Questions about Cabs...

[#6]

hey all...been shopping and thinking about amps for a while...have never had a separate amp and cab, always combos...now im in a position that if things work out i might have 900 bucks to put into this...

 

in terms of heads im thinking GK 400rb or 800 rb, or Markbass LM2...but thats besides the point in a way...

 

i know nothing about cabs...care to educate me? i figure that depending on which head eventually sounds the best to my ear i'll have between 500 and 250 to put into the cab...

 

thoughts? recommendations? things to avoid??

[xOriginalNinjax]

Depends on what you'll be playing...but my recommendation for JUST about everything is an avatar B212NEO...I may spring for one myself here soon...

[Cortfan]

I like and use 2-15's-either JBL D-140's, Peavey Black Widow's, Cervin-Vega SRO's, etc. A 2-12 Neo would work just fine, also. You will find many different opinions on cabs in this forum.

[Emprov]

Think about the things that you'd like in a cab -- are you looking for something small and light or a cab that's big and will give you a really huge tones? Small cabs are great but they generally won't put out the really deep thumping lows. Larger cabs, (very, very generally speaking), potentially have the ability to put out much lower freq's but will be less efficient. Hang out for a while and lurk in some of the cab threads, you'll pick up quite a bit of knowledge in no time flat.

[locstock]

I've been looking into getting a new cab, and this Avatar B212 sounds pretty sweet. All the reviews I've read have been great, and the low price certainly makes it tempting.

 

Currently I'm playing a Fender Precision Bass Special, passive, factory P/J pickups. I've been running it through a Hartke3500 head and a homemade 4X10 speaker cab, which I bought used, with what looks to be Ampeg speakers. Anyway, the cab is old and definitely on it's way out, so I need a replacement soon.

 

So my question is, has anyone had any experience with the Avatar B212 in conjunction with a Hartke amp and/or a Fender bass? If so, how'd it go?

[Emprov]

 

So my question is, has anyone had any experience with the Avatar B212 in conjunction with a Hartke amp and/or a Fender bass? If so, how'd it go?

 

I have a 212 neo and it's pretty cool, not as deep sounding as I'd like but then does any cab go deep enough for a bass player? I'll use my Fender J through it every now and then and it sounds pretty good. The cab itself has a pretty nice blend of articulation and warmth -- it's fairly detailed without sounding like a hyfi cab. For its size, it's pretty light too. Avatar has a short Bass Player review on their website, you may want to check it out.

[Thunderbroom]

For ~$500 used you can get a GenzBenz Neo 212. It is without a doubt my favorite cab that I've ever owned OR played.

[Emprov]

For ~$500 used you can get a GenzBenz Neo 212. It is without a doubt my favorite cab that I've ever owned OR played.

Damn T-Broom, STOP IT!!!!

 

 

[locstock]

Thanks I'll check it out. Also, do you think I would notice a major drop in overall output, moving from 4 10s to 2 12s?

[Thunderbroom]

Damn T-Broom, STOP IT!!!!

 

 

[Emprov]

 

Thanks I'll check it out. Also, do you think I would notice a major drop in overall output, moving from 4 10s to 2 12s?

 

It's all about the cab design but yes, most 212's will not put out the same perceived volume levels as similar 410's will.

[Emprov]

 

If I weren't so darn frugal that'd be my rig too. I gotta loosen up the wallet a bit. *sigh*

[Thunderbroom]

 

If I weren't so darn frugal that'd be my rig too. I gotta loosen up the wallet a bit. *sigh*

 

 

Total flexibility.

 

While I've used both cabs at a gig before, I've never NEEDED both. I've used every possible combination at gigs as well and have never been disappointed.

[Emprov]

Total flexibility. While I've used both cabs at a gig before, I've never NEEDED both. I've used every possible combination at gigs as well and have never been disappointed.

Ya, I'm thinking that I need to spring for a 212, dump my Avatars and be done with it for a few years. I've been using the 212 pretty much exclusively for about the past year, the 210 has only left my house three times. The first time, it was for a pretty rockin' gig that happened the day after I received the cabs. Probably didn't absolutely need both but it was nice to have. The other two times was for a rehearsal and a pretty small bar gig, the GB 112 would have been perfect for that. GB's 212/210 would absolutely kill.

[Brother Mango]

I can share my story, but ask that you focus on the concepts rather than the gear. Kindness & I went out shopping when I graduated from a combo to a head+cab. He didn't like what I liked--and for the very reasons that I liked them. I ended up with an Aguilar 4x10 partly because I can get a bright, biting, pop on the high end. That's not a high priority on Kindness' list.

 

The story is that I wanted sounds that were not going to come thru the 1x15 combo amp that I have. That combo was fine for blues and jazz, but I was in a wanna-be Chili Peppers band. Also, I wanted to explore slap bass and was looking for a certain tone. The 1x15 wasn't happenin'

 

Slap sounds ok thru the 1x15, but there was a tone in my head that I needed to hear coming out of an amp ... I think that's key: I had a sense of what I was looking for.

 

 

First, I decided on a budget. Then there were questions about buying new or used. Do I plan to upgrade? If so, how soon?

 

At the neighborhood Guitar Center, I took a liking to the Ampeg sound. SWR was crossed off the list immediately. There were cabs & heads from Ashdown, Bag End, G&K, Eden, Trace Elliott ... all sorts of stuff.

 

Perhaps too eagerly, got an Ampeg B2R head from eBay. Figured I'd hurry & get a new rig, then upgrade in a year or two.

 

With the head and my main bass, Kindness & I went around listening to cabs. We were so much more thorough about choosing cabs than I was when I jumped on that eBay auction. So, I had to find something that would play nicely with my Ampeg head.

 

Ok. Ampeg 4x10s sounded nice. Other things left me unmoved. Also, other people told me of brands that regularly gave them problems--even though they loved the sound, the mechanical/craftsmanship issues became too much to deal with.

 

We went to the boutique places, and that's where the decision got tough. Mesa Boogie and Aguilar went to the top of my list because they were delivering what I was hearing in my head.

 

Problem: Mesa and Aguilar were 2x the price of Ampeg. I liked Aguilar just a tiny bit more than Mesa.

Question: Do I like the Aguilar sound enough to go way outside of my budget?

 

2 possibilities:

1. Get the Ampeg because it sounded the best to my ears among the cabs in that price range. And upgrade later.

2. Get the Aguilar with no foreseeable plan to upgrade. Said another way: Do it right and do it once.

 

I went with Aguilar GS410.

 

4ohms or 8ohms??

Finally, because I didn't have a car at the time, I had to consider what I could put in the trunk of a cab, or a bandmate's vehicle. That meant I wouldn't be one of these people who run 2 cabs with 1 head.

 

The benefit of the 4ohm cab is that the head's rated @ 350W with a 4ohm load; 200W with an 8ohm load. I really don't know how significant that difference is, but I went for the 4ohm thinking I'd go for the max wattage since I had no intention of adding a second cab.

 

The drawback is that I can't run another 4ohm cab with this head without damaging something.

 

It's advised that the load remain above 4ohms. Two 4ohm cabs would make the load just 2 ohms.

 

Any way ... this is long & meandering. But I think the main points are to get an idea of what you're hunting for, then see if you can find it. And ask lots of the same questions over & over again.

[xOriginalNinjax]

 

*snip*

 

 

And my oh my does that setup sound nice. I also highly enjoyed my B4R through that cab...very nice. And that's what I go for with my setup as well...and VERY good advice Mango. Took me 2 heads and 2 cabs to find mine...thankfully I found it at that number...but I don't think my cabs are done yet...as I do occasionally like some gut wrenching lows...and a sealed 410 like mine just doesn't do it...but it DOES do that amazing middy grind I wanted.

[james on bass]

I'm happy with my 2x12 Avatar. It really is a nice compromise between a 4x10 and a 1x15. I find it gets a nice deep low end, moreso even than my JBL 1x15. It's also nice and light. Paired with my BlackWidow 1x15, it's a great set-up.

 

Compared to a 4x10 it may not put out the same kind of volume, but it sounds like yours is on the way out, so it may be a lot louder than what you currently have.

[mmb]

I'm a fan of my Avatar B212Neo and I'd purchase another if I needed to.

 

In fact, I'm looking at a B410 to stack with the 212 for some more "umph." I don't get PA support and the two of the three guitards have half stacks.

[T. Alan Smith]

hey all...been shopping and thinking about amps for a while...have never had a separate amp and cab, always combos...now im in a position that if things work out i might have 900 bucks to put into this... in terms of heads im thinking GK 400rb or 800 rb, or Markbass LM2...but thats besides the point in a way... i know nothing about cabs...care to educate me? i figure that depending on which head eventually sounds the best to my ear i'll have between 500 and 250 to put into the cab... thoughts? recommendations? things to avoid??

 

Your going about it like I would, meaning you've got your ax(es) and you've got your head narrowed down to a specific type, in this case all tranny. FWIW, you can't go wrong with the LMII or GKRB heads. From here, you simply take the head you end up with along with your bass and play thru as many cabs and cab configurations as possible. Feel free to check with us here before you plunk down your hard earned $$$. You'll have a great educational experience.

[rummy]

I like Avatar and Aguilar. Both great cabs.

[Ender_rpm]

Love my avatar, unlike the rest of the fellas, i went with the 410 neo. Light, sounds great, and totally flexible. Never played the 212, but it obviously has a following. For a "first cab" you really can't go wrong with either.

[Bluescout]

Reading the pages here on HCBF, you can get a feel for stuff that's well accepted and stuff that's universally hated. From there people can give you their impressions but you really have to try things out on your own and get your sound. That's what I've learned.

[L-1329]

Brother Mango's post is the best way to go about shopping for cabs, good advice Oz.

 

 

I have to say that how I ended up with my current rig is about the complete opposite! I was playing Epifani's and still had an Avatar B212 and 210Neo as well. I had been thinking that the Epifani's just weren't getting the grunt I wanted for the type of rock I play. Amazing cabs really, but not the right tone for the job. The Avatar's were much closer, and I used them more. Then I found a thread on here about a blowout sale on SWR 412 cabs. I had never seen one, never heard one, but I got a total gas attack and ordered one to try. Well, sight unseen and unheard that cab was exactly the tone I needed! The Avatar's were gone, and I hunted down (with HUGE props to bpocall for the hookup) the last matching SWR 212 cab out there. Now this is the only rig I have, the rest are all gone and not missed at all. Sometimes you can take a chance, but it's a risky and potentially expensive way to go through rigs believe me. Take Mango's advice and go out and listen to different cabs.

[L-1329]

 

Yeah, but... where's the other half of it?

 

 

 

 

 

[catphish]

Check out the SWR goliath III. Built like a tank, super clean, super efficient.

 

It may not be what you're looking for, but it's worth a look.