What cabs do you play for what style of music?

[Stofferson]

Stonerish rock / grunge, fingers, lots of fuzz and distortion when needed.

 

Never had an issue going through any cab, although I've only just started integrating tweeters, play a lot of gigs with shared/provided cabs so played through plenty, a good amp / eq, and a nice pedal board will go through anything.

Just had two BF super compact T's delivered last week. sound immense, got 2 BF two10's at home, sound immense! although i think the fuzz thing is heavily reliant on my sansamp at the end of the chain, just makes anything gainy sound better, less like a bag of wasps

[BigRedX]

My reading of the OP is that they were asking what kinds of cabs people were using along with the genre and playing style.

 

I stated that my preference was for no cabs, what I should have added is that I play post-punk/goth and mostly (but not exclusively) with a pick.

 

In this genre no backline is becoming increasingly the norm. My band did a couple of all-day events earlier this year. At the first not a single act had any kind of backline, and the FoH sound seemed all the better and more evenly balanced for it. It's certainly produced the best sounding phone video of my band that I have seen to date. At the second only one of the acts had any amps and they most definitely had the most uneven sound of the day.

[Stub Mandrel]

On 27/09/2024 at 08:51, Bassy said:

Hi, I'm always reading everyone's point of view regarding bass cabs, make and speaker configuration. But very rarely does anyone state what style of music they are playing, what bass, and finger or plectrum? This makes all the difference to how you hear your bass sound. I feel some cabs are better suited to certain music styles.

I play a P bass with a pick into Gk legacy 800 with 2 Eden D210XLT. Mainly rock, noisy indie, punk. The sound when I play clean is great, warm and thick, but with clarity. But the cabs do not like any drive/fuzz pedals, as the tweeters become very harsh with distortion. This makes me think that the Eden cabs were designed for soul, funk, motown, country, jazz but not distorted rock.

I used to use a Mesa Boogie 4x10 and this cab loved distorted bass sounds. Tweeter switched on was no problem. But it weighed a ton...45kgs?

So what cabs are out there that can deal with a grindy bass sound. Is it still only Boogie and Ampeg?

 

Why not fit a tweeter attenuation switch or wirewound pot?

[Stub Mandrel]

I used to use (in the 80s) a 1x18. Rock and roll/rock covers. Changed to a 2x12 (a closed guitar cab) and enjoyed the clarity and portability. Then (90s)added a home made 2x12 with two full range Mackie PA speakers. Indie rock, then pop rock originals. Then added two high powered piezo tweeters in a home made 'bright box', and never used the attenuator.

 

Big gap.

 

Trace 4x10 combo, was excellent for rock then a big mix of covers from funk to pop and rock. Added a peavey 1x15 but never used it in anger.

 

Now a little GR Bass 2x12. Great for everything. Mostly blues rock and heavy rock, also general stuff.

 

Not sure ifvthat tells you anything exceptvthat I try and make the best of whatever I have.

[Mykesbass]

A pair of (Zoot Bass) Purple Chili 112s without tweeters. They are Celestion loaded, very lightweight, and to my ears, have a little bit of built in colour - not at all FFRR (or FRFR whichever way we're calling it now). Ideal for me playing fingerstyle, Blues, Blues Rock, Americana. Not sure how they would sound if someone wanted bright sparkly tones, but the mellowness suits me - I love 'em. 

[NancyJohnson]

Gone through pretty much every conceivable speaker combination over the years.  [Edit: Gave this some thought - 1x18, 1x15, 2x15, 4x10, 2x10, 2x12, 4x5, 1x12, 15/6.  Bonkers.  Most had a tweeter/horn of some description.]  Currently I run a pair of Darkglass 1x12s and the Barefaced Big One that I won in the SE Bass Bash a few years back.  Musically I play alternative rock, gnarly tone.

 

Tend to favour one or two of the 1x12s in most situations; they're capable and it's more about portability.  There's really not much difference tonally between all the enclosures.  They all do clean/gnarly with equal gusto.  I've done side by side tests and I don't claim to really have heard too much difference between cabinets.

 

I suppose that you just change kit because you're searching for something different, don't really know what, as tone is fairly subjective.  For me it just came down to not wanting to have to cart around huge cabinets any more and the Darkglass cabinets fulfilled that.  They're small and sound great irrespective of what you push through them.  I can use one (or two).  Or I cab use the Big One.

 

 

 

Edited Tuesday at 10:01 by NancyJohnson

[uk_lefty]

20 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Not sure ifvthat tells you anything exceptvthat I try and make the best of whatever I have

I think that's it... We can all GAS after this and that hoping that spending just a little more helps us get the exact sound we are after... Or we can get as close as we can with the gear we have/ can afford and concentrate on giving the audience a good time.

[bremen]

On 29/09/2024 at 21:26, uk_lefty said:

I play pop and indie covers from the 2000's in my band, which I guess is what counts. I've tried 15s and 2x10s but for me it's two 15s. I play fingers or pick, often it will depend on what mood I'm in or what bass I'm playing rather than anything else. I will use overdrive, distortion, fuzz, clean... Two 15s is just my preference. If I could try anything I'd like to have a go with a 4x10, if weight were no issue then a couple of Trace Elliott 18s could be fun... But for me there's a more rounded and deeper sound from a 15, the focus of a 10 is just something I don't like. I used to have the Ashdown RM 2x10 and 1x15 at the same time and I didn't like them together, it did give me the opportunity to compare them. The 15 was always my preference. So I now run an ABM600 through two ABM NEO 15s.

 

I've got a Fender Bassman TV 12 which has a 12" speaker and that sounds special, bit that's probably more down to the valve preamp. 

 

Perhaps the most sensible cab combo for me would be a couple of 12s if I could run a 600w head through them. 

I think you and I are probably the only players left standing that prefer 2x15!

 

It's probably habit with me though, loved the Peavey and ampeg I used in the 80s and lightweight alternative I prefer nowadays.

 

Playing opaque melodies that would bug most people, sometimes heavy on the bass.

[uk_lefty]

8 minutes ago, bremen said:

I think you and I are probably the only players left standing that prefer 2x15!

 

It's probably habit with me though, loved the Peavey and ampeg I used in the 80s and lightweight alternative I prefer nowadays.

 

Playing opaque melodies that would bug most people, sometimes heavy on the bass.

If they weren't lightweight I don't think I'd do it. I would love to try a decent 2x12 that's portable and can handle 600w plus but absolutely no plans to change anything now unless something breaks.

[BassAdder60]

A point  I have discovered and I guess it relates to all genres with cabs is how the cab works with the amp and your style of playing.

 

Ive played Ampeg, Ashdown arguably the two biggest reasonably priced cabs often seen in most stores but in truth they were in the main heavy, flubby or struggling with power handling often resulting in needing additional cabs. 
Since using a LFSYS Monaco cab and my Vanderkley I now see why better speakers and cab build actually do more for your tone and sound than many amps do. 
There are exceptions to this but that has been my experience and I think cabs make the world of difference to clarity and punch in a band where backline isn’t using a PA 

Edited Tuesday at 09:04 by BassAdder60

[bremen]

9 minutes ago, uk_lefty said:

absolutely no plans to change anything now unless something breaks.

Mods! Please expel this apostate!