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Double Bass Tweeter or No Tweeter?

#21
Jake said:
I've been looking into different one 12" cabinets. Aguilar has one that is tweeter-less and one with a tweeter. What is better for double bass, tweeter or no tweeter?
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I was using a GS112 (w/tweeter) for double bass for a while. While I thought the Aguilar tweeter sounds terrible with double bass, it came in useful once in a while. 80% of the time I kept it turned off but there were times where I needed that extra "zing" to cut through so I would turn it up about 1/4 of the way.

Its really all depends on what pickup you are using also. But, in my opinion, its better to have it and be able to turn it off rather than not have it all.

Just an FYI, if you are looking to Aguilar 1x12s.. They are great cabs BUT I could never get the sound I wanted out of it for upright. Electric was a different story. They always had a great sound for electric. But, the mid scoop that GS112's are known for didnt work out well for upright. They could be quite boomy and twangy but lack mid definition. Also, on the tweeter issue, I always found that the sub and the tweeter SOUND like to separate speakers. With my Epi UL-110s, the sub and tweeter sound like one speaker. Much smoother transition between the two.

Just my $0.02
 
#22
Chris Fitzgerald said:
With the EA VL series cabs, I always turn the tweeter off, as it seems redundant to my ear.
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My thoughts exactly. Sometimes I turn it on just a little, but usually it's not even on. What the VL's seem to have going for them is very articulate and expressive midrange response. The cabinet placement of the tweeter is interesting as well, since they put it below the midrange speaker, or in the case of the 208 it's sandwiched between the two mid drivers.

That said, I can't think of a cabinet that doesn't have a little horn with the exceptions being the GK MBS and EA's whizzy ( which has the whizzer cone instead). SWR's Working Pro's even use them now. So you're going to get one whether you like it or not. From that perspective it's important to be able to dial it out with a L-PAD.

Ric
 
#23
Ric Vice said:
That said, I can't think of a cabinet that doesn't have a little horn with the exceptions being the GK MBS and EA's whizzy ( which has the whizzer cone instead). SWR's Working Pro's even use them now. So you're going to get one whether you like it or not. From that perspective it's important to be able to dial it out with a L-PAD.
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True for the most part Ric. But I think some cabinet makers offer the "with" and "without" option as a choice. According to the original post, apparently Aguilar is one, and I believe Bergantino is another.

I guess if you're trying to make every $ count, that's where the decision becomes important. The sans tweeter boxes undoubtedly save you some money I reckon.

Of course, if it were me, and since Jake did ask ... I would say as a general guideline get the tweeter if you can. You might not think you need it in your sound now, but your tastes or your gigging needs might change later. I'd feel better knowing it was there and controllable with a dial than to not have it at all.

Now IME, when I had an SWR WM 15, I always turned the durn thing off. For DB and for slab. Actually I think the tweeter may have been fried when I bought that amp. It sure didn't add much to the quality of the sound.

Now, there's some conflicting advice ...

Good thing all my cabs now are full-range and un-tweetered.
 
#24
The Epi UL-110 is one I really want to try out. They have one down at Bass Central, a pretty awesome looking store down near Orlando, FL. I am planning to try the UL-110, the Wizzy, the CXL112, the Aguilar GS112, the CXL110, the Berg stuff, and even the big selection of Ampeg Portabass speaker cabs they've got. I am hoping to find a used Series II AI Focus, so I'll ask BC if I can use one of their Series III Focus heads to listen to all these speakers. This store has pretty much everything except Acme of course, although if I go with the Wizzy, I may give (All Hail) Bob G my buisness.
BTW, I appreciate the advice from you guys. Thank you.
 
#25
Jake said:
The Epi UL-110 is one I really want to try out. They have one down at Bass Central, a pretty awesome looking store down near Orlando, FL.
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I'm not sure if you are stuck on the AI stuff, but for what its worth, I'm running 2 UL110s and a Markbass Little Mark II and its quite an amazing pair. Wonderfully modular and portable. For me and what I play, its probably the best setup I've played to date..
 
#29
I have both Aggie cabs, and recently for a small café gig grabbed one, accidentally the one w/o the tweeter. At the gig, I was bummed, but then I plugged in and played. The cab was elevated 3' off the floor about table height and my DB sounded great. I could hear myself really well, and several people complemented the tone. It is nice to have both options (or to just turn the tweeter off). Some folks have had less luck w/ the Aggies for DB, but as that is what I have, that is what I use. They do tend to sound very different depending on how they are placed/room, etc.
 

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