NCD - Barefaced One10 *REVIEW*

[Kev]

[quote name='tonewheels' timestamp='1462740288' post='3045414']
I spent ages trying all the current Class D crop and the MB Fusion 500 was by far the best to pair with a couple of One 10s. Collective jaws dropped down the pub the other night when I casually chucked into the conversation "I don't miss the SVT stack at all, you know". Many many spilled pints and dropped bacon sandwiches to be cleared up.
[/quote]

Thats good to hear. You still get the GK growl and punch? I was concerned about the more vintage style colouring of these cabs making it less suitable for modern rock tones.

[karlfer]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1462715918' post='3045103']
Packed and ready for tonight's gig. Checklist:

1) Ritter gig bag containing 1 P Bass and 1 bottle water (6kg max)
2) Cajon bag containing BF One10, G-K MB200, mains cable, Speakon cable, Instrument cable, strap, towel, wet wipes (10kg max)

Total weight = 16kg max. Will be stowed in car boot out of sight. Gig report and cab review tomorrow.


[/quote]

Would be a dream to just turn up like that, fabulous

[Musicman20]

I'd love to be able to even just rehearse with a 1x10! Jealous.

[ColinB]

[quote name='tonewheels' timestamp='1462740288' post='3045414']
I spent ages trying all the current Class D crop and the MB Fusion 500 was by far the best to pair with a couple of One 10s. Collective jaws dropped down the pub the other night when I casually chucked into the conversation "I don't miss the SVT stack at all, you know". Many many spilled pints and dropped bacon sandwiches to be cleared up.
[/quote]

Ah..... wet wipes!

[FuNkShUi]

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1462781068' post='3045535']
Would be a dream to just turn up like that, fabulous
[/quote]

I used to agree. But ive found that even though i'm a "one trip" with my set up now, i still end up doing multiple trips to help everyone else.
So am i really saving anything???
Nice looking rig though Discreet.
Glad it's working out for you

[fretmeister]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1462782208' post='3045543']
I'd love to be able to even just rehearse with a 1x10! Jealous.
[/quote]

Join a mostly woodwind jazz band.

[Musicman20]

Unfortunately, I can't see that happening. The quietest band I've been in was a 3 piece covers band, with the singer playing electro-acoustic (most of the time).

I'm afraid my days of yearning a loud drummer and thrashing about are yet to pass....still trying to do it and probably won't learn (although I do wear ear protection).

[karlfer]

[quote name='FuNkShUi' timestamp='1462786702' post='3045590']
I used to agree. But ive found that even though i'm a "one trip" with my set up now, i still end up doing multiple trips to help everyone else.
So am i really saving anything???
Nice looking rig though Discreet.
Glad it's working out for you
[/quote]

Yeah, must admit, you're right.
I help get in, set up, break down, take out our drummers massively large kit.
If I didn't we wouldn't get home from gigs until Monday

[FuNkShUi]

Yup that's it.
Can imagine the look on the rest of the bands face if i just sat down with a pint whilst the rest were packing away the P.A and lights etc.
So in the end, i'm left carrying the guitarists 400w Peavey tube amp and 4 X 12 cab anyway!!

[discreet]

[b]Barefaced One10 - Review [Edited 12:00 May 13][/b][list]
[*]Dimensions: 15" high x 11.5" wide x 11" deep (38cm x 29cm x 28cm)
[*]Weight: 7.5kg/16lbs (steel grille) 7kg/15lbs (cloth grille)
[*]Sensitivity: 95dB
[*]Usable Frequency Range: 30Hz-6kHz
[*]Recommended Amp Power: 100-250W RMS (safe with up to 500W with clean sounds)
[*]Maximum Output: ~119dB
[*]Impedance: 8ohms
[/list]
[url="http://barefacedbass.com/product-range/one10.htm"]http://barefacedbass...range/one10.htm[/url]

The One10, released last year, is a relatively recent addition to the always-developing range of bass cabs from Barefaced of Brighton, UK... and its big selling point (apart from its threshold affordability compared with much of the Barefaced range) is that it supposedly produces a big, big sound from a small, small box. Can this be true? ...Yes, it can. Now read on.












[b]Does it really produce enough volume and bottom end to gig with?[/b]
Yes it does - but different people have very different ideas about what constitutes 'volume'... The One10 produces [i]way [/i]enough volume and bottom end for ME to gig in MY particular band (I have the volume at 10 O'clock and actually need to cut the bass EQ - everything else is mostly flat), but if you play in a very loud rock band with a very loud drummer and a very loud guitarist, you MAY need two One10s or a 4ohm Two10, or something even bigger. But two One10s would make for a very convenient and versatile modular rig, and with a loud amp I predict you wouldn't need more than two One10s in [i]most [/i]situations. But the chances are you'll only need one [i]if[/i] your band plays at 'reasonable' levels. Whatever that means to you.

[b]Can it possibly sound any good?[/b]
Yes it can - but again, sound is very subjective... in my opinion it sounds really great. Alex has dropped the 'Retro' tag from the range as it could lead people to the wrong conclusion. It's much more versatile and transparent than the 'retro' moniker would have you believe. There are other cabs out there which are more 'voiced' than the One10, but because they have a horn or tweeter they are not considered to be vintage-sounding. Anyone thinking that the One10 is going to be too warm/vintage/retro/woolly for them is really getting the wrong end of the stick.

The cab sounds natural, it is not boomy, boxy or 'honky', it's not lacking mid-punch in any way, the top end is present and has more air in it than you'd expect a tweeterless cab to have - and the low-end is taut, well-defined and doesn't sound artificial or manufactured as it can in some very small cabs. It doesn't mask the natural sound of your bass. It won't do super-low sub-30Hz tones, but IME you really don't want all that extreme low-end sloshing about on stage anyway, it just confuses the issue and sound guys don't like it. Don't get me wrong, it goes lower than you would believe. I bet it goes lower than your current cab, in fact.

[b]Which amp should I use with it?[/b]
I would suggest a good 300W @ 8ohms / 500W @ 4 ohms Class D amp. But you probably already know what you like. If you favour modern rock/funk/fusion tones using roundwounds or warm, classic blues/rock/soul P-bass-type tones using flats then this cab will more than accommodate you. It's NOT a one-trick pony. A G-K will growl with a Spector and an Ampeg will bump and grind with a P. So it's very much business as usual.

[b]Which amp do YOU use with it?[/b]
I'm using a G-K MB200 which offers around 120W @ 8ohms with a single cab. It sounds great and is more than loud enough for my gigging needs. But it may not be loud enough for yours. If I needed more beans it would be a toss-up between whether I upgraded to a 300W/500W amp or simply bought another One10 to get the most from my MB200. But I don't need to do either.

[b]So come on, out with it - what do you REALLY think?[/b]
I've tried to be fair in writing about the One10, but I'm finding it difficult to stay subjective. Having lived with it, I already love it to bits and after gigging with it, we're definitely an item. It's so small, so light and so easy to carry - yet it's loud and has acres of fat tone available. It's not just 'good considering it's a 1X10 cab' - with the right amp and in the right situation it's a killer cab regardless. I've been playing bass for forty years and have used and owned all sorts of equipment in that time (particularly during my years of BassChat membership), but in my opinion this tiny cab is a game-changer and a Very Important Product.

I have had the evidence of the thing before my very eyes and ears for a while now, yet subconsciously I'm still finding it difficult to believe that I don't need a bigger cab, a more powerful amp or a second One10. But I don't. Everything I thought I knew about bass cabs is wrong. This is going to take some getting used to...

We already know that a tiny rig no longer means a tiny sound, but the One10 takes this concept much further. After last night's gig I was complimented by a bass player who literally could not believe that the sound he heard had come from the tiny box at our feet and not through the PA. Got some very positive comments from the band too, which is a big deal...

[b]Should I buy one, then?[/b]
Only YOU can answer that question..!

Edited May 13, 2016 by discreet

[RhysP]

It looks great with that cloth grille.

Looks like I picked the wrong year to give up bass playing....

[alexclaber]

Thanks for the comprehensive review! I just have one thing to say, regarding this:

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1462794544' post='3045653'][b]Are there ANY disadvantages..?[/b]
Yes. If you're in a metal band or other rock band where attitude is a big part of the deal, then you are going to be laughed out of the building if you turn up with a tiny little rig like this. My advice would be to get a couple of empty 4X12 cabs and place a One10 in each... However, if you're confident with yourself and are not, er... compensating for anything then you'll have no issue.[/quote]

There is no way in hell a One10 would have been loud enough in my last band, not even in rehearsals. Two One10s might have coped but wouldn't have been clean enough with the amount of lows at high SPL I demand. If you get used to playing in quieter bands you quickly forget quite how [b]LOUD[/b] louder bands can be and how the rig you need has to exponentially increase in power to cope.

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1462794544' post='3045653']
[b]Should I buy one, then?[/b]
Only YOU can answer that question..!
[/quote]

Well it sounds to me like I should buy one...

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1462797607' post='3045686']
There is no way in hell a One10 would have been loud enough in my last band, not even in rehearsals.
[/quote]

Then again maybe I need two...

Edited May 9, 2016 by CamdenRob

[discreet]

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1462797607' post='3045686']
There is no way in hell a One10 would have been loud enough in my last band, not even in rehearsals. Two One10s might have coped but wouldn't have been clean enough with the amount of lows at high SPL I demand. If you get used to playing in quieter bands you quickly forget quite how [b]LOUD[/b] louder bands can be and how the rig you need has to exponentially increase in power to cope.
[/quote]

That's why I've been very careful to point out that what may be suitable for me may not be suitable for everyone. But IMHO any band that needs more stage volume from the bass than can be got from 500W through two 8ohm cabs is seriously nuts. For really big rooms, arenas and festivals surely you would rely on FOH and be using rigs largely for monitoring?

Edited May 10, 2016 by discreet

[discreet]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1462797731' post='3045688']
Then again maybe I need two...
[/quote]

Just get three, be on the safe side.

[CamdenRob]

To be honest I very much doubt that two of these would be any weaker than my berg 210 and that's plenty for my current projects so I think I shall give a pair a go...

... doesn't look like they will be hard to move on if they don't work out!

Edited May 9, 2016 by CamdenRob

[MoonBassAlpha]

I don't think I've seen one second hand yet.

[spyder]

Thanks for the great review.
I would really like to put this up against my Eden 1x12 cab.
Got a good feeling for GAS.

[gary mac]

Damn it, every time I read one of Discreet's reviews, it ends up costing me dosh

[DBerriff]

I think that is one of the best reviews of bass gear I have read. I agree with it all, but especially the bit about not having to apologise for it only being a single 10". I take Alex's point but for the rest of us one is often, and surprisingly, sufficient.

[Grangur]

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1462799309' post='3045707']
I don't think I've seen one second hand yet.
[/quote]
Funny that. I've seen a Two10 secondhand. I wonder what they bought after? A One10 perhaps?

[largo]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1462794544' post='3045653']
[b]Which amp should I use with it?[/b]
I would suggest a good 300W @ 8ohms / 500W @ 4 ohms Class D amp.
[/quote]

I'm confused. Your pics show that this cab is rated at 200W @ 8 ohms.

[grandad]

Thank you for the great review. I can see me getting one of these eventually.

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='grandad' timestamp='1462804942' post='3045767']
I can see me getting one of these eventually.
[/quote]

I can see me ordering a a pair of these in about 5 minutes time...

[discreet]

[quote name='largo' timestamp='1462804288' post='3045757']
I'm confused. Your pics show that this cab is rated at 200W @ 8 ohms.
[/quote]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Barefaced Spec: Recommended Amp Power: 100-250W RMS (safe with up to 500W with clean sounds)[/font][/color]

With a 300W@8ohm / 500W@4ohm amp you're going to be looking at 300W@8ohms with a One10 which is rated at 8ohms. You will get good headroom with a 300W amp. But I don't think anyone would be expecting to use that amp at maximum volume.