Barefaced Compact Gen 1 Volume

[bucko]

I am using a Barefaced Compact with a Markbass f1 and playing a Victor Bailey jazz bass, great punchy tone from this rig,but find when I do need more volume on the odd bigger gig the compact seems to loss the nice fat sound and sounds clanky or dinky,just wondering if any else has had the same problem.Many Thanks.

[JapanAxe]

I have a Gen 2 Compact and had to wind the volume up higher than normal on a gig last weekend (should have taken 2 cabs!) but it still sounded phat. Could be the amp?

[cytania]

Mine has a very metallic tone but Barefaced's site does describe it as growly so I expect this is part of the design. Amp sounds fine in other cabs. Think a new cab is over due.

[gjones]

I play my Jazz bass through my gen 1 compact and I wouldn't call the sound clanky? It's definitely a pretty full, bassy, sound but with excellent definition. I have a J retro fitted to it so have a lot of options on the EQ front. My amp is a GKMB500. We sometime play pretty loud and the cab deals with everything I throw at it.

[chris_b]

The F1 was my least favourite amp of the last 20 years. I didn't like the tone at any volume. I got what the OP is describing with Bergs and Aguilar GS112's. I'd checkout the amp.

Can you try the cab with a different amp?

[Lozz196]

My suggestion would be the amp - Markbass amps seem to have a sweet spot for the tone being exactly right, I found if I didn`t push them to that point the same sort of thing happened. This seemed to coincide with getting the gain control just right, back off from that and the tone was gone so make sure it`s just about pushed to where it needs to be, with the light coming on on the hardest hit notes (assuming the F1 has one of course).

Edited September 1, 2016 by Lozz196

[bucko]

Ok guys,I've been thinking myself it could be the amp.Thanks for your replies,I will try and get the lend of a different amp and see what happens.Cheers!

[Merton]

Whereabouts are you located? There's bound to be a BC member close by who can help start the process of experimentation

[bucko]

I live in Northern Ireland.I know a few players from here,so I will see what they have and take it from there.Thanks Merton.

[cytania]

I seem to get 3 and a half years out of the driver before it goes harsh, raspy and lacking in volume.

[JTUK]

[quote name='cytania' timestamp='1473110109' post='3127083']
I seem to get 3 and a half years out of the driver before it goes harsh, raspy and lacking in volume.
[/quote]

This driver or drivers in general...

[alexclaber]

[quote name='cytania' timestamp='1473110109' post='3127083']I seem to get 3 and a half years out of the driver before it goes harsh, raspy and lacking in volume.[/quote]

The expected service life of a pro audio woofer is over 20 years before there's a chance of some of the adhesives breaking down. If an Eminence driver is not lasting decades then it's being misused (i.e. overpowered).

[Twincam]

[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1473238158' post='3128166']


The expected service life of a pro audio woofer is over 20 years before there's a chance of some of the adhesives breaking down. If an Eminence driver is not lasting decades then it's being misused (i.e. overpowered).
[/quote]

I agree with you fully about speaker service life but there are exceptions. The eminence delta series do on occasion fail at the surround not long after the warranty. I seen this happen so looked into it. There is also a vid of an audio company talking about this on youtube although they don't name the driver in question you can see what it is.
Never seen this happen with other eminence drivers though.

[alexclaber]

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1473252988' post='3128351']
I agree with you fully about speaker service life but there are exceptions. The eminence delta series do on occasion fail at the surround not long after the warranty. I seen this happen so looked into it. There is also a vid of an audio company talking about this on youtube although they don't name the driver in question you can see what it is.
Never seen this happen with other eminence drivers though.
[/quote]

If a pro audio speaker fails at the surround after such a short time it's due to over-excursion damage. Most of the Delta series speakers are low excursion designs so they could easily be damaged in that way, if used inappropriately.

[paul_5]

I've got a 1st Gen BF Compact, and never noticed any lack of low end. We play pretty loud (both guitarists have 100W valve amps, and drummist's kit is the size of Pluto) and I can do everything I need to with a single cab.

[bucko]

Hi Paul.What amp do you use with the compact.Thanks.

[paul_5]

I'm running an SWR SM400 with the 'mid scoop' taken out. They've been out of production for about 20 years though