Dan Dare

Use enough of them and you will.

Like a lot of pros, too.

Interesting. I just measured a driver in one of my PJB cabs. The cone (from the join with the suspension roll surround) is 3.75" in diameter, which gives a surface area of 11.05 sq in. Multiply by 4 and the cone surface area of a 4x5 cab is 44.2 sq in. A 1x10 with an 8.5" diameter cone would have a surface area of 56.75 sq in and a 1x10 with an 8" diameter cone would have a surface area of 50.28 sq in. In practice, because cones are not flat, their surface areas will be larger. So there is a difference, but it isn't enormous, especially in the case of a 1x10 with an 8" diameter cone. Edited to add: there is a coupling effect from multiple drivers in a single cab, which is also relevant. Area is not the whole story, of course. You need to factor in excursion, plus how the cone behaves as it moves. A smaller cone is likely to be more rigid and flex less, which will increase its ability to move air cleanly. Having compared my PJB cabs with various 1x10s, I can only say that they are not left wanting in either volume or bass weight. One man's meat is another's poison, of course. They do the job for me, which is all I'm bothered about.

The same applies to a 10" driver or any driver for that matter. Frame and surround are usually included in the quoted diameter.

It's equivalent to a 1x10 in terms of cone area, but things such as excursion are also relevant. In practice, I've never found a 1x10 that betters one of my C4s or 4Bs. I felt a couple were equivalent - the baby Barefaced was one - but none were superior. That's imho, obviously.

I'd love to hear some Danley cabs in the flesh, Bill, but they're pretty well unheard of here in Blighty. Demonstration videos on YouTube are impressive, especially the amount of throw they produce, although even if you listen on quality headphones, you don't really hear what they can do. Are they really as good as they seem?

Yes, but you need plenty of them. In terms of driver surface area, a 4x5 is the same as a 1x10. I appreciate that surface area isn't the only important thing. Excursion also plays a part. I have no problem making enough noise with my PJB 5" drivers, but I use up to five 4x5 cabs depending on how loud I need to be. In practice, four is the most I have needed. I usually use two or three. I don't know which PJB combo is the most powerful, but the specs will tell you. PJB cabs are inefficient, so you do need power to drive them properly.

The PJB amps are cleaner/more "hi fi" sounding than Aguilars in my experience. The difference between them and mine (AG700) are not great, but noticeable. The difference between them and the THs will be greater. If you like your Bassman, a TH would be worth trying. Many years ago, I ran a Bassman 135 with a 2x15. Great rig, but I'd struggle to move it around nowadays, especially as I don't have a Volvo estate any longer. I find the slight warmth of the Aguilar is a good match for the clean PJB cabs. It gives them a bit more character. Ditto my Carvin. Aguilar cabs are good, but they are expensive for what they are. You do pay for the name and the fact that they are made in the US. If you're looking at spending PJB/Aguilar money, you should definitely try before buying. If you have some nice valve amps, I'd like to hear them with PJB cabs.

I had a similar experience to yours - bought a small PJB combo, liked what it did and decided to try a full rig. You can certainly do it, but it won't be cheap. They will deal with fat tones happily, but you'll need a few of those small drivers to shift enough air in a live situation. The good news is that they often come up used and, as they are often bought by jazzers and non-headbangers, they are usually in good shape and have not been caned. They cut through very well on stage in my experience. However, I am playing in a soul band and doing functions, pubs and clubs. I am not competing with heavy-handed drummers or guitar players. Your situation may be different. They also project well into a room. I used to play in the house band at a local jam night and it surprised me how well my two PJB 4x5 cabs filled the space when I listened to others playing. If you want to make a bit of noise, especially with fat, low-end heavy tones, you will need a few drivers as I mention above. I have five 4x5 PJB cabs and run three or more of them when I want to shift some air. They are inefficient, so you will need powerful amplification. If you buy the PJB powered cabs, that will be taken care of, but if not, you need at least 250W per 4x5 cab to get them singing. I'm not so keen on PJB amps. I find them a bit too hi-fi. I use Aguilar and/or Carvin amps, plus a PA power amp if needed, which give me the warmer, more old-school tone I prefer.

The value of any instrument will always depend on how much potential buyers are willing to pay, as well as the usual things - make, condition, etc. Unless your local-ish music shop specialises in double basses, they are probably not the best place to go for a valuation or to sell it. In your shoes, I would Google something like "double bass dealers uk" and contact a few of the names that come up. Ignore any shops that sell electric instruments. I just tried it and places like Bass Direct and the Bass Centre, which sell mainly or exclusively electrics, appeared, but there were also some double bass specialists. Speak with a few and get a feel for what they think they can get for the instrument. All will charge commission - they have to set up an instrument, put right any issues before sale and offer some kind of guarantee - which will not be pennies. Fair enough, given that they have to make a living. If you have a quality instrument, you are still likely to realise more by selling it through a specialist and paying commission than you would by doing so privately. You could also contact a few auction houses that specialise in musical instrument sales. Avoid local outfits - the sort of places you see on programmes like Bargain Hunt - that auction mainly bric-a-brac and house clearance stuff. Google "stringed instrument auctions uk" and you'll find some.

I've got an old Morphy Richards convector heater. It's rated at 2kw. Doesn't half chuck out some heat. I reckon it would be ideal if you want lots of clean power. Should certainly get those cones flapping. Perhaps even smoking. PM me if interested and we can discuss.

It was originally an illustration of Dan Dare from the Eagle, but a glitch in the BC system a few years back deleted all our avatars. I replaced it with the KiteKat tin in a moment of silliness and never got around to changing it.

I don't know whether they're still available, but I got replacement plastic sleeves/handles for a couple of my EV n/dyms a few years back.

Bass players are exactly the same as any other group of people. Some of them are tw@ts.

And then 3, flat 3, 2, flat 2. Always fun to run a few substitutions.