bass_ferret

Dont blame me ! This does get asked a lot, usually without the useful info that Old Git asked for. And what you usually get in reply is loads of posts telling you to buy what they use, usually without reading the original post, so dont be surprised if you get lots of recommendations for an Ashdown Mag 300 ! My advice is to try and demo everything in your budget, get out to your local gigs listen to the bass, and buy what sounds best to you !

No they are sh*t But seriously now - I got mine from Mark at Bass Direct. Top service.

No you wont. If you get two different cabs one of three things will happen. 1. You will prefer the sound of one cab and use that all the time. 2. You will like the sound of both equally and will use whichever is the most convenient. 3. If you play some venues often enough you may decide by trial and error that different venues suit different cabs. The last does require some application. I found that some venues suited my old EBS Neo 1x10/1x12 stack (that were designed to be used together - an important point sometimes overlooked), while other venues suited the Neo 212 cab I had as well. But I did have the luxury of loads of cabs to f*** around with and the budget to buy something else if I wasted money on something that did not work. Alex point about phase cancellation applies to all cabs, not just his. All cabs make a noise because the drivers move out and in, pushing and sucking the air to make sound. If you have one cab pushing and one cab sucking the cabs are said to be out of phase and the result is phase cancellation and that is what Alex is describing above. Phase changes with frequency and different cabs could be in phase in the bass and treble and out of phase in the mids, for example. It is possible some makers make sure that the cabs are always in phase but this is likely to be limited to premium gear - its unlikely to bother makers of budget gear. Now all this is complete bollocks if you like the sound of whatever phase cancellation is going on and lot of players do - either that or they are standing so close the the rig they can only hear the top cab. If you can demo gear and maybe even try it out you can work all this out. But if you are buying cheap gear from the internet or used gear off the forum pages it becomes more important.

You got me gassing again I am still waiting for Bernie to get some XXL tee's.

[quote name='Al Heeley' post='359923' date='Dec 20 2008, 10:06 PM']Um, I must have missed that bit, where did i say that? I was interested in one 2 x 10 cab together with one 1 x 15 cab as a more flexible option to having one 4 x 10 cab. plus side: you can vary your setup according to venue, you get to run two cabs at 4 ohms, you can cart each one about easier down side: a 210 + a 115 are more expensive that one 4 x 10 from same mfr range. Most 410's run at 8 ohms so you're not getting your full power rating out of the head. Due to budget I'd rather go for a single 410 than two 210's, but best of all I'd like a 15" and two 10"'s. I'd also like a bigger budget.[/quote] Wouldn't we all. How is having 2 2x10's less flexible than having a 2x10 and 1x15? Dont forget that 1x15's are usually bigger than 2x10's.

No you wont find many 4 phm cabs anywhere these days apart from some premium makes. 2 ohm amps are getting rarer and more expensive and so are the cabs to go with them. For some reason the same is true of 2x12 cabs - lots of choice if you have plenty of money but the budget choice seems to often be between 2x10's and 1x15's. I cant get my head round why you dont seem to understand that 2 2x10's is the same as a 4x10

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='359494' date='Dec 20 2008, 12:20 PM']How useful is this comparison? Who knows what a bass is *really* like until you've used is at a gig? Not I...[/quote] +1 What something sounds like on your computer is not an indication of what it will sound like through your rig.

What they said - you will severly limit your choice of heads if they have to drive a 2 ohm load. As for mixing cabs, you dont always get the sum of the parts because phase changes with frequency with different cabs. Where the cabs are in phase you will get the sum, where they are not in phase you will get the difference because the cabs will cancel out, one will be pushing air and one will be sucking. Some people like this sound but if you are buying blind then I would recommend getting two cabs the same.

[quote name='Al Heeley' post='359157' date='Dec 19 2008, 08:56 PM'].......snip........... so what would you recommend as a good partner to the LH500 head?[/quote] You have to buy something [b]you[/b] like the sound of - not what we recommend cos our sound may not be your sound. You have to be careful cos there is a lot of gear out there. Look at whats in your budget and whats for sale on here cos you can get some good stuff used. I would look at a pair of 2x10 cabs to give you a 4x10 thats easier to manage and budget for. But if you try a 2x10/1x15 combo you like the sound of get that - just dont believe thats what you have to use. You might see a lot of your favourite bass players using 15 and 10's in their stage rigs but these are often just for show like the floor monitors. Look at their ears. If they are mearing in ear monitors then all the stuff onstage is just props

You seem determined to get a 1x15 and a 2x10. Would you mind explainging why

Dont assume that active basses are always hotter than passive basses either. Some passive basses can have really hot pups and outputs. Some active basses dont have super hot outputs either just the ability to drive long leads or sometimes a balanced output. Its always best to use your ears.

I did think that the Bass Centre (when they sold Lakland) or the Gallery had a DarkStar Decade in stock but I could be wrong. Lovely bass. Maybe we should organise a Brighton bash so we can all have a go

And dont forget anyone else's idea of a great sound may not be the same as yours - so do try before you buy if at all possible. Go to your local gigs and see what you like the sound of.

Nice.

Hartke is a bit marmite and I have heard the VX cabs not sounding great. The new LH500 is really good VFM but its sound is not to everyones taste. But I have never seen anything bad about GK other than its a bit on the heavy side. Dont automatically assume you need a 1x15/2x10 stack. 4x10's can be really great and 2x2x10's is a 4x10 in easy to use (any pay for) installments.

Or Sansamp, EBS MBII, MXR etc. Lots of products to suit any budget. Perhaps you should get a new monitor first though

Some people find jazz necks too thins, some find P necks too fat. Some awkward people like something in between, like me and probably your Aria. Decide what neck you like the best before you worry about sound.