NCD - Barefaced Two10 (update: x2!!!, post 64)

[Count Bassy]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1475846856' post='3149196']
+1

I can't buy creosote or proper varnish any more.

The water based products we get these days are not as good as the old "nasty" stuff.
[/quote]

Or weed killer - "Pathclear" used to be brilliant (20 years ago). Completely ineffective these days. And tumble weed is sh*t as well.
Also "Super Glues" just don't stick like they used to.

[mcnach]

[quote name='mep' timestamp='1477757526' post='3164338']
Glad you are enjoying it. I found it gets very boomy if the bass eq is a bit too high. I do have to adjust this on my amp to suit the room. Get it right and no problems.
[/quote]

I used to have an RH450 head (I'm assuming you use a 450 Classic based on your signature?) and found the bottom end a bit 'problematic' for me. The LMIII works beautifully with it, I think. I leave all controls at 12 o'clock, pretty much. On my Streamliner 900 I reduce the bass quite a bit, I think I'd do the same on the RH450.

[mep]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1477858022' post='3164903']


I used to have an RH450 head (I'm assuming you use a 450 Classic based on your signature?) and found the bottom end a bit 'problematic' for me. The LMIII works beautifully with it, I think. I leave all controls at 12 o'clock, pretty much. On my Streamliner 900 I reduce the bass quite a bit, I think I'd do the same on the RH450.
[/quote]

FWIW my amp eq is set bass-around 2, low mid-3, high mid-o, treble-3. Eq on my 2 band stingray with bass at max and treble adjusted to suit the song.

[mcnach]

[quote name='mep' timestamp='1477860974' post='3164925']
FWIW my amp eq is set bass-around 2, low mid-3, high mid-o, treble-3. Eq on my 2 band stingray with bass at max and treble adjusted to suit the song.
[/quote]

That's a lot of bass boost on the 2EQ Stingray... (for my taste, I do like a tight bottom ) I generally have mine at somewhere between 30-50% of its travel.

[mcnach]

[quote name='Fisheth' timestamp='1477777377' post='3164467']
I love Barefaced stuff, I have a Super Compact and love it, but I've been tempted by a 210 a few times, just a shame it's not wider so I can have it upright with my Ashdown on top. Suppose it wouldn't hurt with it set up the same way I've got my Super Compact on it's side.

I suppose another SC would be easier so I could stack them both

Edit:[b] I still need to come and see you guys. I'm keeping an eye on your dates now ever since I missed you in Morpeth![/b]
[/quote]


make sure you let me know if you're coming so we can have a chat and a beer

note to self: make sure we update our gig dates

[Fisheth]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1477863901' post='3164961']


make sure you let me know if you're coming so we can have a chat and a beer

note to self: make sure we update our gig dates
[/quote]

I will do!

[tauzero]

[quote name='GregBass' timestamp='1475842474' post='3149151']
Unless, like me, they play in a pub covers band with a 400W PA that has no subs. Surely I am not the only one on here in a band like that? Am I?
[/quote]

Like me, you are obviously not a good bass player.

[Chienmortbb]

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1477920614' post='3165247']
Like me, you are obviously not a good bass player.
[/quote]In the "other forum" there is Mediocre bassist club. Are we in danger of forming one here? Sadly I think I would be eligible for membership.

[Merton]

[quote name='Chienmortbb' timestamp='1477994676' post='3165746']
In the "other forum" there is Mediocre bassist club. Are we in danger of forming one here? Sadly I think I would be eligible for membership.
[/quote]

I'd sign up, definitely the right fit for me

[ColinB]

Count me in.

[JohnDaBass]

And me, do we all thrn get a badge so that we can proudly proclaim membership😈

[mcnach]

This will teach me to start a BF thread...

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1478027843' post='3166196']
This will teach me to start a BF thread...
[/quote]

It does make me laugh how they can get in a twist on their own! Someone waded in on the last one "with why all the hate for a UK based company" blah blah etc, no one had yet

[mcnach]

Well... the Two10 is doing fantastically well. It's not replacing by pair of TKS S112 because those are just lovely and so light, and small and... so BLUE, I love them. But there's been times when a two two S112 were not quite enough and/or I was pushing them quite hard, which worries me as they are not the speakers that can take the most abuse. I occasionally let other people play through my rig, and I'm always very clear to them not to go crazy with volume and low frequencies... so at one point I owned FOUR TKS S112, which was fantastic... but it's no longer a small manageable rig that can fit in the boot of my little A3. So the idea of finding something else that could do *bigger* was there for a while.

I got the Two10 as a test. If I liked it enough, two of those would exceed my needs.
I really liked it, as I stated earlier... and several months later I'm still loving it. Tonally it's not very far from the S112 cabs. I mean, it is different, but it belongs to the same 'family' unlike the BF BB2, for instance, which I never gelled with. The Two10 has a more powerful low end, but it's still tight, and I get the sounds I want from it very easily.

The Two10 has seen a lot of action. I have used it on its own in a small bar type of situation where we are not being very loud (sax, trumpet, drums, bass, three guitars plus three vocals), and I've got very good comments. The one that stands out was this one from a person who has seen us many times and told me my bass sounded great this time, and had never realised exactly how many different lines I play on bass, it was very clear and present but well blended and not overpowering. The Two10 works.
I have generally used it as a stage monitor, as I am normally having PA support. It's a small enough single box that sounds great and powerful enough. A single S112 worked but at times it felt a bit 'brittle', the S112 works MUCH better as a pair.

So there we are... a lot of overlap between them. And finally I went for a second Two10.






I haven't yet tried them live... but my only neighbours were away and I took full advantage of the fact.

Just like two S112 sound a lot fuller than a single one... two Two10 sounded... HUGE. Just as nice, but... bigger. And it makes a big difference whether I stack them horizontally (port on the side) or vertically (port downwards). There's noticeably TONS more low end with the port on the side. I prefer them firing downwards as it keeps the low end tight and suits me best. With a single Two10 the effect was not as pronounced. That's good, as I prefer a vertical stack, and coupled with the fact that I am not very tall, I get to hear things very very clearly as the top (full range) speaker is closer to my ears. I can't wait to use them live. Very powerful rig that still fits in the boot of my car and it's so easy to carry. Looking promising!

One thing... the two cabs are 4ohm each. My plan is to use them with two LM3 heads (or one, with my little series/parallel box, to put them in series to get 8ohm). When checking them at home I initially forgot the ohmage issue and wired them directly to one head, so nominally 2ohm despite the head being safe to use only above 4ohm).
I didn't use it like that for very long or excessively loudly (although I did crank it for a bit just to rattle walls a bit). The amp didn't shut down. Once I connected an 8ohm cab and an existing 4ohm cab (from the venue I was playing) together... I didn't check and I assumed it was an 8ohm cab. It did the gig just fine. It was only afterwards that I thought of checking and saw it was a 4ohm cab ... so I suspect the 4ohm rating on the amp is pretty conservative. Still... I must make sure to not forget that, and not to allow any other person to forget that. I always wire my gear myself, but...

Anyway... let the BF bashing continue
I really like the Two10 cabs. Unlike the others I have tried (and owned!) these are right for me.

[CameronJ]

Not sure I've ever seen the BF Two10s without the silver cloth grilles but I've gotta say I prefer seeing the cones through the bare metal grille as in your pics. Also, very sexy wood grain on that Maruszczyk.

[mcnach]

[quote name='CameronJ' timestamp='1495020829' post='3300477']
Not sure I've ever seen the BF Two10s without the silver cloth grilles but I've gotta say I prefer seeing the cones through the bare metal grille as in your pics. Also, very sexy wood grain on that Maruszczyk.
[/quote]

Thanks, that bass is really cool. Shame the colour is not what I had in mind (miscommunication when ordering), but when I play it I close my eyes and imagine it's the right colour

[CameronJ]

Oh dear what colour did you want?

[mcnach]

[quote name='CameronJ' timestamp='1495098280' post='3301196']
Oh dear what colour did you want?
[/quote]

I was after a more blueish purple.
Think Prince's Jazz bass.
The thing is Adrian sent me a picture that looked a bit too blueish so I said "cool, but maybe a bit more reddish and a bit darker" and I got that. A combination of that and non-calibrated computer monitors at my end... that's what happened. Still nice, but not what I had in mind.
I should have known better. When I had a Jazz bass refinished, I mailed a physical example of the colour I wanted, and that worked perfectly. I should have done the same.

[hamfist]

[quote name='CameronJ' timestamp='1495020829' post='3300477']
I've gotta say I prefer seeing the cones through the bare metal grille as in your pics.
[/quote]

agreed.

[mcnach]

Yet another update.

I already liked the Two10 cabs... but the arrival of a new amp has just taken them into the stratosphere. So while I wait for them to return here's a picture




That combination sounds amazing (Mesa Subway D800+).
The D800+ has a variable HPF control which is very useful at controlling the bottom end. Between the 'voicing' control (a 'contour' of sorts, but not exactly, there's more to it than a simple EQ curve shift between 'smiley' and 'sad' shapes) to set the general character of the sound, and balancing the bass control with the HPF, it's very easy to get a strong low end without sounding muddy/boomy. The low mids are punchy and my bass sounds big and powerful without even being too loud. I've only had 4 gigs with this setup and I've got quite a few complimentary comments. One sound guy made a few notes about what I was using because he said it was the best bass sound he had heard in a while and couldn't believe it came from such a relatively compact rig.
Powerful bass that you cab *feel* yet well defined and clear across the stage (and outside too, of course, but I have a more direct experience of the stage sound, of course... for outside I go by the comments of others, and it seems to be pretty good... nobody had commented on my sound for a while, and suddenly there's this influx... this rig must be doing something right )

[mcnach]

and yes, I know... they put a microphone on the wrong speaker. I didn't think of it at the time. It seems to have worked ok still, but that was one a gig nobody said anything about the sound (except my trombone player, but of course he was getting the whole picture onstage).

[Beer of the Bass]

Are they running a mic on your cab there? I always like it when venues are up for that.

Edit; aah, you posted about the mic while I was typing. Makes this post a bit redundant!

Edited June 27, 2017 by Beer of the Bass

[mcnach]

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1498556669' post='3325443']
Are they running a mic on your cab there? I always like it when venues are up for that.

Edit; aah, you posted about the mic while I was typing. Makes this post a bit redundant!
[/quote]


Yes, they did! I was very surprised, as it rarely happens. So surprised that I didn't remember to say "use the top one, as the bottom one doesn't get the full frequency signal"...

One of the bands I play in, the RATM one, requires a fair amount of overdrive for many songs. Going DI is never producing the most pleasant results. The VT-Bass has a speaker simulation but I like to use other pedals. I plan to use the OmniCabSim DI pedal but I always remember when I'm about to load the car and leave
I wish they used microphones more. When you ask them about it they generally just smile and go "nah, DI will be fine and easier" and you know it's not worth getting precious about it.
On the other hand... if they use a Pre DI that allows me to tweak the sound onstage and I don't have pressure to get it just right during soundcheck, which are often pretty short... so it's a mixed bag of feelings there.

[Fisheth]

Lovely combo, I'm looking at adding another BF cab to my set up, this sounds like it could be the right one!