What cab would you get?

The second best all around cab I've ever owned was an AG El Whappo, which was better than everything else I owned before it, including an SVT. The best cab I've ever owned is the Omni 15 I built from plans I got at billfitzmaurice.com. If you can't do the DIY thing have one made for you by one of his builders, it will still probably cost half what an El Whappo does.

 

Ive owned and played a lot of cabs, the best do-all cab so far to me is the aguilar 412. Its not the best sounding cab Ive played, but it does sound good, can get loud indoors and out without PA support, has a small foot print on stage (smaller than a 410 cab), its a tall cab so its closer to my ear and its easy to move. It can handle a lot of power but at the same time it doesnt need a lot of power to sound good.

 

Schroeder 21012, Epifani NYC-310 or 410 UL, Bergantino 322 or used HT-310 are all great do it all cabs that are loud enough for moderate volume venues without PA support and will do your B justice.

If you can't go those routes for economical reasons, I'd say Mesa Boogie PH-410, Aguilar GS-212 or GS-410, or Eden XLT-410 especially on the used markets.

 

The Genz Benz XB2-410 and NEO-212 are very cool cabinets as well.

 

If $ is no object- El Whappo, if $ is an object, either DrBass 212 4ohm, or Avatar 212, either way, 12's for the 5-string

 

+1

 

Pre-Fender SWR Henry 8 X 8 (Celestion-equipped)
Great lows
Great mids
Great highs
Works well for a wide variety of music and playing styles

 

it depends on the bass and the amp....every single item in your signal chain will effect your tone. There is no one cab that will give you what you want without considering the other factors. This is why you have to try out different cabs, amps, basses, etc.

 

There's a lot out there that I think would work....
Ampeg/SWR/Mesa/GK 8x10's
Ampeg/SWR/Mesa 2x15's
Ampeg's 6x10, SWR's Henry 8x8 (pre fender)

I really don't have experience with 2x12's so I can't comment on those.

I personally like my Kustom 2x15, but they aren't the easiest thing to find in great condition, and if you do get one of those go for the JBLs and avoid the CTS.

There's a lot of factors that go into this.... your bass, what sound your looking for, and most of all your budget.

 

Eden D410XLT. Tight, with plenty of bottom.

 

I've been very pleased with my Dr Bass 2260 (now called a 2240?). It's smaller than a 4x10, punchy, plenty loud for every gig I've played - indoors and outdoors without PA support - and (mine has neo drivers) it's light enough to carry one-handed. It's also affordable.

 

Ive used various cabs with my covers bands but always just one at a time because of car space.
I have a Schroeder 1210 that i use with one band and that has done well for any gig i have played without PA support. Its got a unique tone though but does cut through and i get asked by the guitarist to turn down quite often.
For my other band i have a Epifani UL115 and that's the best cab/sound i have ever had but that's been replaced with a UL212 as i needed a bit more at a couple of recent bigger gigs and that is a very loud cab. Its 4ohms and can fill a large room with my MB SA450 or GK head. I can quite easily drown out the drummer which means i can get louder than i will ever need.

 

I found that with enough clean power, even my old Peavey 410B sounds pretty nice. Not perfect by any means, but definitely good enough to keep around rather than sell when my 8x10 comes in. So I'd have a hard time narrowing it down to one cab.

But, I guess that if I can take any amont of power with me to go with this "only one" cab, I'd take the SWR Megoliath. Older ones, of course. They sound clean enough to shape any way you want, and they just plain look mean.

But, the GK I ordered (wanted a factory fresh one, not some dusty mongrel that everybody in town has molested) has a pretty clean tone as well, and was way less than a new SWR.

 

Make it a 412 and that's all the cab you need right there!