BarefacedBass - The Compact

[JonnyM]

Product: Bareface[b]dB[/b]ass The Compact - [url="http://www.barefacedbass.com/thecompact.html"]http://www.barefacedbass.com/thecompact.html[/url]

Features : 9/10

The Compact is a single, high-excursion 15" neodymium magnet speaker, housed in a 9mm hardwood ply, extremely well braced & dampened cabinet.

Dimensions: 25.5" high x 19.5" wide x 13.5" deep
Weight: 32 lbs
Sensitivity: Louder than almost any 2x10" cab, close to many 2x12" cabs
Frequency Response: Similar to the classic sealed 8x10" fridge
Recommended Amp Power: 100 - 500W RMS
Maximum Output: Similar to a quality 2x12" or 3x10" cabinet
Impedance: 8 ohms
(Measured specs are not available yet, but will follow).

Other features:
Textured re-touchable coating
Single strap handle on one side
Powder coated steel grill
Airtight Speakon jack
Speaker "run in" prior to being shipped

The only negative is there's no 1/4 inch jack input, but apparently this is because no airtight 1/4 inch or combo 1/4 inch/Speakon inputs could be sourced. (Just don't forget your Speakon cable, 'cos nobody will have a spare...).

Sound Quality: 10
Amp: Markbass LMII, Bass: Dingwall ABII 5-string played fingerstyle, clean and with effects.
Single 15 cabs aren't too fashionable at the moment, so although The Compact goes against the flow, it's nothing like those wooly, muddy 15's from the past. The manufacturer suggests that: "...because The Compact is so small, it doesn't naturally have massive bottom, but it won't mind if you crank up the lows on your amp to get that fatness." Doing this, I can get a seriously hefty tone with thick lows, that organic, woody chest-thump that I love and natural-sounding top end, ie no squawk or hiss and at surprising volume too. It easily handles the lows produced by my Dingwall without crapping out, right down to the dropped A of the 37" B-string. It won't appeal to players wanting glass-shattering highs, but those wanting a very light cab that doesn't compromise on tone will love it. (*Although I haven't tried it yet, I know The Compact will make a no-nonsense recording cab too, due to its high quality, single speaker configuration).

*EDIT: Have now used the Compact in the studio, my setup being: Bass into Summit Audio TD 100 (valve DI), DI signal to desk, Mark Bass LMII and Compact on an Auralex Gramma Pad and Neumann M147 valve mike, fairly close & slightly off-axis (see pic below). The studio people were very impressed with the instant great sound, really helped by just having one speaker in the cab - no problems with mike placement. The first thing I said when listening back to the 1st take was, "...and this is the flat cab sound...???". Yes, the straight un-equalised cab sound was right on the money and no need to have it stupidly loud to get a good tone, no moving around of the mike or radical eqing required either. I can honestly say this was hands-down the best cab I've used in a studio.

So whilst The Compact is advertised as as loud, live cab, it works very well as a studio solution too - mission accomplished.

Reliability/Build Quality 9 :
N/A for reliability so far - not had it for long enough. Time will tell if the thin cabinet panels will hold up under serious gigging conditions, but, as noted previously, it's very well braced, so I'm not too worried.
Build quality is excellent, although a couple of the corner caps were slightly crooked, but I'm being VERY picky.

Customer Support : 10
Alex answered all my questions quickly and patiently - can't ask for more really!

Overall Rating : 10
Have rehearsed and gigged with the Compact, but a particularly good test was in a medium-sized venue with full PA, large stage and separate monitor mixes. The other bands were using a large rig - a powerful amp with a 4x10 & 1x15 - but I have to say my micro amp (Markbass LMII) and The Compact combination sounded so much better, in spite looking less impressive! Yes, the giant rig would have gone louder than mine had it needed to, but only moderate volume was necessary and The Compact gave me a much more integrated sound - a good solid tone that was easy for me to hear. I definitely didn't miss having a tweeter either and my effects were clear and crisp too.

Having used an LMII through a variety of brands of 2x10, 3x10, two 1x12's, and 4x10, I never thought a single 15 with no tweeter would work on it's own. So many lightweight cabs sound "middle-y" and can't reproduce real low end at gig volumes - in spite of their so-called "specs" - but The Compact really does the business live [b]and[/b] in the studio and is lighter and more versatile than any of those big "names".

So yes, as the name says, it's compact. It's also loud, beefy-sounding and very portable, which means other band members don't mind carrying it... (Our [female] singer/guitarist picked it up and said, "Wow, it's really light, but it doesn't look it. And it's much lighter than my guitar amp...").

If I ever need more than one Compact, I'll just get another!

Edited May 17, 2009 by JonnyM

[wateroftyne]

Thanks for the review, Jonny!

[machinehead]

Thanks Jonny - good review. Got me thinking......

Frank

[The Funk]

Will add my review in the new year!

[alexclaber]

[quote name='The Funk' post='357119' date='Dec 17 2008, 05:23 PM']Will add my review in the new year![/quote]

And which new year would that be?

Alex

[Noisyjon]

GAS, GAS, GAS!