To add a 15 inch speaker or not

[Heavy_d]

Hi All,

Currently playing a fender bassman (master volume) through an ampeg 410 cabinet. All in all, I like the sound, it's fighting against two fuzzy guitars and a pretty heavy hitting drummer. Sometimes though, the low end does get a little lost in our rehearsal room and am wondering if that's something I can remedy with the addition of 15 inch speaker. I've had a look through here and couldn't find a similar thread, apologies admin if one already exists.

Anybody here ever done this before, for what reason and what were the results?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[basscooker]

A second cab just like the one you have.

 

[ThisBass]

Hi All,

Currently playing a fender bassman (master volume) through an ampeg 410 cabinet. All in all, I like the sound, it's fighting against two fuzzy guitars and a pretty heavy hitting drummer. Sometimes though, the low end does get a little lost in our rehearsal room and am wondering if that's something I can remedy with the addition of 15 inch speaker. I've had a look through here and couldn't find a similar thread, apologies admin if one already exists.

At some extend a 115 can add low extension, but you should not expect tons of "low end" sound in this regard.
I suggest to try several 115 cabs in a store and figure which one is best for your sound goals.
Sometimes different cabs do accomplish well, sometimes they don't. So its anyway a good idea to check first in a store before you buy a cab.

Anybody here ever done this before, for what reason and what were the results?

Although the gear did not belong to my own. A couple of years before I played a Hartke 410. Together with a WW 115 there was some more of low end which the Hartke 410 could not bring alone on its own. Even a second 410 would have not bring out the low end extension the Hartke 410 did have together with the WW 115.

But as usual, it all depends. And as I already told above its a good idea to try all options you have in store BEFORE you buy anything.

 

[ThisBass]

A second cab just like the one you have.

Hm, and how does a "second cab" extend the low end that the OP is after?
Of course a second cab may lower f3 a little bit but, from where do you know that this little extension was quite good enough for the OP's sound goal he is after?

 

[Redbrangus]

For the OP - exactly what model Bassman do you have?

 

[Wasnex]

IMHO if you are running a vintage silver face Bassman, you probably should consider a more powerful amp rather than adding a cab. Adding a second identical cab will get you +3dB, providing the amp sees the expected load.

If your amp is a Bassman 100, it should have a 4 ohm output. So you will need two 8 ohm cabs to provide the expected load.

If your amp is a Bassman 135, the output transformer has switching and expects to see either one or two 4 ohm cabs. With two cabs the amp actually switches to 8 ohms and puts the two 4 ohm cab in series. This is unusual.

If you really want another cab, your best chance of getting good results is to get an identical 410.

Adding a 115 may help, it may make no discernable difference, or it may make matters worse. There are probably thousands of threads that discuss this, as the subject comes up every week or so.

Here is the most recent thread: Pairing cabs - any general rules?

The most common search term that will give you lot's of hits in Google is probably (talkbass mixed drivers).

However, the problem is not really about driver size. It relates more to how each cab design is tuned, and whether they work well together or fight. So getting a pair of 410s that are tuned different can be just as problematic as mixing a 410 and 115. Likewise a 410 and 115 can be built that work well together, but IMHO they are rare.

Don't assume that all cabs within a product lie will work well together. Not every company puts in the necessary engineering. The Mesa Subway line was specifically designed so all of the cabs are compatible. However even within this product line, I believe the recommended combination would be a 210 and 115, or a 410 and a 215.

 

[ThisBass]

If your amp is a Bassman 135, the output transformer has switching and expects to see either one or two 4 ohm cabs. With two cabs the amp actually switches to 8 ohms and puts the two 4 ohm cab in series. This is unusual.

With daisy chaining of two 8 Ohm cabs the "normal" 4 Ohm output of the Bassman 135 can be safely used cause the total load of two 8 Ohm in parallel mode equals 4 Ohm.

It was even possible to use a single 8 Ohm cab safely with the Bassman 135.
In this case the 8 Ohm cab SHALL be connected to the Ext. 4 Ohm output.

 

[J Wilson]

A second cab just like the one you have.

Yes. 2nd matching 410. Just be sure your impedances add up to the safe value(s).

 

[Wasnex]

With daisy chaining of two 8 Ohm cabs the "normal" 4 Ohm output of the Bassman 135 can be safely used cause the total load of two 8 Ohm in parallel mode equals 4 Ohm.

It was even possible to use a single 8 Ohm cab safely with the Bassman 135.
In this case the 8 Ohm cab SHALL be connected to the Ext. 4 Ohm output.

Agreed:

 

[Michedelic]

Hi All,

Currently playing a fender bassman (master volume) through an ampeg 410 cabinet. All in all, I like the sound, it's fighting against two fuzzy guitars and a pretty heavy hitting drummer. Sometimes though, the low end does get a little lost in our rehearsal room and am wondering if that's something I can remedy with the addition of 15 inch speaker. I've had a look through here and couldn't find a similar thread, apologies admin if one already exists.

Anybody here ever done this before, for what reason and what were the results?

Many thanks in advance.

What kind of guitar amps are you up against, and what's the demeanor of the guitarists if you were to ask them to turn down, or use amp shields/baffles if they're in that "I gotta crank it to get my sound, man" mode?
I'll also ask what model/wattage? If you're only running 50-135 watts into that cab, it may be like towing a trailer with a 4-cylinder car.

 

[basscooker]

Hm, and how does a "second cab" extend the low end that the OP is after?
Of course a second cab may lower f3 a little bit but, from where do you know that this little extension was quite good enough for the OP's sound goal he is after?

He's looking to add a cab. If he's adding a cab, doubling up with the current one will increase his SPL. Boom. More low end, although more of all the other stuff too.

 

[agedhorse]

I would also look closely at the cabinet sensitivity.

 

[ThisBass]

He's looking to add a cab.

Of course, that's right!

If he's adding a cab, doubling up with the current one will increase his SPL.

That's right, and even a cab that that is not "doubling up" with the current will increase the SPL.

Boom. More low end,

Right, more low end, the qustion is how much of it will he get?

although more of all the other stuff too.

Right, but if I read the words of the OP correctly he currently doesn't miss all the other stuff.

Sometimes though, the low end does get a little lost in our rehearsal room...

Anyway, if I was in OP's shoes I'd likely look for significant more of amplifier Watts rather than an additional cab, either way if a matching or mixing one.
Another cab brings the OP ~3dB more of SPL at best in combination with his Bassman 135 and I think the benefit was anyway quite small in view of the expense

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Hi All,

Currently playing a fender bassman (master volume) through an ampeg 410 cabinet. All in all, I like the sound, it's fighting against two fuzzy guitars and a pretty heavy hitting drummer. Sometimes though, the low end does get a little lost in our rehearsal room and am wondering if that's something I can remedy with the addition of 15 inch speaker. I've had a look through here and couldn't find a similar thread, apologies admin if one already exists.

Anybody here ever done this before, for what reason and what were the results?

Many thanks in advance.

A fifteen inch speaker cab might get you what you want, but it would have to be the right one, and I have no clue or suggestions getting you to the best one. My advise is another of the same 410 cab point one directly at the fuzzy guitarists, the other at the drummer, and crank them!

 

[Wasnex]

point one directly at the fuzzy guitarists, the other at the drummer, and crank them!

This may make the drummer and guitarist to play louder.

 

[mcnach]

At some extend a 115 can add low extension, but you should not expect tons of "low end" sound in this regard.

It may help... but it would have nothing to do with the 15".
Low end, or otherwise, has nothing to do with the diameter of teh speakers in a cab, and everything to do with the design.

Get a second identical speaker, place it together with the other one, and you will get more low end.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

This may make the drummer and guitarist to play louder.

True…but 810 10s 300 watts…. They would die trying… or vaporize.

All jokes aside, it would be better if they all turned down.

 

[basscooker]

But the elephant in the room still exists.

Are you sure, OP that adding more low end to the practice space is a solution to a "once in a while" problem, or adding another?

 

[MrLenny1]

Try renting one.

 

[ctmullins]

Depends on how far your existing 4x10 is from the walls of the room.

Jam it straight into a corner and report back.