LukeFRC

Good question Torben I wonder if it would be a good idea to approach it into two different directions - amps and speaker cabs. It's kinda easier I find to think about the kinda school of tone each maker is shooting for in separate directions. Looking at some of the brands you've listed Hartke for instance have a reputation for really great amps, but less people seem to get excited by their cabs; a few years back Epifani were the vogue cab builder, and Glockenklang (or Bell sound if we translated it ) have a rep of really nice flat amps... but don't seem to stock their cabs anywhere.

explained to wife - still alive! So it's a OM guitar - sounds AMAZING this is what I picked up - and my fingers hurt in a good way!- http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171244215904?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[quote name='pendingrequests' timestamp='1392903342' post='2373958'] Could you maybe keep the worship leader with onstage wedges? [/quote] the way the sound works in that room I doubt it would make much difference in practice! but apparently not what we're doing.... our main guy sorting the sound knows what he's doing though.

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1392991882' post='2375037'] Washburn do some nice acoustics and its probably worth checking Tanglewood out too. [/quote] I've liked some of the Tanglewood's I've played! I saw something that looked interesting on ebay... bid on it and seem to have won it. :S could be amazing or a pile of poo - was not expecting no one else to bid at all.

[quote name='owen' timestamp='1392934533' post='2374552'] The module in the Berg IP is not a Powersoft one. If only IP came in neo! [/quote] my bad, I'ld heard it was.

it won't be the same as turning everything up to 10 as it will effect the pickup loading too (i.e. the pots still have an effect fully open) I can't think of the name at the moment but you'll want a switch that switches it across at both the input and output(jack) points. the next question you'll ask is about the second switch for having the pups in series or parallel....

The Roland D-Bass range is also interesting and ticked enough of the boxes for me to try out. I ultimately am moving it on as it doesn't fit in the back of the car with the castors on and I don't like the amp modelling. A pod into the effects return and it would be quite a versatile DSP equipped little amp.

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1392931549' post='2374498'] Hmm! Interesting! I was also thinking about a Greenboy Fearful/Fearless type build adjusted to house a power amp module or have a 'head case' type design so that an amp head could be fixed. [/quote] was it you that had used a wee class D module in a cab in the past? I thought it was. I was thinking about a Fearful 12/6/1 build, RichardD has some super light 12mm ply and it was all great till I costed it up. Decided to pay less and get more weight with a secondhand ACME B2 I think the ultimate would be a Powersoft Digimod 500 with DSP into a high end bass cab and then programme the DSP to get the most out of it. But I think that's just one of Jim Bergantino's IP range, which is what I would like to have had...

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1392931279' post='2374492'] But the pertinent question is : does letting the wood dry naturally over several years ect actually add up to much of a tangible difference in the quality of sound in the final finished instrument? And even if it is measurably different, is that difference actually" better" and necessarily preferable? I would venture that the difference between identical pieces of kiln dried wood and slow dried wood would be negligible , at best, and insignificant compared to other differences. Indeed, some manufacturers have a clear preference for kiln drying as it means they can control and more accurately guarantee the moisture content of their woods, especially neck woods like maple. [/quote] I've no idea, accurate drying would be better, I think I saw a video of a tour of taylor guitars where they did similar- I wonder if the big volume makers like Cort and FMIC do similar...

[quote name='Chiliwailer' timestamp='1392920606' post='2374263'] Any room for a post about a guitar? [attachment=155762:ljhf 022.jpg] I have an old Martin parlour guitar from 1870 - with original hard case! It's Brazilian Rosewood back and sides and has such a sweet warm, soft and direct tone. Even strung with nylon strings this guitar defies how parlour guitars should sound, it has a big tone with lots of projection and absolutely no harsh mids, which parlours are known for. I've also tried two Martin parlours from the early 1900's when they switched to Mahogany, completely different guitar and not very nice at all. The bridge and tuners have been changed and it has a few repairs but it's a real players guitar. I believe that the tone is all in the very old Brazilian Rosewood and nearly 150 years of use! When it comes to acoustics, old guitars often sound phenomenal. Of course, I've also found the same with older basses from the golden age of guitar making so with Fender it'd be [b]l[/b][b]ess production amounts = higher quality wood and build. Mass production = less value.[/b] Still, modern basses can still be great, as can 70's one's, but I find the pre 1968 Fenders have a feel and warmth that is unique and unreplicated. If that's good or bad, your choice! That's my 2 cents on vintage gear. [/quote] I bet the wood used on that Martin was cut and left to dry naturally over any number of years. I bet the same would be practice in American wood yards in the 50's and going into the 60's. I wonder how much of the wood used nowadays is left to sit for years and years to dry out, and how much is kiln dried or the equivalent? I remember years and years back Warwick making a big thing of their massive wood stores for drying wood naturally - they kinda stopped mentioning that when they went mass production...

Have you seen the thread I started about using PA gear- the guys with a bit of knowledge chimed in with some suggestions. When I was looking at it I kept seeing the cheaper LD systems Stinger stuff at good prices - I think two of the 15inch ones were £500, they had Kappalite 3015HO in them - I had half a plan to use one and meanwhile remake the other one as a bass cab with a lower response using the charts on Eminence's website...

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1392894680' post='2373855'] Actually the cab is only angled because it's on the top of an amp stand. And in the OP pic, the amp and pre look smaller than they are due to perspective... [/quote]I meant angled in the baffle.... you've noticed the 2nd speaker?? I used to have a tech soundsytems cab with the same set up, a number of times the PA guy would ask about my cab, and I would say it was a 2x12... plonk it on stage sit back and watch the pa guy staring at it for ages trying to work it out

Fender were bought out by CBS, supposedly QC tailed off... early 90's warwick focused on small scale production focusing on woods, then they start mass producing and since 2011ish have gone back to smaller scale production. so yes the ones in the middle are considered less desirable. Which is what it comes down too - Status has always been made by the same people in the same company, apart from bringing out a new mark king model every 3 months they are constant - so different eras aren't really considered "better" If you can't get them any more, and they are unique (Wal) their value goes up.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1392851198' post='2373613'] [/quote] just read your thread about them... you have to take both out with you..... so actually pretty much the size I thought it was.

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1392830384' post='2373244'] What did Marshal put in your cab? [/quote] +1

I think that wee amp looks amazing- it's half the size I thought it would be... oh this thread is supposed to be about your funny angled cabs...

Save up and have both?

[quote name='Torben Hedstrøm' timestamp='1392819561' post='2373062'] You could ofcourse be right, this day and age endorsment and other PR stunts sell (probably also in the older days, come to think of it). But if companies like MarkBass, Genz Benz (R.I.P), SWR (R.I.P), EBS, Glockenklang etc. Don't have engineers doing actual optimizations for both cabs and amps, I would be very surprised !. I mean, as I read from the Barefaced website, they are not making any actual groundbreaking discoveries... They are driven by enthusiasm (and obviously know how !!) doing what they do. And I see that as a VERY positive thing (same way as I am a big user/funder of OpenSource software - Because I usually get better support and products from a bunch of people passionate about what they do). Regards. Torben... [/quote] I couldn't give a bigger reply while at work (also Bill FM has joined in now and he knows WAY more than most folk here) I think if you go into PA cabs then yes the big boys can afford engineers and the product from the mid range up is sold on it's technical abilities and the specific measurements of them. I can go on a PA manufacturer's website and find out the -3dB point on the cab, the -10dB point, maybe a SPL chart, the power of an amp and the damping factor and so on. Now I'm fairly sure these stats go via a marketing dept so I'm not taking them as gospel - but that information is there. You would never find (i think) a PA amplifier that puts out 225w sold as a 450w amp.... I have never seen a bass amp that gives it's damping factor, or it's burst power or so on. I've also never seen a bass cab which gives that much information about what's going on. Once in a while they do, but often not and often the frequency response won't tell you what point that's measured from and so on. Some you can trust and other maybe less so. Others you can tell, they've got a great range of amps and need branded cabs or vice versa - they may not have the technical knowledge in both areas. Bass players I think, mainly just plug in either whatever is traditional, or whatever is cool or whatever is available and play. Every so often someone comes along and does something new, or slightly innovative - and the history of bass amps, including all the brands you've just mentioned, seem to me to be little guys coming up with something new and growing a company out of it. Which is good. For example Yamaha I think was the first little class D amp I saw - but it was Mark Bass that everyone started playing. So it depends what you're looking for - I don't think their are any groundbreaking discoveries left to make in speaker cabs, just evolutions and new ways of doing it. Eminence bring out the Kappalite speakers and it's fearful and barefaced that seem to jump on that bandwagon first. Then they both take their design's forward in different ways, Fearless refining the fearful and barefaced going with custom designed woofers and so on. Now there's a lot more builders using derivations of that speaker range (and similar alternatives) and the 1x12 is fashionable in certain circles. So I think that some of the most interesting stuff will come from the one man/small engineer circles designing stuff that wouldn't be commercially viable for the big boys and coming up with things that sell. Otherwise there is behringer.... [quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' timestamp='1392821297' post='2373095'] I wouldn't. I could tell you of a number of companies who have no engineers, because I've done designs for them. I could, but I won't, because that would violate the first thing that they make you sign before embarking on a project, which is a non-disclosure agreement. More than a few companies would be severely embarrased if it was known that they don't do their own R&D. Some don't even hire outside engineers. You'd be amazed at how many companies arrive at their designs by simply copying others. You'd also be shocked to know how many don't build their own cabs. There are a number of independent cabinet building companies who build cabs for many companies all under the same roof. [/quote] How long before we see a spate of cabs all looking like your simplexx range I wonder... . it's sad in a way

[quote name='Torben Hedstrøm' timestamp='1392805588' post='2372866'] Good reading indeed... And some very interesting points. With all due respect for Barefaced (I really really like the concept and the story... Never heard their products though)... When I read their rundown on the laws of physics, an d how to work around them, it strikes me that they don't really dig deep into the compromises they make in their designs. They do describe the pros and cons of, for instance, the passive radiator design... But every design short of the absolute optimum has compromises... So where do Barefaced cut corners ?. Don't get me wrong, I am sure that their products are excellent, but they are measuring themselves against corporations with million dollar R&D budgets, and production quantities that likely lowers the price pr. unit to a level well below what Barefaced can get from their subcontractors. Ofcourse they don't have the same expenses for advertising and PR in general either (they seem to be very popul ar without...). But still, if you as such a small company claim to 'know better' than R&D departments with huge budgets and decades of experience, I get curious as to how and why... As stated, all designs IMHO contains compromises !. And just to emphasize: I am in no way trying to degrade Barefaced products, or their brands... I don't have the tech knowledge nor the experience with their products to do so in any way !. I ma just trying to use common sense and logic... Regards. Torben [/quote] who? i know what you mean but a lot of the forward steps in bass amplification down the years have been smaller companies innovating.

[quote name='Torben Hedstrøm' timestamp='1392765848' post='2372619'] Effiency: I agree that materials today are better than 30 years ago. But you sill need to displace some serious air in the lower register. Smaller unit = more movement = Higher average speed of the membrane = Hard work for the amp (?). Tuning: Dunno... I am not sure we know ALOT more about tuning today, compared to 30 years ago. But we may have become alot wiser on how we as humans percieve sound... Low end response: Requires movement of air... Alot of air. On the note (no pun intended) of tuning, you do have different options. Horn loading, transmissioin line bass reflex to name some of the well known ways of emphasizing low end respnse. But none of these principles are perfect. [/quote] my point was more that there are a lot more variables to what a cab can produce than simply cone size and number.

efficiency... tuning... low end response...

[quote name='barkin' timestamp='1392556933' post='2369957'] I've a Gator 2U ABS case that, I'm pretty certain, would take a 450mm amp OK. It's bigger than I need, so I'd be up for a trade for a shallow one... [/quote] cheers for that info - Gator would fit! If i had a shallow one i'ld trade ya! [quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1392597033' post='2370566'] Rack bags have an inch or two give at each end. Maybe try one of those? Can be had cheap on eBay! Truckstop [/quote] would you be able to give a link to the sorta thing you mean please? both for me and any other numpties reading the thread - also why is your interest "no blazers" - you've not gone and got rid of your Basschat trademark Truckstop basses have you????!

I used to have an acoustic, a takamine en10 dreadnaught - and while it sounded great... right i'm not a guitarist so non technical words.... it was quite strummy, it liked that. My flat mates guitar wasn't as strummy, in fact it liked picky picky (fingers not bits of plastic) that was nicer- not quite so much bottom end which I liked and was more bright and articulate. Also wasn't a dreadnaught, Not sure what it was but it was quite curvy. Another two friend had lower end martins, dunno what model but had really open grain stripy necks, esp at the heel (that's what I remember) well the dreadnaught one was a bit meh of an instrument to my ears, but the 00 size one sounded amazing... but that could be shape or what it's made of... I dunno cos I don't know enough So based on my awful explanation above... If I were looking for a new (prob secondhand) acoustic guitar what should I look for?