Which cab to build?

[Never_grew_up]

Not trying to start a war here between 2 guys who have done so much for DIY bass players, but I'm contemplating building a cab & trying to decide between a fearful and one of the Bill Fitzmaurice designs.
Current setup is a Peavey Sessionbass head (130W @ 8 ohm, 200 @ 4) and a Hartke Pro 2200 2-10 cab.
The head can certainly be traded/upgraded for something more substantial when I can find the right deal at Music-go-round.
I play mostly classic rock & blues, I have a Schecter Stilleto 4 string (don't anticipate going to 5/6/7).

I have decent woodworking skills and tools - air compressor, brad nailer, narrow crown stapler, table saw, etc.

What I don't have is workshop space - I drag everything out on the driveway to work & have to put it all away at the end of every work session (or if it starts raining).
I'm also kind of limited on time (especially since I have to allow for setup/teardown) and on funds.

I'm thinking either a fearful 15/6(/1?), or a pair of 12/6(/1)'s
or something in jack 12 or jack 12 lite range.

I've never heard any of these cabinets live so I'm turning to the collective wisdom of this group for advice.

 

[wong99]

I could never understand why someone would want to build a cab instead of buying one.
The savings are almost nothing and the resale value is very poor.

 

[René_Julien]

I could never understand why someone would want to build a cab instead of buying one.
The savings are almost nothing and the resale value is very poor.

Because a lot of commercial ones are only half as good as good designed DIY projects.
The commercial ones that are quality and perform good cost a lot of money, so huge savings.

And why would one want to sell it? If you build a good one you can use.
Also, I would be very proud if I could build my own cabs, with specifics to my taste and out-performs a commercial cab.


But, to each their own.
We have to much choice for cabs, commercial or DIY.

 

[Dantreige]

I can only give advice on the BFM Jack 12s. I have build two. I love them. Easy to build, sound great, modular, versatile (you can use them for pa cabs too if you put the high frequency section in.)

You won't be disappointed. Stacking multiple cabs is a great way to get more SPL. I would not rule out a jack 10. They are great little cabs and many people love stacking two-four. You can learn why stacked cabs sound "better " on the BFM boards. (Hint: It's because the responce smooths out as you stack multiple drivers.)

Great folks on the board there too. You can learn a lot about sound and sound reinforcement, just by hanging out on the forums there.

I've heard good things about Greenboy's cabs, but can't comment on them as I have never heard or built them.

Good luck!

 

[Jim Carr]

I am very happy with my 15/6/1 fEARful, but imagine that a comparable power-handling BFM would be great, too. The advantage of the Greenboy design, for me, was the larger community of users and DIY info, not any inherent performance superiority.

I ended up using an authorized builder, due to time constraints—I actually found a cab that was already built and could be shipped on my schedule.

Since you can and want to DIY, I assume you have joined BFM and fEARful forums. I suspect that many will say cabs designed by either gentleman will perform very well. The fact that these are full-range designs means a reconsideration of your eq, technique, strings, etc. but don't let that stop you. My fEARful can make the sound I want, and PLENTY of it.

obligatory pic, though HFD is 18sound, not JBL:

 

[bertbass666]

I built 2 jack 15s. Great projection and efficiency and for the first time the sound behind me was the same in the audience. Even had the rest of the band comment that they'd heard what I was actually playing for the first time.

 

[MSUsousaphone]

I could never understand why someone would want to build a cab instead of buying one.
The savings are almost nothing and the resale value is very poor.

Do what?

I built my 15/6 for close to $800. I made that back when I sold (might have lost a little in the shipping since it's so dang tall). So the only thing I lost was time....which was minimal since I built it right alongside the 15/6/1 I kept.

Anyways, moving on....the only reason I sold the 15/6 is that I will never need anything more than my 15/6/1. Any gig where 800W isn't enough will have support with it....well.....the wife and I are expecting quints....that was the MAIN reason....but I wasn't sad to let it go because these things are so dang good. The best cabs I've played on. I just downgraded my amp (size-wise) from a Mesa 400+ to a Glock Blue Sould and I've never even considered getting a Glock cab. The fEARfuls are THAT good. The most important factor, for me, is that what I hear coming out of my amp is what the audience hears coming out of the house speakers. I will never understand why someone would let people DI them to the house system, and then play through a colored cab on stage. Why would you want what you hear to be different from what the people are hearing?

So, avoiding the earlier ignorance, people build cabs to SAVE MONEY. A 15/6 and a 15/6/1 would have cost close to $3,000 to order. It cost me almost half that to build it. I might have lost a little big of money in shipping but had I bought a name brand's cab, I would have lost almost half what I paid if I flipped it. And it sounds amazing. Totally extinguished cab GAS.

So if you have the ability, why not build it?

 

[Philonius]

Satisfied BFM user here. Two Jack 10s in my case. For some people, DIY cabs make zero sense, but it sounds like you kind'a enjoy that sort of thing, and would probably get a kick out of the project. I don't think you'd end up disappointed either way. People love, love, love their fEarfuls, with good reason; they're loud and very articulate, because of a relative lack of coloration.
I went with BFM cabs because I really liked the modularity factor; having two <25 lb. cabs that will easily hold their own against a typical herkin' 4x10 makes me a happy (and smug) camper. The Jacks do not have as full-range a response as a fEarful (unless you add one of the tweeter options), but I personally am more than happy with a more traditional sounding cab which rolls off above about 2.5 khz. They have very even output throughout the critical midrange frequencies, and superb dispersion. I have frequently gotten compliments on how clear these cabs sound. There is lots of info, and all of the communal support you could ask for, on the forum http://billfitzmaurice.info/forum/index.php And you get to enjoy Bill's overqualified curmudgeonliness now that he has taken his leave of TB.

 

[MostlyBass]

I'm a fan of 15's....Although I don't have a fEARful - yet - both my cabs are 15 and I dream of a 15/6/1.

 

[CL400Peavey]

I think it will depend on what amp you plan on using in the long run. The BFM designs are very sensitive so they can get loud with less power. Also neither design is going to sound exactly like a commercial cab, so who knows if either us the right cab for you. In my signature there is a link to a map of fEARful users. I might seek one out to give their cab a try.

 

[wcriley]

I've built a pair each of the BFM Jack 10s (full melded array) and and the fEARful 12/6s (Alpha mids/no tweeers).

The Jacks are very efficient. I think they'd be perfect for someone with 300 watts or less of available power. The 12/6s, on the other hand, can handle HUGE amounts of power, so they have the potential to get very loud.

The Jacks are smaller and lighter. But the 12/6s aren't exactly behemoths.

Although strong in the mids, the Jacks leave me wanting a lot more true low end. (I very seldom have PA support that includes subs, so your YMMV.)

The fEARful is MUCH simpler to build. No mitered cuts and simpler baffle cutouts.

My Jacks are relegated to small PA duty...they're perfect for that use. If I were to build a BFM cab strictly for bass guitar, it would probably be an Omni 15 Tallboy.

 

[wcriley]

Why build rather than buy?

1. I built each of my 12/6 cabs for around $350 each. Even when you add the $100 price increase per woofer since I built them, you'll not find a commerical cab with the same capabilities for anywhere near that price.

2.The cabs are configured (input type and location, handle type and location, mid driver type, finish, grille, etc.) exactly the way I want them. And the sky's the limit when it comes to cosmetic details.

 

[1n3]

Not trying to start a war here between 2 guys who have done so much for DIY bass players, but I'm contemplating building a cab & trying to decide between a fearful and one of the Bill Fitzmaurice designs.
Current setup is a Peavey Sessionbass head (130W @ 8 ohm, 200 @ 4) and a Hartke Pro 2200 2-10 cab.

Suggest you list your EQ settings for this rig, or post a photo of the knobs. Would be an indicator of your tonal preferences.

 

[::::BASSIST::::]

As a committed drinker of the fEARful kool-aid I can tell you this. I love bass cabs and amps. I dont know what it is. I just love bass gear! Check my profile and you'll see I've owned many cabs but the fEARfuls have cured my GAS and ultimately saved me big money. I could never build an amp but I can and have built a fEARful 15/6. I made it out of Italian Poplar with eye to weight reduction and managed to end up with a nice 43LBS. Its loud, light and capable of huge lowend if thats what I want from it. I'm currently building a 12/6 and spent a couple hrs on it today. I've always been a tinkerer and very much enjoy the process of building. I like the creativity with the variety of finishes, paint, hardware etc. Today I was looking for paint and found half a gallon of dark blue I painted my bathroom in. I'm going to use that for the baffle and have brass (looking) corners on it they sell reasonably priced at Home Depot. Those two colours should go nicely with black duratex. I'm also going to add a telescopic handle and rear casters as this will be my rehearsal, small gig, jam cab and I want ultra portability. Excluding telescopic handle/casters the weight should be around 35LBS. Not bad for a cab that will beat a 310 in volume (... some say its as loud as a 410).

Here's a pic of my 15/6 I finished a couple months ago. I need to take new pics with grills and corners on. I also built a 2u rack covered in matching tolex.

BTW, Bass Gear Magazine just did a very thorough article on the fEARful stuff. Check it out here: Link Removed

 

[melvn]

Just started my first 15/6 today. Did a dry fit and I can feel the awesomeness already. If anything, as an inexperienced woodworker, I am having a great time with this. From everything I've read you are probably set either way.