Budget friendly pair of 210s?

[ToLo]

I play in a (relatively loud) rock covers band and have used one of the old V1 fender rumble 100 (1x15) combos for years. It gets the job done but both my guitarists have upped their amps to 100W 2x12 setups and I feel like I’m starting to get slightly lost in the mix, and wondering if I need to upgrade my amp. I’m considering changing my setup to a lightweight head (something like the orange little bass thing) and pair of vertically stacked 210s - it seems to make sense for a number of reasons (footprint, portability, raising speakers closer to ear volume, two cabs providing more speakers for sound projection/volume).

 

Does anyone have any recommendations for a pair of affordable 210s? I’ve seen things like the peavey headliner 210 and the Eden EX210 for £200-300 each which seems to be the more affordable end of the spectrum. I’m wondering if, being some of the cheapest 210s out there, they’d be a waste of time spending money on or if it’s all just snobbery and they’d actually be just fine! Does anyone have any experience with either of these cabs (bonus points if you stacked two of them vertically!)?

Edited October 21, 2023 by ToLo

[Bleat]

It might be worth having at look at Laney Amps shop on ebay to see what is currently available. They have had a fair bit of bass gear on there recently, mostly new old stock. I recently got hold of these brand new 2x10 Atom/Nexus cabs for about £200 each. La Voce speakers, 400 watt rms each, lightweight at 17kg, very well made. Can do landscape or portrait.

[Lozz196]

For a while I had a pair of Ashdown RM210s, they were nice cabs and due to the cones being placed diagonally it reduced the width so they were much easier to cart about. This also helped on the height aspect as well. Sounded good though my only experience was using them with 4 string basses, no idea how they’d work with a fiver.

[warwickhunt]

If you are talking 'used' I don't think you can better these.  Added advantage of the tall, thin vertical arrangement.  Easy to carry through doorways as well.

[BassAdder60]

I’ve had the 2x10 double cabs and it works but !!

 Get the Ampeg SVT212AV 4ohm cab and you can gig anywhere with a single cab and head 

 

They are weighty but easy to carry really and sound great 

 

Highly recommended 

 

I think someone is selling a complete Ampeg rig on here too, maybe ask if cab is possible to sell on its own as it’s £450 ! 
Birmingham area I believe 

 

Or find a couple of old Ashdown ABM210H cabs but each one is nearly as heavy as the SVT212AV 

Edited October 21, 2023 by BassAdder60

[Baloney Balderdash]

29 minutes ago, BassAdder60 said:

I’ve had the 2x10 double cabs and it works but !!

 Get the Ampeg SVT212AV 4ohm cab and you can gig anywhere with a single cab and head 

 

They are weighty but easy to carry really and sound great 

 

Highly recommended 

 

I think someone is selling a complete Ampeg rig on here too, maybe ask if cab is possible to sell on its own as it’s £450 ! 
Birmingham area I believe 

 

Or find a couple of old Ashdown ABM210H cabs but each one is nearly as heavy as the SVT212AV 

 

Admittedly I haven't tried the real Ampeg SVT212 AV cabinet in person, but my preferred IR cab sim for my "amp-less" setup is of that cabinet.

 

That said it will very much be a matter of personal preferences, and I would advice against just getting any random 210 cab, and ideally checking it out in person before buying, second best do a search and check out some YouTube demos, as every cab will sound different and have a rather big effect on your tone.

 

Edited October 21, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[ToLo]

32 minutes ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

 

Admittedly I haven't tried the real Ampeg SVT212 AV cabinet in person, but my preferred IR cab sim for my "amp-less" setup is of that cabinet.

 

That said it will very much be a matter of personal preferences, and I would advice against just getting any random 210 cab, and ideally checking it out in person before buying, second best do a search and check out some YouTube demos, as every cab will sound different and have a rather big effect on your tone.

 

I'd love to try out in person but it seems nowhere really stocks bass amps and cabs these days, and if they do they have maybe 1 to try and nothing else to compare it to. Plus you could probably argue that testing in a store won't give you an accurate representation of how it behaves in a band situation. I feel like I'm going to have to gamble on something online and then return it if I don't like it. I can't find any YouTube videos of the eden or peavey cabs that I mentioned in my original post either, hence me asking on this forum if anyone has experience with them. 

[Chienmortbb]

You do not mention what amp you will be using? However, some of the modern boutique cabs will give you what you want in a one cab solution for a similar, or lower cost than the two 2x10s. While I still lust after a stack, a throwback to the days when I almost played guitar, I have never needed a second cab. My current cab is a LFSys Monaco, 600 watts at 8 Ohms and more than a match for both my amps at 350 watts into 8 ohms. Look at the Monza for their range. Others with more experience of other makes will surely chime in shortly.

 

LFSys Product Page

[ToLo]

19 minutes ago, Chienmortbb said:

You do not mention what amp you will be using? However, some of the modern boutique cabs will give you what you want in a one cab solution for a similar, or lower cost than the two 2x10s. While I still lust after a stack, a throwback to the days when I almost played guitar, I have never needed a second cab. My current cab is a LFSys Monaco, 600 watts at 8 Ohms and more than a match for both my amps at 350 watts into 8 ohms. Look at the Monza for their range. Others with more experience of other makes will surely chime in shortly.

 

LFSys Product Page

I mentioned that I’d be using something like an orange little bass thing, I’m also looking at the orange terror bass (I haven’t bought anything just yet, it’s all very much an idea in the works at the moment). 
 

I hadn’t considered just getting one boutique cab for a similar price as two cheaper cabs. I’ve heard good things about barefaced 210 cabs. I wonder if one of those would be the trick!?

 

I’m also considering two of the orange OBC112s as a lightweight modular setup. 

Edited October 25, 2023 by ToLo

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

One BF 210 will match or even beat many 410s, dual 210s or 212s in maximum output. It's all about displacement. https://barefacedaudio.com/pages/how-speakers-move-air-volume-displacement

Displacement is a critical spec that every bass cab should list. AFAIK BF is the only one that does.

[chris_b]

If your guitarists have gone bat-stinky poo crazy and you need to join in that game, the minimum I'd go for would be an 800 watt amp and a quality 212.

 

Both (Genzler MG800 and Barefaced BT2) can currently be found at great prices in the BC Classifieds. You can easily stay ahead of your guitarists with that rig. 

 

More importantly, your band has started to play Russian Roulette with their, and your, hearing. The most urgent thing on your to-do list is to be measured up for ACS moulded earplugs. I'd suggest the 26dB ones.

[ToLo]

1 hour ago, Bill Fitzmaurice said:

One BF 210 will match or even beat many 410s, dual 210s or 212s in maximum output. It's all about displacement. https://barefacedaudio.com/pages/how-speakers-move-air-volume-displacement

Displacement is a critical spec that every bass cab should list. AFAIK BF is the only one that does.

I think the better dispersion is probably what will help in my situation, so I can hear myself better rather than just cranking the volume knob!

[ToLo]

1 hour ago, chris_b said:

If your guitarists have gone bat-stinky poo crazy and you need to join in that game, the minimum I'd go for would be an 800 watt amp and a quality 212.

 

Both (Genzler MG800 and Barefaced BT2) can currently be found at great prices in the BC Classifieds. You can easily stay ahead of your guitarists with that rig. 

 

More importantly, your band has started to play Russian Roulette with their, and your, hearing. The most urgent thing on your to-do list is to be measured up for ACS moulded earplugs. I'd suggest the 26dB ones.

I’ve got some of the 26dB moulded earplugs, they’re fantastic. I guess my problem is less about volume and more about clarity of hearing myself/dispersion from the cab.

 

That’s where my thought about stacking two 2x10s came from, to bring the sound nearer to ear level. But if a higher quality cab with better dispersion would achieve the same effect, maybe that’s the solution.

[chris_b]

2 minutes ago, ToLo said:

. . . . my problem is less about volume and more about clarity of hearing myself/dispersion from the cab.

 

That’s where my thought about stacking two 2x10s came from, to bring the sound nearer to ear level. But if a higher quality cab with better dispersion would achieve the same effect, maybe that’s the solution.

 

Barefaced cabs will give you much improved dispersion. You'll clearly hear every note, even when the cab is at waist level. The rest of the band will hear you more clearly and your sound will be improved out in the room.

 

Plus, good news about your hearing protection.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

3 hours ago, ToLo said:

I think the better dispersion is probably what will help in my situation, so I can hear myself better rather than just cranking the volume knob!

You can get that with 210s stacked vertically, giving the height of an 810, but you can also get it by lifting and tilting back a 210. There are a number of stands made for that purpose, at considerably less cost and pack space than a second 210.

Edited October 25, 2023 by Bill Fitzmaurice

[Oopsdabassist]

I swapped out an Eden 4x10 for a Barefaced 2x10, my back thanks me, my ears thank me.  In fairness, the sound of the Eden IS better IMO, but its very close.  the Bf 2x10 is absolutely the dogs danglies, if you get one, you won't be disappointed trust me!

[tauzero]

6 hours ago, Bill Fitzmaurice said:

You can get that with 210s stacked vertically, giving the height of an 810, but you can also get it by lifting and tilting back a 210. There are a number of stands made for that purpose, at considerably less cost and pack space than a second 210.

 

I've got a bit of tilt back on my combo, by putting a laptop stand under it, but I wouldn't mind lifting it a bit too. How far can you lift a cab before losing the floor coupling?

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

1/4 wavelength. At 50Hz, the lowest we need to be concerned with, that's 1.7 meters. At 100Hz that's 0.85 meters. Lifting by half a meter or less would have negligible effect. Something like this, with adjustable height, is versatile: https://www.amazon.com/Gator-Frameworks-Guitar-Combo-GFW-GTR-AMP/dp/B00HWRDSVM/ref=asc_df_B00HWRDSVM/?tag=&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312176484647&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18219144107276526533&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9002322&hvtargid=pla-437152798758&ref=&adgrpid=62521174299&th=1

 

There are devices to keep an amp head from sliding off as well.