• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Which Amp for fEarful 12/6 stack?

Which amp?

  • TH 500

    Votes: 4 7.1%

  • TH 700

    Votes: 8 14.3%

  • Mesa D-800+

    Votes: 20 35.7%

  • Streamliner 900

    Votes: 5 8.9%

  • Shuttlemax 9.2

    Votes: 6 10.7%

  • TH 500 with GK Neo 112s (do nothing)

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Carrotblaster 1000

    Votes: 13 23.2%
  • Total voters
    56
And I

And I

Feb 19, 2009
4,120
7,048
Witchtown, MA
#1
Ok so here's the deal, I have a first-world bass problem and need help deciding. I love my TH 500 but I'm not sure 500 watts total will be enough with 2 fEarful cabs. I play mostly fingerstlye funk and soul music.

I just bought a used fEarful 12/6, and plan to build another one in the coming months. I have a Tonehammer 500 that I really like the sound of. I currently play it through 2 GK Neo 112s, which I like. But hearing it next to the fEarful I hear just how much coloration the GK cabs have... I think my tone sounds even better through the much more transparent fEarful. However, 250 watts per cab doesn't seem to be enough to drive the low-sensitivity fEarfuls to the volume levels I might need at a gig (I don't always have PA support). Even with 2 cabs I feel like I will have to push the master volume of the tonehammer 500 quite a bit.

So I am thinking about more wattage... Do I get a Tonehammer 700 (I know I like the tone already, but only 100 more watts to each speaker seems like not a huge difference for the money), Do I get a Mesa D-800+ which seems really versatile and sounds great but is different than the TH? Do I get a Streamliner 900 which I hear can be a little muddy (but I like the sound in the demo videos I've seen)? Do I get a Shuttlemax 9.2, which seems like the perfect do-everything amp (but may be a struggle to tame the extended high frequencies which I don't really love to have in my tone)? Or do I just keep gigging with the TH 500 and GK 112s, not buy another amp / not build another fEarful and just keep the one I have as a practice / quiet gig-rig?
 
#2
Since you already know you like the sound of the fEARful's over the GK's, I would consider trading in the GK's for a second head (keeping the TH500) and going with two fEARfuls. Gotta have two of everything if you're doing a lot of gigs. That's my rule anyway. As for the new head, depends if you want another flavor (Mesa) or more of the same with more power. The 700w TH will drive a pair of those LOUD, no doubt. Heck the TH500 will likely drive them loud but the extra 100w per cab will help.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: And I
#3
the TH500 will be more than enough for two fearfuls. I wouldnt spend any money on another Class D head if you have one you like! You WILL win all stage volume contests with that set-up. You will ALSO blow out the FOH in quite a few scenarios if you get a bit carried away, which is easy when it sounds that good...

What kind of gigs are you playing? 50 people? 100 people? 300? More?

Id get a tube head! Having super efficient cabs like the fearfuls with a tube head would be EPIC!!! Ashdown and Ampeg both have some pretty cool options in the 50-200 watt territory that would blow your mind for clean volume with 2 fearfuls.

Under-powering cabs is a bunch of bologna. Ive been runnin a PF50T through big cabs since it came out! Everyone that uses the rig is BLOWN away by volume and tone. Low watt (200 or less) tube amps sound GREAT through fearfuls! I almost replaced my SVT212AV with a 12/6, but I just like a larger cab for stage appearance! Ended up with an Aguilar SL212 for my PF50T.

Consider the flip side of the coin! Being able to USE all the power of an amp and get more overtones and harmonics that arent available with SS Class D amps.

Natural compression from a cranked tube rig with top notch cabs would be my take on funk and soul...
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Mingo Sanders, thetragichero, Socobass and 2 others
#5
And I said:
Well that's the thing, the fEarfuls are NOT efficient. Their sensitivity is low. The difference in volume with the same settings on the amp between a gk neo 112 and a fearful 12/6 is striking... the GK is much louder.
Click to expand...

Have you considered getting a power amp? With two 15/6/1 cabs, I found I could clip a Mesa M9 carbine (900 watts at 4 ohms)!
That said, I like using a D-800 (not a plus) with a 12/12/6/1, which is likely a wee bit more efficient that two 12/6/1 cabs. If you do go for a power amp, I recommend the Crest Prolite 3.0 non-dsp.

Prolite 3.0 has lots of bang for the buck and is very light (~11 lbs). You can use your current head as a preamp by taking the effects send from it into the power amp.
 
  • Like
Reactions: quickervicar and And I
#7
And I said:
Well that's the thing, the fEarfuls are NOT efficient. Their sensitivity is low. The difference in volume with the same settings on the amp between a gk neo 112 and a fearful 12/6 is striking... the GK is much louder.
Click to expand...
Do the fEARfuls all come loaded with identical drivers? It's the first time I've heard about them being inefficient. I've heard that about ACME's but even those with do fine with 250 watts per 12" cab. It also matters how high you can turn up the volume and still remain musical. Some people might like the natural bit of overdrive you get with a LESS powerful amp but that depends on the amp and how it interacts with the speaker.
All of this leads to my original opinion that it's probably a good idea to buy the second fEARful, then doing what you have to do if the TH500 does not push them the way you like. I would definitely do a band jam with the rig before deciding though. In the end having those two fEARFuls likely means you'll never need any other cabinets for life, which doesn't seem to be the case (based on what you said) for the GK's. I believe that when musicians shell out the big bucks for these super-cabs that they are hoping they'll last forever. You're paying for sound quality, volume, weight (a lack of it these days), and durability. Unless you really abuse them, they should last forever.
I remember working at a stereo place back in the late 70's and our motto was "pick out the speakers you like, then pick out the amp that makes them sound the best". You have the advantage of already hearing the fEARFuls which is more than half the battle. You also have items to sell (or trade in) in order to purchase the perfect amp to drive them. Depending on where you live it might be tough trying out all the amps you would like to try but rolling the dice on an amp isn't too risky because they allow returns. Quite honestly I'd be surprised if any of the amps on your list didn't make them sound good. All great amps, except for maybe the nefarious Carrot Blaster.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DrThumpenstein and And I
#10
It’s not that they’re inefficient, the woofers are what...96dB?

It’s just that the fEARful design at lower wattages, they don’t seem to be as loud as competing cabs. They are designed to be cranked. You really need 800 watts or more, especially for a full stack, to make fEARfuls really shine. Anything less, well, it’s not worth it then to spend that kind of dough on some fEARfuls.

Lots of power amps available. You could pick up the gold standard of led sleds, the venerable Crest CA9 for a couple hundred bucks these days.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: And I
#15
And I said:
Ok so here's the deal, I have a first-world bass problem and need help deciding. I love my TH 500 but I'm not sure 500 watts total will be enough with 2 fEarful cabs. I play mostly fingerstlye funk and soul music.

I just bought a used fEarful 12/6, and plan to build another one in the coming months. I have a Tonehammer 500 that I really like the sound of. I currently play it through 2 GK Neo 112s, which I like. But hearing it next to the fEarful I hear just how much coloration the GK cabs have... I think my tone sounds even better through the much more transparent fEarful. However, 250 watts per cab doesn't seem to be enough to drive the low-sensitivity fEarfuls to the volume levels I might need at a gig (I don't always have PA support). Even with 2 cabs I feel like I will have to push the master volume of the tonehammer 500 quite a bit.

So I am thinking about more wattage... Do I get a Tonehammer 700 (I know I like the tone already, but only 100 more watts to each speaker seems like not a huge difference for the money), Do I get a Mesa D-800+ which seems really versatile and sounds great but is different than the TH? Do I get a Streamliner 900 which I hear can be a little muddy (but I like the sound in the demo videos I've seen)? Do I get a Shuttlemax 9.2, which seems like the perfect do-everything amp (but may be a struggle to tame the extended high frequencies which I don't really love to have in my tone)? Or do I just keep gigging with the TH 500 and GK 112s, not buy another amp / not build another fEarful and just keep the one I have as a practice / quiet gig-rig?
Click to expand...
I voted for teh Mesa 800+ only because the Quilter Bass Block 800 wasn't on the list. If it was...
 
  • Like
Reactions: TrevorOfDoom, And I and ahbass2500
#16
I vote just add the other fEarful and keep the TH500 . Adding that other 12/6 or 12sub will give you quite a bit more volume . When I had my 12/6 I used a Markbass LMII with it and it was almost loud enough for my fairly loud rock band . I think more power would have worked for me because the speaker wasn't seeming to break a sweat but I know adding another fEarful would have easily been enough volume .
 
  • Like
Reactions: And I
#19
When you build the second one, you'll want it to be a mirror image so you can stack them with the mids together.
Once you reach that point you can determine if you need more power or not.
fEARfuls are not afraid of lots of power, so if you decide to add a power amp for those times when more just seems like a good idea,
then you can use the extra power.
One thing I learned was that because you don't hear the speaker starting to strain as you turn up,
it stays clean to a point where you will realize that that you passed loud a long time back but didn't hear the normal clues.
If you turn up until it sounds like it's begining to distort, you have gone too far. :woot:
 
  • Like
Reactions: And I

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back