Count Bassie Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 (edited) Just recently was educated about these, and thought I'd throw it out here, since they're English, apparently. Anyone around here use Fane drivers? I picked up an old 'one-off' EAW (Eastern Acoustic Works) 410 box, no drivers. I think it was built on the sly, in spare time, at the factory by an employee. I've never seen another like it- I'm converting it to a 210, as it's a bit small to really throw much low-end as a 410 I think. I'll shut two of the speaker-mounting holes in the baffle and they'll be come ports, and maybe I'll build a head into the box, for a combo-like thing. I'm doing the math, and still looking around at speakers... which of course is part of the math... A friend and long-time 'avatar' of mine since I was an upstart recommended Fanes to me. He uses a 100-watt (I think) re-issue Hiwatt head with [s]a 215 cab[/s], loaded with the Fanes. So that's it. Thanks for your time. Edit: I do believe the cab is a 4x12 with Fanes... yep, not the 215. Pardon! Edited June 14, 2012 by Count Bassie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceH Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Phil Starr has I think used a Fane 10" PA driver, you could PM him. They're not one of the fashionable names in bass guitar land but they definitely used to make good PA speakers, and AFAIK still do. Dunno if they'd be a very economic option in the US. If you want that flat PA driver sound in bass cab have a look at stuff from Faital and 18Sound maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Stu Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 I've got a Hiwatt 200 head; when I first bought it I had a Marshall 2 x 15" cab, with original Celestions at 100w each. I saw two Fane 15" PA speakers on Ebay, bought them for a song but they were underpowered for the Hiwatt (you should be OK with a 100 so long as you have headroom on the speakers) so I switched them for two Eminence Deltas. Since then I also bought a Hiwatt 4123 cab which has 4 x Fane 12s in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertbass Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 I always prefered the sound of Fanes over Celestions, they distorted less and had a less middly sound. That was a long time ago mind you but I still have a soft spot for Fanes. The Fane studio series were fantastic, the first British speaker manufacturer to challenge the USA for quality speakers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Bassie Posted June 14, 2012 Author Share Posted June 14, 2012 Thanks for the responses- I realize too that we're talking about things in "Subjective-Land". On Talkbass.com you get lots of talk about math and thermal tolerance, etc., and I'm really just trying to stay anecdotal here, so this is all great. I'm only going on a rec from a dude I totally trust as an authority- however he uses stuff that's 'not for everyone', as he says. I use a pair of Eminence Kappalite 3015s in TL-606 boxes when I need big guns, and they can take a beating! Very robust, lots of excursion, a tad strong in the upper-mids. I use the eq on my GK head to pull the excess mids out, and when I give them a little push they sound great. For the 10s however, I'm a little less worried about the abuse-factor, as it'll be either a small-club amp or used with a font-of-house system- so I won't have to fill the great outdoors with it. Anyway, still tuned in here, thanks all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Bassie Posted June 14, 2012 Author Share Posted June 14, 2012 Here's a picture of the cab... I'll post again as it moves along, might be a while though! The speakers here are a pair of Emi 10s from an Avatar cab, set in the bottom holes... where the ports are going to go. [IMG]http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c179/Sloom/Amps%20and%20Gear/EAW4102.jpg[/IMG] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Bassie Posted June 14, 2012 Author Share Posted June 14, 2012 [quote name='LawrenceH' timestamp='1339617882' post='1691690'] Phil Starr has I think used a Fane 10" PA driver, you could PM him. They're not one of the fashionable names in bass guitar land but they definitely used to make good PA speakers, and AFAIK still do. Dunno if they'd be a very economic option in the US. If you want that flat PA driver sound in bass cab have a look at stuff from Faital and 18Sound maybe? [/quote] Willdew, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Starr Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 Hi I've been using the Fane Sovereigns. they are a general purpose speaker with a flat response. They do two models the 10-125 and the 10-300. I've tried both. The 10-125 is the one they recommend for bass. they do others too. The 125 has a smaller voice coil so handles reduced power (125W geddit?) and a lighter cone. It has a very flat response and goes up to 4kHz, in a biggish box it will have a very 'polite' sound not unlike DI'ing through the PA. If you used these with amp modelling they'd work really well. Put them in a compact box (four in a compact 4x10 for instance) and they'd give you a bit of a bass hump which would warm up the sound a bit at the expense of a little less deep bass. The 300 has more power handling and a much bigger magnet, So heavy I rebuilt my 4x10.These have the heavier cone and so top end is reduced a little and they handle deep bass with more authority, They only need a tiny cabinet so you can go really small and still get the best out of them. I ended up with them in a 2x10 which is loud enough to completely murder the drummer with my 600W amp so you never need anything else for indoor work. The deep bass is really clean and effortless but almost unspectacular as a result. the overall sound of these two isn't as different as i expected, the 300 goes high enough that you don't really notice any top missing (though like James Jamerson I think there's no money above the 5th fret) and the 125 does a nice clean bass too. The really good thing about these two is that Xmax (excursion) is very good so they handle a lot of bass before farting out. If I were fitting these in the cab you picture I'd go for the 125's if you were only going to use two and the 300 if you use four. Check the prices though, these are cheaper than the equivalent Eminences in the UK but I expect the position is reversed in the USA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 Put the cones in the up facing top section, be pointing more at your ears that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatgoogle Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 I have a fane 15 400 in a cab i made on a recommendation from phil, it is pretty damn good, and has never let me down even when it got soaked carrying it to a gig. Id use one again if i wwas replacing speakers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceH Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 [quote name='Count Bassie' timestamp='1339643843' post='1691915'] I use a pair of Eminence Kappalite 3015s in TL-606 boxes when I need big guns, and they can take a beating! Very robust, lots of excursion, a tad strong in the upper-mids. I use the eq on my GK head to pull the excess mids out [/quote] This is the thing with the Eminence neo speakers, they nearly all bump up the upper mids (as do quite a lot of the ceramics). Certain people on talkbass insist this is never a problem but my personal preference is for something a little smoother. If you look at 10" ceramics bear in mind they'd typically weigh as much as or more than a kappalite! If portability is an issue then the other manufacturers I suggested make very good neo speakers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Starr Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 [quote name='LawrenceH' timestamp='1339671856' post='1692326'] This is the thing with the Eminence neo speakers, they nearly all bump up the upper mids (as do quite a lot of the ceramics). Certain people on talkbass insist this is never a problem but my personal preference is for something a little smoother. If you look at 10" ceramics bear in mind they'd typically weigh as much as or more than a kappalite! If portability is an issue then the other manufacturers I suggested make very good neo speakers. [/quote] Lawrence is right and in fact most speakers have this peak. It occurs fairly naturally as the big cones we use would fall off in response at much lower frequencies if they were designed to be rigid. In fact they flex and the central portion is mainly responsible for radiating the higher frequencies. By fiddling with the way the cones are made the manufacturers can control this and create a peak or a gradual roll off. Celestions bass speakers all have this peak but their PA speakers much less so. Anyway, this peak sounds quite nice even though it is actually a distortion and gives the classic sound of many guitar and bass systems. You might miss it if it is what you are used to hearing. That's down to taste really rather than physics so you have to decide between a smooth sound and a punchy (but distorted) one. The Fanes give the smooth sound. You can always use EQ to add a peak, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceH Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 [quote name='Count Bassie' timestamp='1339644194' post='1691916'] Here's a picture of the cab... I'll post again as it moves along, might be a while though! The speakers here are a pair of Emi 10s from an Avatar cab, set in the bottom holes... where the ports are going to go. [/quote] Wasn't able to see this pic before. WIth a box that big, if loading with only 2 drivers I'd be tempted to make it a sealed cab or at least tune really low. Subjectively you'd get a very smooth bass extension without being overpowering, which would match well with a PA-driver style smooth top-end. I'd also want a driver with qts on the higher side which does rule out a lot of those designed for PA. The lower power Fane 125 might be a good option there? [quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1339673544' post='1692377'] Anyway, this peak sounds quite nice even though it is actually a distortion and gives the classic sound of many guitar and bass systems. You might miss it if it is what you are used to hearing. That's down to taste really rather than physics so you have to decide between a smooth sound and a punchy (but distorted) one. The Fanes give the smooth sound. You can always use EQ to add a peak, [/quote] Phil has articulated this much better than I did! I indeed prefer the option of adding a peak with EQ only when needed, but it does/can sound good in a lot of contexts. I still think the peak on some of the eminence neos is excessive by any standards! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BILL POSTERS Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 Dunno about 10s, Up till fairly recently I was using a 2X15 with Fane Crecendos in it and they were excellent. Really popular speakers in the 70s. Even the Pop 60s werent all that bad considering the price. Fane have been around a long time, and while not always fashionable, the quality has always been excellent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertbass Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 I used to love the old pop 50s. The best 12" around at the time, that I could afford anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BILL POSTERS Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 [quote name='bertbass' timestamp='1339687811' post='1692753'] I used to love the old pop 50s. The best 12" around at the time, that I could afford anyway. [/quote] £15 each off RSC ? or was that the Pop 60 15" one ? They were marked 8 to 15 ohms dunno how they worked that out, might have been their idea of quality control.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Bassie Posted June 14, 2012 Author Share Posted June 14, 2012 Wow, some really good info here! Thanks Phil and Lawrence- I just got in from work, didn't even have a chance to ring you up... I'll give it all another looking-at and add it to the pile of notes. The idea of a sealed box is interesting, and frankly would cut out a bit of math and cutting plugs and new holes... Mr. Foxen, yes indeed, the drivers are written into the plan as facing upwards from the angled half of the baffle. It's originally about having a monitor for FOH shows, and being enough as a solo unit for small rooms. Alright- thanks everyone, I shall return... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Bassie Posted June 14, 2012 Author Share Posted June 14, 2012 A remark made about the 300 from Phil: [quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1339660674' post='1692014']...The deep bass is really clean and effortless but almost unspectacular as a result.[/quote] Can you elaborate just a bit here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceH Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 Thinking about Mr F's comment I'd also suggest considering having one driver on the top panel and one directly below- that way you get better horizontal distribution (hear it more clearly from the side) but retain the monitoring benefits of the angled top speaker. You could easily enough play with this to see which way you preferred. The benefits of vertical stacking speakers is another subject that has been done to death here and on talkbass... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Bassie Posted June 14, 2012 Author Share Posted June 14, 2012 Went and downloaded the pdf for the 10-125, will load them into WinISD over the weekend and see what they might look like in this old box I've got here. I'm thinking that my Trace AH250GP7 head might make a good mate for that smooth idea. Funny that I've always had more of that peaky thing going on, and esp when playing reggae I've had to dial it out. All lows with some attack on top, no mids... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Bassie Posted June 14, 2012 Author Share Posted June 14, 2012 (edited) [quote name='LawrenceH' timestamp='1339705623' post='1693202'] Thinking about Mr F's comment I'd also suggest considering having one driver on the top panel and one directly below- that way you get better horizontal distribution (hear it more clearly from the side) but retain the monitoring benefits of the angled top speaker. You could easily enough play with this to see which way you preferred. The benefits of vertical stacking speakers is another subject that has been done to death here and on talkbass... [/quote] Yes, all us Talkbass hang-outs are now authorities on this topic! I hadn't even thought of it seriously for this however, but it's interesting. Edited June 14, 2012 by Count Bassie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Bassie Posted June 14, 2012 Author Share Posted June 14, 2012 ...and would make for a funky-looking box! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 I used to see loads of Fane speakers back in the 80's. They had a dedicated bass range back then - Studio 10/12/15B - 250W 8Ω drivers. Those drivers really punched one hell of a wallop in a well designed cabinet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Bassie Posted June 14, 2012 Author Share Posted June 14, 2012 That cab is divided into two, down the center. So I'd be routing a hole in it, I imagine. One thought was to build an enclosure for an amplifier into the cab, making it a combo. It could become pretty Borg-ish if I let this run into the ether very far! So I'm just riffing now... I'll go throw it around and come back. Thanks again all, much appreciation for your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Bassie Posted June 14, 2012 Author Share Posted June 14, 2012 [quote name='icastle' timestamp='1339706610' post='1693237'] I used to see loads of Fane speakers back in the 80's. They had a dedicated bass range back then - Studio 10/12/15B - 250W 8Ω drivers. Those drivers really punched one hell of a wallop in a well designed cabinet. [/quote] I'd like something to really be a good custom fit... it'll be about what I can learn and execute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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