Amp & Cab Impedance

[gypsyjazzer]

When considering a separate amp & cab would buying both from the same manufacturer be the best bet?---as both designed to work together in the best possible way?

[Noisyjon]

In a word - No.
I would recommend wading through Alex's Tech. Info and asking lots of questions on here about what you are unsure of.
[url="http://barefacedbass.com/technical-information.htm"]http://barefacedbass.com/technical-information.htm[/url]

All the best,
Jon

[Mr. Foxen]

With many manufacturers 'designed' at all is going to require a pretty broad definition of the term.

[Big_Stu]

Also bear in mind that the dimensions of one of - if the THE - best selling speaker cabinets, which is practically a household name, of all time was created entirely by accident, according to it's builder, as it was the width of the pieces of wood that just happened to be lying around at the time.
..........................And that there are some on here who like nothing better than to showcase their alleged knowledge........... ad nauseum.

[LawrenceH]

[quote name='Big_Stu' timestamp='1355004712' post='1892966']
alleged knowledge........... ad nauseum.
[/quote]
Hi Stu, that'll be nauseating people like me then? I do go on a bit sorry!
Mixing and matching can get you closer to what you want than set manufacturer combinations, really depends what you're after tonally and if it matches with what a manufacturer is aiming for. I think the idea that no manufacturers ever put any thought into their cab designs whatsoever beyond appearance, is a bit of a sweeping generalisation. There's always been good stuff out there and a lot of modern manufacturers have upped their game IMO.

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='LawrenceH' timestamp='1355006885' post='1892995']
Hi Stu, that'll be nauseating people like me then? I do go on a bit sorry! [/quote]

Actually no,
Though in a thread along similar lines I did see a line along the lines of "the OP should get on & play until it becomes an issue" which I would agree with most of the time..

Personally - after many long years & variety of SS & valve amps, combos, cabs of various layouts & impedences I still wouldn't put myself up as a technical authority. But for someone just starting out - or without the experience of such variations I would compare it to buying a car.
All of the parts of a showroom model are designed, by experts to work in the most efficient way that the designer intended, some parts made in-house, many are bought in to match a spec, but there are still some who will put a bigger engine in the model to get better performance, or remove parts that they believe will make it work better.
There are also some who will make a part which works better but which makes a lot of noise, many times that new noise isn't pleasing to the ear of many who hear it. It all depends on whether you want to run a car as it was intended to, be more efficient with possible after-effects be they good or bad ................ or drive along in second with your foot to the floor, thinking you look & sound the absolute bollox to all around you when in actual fact you just sound like a **** who doesn't know how gears work. NOT a perfect analogy I know, but it works in a few ways.

Personally (again) for the OP I'd say yes it is a safe point to take until you feel the urge to experiment more with your sound & by finding out what sound you want, listen; listen a hell of a lot to what you like & take notes of who makes what & what they actually are............. and of course the old adage that much of any sound you admire is in the fingers of the guy/gal playing it.

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='LawrenceH' timestamp='1355006885' post='1892995']I think the idea that no manufacturers ever put any thought into their cab designs whatsoever beyond appearance, is a bit of a sweeping generalisation.[/quote]

I will add however, that that certainly isn't what I said or wanted to infer. But I have seen it written, in a guitar mag many years ago, as a quote of Jim Marshall's, when asked about how he calculated the dynamics & acoustics of his amps when he first started out with such humble facilities, that the side panels were just what he had lying around after doing a job. (IIRC the measurement was 14", but I don't have an early Marshall cab around to check to) There was no science to it. Just one manufacturer amongst many, but he was one of the first......... and they're still a market leader with afficianos desperate to buy those early cabs that so many huge stars made their names playing thru'.

[LawrenceH]

Hah, bass cabs are the stock cars of the speaker world - you get some real souped-up labours of love, and some right old bangers cobbled together with whatever was going cheap! Even to the extent of summarily changing driver type loaded into a cab model for (understandable) reasons of cost and availability.
But generally, stuff at the mid end of the market up works well enough in the real world if you spend some time working out how to coax the best from it, and some of it works very well indeed. Never been a better time to play in terms of gear portability, price and sound quality IMO

The OP specifically mentions impedence in the title. Largely a non-issue with solid state stuff as long as you don't go below the minimum spec. Certain driver/cab/amp combinations don't play well where they've stretched the spec a little though - impedence is only nominal after all, but that's rare enough these days I think.

[Mr. Foxen]

Spec other than nominal impedance is a bit difficult, since most of the standard supplied specs are pretty much completely irrelevant to anything, or plain misleading. Speaker diameter and thermal power handling and an unspecific frequency band are the first things you get to see. Paying attention to them cab be pretty misleading.

[Lozz196]

I`ve had many set-ups, with amps & cabs of both the same brand, and different. I`d say get the one that sounds best, but in all honesty there are so many different permutations, this could cost both a lot of money, and a lot of time - the quest for the perfect tone.

Seeing other bassists helped me find the tone I wanted. I always liked Ampeg, but all of their gear is too heavy for me now. But, when seeing other bassists, the tone that always impressed me was Markbass. So it seemed the right thing to do was buy a Markbass set-up.

And remember, bass in the mix is the important sound. Out of the mix it can sound great, but not translate well in the mix.

[Conan]

[quote name='gypsyjazzer' timestamp='1355001117' post='1892928']
would buying both from the same manufacturer be the best bet?[/quote]

Not always possible! For example Barefaced don't make amps (yet) and Thunderfunk don't make cabs (to my knowledge).

But there are plenty that do both if that is what you want. Some people prefer the look of a "matched" set up whereas others like to have a mix and match rig. It's your money so buy what YOU like the look and sound of. Bear in mind that some size and colour combinations do not quite work though...

Edited December 12, 2012 by Conan

[chris_b]

Firstly, I'd always buy separates as upgrades are more flexible and they are easier to move around.

If you are starting out I wouldn't buy anything until I'd read a lot of reviews and opinions; after awhile you can weed out the extreme views, those with a "cause" and those who are just plain wrong.

I haven't used amps and cabs from the same manufacturer for over 25 years but I have no objection to getting a matched rig. It all depends on what they sound like.

These days it’s very difficult to buy a rig that just sounds bad, but getting a rig that sounds exactly right might take a lifetime. My advice would be to get a [i]good[/i] sound and concentrate on your playing. Spending £500 on lessons will make you sound better than spending £500 on gear.
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[Guest bassman7755]

There one or two notable examples of brands whos speakers and amps seem to work especially well together with both contributing to the signature sound e.g trace elliot, ampeg etc but of course that only works if you want that exact sound.

But really theres no particular magic about it, myself I've used an Epifani cab, but wouldn't use their amps - they are just too clean. I use an RH450 amp but wouldnt use TC cabs - they just look all wrong to me like oversized ipod speakers or something and they just to big and heavy. Mix and match to suit really.