I'm thinking of just using a single 1x18" cab for my hardcore/metal band. I can't decide if I like to play finger style or with a plectrum. Anyone wanna tell me what you think? I really really like the tone that I get from 18" speakers.
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Using just a single 1x18 cab
- Thread starter insomniac2295
- Start date
i'm just worried about the 118 being too slow i guess. think i would have any problems with this?
You might have more luck if you placed your question in the correct forum (this is the bass guitar forum - not the amp/cabinet forum).
Mark Wilson
Supporting Member
I loved the sound I use to get from an old Peavey bass bin w/a 18" Gauss driver, however, by itself it was a bit to undefined. It was great for five strings, you could just "feel" the lows. I found that using the 18" with an old JBL passive X-over and a "top" cab w/ 2x10 or 4x8 Altec drivers make for a great overall sound, crisp highs, low down lows.
If all you want is to use the 18" cab, then I would consider using a pick to pluck with, to help get a clean defined sound.
theres nothing wrong with that, wasent jacos acoustic rig only 18" speakers?
a club i play at regularly has a backline with a 4x10 and 1x18, i usually turn off the 4x10 and just crank the 1x18. sounds great, especially from a distance. up close it can be a little too much though
a club i play at regularly has a backline with a 4x10 and 1x18, i usually turn off the 4x10 and just crank the 1x18. sounds great, especially from a distance. up close it can be a little too much though
The way it was explained to me is that all speakers respond at the same speed, but the largeness of the driver can have a big impact on mids and highs due to a phenomenon called "beaming," where a larger driver causes the highs and upper mids to be more directional and harder to hear off to the side. That's what causes larger speakers to sound "slow."
Rick Auricchio
Registered Bass Offender
The 18 may be deficient in mids, which will result in you not being heard. You might feel the bass on stage, but the sound may not project to the crowd.
As Thump said, "Do what you want." Nobody here knows what tone you want, nor are we going to care if your tone sounds great or lousy.
As Thump said, "Do what you want." Nobody here knows what tone you want, nor are we going to care if your tone sounds great or lousy.
- Mar 9, 2005
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- Avatar Club#12 Eden Club Lucky# 13--USA Peavey Club#37 Carvin Club#5
Entwhistle used just 18's for a few years. Jaco used just one. It's all in what sounds good to your ear. I use just an 18 and a 10 at home for practice, and they sound better to me every day.
Wish I could turn it into something that makes me money
But what I know is mostly superficial stuff. I have no clue about how amps work, but I know how to get a good tone, and and I'm learning a bit about how audio works for the first time in my life. Plus I know a lot of useless trivia like Jaco using two 360/301's.
billfitzmaurice
Commercial User
- Sep 15, 2004
- 16,860
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- Owner, Bill Fitzmaurice Loudspeaker Design
There's no such thing as a slow driver. The terms 'slow' and 'fast' are applied to speakers by laymen who don't know what it is they're trying to describe or what the correct technical term is that describes it.
Listen to Bill
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Why not - some people like 15's / 18's. I use a 115 + horn as a standalone. I also use a pick ... since day one, and it sounds great if you like that sound. If you get an 18", and don't like it you can always add a 210 cab.
Many moons ago I used a Trayner Bass Head on top of a 1x18 Cerwin Vega folded horn Cab. I put a tweeter in the front of the Cab at the top and it rocked. If I didnt have the head on top of the cab the cab would walk across the room. 
I play through a single 18 (vintage Cerwin-Vega folded horn) that I gratefully received for free from a fellow TB'er, currently pushing it with an SWR Workingman's 4004 head.
Best cab I've played through, hands down. At almost 160 lbs it almost outweighs me, so it's a b**** to haul around, but the tone and projection are phenomenal.
That being said, all of my neighbors hate me.
Best cab I've played through, hands down. At almost 160 lbs it almost outweighs me, so it's a b**** to haul around, but the tone and projection are phenomenal.
That being said, all of my neighbors hate me.
