Barefaced Behemoth? Suggest a big crazy cab for us to add to the range! (And tell us why we should...)

[alexclaber]

[quote name='Wooks79' timestamp='1429617510' post='2753211']
Would you consider custom builds?
[/quote]

Yes - see here (scroll down): http://barefacedbass.com/ordering-and-availability.htm

[charic]

How about a flat bass cab? Like those paintings that are actually speakers?

[Prime_BASS]

4x12

Done.

[51m0n]

An enormous transmission line speaker going right down to 20Hz for real, driven with your mega high excursion 12" cone and your nicest tweeter, maybe a second 12" driver for mid range if there is a big old whole in the frequency range.

I love decent transmission line speakers, never heard one that could do bass guitar very well though, would be very interesting

[KingBollock]

An 8x8 in a square formation with a 12 in the middle.

o o o
o O o
o o o

If you see what I mean.

You could do it with 10s and a 15 or 12s and an 18.

Edited April 21, 2015 by KingBollock

[6v6]

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1429613939' post='2753122']
3x10" is a bit of an odd one in terms of impedance because you have to do all series or all parallel wiring, so it has to be a very high or very low impedance driver. We can get pretty much any driver made as a prototype so we can do one-offs if they're interesting enough but to go into production we then have to commit to bigger numbers of drivers (and have the space and cashflow to hold stock).
[/quote]

Yeah, I was assuming you'd use 16ohm drivers and end up with a cab impedance of about 5.3 ohms, which is close enough to 4 that any amp could drive it and produce decent power.

I can appreciate if you wanted to offer an 8ohm version of such a cab that things get a bit more tricky

[Count Bassy]

What about a version of some of your existing cabs with a section of 19" rack integrated on top (along with a speakon on top), so anyone could add their own favourite amp and make themselves a combo?

Also, I have never heard a Barefaced, so this is pure conjecture, but I have always liked the sound of a bass driver (12/15") with a 6" or so mid/treble. Always sound smoother to me than a tweeter.

[Grissle]

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1429617138' post='2753199']
Here's a photo of it!


[/quote]

Wow I've read about this cab a lot but never came across that information.

[alexclaber]

[quote name='51m0n' timestamp='1429619274' post='2753249']An enormous transmission line speaker going right down to 20Hz for real, driven with your mega high excursion 12" cone and your nicest tweeter, maybe a second 12" driver for mid range if there is a big old whole in the frequency range.

I love decent transmission line speakers, never heard one that could do bass guitar very well though, would be very interesting [/quote]

That would be enormous! I think for going that low a better approach is to make something like a Bag End ELF (this is not something from Middle Earth, it really exists!) using a sealed cab and an active module with DSP to flatten the response down low. Hence my crazy 6x12" (or maybe 4x12") idea...

[CamdenRob]

I'd go the other way... an 8" super light weight cab that actually allows a bass guitar to sound like a bass at passable volume would be a winner

[Raggy]

A ported 6x12?

Edited April 21, 2015 by Raggy

[alexclaber]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1429621421' post='2753285']I'd go the other way... an 8" super light weight cab that actually allows a bass guitar to sound like a bass at passable volume would be a winner [/quote]

How 'super light weight' are we talking?

[Beer of the Bass]

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1429623447' post='2753321']
How 'super light weight' are we talking?
[/quote]

I think CamdenRob is another EA Wizzy 10 user, so I guess it would have to be no heavier than the Wizzy (17lbs) to be a desirable alternative, though I presume that one of your 10" drivers would probably get louder than the Wizzy 10 does. Something to compete with the Greenboy designed Crazy-8 cab.

[Happy Jack]

A Compact-sized cab with a padded top, a footrest, and an adjustable back-rest. A drinks holder would be good.

Edit: And a built-in bass holder for use during breaks.

Edit 2: And maybe a phone charger?

Edited April 21, 2015 by Happy Jack

[Merton]

A Super Twin Wideboy cab which allows you to get the benefit of vertically aligned 12s in a cab wide enough to accommodate most valve amps. (Most other manufacturers sacrifice vertical alignment when going to wide designs...)

(And yes I know the retro range is designed for valve amps, I just love your 12" drivers!)

Edited April 21, 2015 by Merton

[alexclaber]

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1429620558' post='2753272']
What about a version of some of your existing cabs with a section of 19" rack integrated on top (along with a speakon on top), so anyone could add their own favourite amp and make themselves a combo?[/quote]

Seems like a lot of lightweight amps (which would make sense to be part of a faux combo) aren't 19" wide nowadays?

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1429620558' post='2753272']Also, I have never heard a Barefaced, so this is pure conjecture, but I have always liked the sound of a bass driver (12/15") with a 6" or so mid/treble. Always sound smoother to me than a tweeter.
[/quote]

Our Gen 1 & 2 Big Series cabs used 15" or 12" drivers crossed over to 6" mids (with or without a tweeter as well). The Gen 3 Big Series cabs use a fancy big HF driver instead because it sounds even better!

[3below]

4x15 or 4x12 with 'cross firing' drivers ? Something the size of 2 dubsters would head into behemoth territory.

[Dad3353]

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1429613939' post='2753122']...
[b][i]Or, getting a bit sillier, a similar 3x12 or 3x15 [/i][/b]

3x10" is a bit of an odd one in terms of impedance because you have to do all series or all parallel wiring, so it has to be a very high or very low impedance driver. We can get pretty much any driver made as a prototype so we can do one-offs if they're interesting enough but to go into production we then have to commit to bigger numbers of drivers (and have the space and cashflow to hold stock).
...
[/quote]

Is it so much of a b*gger to use 16 ohm speakers, and get a nominal impedance of 5.3 ohms..? Surely that would hardly make a difference to most amps; if anything, it'd be rather on the 'safe' side (just slightly more than 4 ohms...). Valve amps won't be hurt by such a small 'less than optimum' either..? That would, at least, solve the 'proto/one-off' part of the problem, allowing a commercially viable 'experiment'..? It could start a new trend in verticality, too..?
As for 'bigness', these are the best cabs I ever had, made as paired Hiwattt PA columns. Small moon weight, of course, but great sound '(back then', anyway...). 2x12+horn tops and 2x15 reflex bottoms. Used with a DR205 which I still use for bass... To imagine the scale..? These are just over 6'6", stacked.

Edited April 21, 2015 by Dad3353

[Ticktock]

5x18 2x15 1x12 1x6

Pyramid shaped, purple sparkly finish with pulsing leds all over, oh, and I want two of them.

[LukeFRC]

the 4x12 you mentioned sounds interesting.

out of interest... if you had a mesa walkabout... 300w at 4ohms, 160w or so at 8 ohms, can push it to 2ohms if needed... which barefaced would you suggest? the retro 610? two retro210.

It might be as interesting to ask peoples problems and see if there is a barefacedsolution to them (which gives you more engineering latitude than folk predetermining that they want a certain size driver or so on)

[alexclaber]

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1429627419' post='2753386']the 4x12 you mentioned sounds interesting.

out of interest... if you had a mesa walkabout... 300w at 4ohms, 160w or so at 8 ohms, can push it to 2ohms if needed... which barefaced would you suggest? the retro 610? two retro210.[/quote]

It depends on if you want one big cab or some smaller ones? And how loud you need to go. Walkabout into one Two10 won't be exactly quiet!

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1429627419' post='2753386']It might be as interesting to ask peoples problems and see if there is a barefacedsolution to them (which gives you more engineering latitude than folk predetermining that they want a certain size driver or so on)[/quote]

From the logical engineering perspective I thought we'd solved most bass guitar amplification challenges as well as can be expected - but if there are more unsolved ones then I'd like to know and I'll see what I can suggest!

[Adrenochrome]

I know it's off topic but I think there are some great suggestions for a regular gigging bassist's rig/cab: USB slots, bass rest etc etc.

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1429628082' post='2753392']
It depends on if you want one big cab or some smaller ones? And how loud you need to go. Walkabout into one Two10 won't be exactly quiet!
[/quote]
Something to try then!

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1429628082' post='2753392']
From the logical engineering perspective I thought we'd solved most bass guitar amplification challenges as well as can be expected - but if there are more unsolved ones then I'd like to know and I'll see what I can suggest!
[/quote] from an engineering perspective maybe - but it's the design problems out there that are interesting.

If I had the $$ a powered cab with DSP and a couple of preamps for it would possibly be the way I would go

Edited April 21, 2015 by LukeFRC

[Lw.]

2 x 15" + 2 x 10" in one box with the 15s angled up to save having to vertical stack (and look cool).

I'm assuming this isn't possible but another fun looking thing would be to have a cab where the magnets are sticking out of the cabinet to make more of a display of them, like you often see with subs in boy-racer cars.

[MoonBassAlpha]

How about a tall, thin cab with upward facing sealed driver and multiple flared small ports acting like a line array?