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[Merton]

[quote name='alexclaber' post='336467' date='Nov 25 2008, 05:26 PM']I do have a meeting in your neck of the woods next week! Seriously, if you want me to drop it off with you at work/home I think that could be arranged. I'd like as many people to try this cab as possible - be good to get the feedback and also help me make my final handle/wheels decisions.

Alex[/quote]

Go on then! PM me and we'll sort it!

[quote name='Hamster' post='336886' date='Nov 26 2008, 01:19 AM']Hi Alex

After Merton has blown it to bits, can I try the shrapnel? I had to leave the SE Bass Bash before I had chance to abuse it. I've just bought a BFM Omni15 Tallboy from David Perry and am interested to do an A/B.

After I'm done I can deliver it to the next abuser within spitting distance of me........ I can spit 10 miles or so from M.25 Junction 11. (Mug of tea on delivery please)

Cheers[/quote]

Colin, would be happy to drop it up to you after I've had a play, if Alex is cool with that

[alexclaber]

[quote name='dannybuoy' post='336815' date='Nov 25 2008, 11:57 PM']Considered something like this?[/quote]

Yes. The cab is tall enough to not need an extendable handle so it's just a question of choosing which tilt-and-roll wheels and where to mount them.

[quote name='chris_b' post='336882' date='Nov 26 2008, 01:12 AM']Feedback suggestions:
1. Don't skimp on the hardware.
2. Provide good covers.
3. Use good wheels, swivel castors, the 2 at the front with brakes and preferably 3".
4. Don't go for this one handed lift cr@p! 45 lbs is NOT a one handed lift for a lot of people. Even with good wheels we still need to lift the cab for stairs, loading the van, door steps etc. Two handles please.[/quote]

Our conversation at the SE Bass Bash was critical when it came to where I put the handles - you were quite right about it being a two-handed lift! Although I can quite easily carry it in one hand outdoors, as soon as you have to negotiate doorways, corridors and staircases its size means that carrying it two-handed is much easier. Plus a key part of the lightweight cab market are those bass players with back problems!

So current thinking is two tilt-and-roll wheels at the back edge, plus another strap handle on top to hold when rolling the cab.

[quote name='Hamster' post='336886' date='Nov 26 2008, 01:19 AM']After Merton has blown it to bits, can I try the shrapnel? I had to leave the SE Bass Bash before I had chance to abuse it. I've just bought a BFM Omni15 Tallboy from David Perry and am interested to do an A/B.[/quote]

That would be great - very curious to see how they compare!

Some wheels:







Alex

[Dood]

I would love to hear your cab with my Shuker Alex.. especially to listen to the low F# response and detail in the upper strings. I like the idea of the 'Big One' with the tweeter, as a full range cabinet. I think a pair of those cabs would make a great set up!

[chris_b]

Hi Alex,
I've never used a cab with a "tilt and roll" system, but I imagine you would need a foot plate as people will use their feet to push or kick the cab over onto the wheels. Also the bottom edge and some part of the back of the cab might need some extra protection as the cab will probably be dragged over steps and up stairs.

[Dood]

[quote name='chris_b' post='337177' date='Nov 26 2008, 12:48 PM']Hi Alex,
I've never used a cab with a "tilt and roll" system, but I imagine you would need a foot plate as people will use their feet to push or kick the cab over onto the wheels. Also the bottom edge and some part of the back of the cab might need some extra protection as the cab will probably be dragged over steps and up stairs.[/quote]


My Epifani UL-610 has a tilt and roll system.. It's a 'big' cabinet. I find that I have never needed to 'get a foot in' in order to get it to tilt back. I think it maybe something to do with the six rubber feet on the bottom that stops it sliding when you grab the cab. However, a kick plate is defintely a practical solution. Maybe even some skid plates for those who like to shove cabs along the back of their cars/vans.

[alexclaber]

[quote name='dood' post='337171' date='Nov 26 2008, 12:46 PM']I would love to hear your cab with my Shuker Alex.. especially to listen to the low F# response and detail in the upper strings. I like the idea of the 'Big One' with the tweeter, as a full range cabinet. I think a pair of those cabs would make a great set up![/quote]

I know greenboy has had great success with lower tunings with his fEarful (similar to The Big One but with active crossover). I've designed a full 3-way crossover for a betweetered version but I doubt many people will go for that. It'll be interesting to have some tweeter addicts try the 2-way cab and see if they miss that last 1/2 octave of treble. A pair would be insanely loud - make a nice lightweight but high output and fat sounding PA system though!

[quote name='chris_b' post='337177' date='Nov 26 2008, 12:48 PM']I've never used a cab with a "tilt and roll" system, but I imagine you would need a foot plate as people will use their feet to push or kick the cab over onto the wheels. Also the bottom edge and some part of the back of the cab might need some extra protection as the cab will probably be dragged over steps and up stairs.[/quote]

Yes, I've been wondering about that - maybe some right-angle extrusion along the bottom-rear edge?

[quote name='dood' post='337180' date='Nov 26 2008, 12:53 PM']My Epifani UL-610 has a tilt and roll system.. It's a 'big' cabinet. I find that I have never needed to 'get a foot in' in order to get it to tilt back. I think it maybe something to do with the six rubber feet on the bottom that stops it sliding when you grab the cab. However, a kick plate is defintely a practical solution. Maybe even some skid plates for those who like to shove cabs along the back of their cars/vans.[/quote]

This is where you run into the problem of added hardware adding weight so you start to lose the whole point of a lightweight cab. This cab is very light, less than any non-neo 2x10" and not much more than most neo 2x10"s, it's just quite big.

Alex

[dannybuoy]

I reckon that extending handle would allow you to walk along dragging it behind standing up straight instead of hunching your back. Putting the wheels on the side would make your profile narrower as you move about making you less likely to bump into stuff too!

[alexclaber]

Aha! Wheels, metal corners and grill cloth ordered - The Big One will soon be definitive and The Vintage is rapidly impending. Looks like it'll be 38" tall so I'll knock some depth off to make it easier to slide into the backseat of cars.

And The Big One is commencing its SE tour this evening...

Alex

[david_l_perry]

This worked really well for me Alex on the btm of the Omni 15:-




One handle would be more than enough I'm sure

Your cab looks the exact same width as the Omni 15(standard flightcase rack width) and I had no problems wheeling it through any doors.

The same can't be said of my old SWR 6x10 tilt back, or indeed most standard larger width cabs.

I have now joined the ranks of the masses using a pair of small neo 1x12's, and genuinely could not be happier.

I know I have said it before Alex, but I would ditch the strap handles entirely....over a period of time they have a tendency to start to crap out.

Dave

[eude]

Hey Alex,
love the sound, pardon the pun, of your cabs.
Do you have any intention of doing anything a little smaller, say based on 10 or 12 inch drivers in the future?

Cheers,
Eude

[alexclaber]

[quote name='david_l_perry' post='339295' date='Nov 28 2008, 09:52 AM']Your cab looks the exact same width as the Omni 15(standard flightcase rack width) and I had no problems wheeling it through any doors.[/quote]

It's 21" wide so about the same - certainly that critical amount narrower than standard 4x10" or 6x10" cabs!

[quote name='david_l_perry' post='339295' date='Nov 28 2008, 09:52 AM']I have now joined the ranks of the masses using a pair of small neo 1x12's, and genuinely could not be happier.[/quote]

Non-neo I believe!

[quote name='david_l_perry' post='339295' date='Nov 28 2008, 09:52 AM']I know I have said it before Alex, but I would ditch the strap handles entirely....over a period of time they have a tendency to start to crap out.[/quote]

In what way? I've been through all the options so many times and any handle that requires a hole through the cab screws up the bracing and thus has to be a very stiff structure itself to not weaken the cab even more - so you end up with a less stiff and heavier cab. Feedback thus far is that the straps handles work fine because the cab is so light.

[quote name='eude' post='339296' date='Nov 28 2008, 09:54 AM']Do you have any intention of doing anything a little smaller, say based on 10 or 12 inch drivers in the future?[/quote]

Only if I can get good enough drivers! It looks like there may be some 12" models by late '09 but no sign of anything 10" sized on the horizon.

Alex

[david_l_perry]

You know, I never thought that the Aguilars are not neo drivers just assumed they where .....explains why they are not the very lightest of the bunch then.... So use to big and heavy cabs that [i]anything [/i]else is lightweight.....

The strap handles I have had on all of my gear over the years have started to fail where the handle flexes against the part that is secured to the cab, I takes a few years, but has always happened (mainly on flightcases). This has been on a mixture of Monitor amp cases (fairly heavy), Bass amp (SWR & ampeg flightcases) and a couple of small lightweight monitors. I had a pair on the front lid of my ampeg flightcase snap just as I was carrying it in to a gig...and that was not a funny moment, granted the amp weighed a lot. (Ampeg SVT IIpro) ...

Time is the only factor that will tell if the strap handles hold up to life on the road, they are lightweight cabs after all.

[alexclaber]

[quote name='david_l_perry' post='339345' date='Nov 28 2008, 10:34 AM']Time is the only factor that will tell if the strap handles hold up to life on the road, they are lightweight cabs after all.[/quote]

Indeed. These strap handles consist of a tempered steel strap through which is tethered through holes in each end by the bolt and fixing and then there is a rubber (polymer) sleeve which makes it comfortable. So any failure would require the steel itself to give way which seems pretty unlikely as it won't be under any loads that could be above its fatigue limit.

My wheels, metal corners and feet arrived yesterday to mobilise The Big One and make the Vintage look old school.

I'm also working on a very small and light design for upright bassists as there's a lot of lightweight amps out there but not a lot of choice when it comes to reasonably priced cabs with the kind of polar response an upright needs. Initial investigations are proving promising!

Alex

[bremen]

[quote name='alexclaber' post='339311' date='Nov 28 2008, 10:12 AM']Only if I can get good enough drivers! It looks like there may be some 12" models by late '09 but no sign of anything 10" sized on the horizon.

Alex[/quote]

Deltalite 11 2512 look good...?

[eude]

Thanks for your response mate.
I really like the sound of 12s, and love the portability of them.

[quote name='alexclaber' post='342876' date='Dec 2 2008, 11:52 AM']I'm also working on a very small and light design for upright bassists as there's a lot of lightweight amps out there but not a lot of choice when it comes to reasonably priced cabs with the kind of polar response an upright needs. Initial investigations are proving promising![/quote]

Now this does sound interesting.
I play mainly acoustic stuff at the moment, a cab like that might be just the ticket...

Cheers,
Eude

[alexclaber]

[quote name='bremen' post='342888' date='Dec 2 2008, 12:02 PM']Deltalite 11 2512 look good...?[/quote]

No, not really. Vas is too high, Fs too low, Xmax too short and there's a big hump in the upper midrange. Needs a big box to get smooth low frequency response but then it doesn't have the Xmax to take advantage of the low Fs.

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='342906' date='Dec 2 2008, 12:16 PM']Is it going to be wedge shaped? [/quote]



No, it'll be like The Compact in shape but smaller, and will have dual midrange drivers with different crossover points and unusual placement to give near omnidirectional output just like an unamplified double bass. Target weight of 20lbs and price of £350.

Alex

[bremen]

[quote name='alexclaber' post='342919' date='Dec 2 2008, 12:31 PM']No, not really. Vas is too high, Fs too low, Xmax too short and there's a big hump in the upper midrange. Needs a big box to get smooth low frequency response but then it doesn't have the Xmax to take advantage of the low Fs.[/quote]

Whoah! Sounds like a right pig.

So what's the one you're eyeing up?

[alexclaber]

[quote name='bremen' post='342926' date='Dec 2 2008, 12:36 PM']Whoah! Sounds like a right pig.[/quote]

It's not that bad, in fact it's far better than most bass guitar 12"s, that's why practically every neo 12" you can buy contains it or a slight variant upon in. But if you're willing to give up a bit of treble extension and off-axis response then the 3015 does everything better - if you can persuade people to buy 15" cabs again!

[quote name='bremen' post='342926' date='Dec 2 2008, 12:36 PM']So what's the one you're eyeing up?[/quote]

The 3012HO and 3012LF which will effectively be 12" versions of my current 15" drivers. They won't be cheap but everything I've heard so far suggests they'll be very good. Expect a small 1x12", a large 1x12" plus mid, a large 2x12" plus mid and possibly a compact 2x12".

Alex

[alexclaber]

[quote name='eude' post='342915' date='Dec 2 2008, 12:29 PM']Now this does sound interesting.
I play mainly acoustic stuff at the moment, a cab like that might be just the ticket...[/quote]

The downside of the upright bass cab I'm working on will be the sensitivity and power handling and thus the max SPL - it will not be a loud cab but if you put a loud cab next to a double bass you just get feedback! It could work very nicely with other acoustic instruments buts I'd be very wary of using it with an electric bass unless there are no drummers present...

Alex

[eude]

[quote name='alexclaber' post='342941' date='Dec 2 2008, 12:51 PM']The downside of the upright bass cab I'm working on will be the sensitivity and power handling and thus the max SPL - it will not be a loud cab but if you put a loud cab next to a double bass you just get feedback! It could work very nicely with other acoustic instruments buts I'd be very wary of using it with an electric bass unless there are no drummers present...

Alex[/quote]
Well currently, I use a single Aguilar 12 with a LittleMark 250 (the weedy one), it works fine, even with a drummer at small gigs and rehearsals, and for louder gigs I use it as a monitor using the PA for the front of house sound.
I'd still be interested in seeing what it's like, but I undertsand your concerns now.

Cheers,
Eude

[alexclaber]

[quote name='eude' post='343004' date='Dec 2 2008, 01:43 PM']Well currently, I use a single Aguilar 12 with a LittleMark 250 (the weedy one), it works fine, even with a drummer at small gigs and rehearsals, and for louder gigs I use it as a monitor using the PA for the front of house sound. I'd still be interested in seeing what it's like, but I undertsand your concerns now.[/quote]

I hope to add a 12"+mid to the range once the right speaker turns up which I would have thought would be the best solution for players such as yourself. The double bass cab is very much focused on minimising feedback and replicating the polar response of a double bass in a very unique fashion but the compromises required to do this make it a less logical choice for those playing non-acoustic instruments.

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='343006' date='Dec 2 2008, 01:44 PM']I was more interested in knowing whether you still had plans for the angled cabs we discussed once.[/quote]

I thought you wanted an angled cab and I kept saying that the cost in low frequency response made an non-angled cab plus a tilt mechanism more logical? Still working on that, am getting very frustrated with unresponsive potential suppliers!

On another topic entirely, the first full review of The Compact has just been posted:

[url="http://www.barefacedbass.com/comments.html"]http://www.barefacedbass.com/comments.html[/url]

And my measurement equipment has arrived...

Alex

[eude]

[quote name='alexclaber' post='350064' date='Dec 9 2008, 06:48 PM']I hope to add a 12"+mid to the range once the right speaker turns up which I would have thought would be the best solution for players such as yourself. The double bass cab is very much focused on minimising feedback and replicating the polar response of a double bass in a very unique fashion but the compromises required to do this make it a less logical choice for those playing non-acoustic instruments.[/quote]

Wow Alex, that 12"+mid cab sounds right up my street!
I love my Aguilar cab but it's a naturally a little shy on the mids, it's only 8 ohm and could be lighter, it's a one hand lift on a short journey, but having walked two miles with the cab, my bass in a gig bag and my head and other gear in a rucksack, I was wishing for something a lot lighter, or a cab with wheels and an engine...

Can't wait to see what you come up with when the right speaker is available, really interested in a tilt facility too.

Cheers,
Eude

[alexclaber]

Logo:

Alex

[eude]

[quote name='alexclaber' post='357470' date='Dec 18 2008, 12:20 AM']Logo:

Alex[/quote]

Very nice Alex, looks very pro.
I take it, it's going to sit on the top left of the face?

Eude

[alexclaber]

Top right so it doesn't block any output from the mid speaker. I like to position the HF sources towards the top left of the cab because that gets them a bit more on-axis with my drummer as I usually put my rig on the hi-hat side (which I gather is more common than t'other way round), so the badge should go on the opposite side. I have a special place in hell for companies that place badges in the way of midrange drivers and tweeters!

Alex