Which 6x10...?

[Swijn]

Hi Guys,

Some advice / thoughts if you don't mind. I currently use an SVT Pro7 through 2x Ampeg B-series 410 cabs (I've replaced all the drivers with better eminence ones) however i would like to condense these two cabs down to just the one. I've ruled out an 8x10 as i don't have the means to transport it. The 6x10 then pretty much fits my MO. Im a big fan of Ampeg but at 53kgs the SVT610HLF looks just too darn heavy to cart around - and simple tasks like loading it into a car could be a big hassle. I need something lightweight. Ive checked out the spec's for the Fender Neo 610 and on paper looks ok - I've not played one though. My other thought was the Barefaced Six10... what do you reckon..? Cheers friends.. 

[Happy Jack]

6x10 ... lightweight ... does not compute ... does not compute ...

I loved my Barefaced 610, and it was certainly way lighter than any other 610 I've tried to move, but I moved from that to a 410 plus a 210 - i.e. I sort of went modular.

Far more flexible than a single unit, in every way possible.

Then I discovered that at any gig big enough to need both I had PA support so I sold the 410.

Now I get by just fine with a single 210.

 

[Lozz196]

The Markbass 610, if you can find one, is a good cab. Really light, doesn’t seem to have the top-end roll-off that some of their cabs do.

Like Jack above I had the Barefaced 410 & 210 for a while. Ultimately they weren’t the right cabs for me but that’s not knocking them, in terms of portability difficult to beat and easy to use the 410 for rehearsals and regular gigs, drag out the 210 for the big stuff. Additionally the amount of sound that comes from them is immense, I just needed sharp top end and like their name suggests they are a warmer more vintage sound.

[Bobby D]

Gonna follow this thread as I'm currently looking for a 6x10 too.

[thodrik]

I bought a Mesa Powerhouse 6x10. 

If you want lightweight definitely look elsewhere. However in terms sound projection and clarity it is the best cab I have ever played through. Okay it isn't saying much since I played through the same Trace Elliot speakers for most of my 20 years of playing and I'm 'only' 32, but it also includes all the hire or backline gear, which includes all manner of Ashdown, Hartke, Marshall, Peavey, Eden, Ampeg and EBS cabs I have played through over the years. 

For the combination of portability, sound projection and general awesomeness though I think that the Bergantino NV610 would be pretty tough to beat. 

My two cents from my 6x10 experience: 

In some ways it is actually more difficult to load a 6x10 into the back of a van or a car than an 8x10. The height of an 8x10 allowed me to kind of lean it back and just slide it in (no innuendo intended) with a bit of leverage. My 6x10 doesn't really have the height to allow me to do this, which means I have to lift it up into the car, which is a bit of a struggle for me on my own because it weighs nearly ten stone. I'm not very strong to begin with so it is pretty much at my limit of physical feats, but I'm happy do it just now for the short term while I am young enough to still do it. 

In time though, yeah, definitely something more portable!

[fretmeister]

Barefaced.

[grenadillabama]

I have the Ashdown ABM 610 (sadly no longer made). It sounds great but I could never get it up stairs alone. One thing it has that a SVT doesn't is nice recessed side handles so two people can shift it (about 125 lbs.). Now they have a Rootmaster 610 but it may weigh in at 110lbs+. I suppose that one is a good bargain ? It is rated at 900 watts.

[Swijn]

11 hours ago, thodrik said:

n some ways it is actually more difficult to load a 6x10 into the back of a van or a car than an 8x10. The height of an 8x10 allowed me to kind of lean it back and just slide it in (no innuendo intended) with a bit of leverage. 

Im afraid i just don't have the length (no innuendo intended) to get the 8x10 in .. !

[Swijn]

11 hours ago, thodrik said:

For the combination of portability, sound projection and general awesomeness though I think that the Bergantino NV610 would be pretty tough to beat. 

 

Good call on the Berg 610 .. i had completely forgot about that one. At 44kg its pretty light for size too. Do you know how much colour the Mesa, Berg or Barefaced add to the sound..? 

[thodrik]

I think that the Berg is sealed and is designed in to be a modern approach to a vintage sealed 8x10 cab. You won't have the big sub lows of a ported cab but it should have a tighter response than a ported cab. The Mesa Powerhouse cabs are ported, but the less often seen Vintage Powerhouse cabs are not. There are massive subs available on my Powerhouse cab. It definitely isn't a 'flat' response, I would say slightly scooped but not in a 'scooped = bad' way that you often see on bass forums. The Mesa 610 is pretty a much an 'it can do anything' type of cab, well apart from being easily moved! 

No idea in terms of Barefaced, there are so many Barefaced fans on the Basschat though that someone will bound to have some experience. 

[Lozz196]

The Barefaced are warm/vintage sounding, if looking for hi-fi sounds or crystal clear, sharp highs prob not the best cabs to get, but they really nail a more traditional bass sound, classic rock, Motown, ideal for those.

[frankzelf]

Fender Bassman Neo 610, sounds great,  it's light and easy to move around

[la bam]

I have the Markbass 106 which is a 6x10 sealed cab with optional horn (can be turned on or off). Not the ported one with the yellow speakers.

It has great tilt back wheels, and easy to move around as it has the carry/push bar on too (helps wheeling).

It goes ridiculously loud. Ive only ever put around 50% of 400w into it, both indoor and outdoor gigs.

Its probably the perfect height where you can rest your amp on top and any set lists and theyre at a good reading height.

Its a 6ohm cab, which if using solid state or class d you kind of get the best of both worlds, with your amp giving a bit more power than it would into an 8ohm cab, but not running flat out at 4ohm.

This cab is also only 34kg! Which makes it pretty much lighter than a lot of 4x10s. It feels like nothing to wheel around - due to its height (ie no stooping to push a 4x10) and quality wheels, and is fairly easy to hoik up onto a stage if needed. Just remember stairs are a completely no no really, unless you have help.

Only thing i'll say (and im still twiddling with the sound) is that the sound changes dramatically the louder you go. Pretty much from a nice smooth bass rich funk sound to trebely ampeg tones just by increasing the volume. I presume thats the effect of x6 10inch speakers coming into play?

[Swijn]

4 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

The Barefaced are warm/vintage sounding, if looking for hi-fi sounds or crystal clear, sharp highs prob not the best cabs to get, but they really nail a more traditional bass sound, classic rock, Motown, ideal for those.

Yep warm sounding / vintage vibe is what I'm after... cheers for the info  

[Swijn]

4 hours ago, la bam said:

I have the Markbass 106 which is a 6x10 sealed cab with optional horn (can be turned on or off). Not the ported one with the yellow speakers.

It has great tilt back wheels, and easy to move around as it has the carry/push bar on too (helps wheeling).

It goes ridiculously loud. Ive only ever put around 50% of 400w into it, both indoor and outdoor gigs.

Its probably the perfect height where you can rest your amp on top and any set lists and theyre at a good reading height.

Its a 6ohm cab, which if using solid state or class d you kind of get the best of both worlds, with your amp giving a bit more power than it would into an 8ohm cab, but not running flat out at 4ohm.

This cab is also only 34kg! Which makes it pretty much lighter than a lot of 4x10s. It feels like nothing to wheel around - due to its height (ie no stooping to push a 4x10) and quality wheels, and is fairly easy to hoik up onto a stage if needed. Just remember stairs are a completely no no really, unless you have help.

Only thing i'll say (and im still twiddling with the sound) is that the sound changes dramatically the louder you go. Pretty much from a nice smooth bass rich funk sound to trebely ampeg tones just by increasing the volume. I presume thats the effect of x6 10inch speakers coming into play?

What amp do you use with this cab? Funny question, but does it have a 'Mark Bass' sound..? I really like the tone i have, so am not looking for a cab that adds much colour...

[Muzz]

I'd say the cabs you have add a fair bit of colour, so if you like the sound you have, you'll need cabs which have a similar colouration - tweetered cabs, for example, would be a step away from where you need to be. I have BF cabs, (but not the 10s) and the ones I have (Super Twin and Compact) are less coloured than many out there, which can involve some EQ tweaking. Having said that, I run a pretty old-school sounding amp (Mesa Walkabout) through them, and they reproduce its tones very well.

The BF six10 is, I believe, designed to be a (much) lighter, better version of the good old Ampeg fridge, though I have no direct experience.

[Swijn]

Cheers for the info guys - much appreciated. Seems the jury is split between the boutique cabs (Barefaced, Berg etc) and the big boys (MB, Mesa, Fender etc). 9 times out of 10, i'll be loading my gear on my lonesome - hence still think weight is a big deal for me. For loading out/set up/break down/load in there is plenty help at hand for any stairs etc. To the 6x10 owners - do you also own a smaller cabs for smaller stages..? Or do you think - 'what the hell, why not make the room shake at every gig..?

I'm curious to those with a 410 + 210, how to you get on sonically with this split..? with the 2x10 working harder - do you notice a difference in the sound at all between the two cabs?

Cheers again folks,

[Swijn]

2 minutes ago, Muzz said:

The BF six10 is, I believe, designed to be a (much) lighter, better version of the good old Ampeg fridge, though I have no direct experience.

This is what i have heard too - which is pretty much what I'm after... cheers Muzz

[Lozz196]

I can’t remember the exact ratings but the ohmage of the Barefaced 410 and 210 are worked so that if paired each gets about the same amount of power per driver, so not pushing one cab too much. He’s a clever chap is Alex, makes his gear from a users point of view rather than a manufacturers.

[Muzz]

I have a 212 and a 115 if I want a daft high stack, but the 115 is 8 ohm and the 212 is 4ohm*, so the 115 shouldn't be working as hard as the 212.

Oooo, Lozz beat me to it...on that, though, I don't know what your SVTPro 7 goes down to impedance-wise, so it's worth bearing that in mind if you were to look at a modular solution...EDIT: I've just looked it up, and it goes down to 4 ohms, so tread carefully with regard to cabs: two 8ohm ones will be fine (but if it's a 210/410, then the 210 will be working harder), but a 8ohm and a 4ohm, for example, will run the amp too hard (2.67 ohm) and may release the Magic Smoke Of Disaster...

 

*My Walkabout will do 2.67 ohms no problem, but this isn't exactly common...

[Swijn]

21 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

I can’t remember the exact ratings but the ohmage of the Barefaced 410 and 210 are worked so that if paired each gets about the same amount of power per driver, so not pushing one cab too much. He’s a clever chap is Alex, makes his gear from a users point of view rather than a manufacturers.

Thats good to know... I've read many a horror story with mis-matched cabs & ohms..

[Swijn]

20 minutes ago, Muzz said:

I have a 212 and a 115 if I want a daft high stack, but the 115 is 8 ohm and the 212 is 4ohm*, so the 115 shouldn't be working as hard as the 212.

Oooo, Lozz beat me to it...on that, though, I don't know what your SVTPro 7 goes down to impedance-wise, so it's worth bearing that in mind if you were to look at a modular solution...EDIT: I've just looked it up, and it goes down to 4 ohms, so tread carefully with regard to cabs: two 8ohm ones will be fine (but if it's a 210/410, then the 210 will be working harder), but a 8ohm and a 4ohm, for example, will run the amp too hard (2.67 ohm) and may release the Magic Smoke Of Disaster...

 

*My Walkabout will do 2.67 ohms no problem, but this isn't exactly common...

Yep understood. Ive got two 8ohm cabs at the mo. The 4x10 & 2x10 configuration looks good on paper - but don't think my amp can handle that mix. I don't think i can stretch to a new amp too !

Edited January 25, 2019 by Swijn

[walshy]

I bought jacks 6x10 Barefaced and it's excellent. Super light, huge sound and always complemented on its sound. 

[28mistertee]

16 hours ago, Swijn said:

Cheers for the info guys - much appreciated. Seems the jury is split between the boutique cabs (Barefaced, Berg etc) and the big boys (MB, Mesa, Fender etc). 9 times out of 10, i'll be loading my gear on my lonesome - hence still think weight is a big deal for me. For loading out/set up/break down/load in there is plenty help at hand for any stairs etc. To the 6x10 owners - do you also own a smaller cabs for smaller stages..? Or do you think - 'what the hell, why not make the room shake at every gig..?

I'm curious to those with a 410 + 210, how to you get on sonically with this split..? with the 2x10 working harder - do you notice a difference in the sound at all between the two cabs?

Cheers again folks,

I’ve got a Barefaced 410 and 210. The 210 has the impedance switch on it (4 or 12ohm) which I use on its own at rehearsal and small gigs in 4 ohm mode. For larger gigs I add my 8ohm 410 and switch the 210 to 12ohm mode which combined is around 4.6ohms I believe. Very flexible combination I find and sounds great. 

[chris_b]

I know someone using a BF Six10 and it sounds huge. He bought it for big stages and loud bands. It always looks the part but I think it's overkill every time he uses it.

If the OP is replacing 2 410's then I'd suggest a BF Four10 (at a weight reduction of about 75%) would be a good choice. It runs at either 8 ohms or 2 ohms, so with the 7PRO you'd get a maximum 600 watts at 8 ohms. The Four10 is a sensitive cab so 600 watts would be far more than is needed to fill a gig. I doubt you'd really need as much as that. I use 2 Super Compacts or 2 Two10's and I've never gone past half way on the volumes of my Aguilar AG700, even for the loudest of my loud bands.

With other cabs you need volume to fill up the room and even then you probably won't reach 100% coverage. The fantastic clarity, definition and dispersion of the BF cabs means you can hear each note clearly in every part of the room. . . and you've got 30 days to try it and either keep it or send it back.