Tweeters?..... We Don't Need No Stinking Tweeters!

[ebozzz]

I recently acquired two 110 cabinets that did not have a tweeter. They don't have that crisp, zingy top end that a lot of players might prefer but I have to admit, I like the tone of them. I like it so much so that when an opportunity presented itself that would allow me to acquire another new tweeter-less cab at an outstanding price, I pounced on it.

Haven't received the new, bigger cab as of yet. should arrive a little later this week. While waiting I've sort of been dreaming about the possibilities it has. So, I thought that I would ask the following.....

1. How many of you have a preference for cabs without tweeters?
2. In what musical situations do you find them to be most appropriate for your needs?
3. Are there any of you who just simply do not like tweeters/horns at all in your cabs? Why?

As for me, I think that I'll always have a mixture of cabs around. I must say that the two little 110 cabs are proving to be a lot more versatile than I thought they would be. I hope the new addition follows that trend...

 

[pfschim]

I have them both, so a mixture for me. IMO/IME, different tools for different tasks.

 

[Rick James]

The problem with most tweeters is that they start working an octave higher than they should and they go an octave higher than they need to. The new Eminence BGH 25 is what a bass cab tweeter should be.

 

[Bassamatic]

Don't like 'em. To my taste, they just emphasize finger noise and clanking, etc.

 

[ebozzz]

The problem with most tweeters is that they start working an octave higher than they should and they go an octave higher than they need to. The new Eminence BGH 25 is what a bass cab tweeter should be.

Forgive my ignorance but what makes it so different?

Don't like 'em. To my taste, they just emphasize finger noise and clanking, etc.

So, so you target cabs that don't have tweeters or simply just disable or turn them off?

 

[And I]

I have a GK MB500 and a couple of 112 Neo cabs. The rig is pretty damned bright / crispy. I love the detail but don't really love the string / finger noise. If I use one cab I keep the horn almost but not completely off. If I used two cabs, one horn is all the way off and the other is almost completely off.

 

[LiquidMidnight]

I have them both, so a mixture for me. IMO/IME, different tools for different tasks.

+1

I normally tend towards tweetered cabs, as that's what my ears like, but I can definitely respect a great sounding tweeterless cab. I really dig my NV610 and I have much respect for the 810E. Although IMHO, tweeterless cabs shine more in mixes that aren't super guitar- and drum-heavy. For music where there's a modern, American-voiced high-gain guitar amp at play, I find that the harmonic information produced by a tweeter - or horn of a PA cabinet - adds a lot of presence that one-way bass cabinets have difficulty creating, and this adds an extra snap that locks in with the kick drum.

 

[Jeff Scott]

With the right gear, tweeters/horns are unnecessary. When I did have cabinets with them they were usually set very low or off, but there have not been many that I have had with them.

 

[pfschim]

+1

I normally tend towards tweetered cabs, as that's what my ears like, but I can definitely respect a great sounding tweeterless cab. I really dig my NV610 and I have much respect for the 810E. Although IMHO, tweeterless cabs shine more in mixes that aren't super guitar- and drum-heavy. For music where there's a modern, American-voiced high-gain guitar amp at play, I find that the harmonic information produced by a tweeter - or horn of a PA cabinet - adds a lot of presence that one-way bass cabinets have difficulty creating, and this adds an extra snap that locks in with the kick drum.

totally agree. Like you, I totally love the sound of my sealed NV610, particularly with a tube amp (my flavor of that is a 200w Fender Studio Bass). I just don't expect any modern sizzle out of it (but that's just fine and dandy for me). But, when I turn to my CN212, I really dig what the tweeter does to the over all impact of the Fender J's that I favor - brings some air up top, lets the mids breathe a bit and, at least to my old ears, it also accentuates the nice woody/buzziness of a low action Fender Jazz, that makes it fit sweetly in the mix, but not get lost. On those cabs that do have tweeters, I do tend to attenuate them about 2-4db.

just many flavors of good as far as I am concerned.

 

[shawshank72]

I do not like them.
Will not buy or use a cab if i can't turn it off.

 

[ebozzz]

I do not like them.
Will not buy or use a cab if i can't turn it off.

Wow Shank! That's definitely a draw a line in the sand sort of stance. Mind if I ask what you use?

Well, it looks like my cab will arrive on tomorrow. Wasn't expecting it until Thursday. I hate days like that when I have to sit at work all day thinking about getting home to my new arrival....

 

[shawshank72]

Wow Shank! That's definitely a draw a line in the sand sort of stance. Mind if I ask what you use?

Well, it looks like my cab will arrive on tomorrow. Wasn't expecting it until Thursday. I hate days like that when I have to sit at work all day thinking about getting home to my new arrival....

Those kind of days are long ones.
But they do end well
I use Traynor gear.
My 1x12's have tweeter control and they stay off.
My SB115 has ability to turn it off and it stays that way.
And my new beater Fender BXR300C has no tweeter.

 

[Jeff Scott]

I use Traynor gear.

I used to use Traynor gear.

My first bass amp was a YBA-3 that I bought new in 1974, and I have owned a YSR-1 in the early '80s and made some great recordings with it with my old Rickenbacker 4005WB.

I also had a '60s YT-15 with EVM-15s in it, and more recently a pair of '60s YS-15 cabinets that I put Delta Pros drivers in to excellent effect.

No tweeters and they sounded excellent.

Here is the pair of YS-15 cabinets.

The YT-15 looked the same but (obviously) just one tall cabinet, and was actually divided internally so it was like a pair of cabinets attached together.

They sounded great with my old Walter Woods!

 

[Arjank]

Even if I would turn down the highs on my amp I still would want a tweeter, especially since I send my post-eq signal to the FOH. IME a tweeter is not only there to add highs but also to detected unwanted "noise" in the signal path.

IMO the reason why a lot of bassplayers dislike tweeters is because in most cases they aren't implemented well into the cab design.

 

[Whoolie]

I don't think I could play on a tweeter-less cab with my band, I need the top end for the sound.
I play modern metal, with distortion from a VTBassDI pedal through an EBS Proline 412 with a tweeter. It works great!

 

[baxter_x]

I really appreciate cabs with tweeters. Both of my SWR GIII have tweeters set to 11 o'clock. It provides me a cristal clear sound, a little bit of fret noise, and an awesome slap sound.
The only issue you can have is if you use distortion. Distortion into tweeters is just terrific

 

[Thumper19605]

Guitar amps, no tweeter. Bass amp , tweeter? Hmmmmm.

 

[baxter_x]

LOL! I totally agree that sounds strange. But thats the way it is.

 

[Arjank]

The new Eminence BGH 25 is what a bass cab tweeter should be.

It has an Fs of 1.3khz, IME you should not go lower then 2xFs which is in this case 2.6khz. But, the hornflare is to small to get down to 2.6khz so you still end up around 3.5 - 4khz...
The coaxial driver I use has x-over point of 1.8khz between mid and tweeter and there's no way you can here a transition between the two, it sounds like one bada.. fullrange driver.

 

[Szyszaczek]

BTW what is the diffrence betwen twitter, horn and HF driver?

Some speakers need twitter some dont. It all depends if You play normal or slap, with or without effects.

Tweeters ive seen so far change the effects like fuzz to much. I prefer no-tweeter but its just my taste or I haven hear the right good tweeter so far