Double Bass Who wants a VL208?

[Mitchthebassplayer]

majorly bummed....bid a nice amount of money on a VL-208 I found on ebay tonight and lost in the last 2 seconds....can you believe it sold for almost $900!!!

 

[Mike Dimin]

majorly bummed....bid a nice amount of money on a VL-208 I found on ebay tonight and lost in the last 2 seconds....can you believe it sold for almost $900!!!

I can believe it - seen it a number of times

 

[peterpalmieri]

I would also add to Mike's comment that the NL210 is my favorite EA cabinet. The VL is a better DB cabinet while the NL is a superior electric cabinet. The NL does a pretty good job with DB while i don't much love the VL for electric. A stack with an NL on the bottom and VL on top just about covers everything.

I am glad i own two of each, pretty much i spend zero time reading about bass cabinets.

Of course all IMO

 

[tombowlus]

I would also add to Mike's comment that the NL210 is my favorite EA cabinet. The VL is a better DB cabinet while the NL is a superior electric cabinet. The NL does a pretty good job with DB while i don't much love the VL for electric. A stack with an NL on the bottom and VL on top just about covers everything.

I am glad i own two of each, pretty much i spend zero time reading about bass cabinets.

Of course all IMO

+1 If you read my review of the NM208, probably the strongest argument against manufacturing the NM208 (which was a fine, fine cab!) was the existence of the NL-210.

 

[Mitchthebassplayer]

I would also add to Mike's comment that the NL210 is my favorite EA cabinet. The VL is a better DB cabinet while the NL is a superior electric cabinet. The NL does a pretty good job with DB while i don't much love the VL for electric. A stack with an NL on the bottom and VL on top just about covers everything.

I am glad i own two of each, pretty much i spend zero time reading about bass cabinets.

Of course all IMO

And how do we feel about the VL-210B? I know they're on the heavy side, but I love the look and concept of the 2x5s with the horn next to the 2x10s....I've just never played one in my life so I just imagine a fatter sounding 208?

 

[Mitchthebassplayer]

+1 If you read my review of the NM208, probably the strongest argument against manufacturing the NM208 (which was a fine, fine cab!) was the existence of the NL-210.

Tom I read all your shootouts, but I just couldn't gauge how the VL-210B would translate to my sound.....I mean, I think I LIKE dark right?....

 

[Mike Dimin]

And how do we feel about the VL-210B? I know they're on the heavy side, but I love the look and concept of the 2x5s with the horn next to the 2x10s....I've just never played one in my life so I just imagine a fatter sounding 208?

vl210's are much easier to come by (and less expensive)

 

[peterpalmieri]

I never had the opportunity to play a VL210. But id suspect they are above what i am willing to lug around.

 

[tombowlus]

Tom I read all your shootouts, but I just couldn't gauge how the VL-210B would translate to my sound.....I mean, I think I LIKE dark right?....

The VL-210 is certainly more dark sounding than the VL-208, especially at lower volumes. At high volumes, though, that cab really seems to come alive in the upper mids. Man, those are great high-volume cabs! At times, I really miss my old VL-210's... But then I pick up my NL-210's and I feel all better.

 

[Ric Vice]

vl210's are much easier to come by (and less expensive)

I think they made a few more of them, but I can't be certian of that. I used one for a concert once at Webster University in a decent hall. It sounded very good with both instruments but as Mike says it's a darker sounding cabinet. If you equate fatter with deeper then yes it's got a fatter sound, and heavier. Here is a copy of the old specs chart for the four different cabinets in the VL series.

 

[KJung]

I think they made a few more of them, but I can't be certian of that. I used one for a concert once at Webster University in a decent hall. It sounded very good with both instruments but as Mike says it's a darker sounding cabinet. If you equate fatter with deeper then yes it's got a fatter sound, and heavier. Here is a copy of the old specs chart for the four different cabinets in the VL series.

I remember that concert. That cab was very nice and I used it for a year or so as my primary gigging cab. As you say, deep, a bit dark, heavy, but it really wumped hard. I replaced it with an Acme 210, which was more even and extended up top and went even deeper down low. However, it was not able to match the max SPL of the VL210.

The NL210 and VL210 have nothing in common tonewise, with the NL210 (now discontinued) being very tight and grindy and bright.

I was never much of a fan of the VL208... never did quite get that.... heavy and somewhat peaky in the mids to my ear, and those 8's run out of xmax in an ugly way when pushed.

 

[peterpalmieri]

IMO the VL208 really shines when used with double bass. Its far from my tone of choice for electric.

I think that needs to be qualified when talking VL208

 

[KJung]

IMO the VL208 really shines when used with double bass. Its far from my tone of choice for electric.

I think that needs to be qualified when talking VL208

+1

 

[tombowlus]

IMO the VL208 really shines when used with double bass. Its far from my tone of choice for electric.

I think that needs to be qualified when talking VL208

I'll agree that one, alone, is not super impressive on electric bass (though one is more than enough on electric), but with two or more stacked up, I find the VL208 to be a great electric bass cab (with the "right" amplification, of course).

 

[Uncletoad]

I'll agree that one, alone, is not super impressive on electric bass (though one is more than enough on electric), but with two or more stacked up, I find the VL208 to be a great electric bass cab (with the "right" amplification, of course).

I'd take two VL208's with that crazy Reeves Tube head on a high volume rock gig any day. Talk about searing your face....man.

 

[KJung]

I'll agree that one, alone, is not super impressive on electric bass (though one is more than enough on electric), but with two or more stacked up, I find the VL208 to be a great electric bass cab (with the "right" amplification, of course).

Never dug those at all with EB. Heavy, mid bumped, attenuated down low, all combined with low SPL... yuck!

Small, not low, not loud I think there is a reason they didn't sell

For certain DB applications, I can see it, but now, there are MUCH better options regarding SPL, even frequency response, weight, price... everything.

 

[tombowlus]

Never dug those at all with EB. Heavy, mid bumped, attenuated down low, all combined with low SPL... yuck!

Small, not low, not loud I think there is a reason they didn't sell

That's where stacking two (or three!) comes into play. I can tell you that my VL208/VL208/WWU rig was not at all lacking in lows or in volume.

Of course, YMMV.

 

[Uncletoad]

Never dug those at all with EB. Heavy, mid bumped, attenuated down low, all combined with low SPL... yuck!

Small, not low, not loud I think there is a reason they didn't sell

For certain DB applications, I can see it, but now, there are MUCH better options regarding SPL, even frequency response, weight, price... everything.

I'm with Tom on this one. I have three of them and as soon as you start combining them they get scary. Low end they have knocks stuff off the walls with a great cutting midrange and plenty of highs. They get loud as hell with a proper amount of power. With that Reeves head it made us physically ill to play through them...like you wanted to throw up from the gut punching you took.

 

[KJung]

I'm with Tom on this one. I have three of them and as soon as you start combining them they get scary. Low end they have knocks stuff off the walls with a great cutting midrange and plenty of highs. They get loud as hell with a proper amount of power. With that Reeves head it made us physically ill to play through them...like you wanted to throw up from the gut punching you took.

Well, if you combine three of darn near anything, you get the impact of coupling, increased wattage from ss heads, and obviously more speaker area. Three of them... lets see, that's about 150 pounds You guys are killing me.

There has been SO much improvement in both 8" drivers (massive improvement ijn the ceramic models, although I haven't heard a neo 8 that really did anything for me), 6" mid drivers, everything since those were discontinued.

Again, if you guys dig them cool. I just jumped in since I recently spent some time with Ric comparing his VL208 to the new Thunder Child, and well......

 

[Mitchthebassplayer]

I'm with Tom on this one. I have three of them and as soon as you start combining them they get scary. Low end they have knocks stuff off the walls with a great cutting midrange and plenty of highs. They get loud as hell with a proper amount of power. With that Reeves head it made us physically ill to play through them...like you wanted to throw up from the gut punching you took.

haha that's usually the tone I go for and I couldn't imagine just a single 208 going there but I could definitely see 2 of them pushing some serious air....I mean, there's like 7 speakers in there!