Good cabs

[JTUK]

I'v always said that Markbass are fine close up and at a low-sh volume but the amps don't stretch very well to my ears...but the biggest
thing is the cabs do indeed lack focus off stage. This is why I am bemused when people talk about everyone they have heard with a very good sound
turns out to using Markbass... guess we have diffent expectations on sound.
They are bass monitors but not a good sound in the room, IMO..too flubby and lack spark and definition. I laughed when my mate said he brought
Epi's to go with his MB top.... as Epi's can be reknown for their pillow sound...

I still think their 210 combo takes some beating but you aren't going to run that in loud situations so its limitations aren't so apparent

of.... and whilst we are at it..and being ultra picky... Ampeg and humbuckers..??? SO WRONG..!!!

But just my 2p. It you want bass to bleed everywhere and have no defintion and clarity...or outright tone, ignore my above as you are looking for a completely alien bass sound to me ..it happens

[nottswarwick]

Is it jsut that the MB cones are bright yellow, and thus you can really see them moving? I think this is what is happening, as I have driven some Markbass cabs close to the limit, and never had an issue, farting etc. I just think you can see it more than other cabs

[JTUK]

I always look to see how far the sound is pushing the cones.... just seems to make sense to me...
assuming you have a metal type grill and not cloth.... but then I always make sure I have way more cab than amp power.
Bass is a killer for speakers... less so nowadays but I've had my fair share of inadequate cabs... so now I don't stress them at all..I think..!!

[gafbass02]

There's definitely something that makes markbass move a lot. I've spent a lot of time nosing at cabs and never seen another brand piston the way they do. Oddly not farting etc, just a lot of movement, even at quite low volumes.

[nottswarwick]

I'll have a go.

Rig one - Hartke HA3500, into Ashdown Mini 48 and Mini 15. Actually really really nice. HOwever, Markbass called...

Rig two - old style MArkbass TA503 - heavy silver one, and two double ported markbass Satdard 102HF. Very nice, really nice. Also has a 15 Markbass cab too, also good. But I would echo the above re projection. Still really like Markbass gear though.

Rig 3 - littlemark head into Aggy GS112 cabs - terrible cabs - fart out way too early imho.

Rig - F1 into Tecamp 210 - nice, light and clear.

BF rigs - Compact Trial, and S12t trial - nice nice cabs, but not for me.

EBS - HD350, Neo 212 and Neo 15 - nice, but fiercely aggressive sounding.

Also had an Ashdown ABM 410 - heavy but excellent. If I sell my cabs, I will get one of these, and be quids in.

Now using two Vanderkley EXT112 cabs - very pleasant indeed. I am trying to sell them though (or downtrade) - financial reasons, but I would say they are the finest cabs I have owned. My Ashdown heads sounds excellent, really full and thumpy, and if I can find a way to keep them, I will.

[Musicman20]

The MB speakers can handle that pistoning. Despite the cabs having a voice you can love or hate, the speakers are quite high end apparently.

[nottswarwick]

To be honest, although I love my cabs, I always have PA support, and I am generally the only person who can actually tell the difference.

[nottswarwick]

Last night's rig.

[attachment=119132:IMG_1325.jpg]

[Lozz196]

Re the Markbass, well although I`m a relatively new user/owner, I based my purchase on having heard and liked how they sound from hearing other bassists using them. So it really is horses for courses, as I love the sound that they make in the mix, as an audience member (and am more than pleased with the sound on-stage as well when using my new set-up.

[nottswarwick]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1348428476' post='1813547']
Re the Markbass, well although I`m a relatively new user/owner, I based my purchase on having heard and liked how they sound from hearing other bassists using them. So it really is horses for courses, as I love the sound that they make in the mix, as an audience member (and am more than pleased with the sound on-stage as well when using my new set-up.
[/quote]

Yes, to clarify my thoughts, I would happily use them again. Good good gear. \in fact I missed out a Std 410 HF that I used for a year or so - one of the finest cabs I have ever used.

Edited September 23, 2012 by nottswarwick

[Musicman20]

I've just listened to the above video demo on a better/louder setup and it once again shows for me that the Aguilar DB tone is IT...for me.

The Berg HD seems to have a dip somewhere in the mids...a lot more very very full low end, less low mid punch, and a fairly ganky high mid. Something doesn't gel with what I like...with that Jazz is seems VERY hollow.

The Aguilar DB112 just punches right through with that low mid kick...even the Jazz doesn't seem scooped with it!

The DNA cab just sounds bland to me, and looks (from the video) very 'thrown' together despite the high price tag.

I just need to stop whinging and buy a set of DB112s to go with my DB212...so I've got everything covered.

Edited September 23, 2012 by Musicman20

[Phil-osopher10]

This is great stuff! I love hearing others opinions on gear they've used. I can empathise with gaf over wanting to support a local-ish fella trying to make it. Someday I may get a super12 just to see, cause the midget was nice. I was comparing them with my mesa scout and even though I got the impression that the compact could handle more wattage the mesa just sounded nicer (fuller)

[51m0n]

Spent a fair amount of time on the search for a rig/cab that would leave me forever GAS-less.

Looked into Schroeder, Aquilar (older 112, CS??), Eden, Epifani etc

Having tried a few of these and various bits and bobs I ended up with the Berg AE410. Caveat, I like a hugely punchy sound on stage, I dotn need massive low end (although the cab will certainly produce it) and I play a 5 string and want no limitation from the cab when handling that low B. Oh and it needed to fit in the boot of my car, which was a hugely limiting factor.

The ae410 is (for me, and my tastes) the very best sounding cab I have ever heard or played. A pair of ae210s stacked is very very similar, and I nearly went for that option, but they dont fit in the boot so well. Nothing else I have heard since has sounded better to my ears.

Lately I've been enjoying the tone from older strings, for the first time in twenty years of playing. And the ae410 driven by the MB sa450 ([i]still[/i] my favourite head that they've produced, with the possible exception of the heavier silver faced version from yonks ago) just makes the Roscoe with older strings sound glorious in a rehearsal space (not gigged it like this yet, but I will).

I've spent a lot of time directly A/Bing the old BF BigOne and S12 against my rig, and the BigOne is a fantastic smooth super deep (if you want it) fingerstyle funk cab, it would be perfect for something like modern R&B or extended range basses, or pretty much anything, but you need a lot of horsepower to really drive it, and very careful choice of preamp too IMO.

The S12 is the best compromise I've heard from BF (all these cabs, from BF and everyone else is a compromise), again for my tastes, its seriously close to the ae410, in terms of output and tone. I think it could probably go louder than the ae410, but I still prefer the ae410 tone.

As for all that MB cone pistoning, I am willing to bet that the crossover has no sub filter on it, which is what is causing the issue, and the porting may be a bit out of step too. There is no way they really ought to behave like that, its not a good thing, adds nothing to the tone, just wear to the cone. In contrast the Berg cabs dont piston, I mean it! They just dont behave like that, its almost as if there is a really well designed bespoke croissiver in there with a filter to remove all the stupidly useless low frequencies (rather like the SFX Thumpinator)....

[chris_b]

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1348479606' post='1813964']
....In contrast the Berg cabs dont piston, I mean it! They just dont behave like that, its almost as if there is a really well designed bespoke croissiver in there with a filter to remove all the stupidly useless low frequencies (rather like the SFX Thumpinator)....
[/quote]

Ahhh.... so [i]that's[/i] why the Thumpinator made no difference at all to my AE112 and AE210 cabs.

I've had no cab or amp GAS for nearly 5 years now; just some occasional, mild interest, which quickly goes away during the next gig.

[Musicman20]

Which, in a roundabout way, proves that even to the diehard 'bass tone' seeking experts, a good well designed 4x10 is STILL a very good choice. Despite all the engineers saying they aren't that great.

I wish I'd kept my HS410.

[51m0n]

Agreed. I understand the reasons, the theory, heck I even spout on about acoustics being ruined by poor early reflection control, and comb filtering being a very bad thing etc etc.

Yet I still love the sound of my ae410, off and on axis. On a gig its totally sublime....

I can only hang my head in shame

[charic]

I'll forgive you 51mon, just send the ae410 over my way so that I can remove the temptation for you

[4000]

My favourite cab? My original mk1 (?) Trace 4x10; unported, painted rather than covered, with a gigantic 200watts-worth of Celestion power handling. In modern terms it was probably crap but with my Rics at least it sounded the absolute dogs. It was basically half of Mark King's / Leigh Gorman's original 8x10 Trace combo, for anyone who remembers. Used to be able to carry all 100lbs of it in one hand. Nowadays I wouldn't even be able to pick it off the floor.

I used to really like the Hartke XL 10s which sound not dissimilar, and for use with my Seis I've always quite liked EBS cabs. I think for me it's about matching a particular bass to a particular amp to a particular cab; I've never found anything that works across the board.

FWIW cabs I really haven't got on with are anything with Peavey Black Widows (horrible) and I really didn't like my Hartke 1x15. Not a fan of the Aguilar Gs112s I had either; they had loads of everything I didn't want and nothing of what I did.

Edited September 24, 2012 by 4000

[Musicman20]

I used to LOVE the older Trace 4x10s. Super super punchy.

[gafbass02]

Likewise. It's pretty much the sound for me:)

[51m0n]

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1348488111' post='1814144']
I'll forgive you 51mon, just send the ae410 over my way so that I can remove the temptation for you
[/quote]

I'll think about it....
















...hmmmm....










..well....

















[size=5][i][b]NO WAY HOSE A!![/b][/i][/size]

[charic]

Might have a bash through your berg rig at the bash to induce some GAS if that's alright

[51m0n]

Course you can me old mucker, knock yerself out

[machinehead]

[quote name='Phil-osopher10' timestamp='1348437416' post='1813720']
This is great stuff! I love hearing others opinions on gear they've used. I can empathise with gaf over wanting to support a local-ish fella trying to make it. Someday I may get a super12 just to see, cause the midget was nice. I was comparing them with my mesa scout and even though I got the impression that the compact could handle more wattage the mesa just sounded nicer (fuller)
[/quote]

I do agree with that (the Mesa sound) and I think it's to do with the middy grind and boominess in the Mesa cab that you like. It does have an appeal to me too in certain circumstances. If you use the amp EQ you can make the Compact sound fuller as well.

The problem that I've found is that that type of cab can sound a mess from the room if the volume is pushed and I'm not saying that's the case with the Mesa because I haven't heard it in that situation. I've often heard this thing where certain notes just boom around the room and I find it really annoying when I'm in the audience at a gig.

On the other hand the Compact can handle mid boost without distortion and can go deep as well if you want.

I suspect that most of the 12' cabs mentioned in this thread (Bergs, Aguilar, Vanderklay etc) use the same (or very similar to) Deltalite drivers from Eminence and, as far as I know, in the UK, only Barefaced use the more expensive Kappalite range. So, as an engineer I immediately see the benefits in this. My ears like it also.

Having owned quite a few Markbass cabs I also recommend them although the speaker movement does look alarming at times.

Frank.

I know people say "I use my ears" and that's good, and right too. But engineering is important as well

[chris_b]

[quote name='machinehead' timestamp='1348528341' post='1814963']
....I suspect that most of the 12' cabs mentioned in this thread (Bergs, Aguilar, Vanderklay etc) use the same (or very similar to) Deltalite drivers from Eminence and, as far as I know, in the UK, only Barefaced use the more expensive Kappalite range. So, as an engineer I immediately see the benefits in this. My ears like it also....
[/quote]

What benefits are those?