Author Topic: Speaker Cabs. (Read 395 times)

hammer · « **on:** October 21, 2011, 09:50:05 AM »

Over the past few months I've slowly been upgrading my rig replacing an old, recently unreliable Sunn Coliseum whose sound I never really warmed-up to with an FX-1 and Yamaha P5000S. Last thing I need is a new speaker cabinet. Given that we rarely play in any larger than the typical bar type venue what would people think of pairing these components with a Ampeg Bxt 4x10. Anyone have experience with this speaker cab? I can pick one up that appears to be in very good condition for less than $300.

smokin_dave · « **Reply #1 on:** October 21, 2011, 10:13:41 AM »

Could be a great deal.Just make sure the cab is rated at 8ohm to match up with your amp choice.

bassthang · « **Reply #2 on:** October 21, 2011, 10:56:52 AM »

That's too heavy a cabinet to pick up (122lbs) in my opinion, especially at the end of the night.
I would pass just for that reason alone.

stout71 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 21, 2011, 11:10:51 AM »

I used a 410-HLF for awhile. It sounded great, wasn't that heavy and had wheels to boot. I have since downsized to an Ashdown ABM 210H which provides just as much low end, plenty of punch, and it's a LOT more portable. I doubt you'll find one for $300 though.

briant · « **Reply #4 on:** October 21, 2011, 12:13:23 PM »

I'd suggest checking it out before purchasing. Those cabs have a fairly aggressive disco smile tuning built into them. If you fancy that tone you're golden however if you're not so into the scooped mids thing you most likely will not care for them.

hammer · « **Reply #5 on:** October 21, 2011, 12:30:28 PM »

Thanks for the input. I have both heard and seen the cabinet previously..its the same guy from whom I purchased my FX-1. I will certainly listen to it again more carefully this time as I was more focused on whether the FX-1 was functioning properly when I first visited. The cab does have wheels on it and the truck we use has a lift so the weight really should be that much of a hassle.

charles_holmes · « **Reply #6 on:** October 21, 2011, 02:50:53 PM »

I say look at the Carvin 4x10 Neo...1200 watts and light weight ta boot!

chuckc · « **Reply #7 on:** October 22, 2011, 09:45:03 AM »

I went with the Hartke HyDrive 4X10 about a year ago from the Ampeg 4X10 Classic. It's rated at 1000 watts and has a great tone, lots of low end ooomph and only weighs in at about 70 lbs. I got the matching 1X15 for larger venues. Together they only weigh in at about 130 lbs which is great for those end of gig load outs.

dannobasso · « **Reply #8 on:** October 22, 2011, 09:40:03 PM »

Love my Epifani UL2 212's.

edwin · « **Reply #9 on:** October 22, 2011, 11:16:05 PM »

fEARful 15/6/1. Lightweight and is a perfect match for an Alembic.

pierreyves · « **Reply #10 on:** October 23, 2011, 02:33:40 AM »

P 5000S Yamaha amps support 8 or 4 ohms, best is 4 ohms = 750 w / channel or 1500 w bridged.
I have the same but I use 2 SWR goliath senior wich are not in the same range of price. I try Ampeg 610 HLF = sound like old paper. Ashdown and carvin have good products for reasonable price.

hammer · « **Reply #11 on:** October 23, 2011, 01:12:35 PM »

Your thoughts on an SWR Goliath III. It's got some age on it, but from the pics looks to be in excellent condition and is going for $400. It's within driving distance but not local so I'd appreciate anyone's thoughts on it prior to taking a 90 minute drive each way to hear it.

edwin · « **Reply #12 on:** October 23, 2011, 03:20:32 PM »

I remember the first time I heard an SWR 4x10. It was a revelation of sorts and I lusted after one for a while. However, every time I played through one in a back line situation, I was disappointed. It has a pretty heavy mid scoop. If you are into that kind of thing, they are OK, but at the end of the day, I'm not a fan. However, these things are very personal.

One of my big goals in a speaker cabinet is the ability to make eq decisions that translate well to a DI and PA system. That is one of the things I love most about the fEARful cabs. They are like having a PA system that accurately reproduces the entire frequency response of the bass. In most cases the engineer simply brings the fader up flat and he gets what I get.

hammer · « **Reply #13 on:** October 24, 2011, 10:23:06 AM »

Thanks again for all the advice. The fEARful cabs. look awesome but appear to be way beyond my means with a kid still in college at a cost of $50,000/year. I'll be listening to a Carvin & SWR this week as I've found used versions that seem reasonably priced. Also trying to find some used Epifanis, but so far no luck.

edwin · « **Reply #14 on:** October 24, 2011, 10:37:30 AM »

Ah, I totally understand the budget problem. when I was in your shoes, I went with used gear. By diligently looking around I was able to find some very serviceable stuff for cheap. At that point, it's a question of what's available more than being able to look for specific brands or models.

Almost every brand out there has some models that work well and at this point it seems like a buyer's market.