What cab? 4 Ohm, >= 500 watts, ~<30 lbs, cheap

[szusman]

I would strongly recommend a used Epifani D.I.S.T. 112 (or even 110).

 

[callofcthulhu]

I would strongly recommend a used Epifani D.I.S.T. 112 (or even 110).

Thanks for the recommendation. Curious power rating on that one, 300w continuous, 1200 watt peak... would still be nervous about sending it 600 continuous. I wonder if the continuous is rated conservatively or the peak is rated optimistically (I assume it's the latter).

 

[agedhorse]

Peak doesn't matter. The cabinet is rated at 300 watts continuous (RMS) and the amp 600 watts (RMS) (assuming a 4 ohm cabinet) so do the math.

An 8 ohm cabinet would be a better choice IMO.

 

[Downunderwonder]

An 8 ohm cabinet would be a better choice IMO.

when a horse brings you water, drink it.

 

[callofcthulhu]

Peak doesn't matter. The cabinet is rated at 300 watts continuous (RMS) and the amp 600 watts (RMS) (assuming a 4 ohm cabinet) so do the math.

An 8 ohm cabinet would be a better choice IMO.

Why do you say that? As alluded to earlier in the thread, my first priority is getting the most I can out of a single cab, which means 4 ohms.

 

[David Jayne]

Why do you say that? As alluded to earlier in the thread, my first priority is getting the most I can out of a single cab, which means 4 ohms.

He's trying to tell you that your quest to get all the watts will simply blow the speaker. An 8 ohm cab is a safer bet.

 

[agedhorse]

He's trying to tell you that your quest to get all the watts will simply blow the speaker. An 8 ohm cab is a safer bet.

Correct. 600 watts RMS into a cabinet rated at 300 watts, with the intent of getting all you can out of it usually ends poorly for the cabinet. This is why the Subway cabinets are all 8 ohms, 800 watts RMS (what our amps are rated at) into a single cabinet (and these cabinets use premium drivers) is simply more than is reasonably safe. I designed your amp, I might have a good idea of its capabilities.

Hey, it's your gear so do as you please.

 

[Downunderwonder]

It's not enough that the hive mind have been telling him the same thing in less words. Not enough the designer tells him it twice or three times.

He still doesn't want to know that one obtanium driver of 4 ohms is going to struggle but the same driver in 8 ohms will be amply amped with the prodigious clean power available at 8 ohm.

 

[Pbassmanca]

Correct. 600 watts RMS into a cabinet rated at 300 watts, with the intent of getting all you can out of it usually ends poorly for the cabinet. This is why the Subway cabinets are all 8 ohms, 800 watts RMS (what our amps are rated at) into a single cabinet (and these cabinets use premium drivers) is simply more than is reasonably safe. I designed your amp, I might have a good idea of its capabilities.

Hey, it's your gear so do as you please.

"I designed your amp, I might have a good idea of its capabilities."

Now that...........................is a post.............

 

[Pbassmanca]

What's out there that meets these requirements? I've got a GB Shuttle 12 that's looking for its partner - ultra loud and ultra light.

Form factor is not a concern, as long as it's lightweight.

Not too concerned about voicing given the versatility of the GB, but my wheelhouse is decidedly old school - I play a grindy overdriven Rick and make use of fuzz and wah, so if there's tweeters they need to be defeatable.

Needs to be heard over a loud drummer with no PA support.

Audiokinesis Hathor series is what I'm considering right now, but I'm a bit skittish on the price. Would love to find something under $500.

My main gigs are playing loud, heavy, scary music through an SVT into one or two 412s. This is for my backup rig, suitable for smaller mellower sidejobs I'm getting calls for, and for playing generator shows where we carry gear a half mile from the nearest road.

Hey man, I've been following this thread and posting, and also enjoying the information being shared. I completely understand your quest for the maximum single cab 4ohm solution. Hopefully the information provided by those in the know and those who want to know , will be helpful to you in making your decision. At the end of the day , this thread really brings into focus the situation that we face as bass players ; looking for power and efficiency, and using the relationship between amps and cabs, and watts and ohms, to bring us to a place where we each can deliver that fat, happy bass sound that we hear on our head , to crowded rooms and dance floors the world over. Here's to the ongoing search for maximum bass bliss.................

 

[Downunderwonder]

Hey man, I've been following this thread and posting, and also enjoying the information being shared. I completely understand your quest for the maximum single cab 4ohm solution. Hopefully the information provided by those in the know and those who want to know , will be helpful to you in making your decision. At the end of the day , this thread really brings into focus the situation that we face as bass players ; looking for power and efficiency, and using the relationship between amps and cabs, and watts and ohms, to bring us to a place where we each can deliver that fat, happy bass sound that we hear on our head , to crowded rooms and dance floors the world over. Here's to the ongoing search for maximum bass bliss.................

no amount of warm fuzzy sugar coating can stuff 500w into a single affordable driver. It's a false premise.

Which way do you jump to get onto solid ground?

More $$ ? Doubtful. And Agedhorse says more like $$$.
More drivers ? = more cab more weight.
Lesser wattage goal? OP doesn't want to know.

Iirc the Starliner was about 6ft3. So single Faital 3ft3 about 40lb is as good as it will get for $500.

 

[Downunderwonder]

the grill is going to be satin black epoxy paint. i made my own logo for it out of 1/8" lexan a painted the back of it with silver lexan paint. i'll clean and paint the grill tomorrow and by tomorrow night it should be ready to assemble.

BTW, the cab is 14" deep (not 15"). it's 24 1/2 wide X36" tall and weighs 46 1/2 lbs.

memory flakey. Halve 46.5lb but remember to add back in a top panel and still, that's a flyweight 115 300w all day.

 

[Pbassmanca]

no amount of warm fuzzy sugar coating can stuff 500w into a single affordable driver. It's a false premise.

Which way do you jump to get onto solid ground?

More $$ ? Doubtful. And Agedhorse says more like $$$.
More drivers ? = more cab more weight.
Lesser wattage goal? OP doesn't want to know.

Iirc the Starliner was about 6ft3. So single Faital 3ft3 about 40lb is as good as it will get for $500.

If it were me and I had to choose this based on the OP's original parameters , I'd go with a 4ohm 15" driver with the highest continous power handling in the smallest/lightest box that I could find , and then I'd make sure to not push it with the volume knob. The caveat though really, is the 5 hundred bucks....IMHO.

 

[agedhorse]

The other problem chasing the highest possible power handing if that usually you lose sensitivity and nice (or acceptable) mid voicing. It's possible to lose sensitivity faster than you gain power handling (in maximum SPL terms), thus going backwards.

 

[Pbassmanca]

The other problem chasing the highest possible power handing if that usually you lose sensitivity and nice (or acceptable) mid voicing. It's possible to lose sensitivity faster than you gain power handling (in maximum SPL terms), thus going backwards.

That's very true that another one of the serious compromises to be made when you're looking for these kind of parameters is tone. Actually that brings up another point though : How many watts do you really need to be heard reasonably well in in a small or medium sized room? I remember gigging for over a decade in small and medium rooms with a fender Bassman 200 amp with a 15 inch speaker , and never having a problem. (And things often got pretty loud). Now I'm not saying that was the greatest sounding amp or speaker by any means ; once I moved over to my Mesa rig , I mean, the two aren't even comparable. My point being however, that 200 watts into a 15 inch speaker ; A lot of times I had to turn down.....

 

[BadExample]

The other problem chasing the highest possible power handing if that usually you lose sensitivity and nice (or acceptable) mid voicing. It's possible to lose sensitivity faster than you gain power handling (in maximum SPL terms), thus going backwards.

Been there done that. 500 WRMS 4 Ohm and a 350 WRMS 8 Ohm that is a lot louder, and less than half the weight. Both ceramic magnets. I have mixed emotions about the tone between the two, but I only play at home. The tone might matter more to others in a different context. Either are a good wattage rating for my amp.

 

[szusman]

The other light 4 ohm cabinet worth considering is a used Mesa Boogie Scout 112 Extension, if you can find one.

(FWIW, I prefer the punch of my Walkabout through the 4 ohm version of their Scouts, as well as my Epifani D.I.S.T., so I understand your quest. For me, it's not about watts, it's about tone.)

 

[callofcthulhu]

Hey man, I've been following this thread and posting, and also enjoying the information being shared. I completely understand your quest for the maximum single cab 4ohm solution. Hopefully the information provided by those in the know and those who want to know , will be helpful to you in making your decision. At the end of the day , this thread really brings into focus the situation that we face as bass players ; looking for power and efficiency, and using the relationship between amps and cabs, and watts and ohms, to bring us to a place where we each can deliver that fat, happy bass sound that we hear on our head , to crowded rooms and dance floors the world over. Here's to the ongoing search for maximum bass bliss.................

Cheers man.

But for the record, I already found bass bliss - it's an SVT into a pair of 412s.

I'm just looking for a little rig that'll get me by when other factors take precedence over bliss.

 

[callofcthulhu]

If it were me and I had to choose this based on the OP's original parameters , I'd go with a 4ohm 15" driver with the highest continous power handling in the smallest/lightest box that I could find , and then I'd make sure to not push it with the volume knob.

Yep, that's the point if this thread, to find it. And it has been successful: Barefaced, Schroeder, Boom Bass, and Audiokinesis all have products that fit the spec.

The Schroeders seem to be the only ones in the budget though

 

[agedhorse]

The other light 4 ohm cabinet worth considering is a used Mesa Boogie Scout 112 Extension, if you can find one.

(FWIW, I prefer the punch of my Walkabout through the 4 ohm version of their Scouts, as well as my Epifani D.I.S.T., so I understand your quest. For me, it's not about watts, it's about tone.)

Again, without some serious common sense it would be fairly easy to destroy an otherwise good cabinet with the power his amp is capable of. This is why we discontinued all single driver 4 ohm cabinets, the rate of destruction by careless players was increasing. I'm sure most other manufacturers have experienced the same thing, which is why such cabinets are not common.