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Double Bass wizzy m line or berg ht110

T

thesneakyjesus

Sep 17, 2006
214
1
Richmond VA
zandthejungleb.bandcamp.com
#1
hey guys,
I'm looking at buying a cab in a few days. I'm split between the m line and the berg 110.

I need a cab that can be loud and light and handle big low end.
I was told the berg 110 is better than the 112 for that.

I intend on getting a pair of them. One comes out for small gigs, one more for bigger.

I am going to either get a little mark II to a thundefunk or run electric bass.

I already have an acoustic image for upright (clarus 2R)

I play tons of jazz upright with the realist and an eastman upright, but I also want a cab that can handle small bar rock gigs on electric bass with a semi loud drummer.

I used to assume that the pair of berg 12s would be perfect, but I've been told otherwise..

any ideas?
 
#2
I just picked up an M-Line Wizzy, and while I haven't compared it to the Bergs, I can say the clean tone and strong output across a wide frequency range are really excellent, especially for such a small box. I bought it thinking it would be my practice-room cab, but I actually think the one cab can get loud enough for any jazz gig... probably not rock with a loud drummer though, unless you had PA support.
 
#4
I use the Berg HT112 & EX112 (usually just one of them). I end up dialing out the tweeter on the HT for DB. I absolutley love them. EA makes great stuff too, though.

If at all possible, you need to A/B them with your own bass and amp. I'm fortunate to live near a high-end bass gear store and I can play through a bunch of nice gear in one sitting. I remember liking the Berg's a lot better than the old Wizzy - but I have not heard the new ones.

I also like the Phil Jones Suitcase. You can buy them as extension cabs and use them with your own head. I'd have to take another test drive and look at the specs on how loud they could get compared to my Berg's, but I was really digging the sound the one time I tried them.

If I was in the market for a cabinet, I'd have to hunt down a EA VL208 and see what the fuss is about before I bought anything else just to satisfy my curiousity. Never heard one - but I want to.
 
#6
tombowlus said:
It depends on your personal preferences. The M-line Wizzy's are more vintage and warm sounding, the HT112's are more punchy and focused, and the HT110's are very open, fast, and wide-ranging.
Click to expand...
FWIW, I have not played my upright through a Bergie cab. But last night I was in my music room with my M-line kind of going from "vintage warmth" to more "punchy and focused" just by using the high pass filter on my Focus. Change the dial from 30 Hz to say around 70 Hz, and I hear a very noticeable difference.

Not saying any of these cabs is "better" than the other, 'cuz I haven't heard all of them. I was just thinking that w/ a HPF like on your Clarus (right?) you can make the M-line sound leaner, more focused, and harder (in a good way) IME.
 
#7
bolo said:
FWIW, I have not played my upright through a Bergie cab. But last night I was in my music room with my M-line kind of going from "vintage warmth" to more "punchy and focused" just by using the high pass filter on my Focus. Change the dial from 30 Hz to say around 70 Hz, and I hear a very noticeable difference.

Not saying any of these cabs is "better" than the other, just thinking that w/ a HPF like on your Clarus (right?) you can make the M-line go leaner, more focused and harder sounding (in a good way) IMO.
Click to expand...

Bolo, Well put. I agree wholeheartedly. I do the same w/ my M-line and Focus.

I busted out the trusty old (c.'85) Walter Woods MI 225 two channel w/ the M-line today for
a rehearsal at my house.

What a sound! running completely flat it was just about perfect. When adjusting tone for different tunes, I barely had to breath on the 3 eq knobs to get the perfect subtle difference. No HP filter. Not as much gain as w/ the Focus, but w/ the LR Baggs Paracoustic DI front of the WW ya get substantially more gain and precise control over the
mids & highs. I think the Baggs has a low pass filter that's on whenever you're plugged in that must be tied in to the notch control somehow. But plugged straight in to the amp I couldn't ask for anything that SOUNDS better.
The powerful, clean, light, hifi package of the Focus/M-line combo is hard to beat, but there's something about the meaty mids w/ the WW/M-line that IS special.

I don't have much experience w/ Bergs other than being very impressed when working w/ a keyboardist who had a little HT 110 that sounded huge. But after playing DB thru amps for something like 28 years it's hard to imagine anything better than what I have right now :D.
 
#8
I took the plunge.


I checked out everything in a shop a couple of days ago.

I'd like to announce that I'm the happiest bass player in the world right now.


I like the wizzy 12 (M line) a lot, but it sounded a bit nasaly with the electric and lacked the sort of "Tube" roundness that I got with the berg cabs.

I was told that, with the Bergs, everything I think about a 12 and 10.. to basically flip flop it.

I checked them both out, and MAN was everyone who said that RIGHT.


I bought a pair of the HT110s. Apparently there were only 30 made, and I'll buy 28 more If I can somehow put them together.

I honest to god think that they are

THE BEST HYBRID CAB.

The are so perfect on upright. Full range, and beautiful. I dial out both tweeters for upright with the clarus. If I roll off the high knob all the way on my amp I can get a REALLY old school mingus mud sound.
If I put it all flat, I get the Dave Holland sound.

I have the realist on now, and I'd really like to try out the full circle, to see how that sings.

Next, on electric
There is no two better cabs for me. A stack of them with a Little Mark 2 Head is the best sound I've ever heard. Period.
With both tweeters on you can play really lush chordal and tapping work while just using the markbass high EQ or the first of those little magic eq knobs(vse I think...) to dial out any think you think is too much.

The tweeters are incredible, not harsh, and really musical. It's just amazing.

The drivers though... are mind blowing.
If I dial up a flat wound jameson style setting on the markbass, and right the low eq up a bit, I get the most authentic dub sound out of 2 10s you'll ever hear.

AND I played a gig last night with my loud rock band with this stack, and it kept up pretty well. It was a bit dangerous, because we usually play with a aggie 4x10 and an svt II pro, but it kept up to our slightly lower volume set up. Not as much infinite head room, but still plenty for anything short of earplug volume (which we usually play at).

If you guys can find them, go buy them now. They aren't heavy at ALL. Similar to the whizzy 12 m line, maybe a little less, and much less awkward.

so.. in all

Markbass rules, go get one
The berg ht110 is my favorite cabinet ever, and in a stack, it owns for electric.

The end!
 
#10
Glad it worked out...with Bribass's help, I discovered the WizzyM. With Tom's help, the HT110. I still like the WizzyM for DB and the HT110 for BG, but that's splitting hairs (on top of which I have few:crying:) Both represent the best tiny-cabinets-that-can-cut-a-gig I've found...and the best sound period if size doesn't matter, IMHO.
 

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