, I really didn't care for the tweeter. I thought it sounded harsh, especially with distortion. Hence why I hoped the SuperTwin would suffice. But, when blasting it near max volume with an 800w head and a guitarist and drummer, I definitely preferred the BB2. The tweeter really helped the bass cut through the mix.

So - I guess that means I'm keeping the BB2 and selling the SuperTwin! I'd like to add another speaker to it, for those larger gigs. Rather than buying another BB2, is there any reason why I shouldn't opt for a SuperCompact? I seem to recall reading in one of Alex's posts that he doesn't recommend mixing the Super and Big series. Is there a reason for this, other than the slighly narrower depth of the SuperCompact (I would have the BB2 on top)? Seems a bit silly to pay out for another expensive BB2 if the second tweeter will be redundant...


EDIT: I found the post (#5) - so not advisable to stack the BB2 on top of the SC due to the size difference. Makes sense. But what is wrong with having the SC on top of the BB2? It would mean the tweeter is in the middle, but a lot of cabs have it in this location (like my Bergantino for example)?

Barefaced G3 Cabs - Supers vs Bigs User Opinions

I think Alex has posted elsewhere, or maybe I read it on the BF website, that SC and BB2 is not a recommended combo - nothing to do with cabinet size. FWIW I often run a Super Midget on top of a BB2 and find they combine very well together, as Alex himself has stated. The upside of this combination is that the SM is deceptively brilliant as a light and small single cab, probably my favourite of all so long as you give it a bit of power.

 

[ReeV0]

I use my BB2 on top of a SuperTwin works great… you already have a SuperTwin.

Unfortunately I need to sell one of them due to cost and space reasons.

I think Alex has posted elsewhere, or maybe I read it on the BF website, that SC and BB2 is not a recommended combo - nothing to do with cabinet size. FWIW I often run a Super Midget on top of a BB2 and find they combine very well together, as Alex himself has stated. The upside of this combination is that the SM is deceptively brilliant as a light and small single cab, probably my favourite of all so long as you give it a bit of power.

Yes that's right, it's in the link I posted. Something about not being sonically compatible... I just wondered why. Wouldn't a Super Midget have the same problem? I don't see the point of getting A Super Midget when I don't need another tweeter, makes more sense to get a Super Compact with a higher power rating to match the BB2?

With this logic I might as well have gone for a Super Midget and a Super Compact - would have been cheaper and smaller. Why have a BB2?

 

[BassBeginer64]

Someone selling a super twin..........

 

[ReeV0]

Someone selling a super twin..........

In the UK

 

[chris_b]

I use my BB2 with an SM in the very loud bands. I have never come close to being downed out or swamped by the rest of the band.

Alex recommends not to use the SC together with a BB2. He thinks they don't work together.

I'll believe Alex's assessments in all things bass.

 

[5StringPocket]

Just had my first rehearsal A/Bing my SuperTwin and BB2. I was hoping to sell the BB2 and just keep the SuperTwin as an all-purpose cab, but I found myself greatly preferring the BB2. It was surprisingly loud, almost managing to keep up with the SuperTwin and pushing half as much air...

When playing around with it by myself at low volume, I really didn't care for the tweeter. I thought it sounded harsh, especially with distortion. Hence why I hoped the SuperTwin would suffice. But, when blasting it near max volume with an 800w head and a guitarist and drummer, I definitely preferred the BB2. The tweeter really helped the bass cut through the mix.

Barefaced G3 Cabs - Supers vs Bigs User Opinions

This is why I’m interested in the Super Twin T - more compact than the Big Twin if you don’t need huge lows and a tweeter to help it cut in the mix if needed. Alex informed me it can be added as a customized option for 100 pounds. The power to weight of this cab with a 1200 watt Berg Forte HP is impressive but compact enough not to get the stink eye when rolling it into a smaller venue.

 

[alexclaber]

The BB2 and BB3 have a beautiful deep creamy low end but to really get the tone you are looking for you will almost certainly need to use some EQ since the response of the cabinet is so flat.

I think it's very personal - I might be using tons of pedals but when they're bypassed I'm running my StingRay flat and straight into the power amp via an aux in. Sounds great with either a BB3 or BT3.