Double combo rig - Done!

[funkydoug]

Sharing this with the lovely BC crew as no-one else will care

 

For ages I've been messing around with the idea of using two combos as my modular rig. Over lockdowns etc I got a bit obsessed with it and hugely over thought it. However, I've now screwed the last screw and I'm feeling very smug

 

I ended up with 2 ashdown NEO ABM combos - the NEO C110 and NEO C115 from about 2014.  Both are UK custom shop made and after being turned inside out as you'll see below I have to say they are very well put together. I have however made some modifications and I'm pleasantly surprised that as a result of the knowledge and advice of a few great BC dudes I managed to avoid ruining the whole thing! Thanks particularly to @stevie, @agedhorse, @Bill Fitzmaurice, @Phil Starr. I used WiniISD to model stuff, and the cost was pretty low. Just took me ages to get around to doing everything.

 

The C110: I added a nice wide port on the back of the combo, an APT80 tweeter, a 2 way crossover that crosses at 3.5khz, an LPAd to control the tweeter level and finally swapped the 8ohm 10inch OEM driver for a 16ohm Sica Neo, the same one that comes in the 210 version of these amps / cabs. The result there is a small portable combo that is actually pretty loud and maintains the lows (thanks to the port) and highs (thanks to the tweeter) as you turn it up. The 16ohm driver means that it can be paired with a 2nd cab (or in my case another self-powered combo) without being overpowered or getting into over-excursion trouble, and without overpowering the port. It can  handle the full 100w of amp power that it could ever draw from the amp without trouble, whereas I thought that asking the box to handle 200w was asking too much. The APT 80 and LPad allow it to be as bright as I want, and also to provide the top end to cover the second cab / combo  - so that I don't need a tweeter on the second box - which could be a source of interference.

 

I did less to the C115, just added a matching crossover for the APT80 and also a switch for it. That way if I'm using both combos I can switch off the tweeter on the bottom cab and turn up the top tweeter. Oh, I lined it too.

 

The other aspect of the dual combo rig is that both boxes have amps that can be removed / replaced / repaired and with exposed send / returns and even exposed amp-cab connections so that if one amp fails there is always a backup there. 

 

To top it all off, they both look great are easy to move around and most importantly, each one sounds great on its own but together they do sound fantastic. It gives me a two channel blended sound with independent eq, drive etc. and flexibility about how much of each tone I want. 

 

 

If I want to use the FS4 pedal for the ABM features I'll probably use the combos as master and slave, and thus be matching tone-wise but independently powered.

 

Would recommend the approach to anyone (If I were starting from scratch now I'd probably get 2 matching RM combos).

 

Anyway - thanks for reading this (if anyone makes it this far!). It's been fun

 

Edited September 19, 2021 by funkydoug

[Pea Turgh]

I like your thinking!  But obviously, we’re going to need pictures…

[Phil Starr]

Well done, there's nothing like something you've done yourself. Some pictures would be lovely though

[funkydoug]

I’ll take some pics at the weekend. Work is a bit crazy this week, sorry to keep u waiting!

 

I’ll add an honourable mention for BlueAran. They’ve been great. They’ve accepted returns, answered questions and made a custom crossover for the 110. It’s great to have that kind of support from a retailer.