Vintage Bag End Questions (Paging Sonicus!)

[edwin]

There's a bag end 1x15 available cheap here in Colorado that I'm going to snap up as a home for a K140. I've never seen one with this front style port. I called Bag End and they said that bag in the day, it was designed so that you could have the port or cover it with a piece of plywood if desired.


Has anyone used a cab like this with the port? Without? Preference?


TIA
Edwin


Here are the pictures from CL.

[sonicus]

Hello Friend ,  I have seen this variation. In fact  a long time friend of mine who has just passed away had several of these that I helped him sell in the mid 1970's  I have a clue as to the origin of this cabinet and it does very well with a GAUSS 4580 . In my own experiments with an RTA and a Frequency generator and a calibrated lab mic I found this to be true . Furthermore the visceral experience of the shaking picture-frames on the wall and the sympathetic vibration of various items in the room concur with the RTA results . I would be happy to talk to you on the phone about this    This might not be of BAG END fabrication . There were a few folks building " Variations on a theme" .
Wolf     I am on FB now as well ! 

[edwin]

Hello Friend ,  I have seen this variation. In fact  a long time friend of mine who has just passed away had several of these that I helped him sell in the mid 1970's  I have a clue as to the origin of this cabinet and it does very well with a GAUSS 4580 . In my own experiments with an RTA and a Frequency generator and a calibrated lab mic I found this to be true . Furthermore the visceral experience of the shaking picture-frames on the wall and the sympathetic vibration of various items in the room concur with the RTA results . I would be happy to talk to you on the phone about this    This might not be of BAG END fabrication . There were a few folks building " Variations on a theme" .
Wolf     I am on FB now as well ! 

Interesting. It does have the Bag End label on it, along with a serial number. I'm going to try to pick it up and then we can discuss further!

I don't have a Gauss handy, but I do have the JBL. Maybe not quite as loud and thunderous, but it should do fine for my needs.

[sonicus]

If the price appeals to you then swell !  I have seen HUGE  variations . 

[edwin]

If the price appeals to you then swell !  I have seen HUGE  variations .

Seems hard to pass up at $40 with a driver. Heck, I'd pay that just for the lumber!

[lbpesq]

Forty bucks?  Such a deal!  Hope you get it.

Bill, tgo

[lembic76450]

Edwin,  I had that same cab in the 18"version.  The jack plate was exactly the the same. The port
had a removable cover.  It also had a 5 digit s/n, 10741. Very close to yours.

[edwin]

Edwin,  I had that same cab in the 18"version.  The jack plate was exactly the the same. The port
had a removable cover.  It also had a 5 digit s/n, 10741. Very close to yours.

How did you like it? Port on or port off? It seems like kind of a random port and I'm curious about running a sealed box. Especially with modern high power power amps.

[cntrabssn]

Hey Edwin,

I still have one, but i haven't used it in many years. I've been tempted to try it with the newer amps too, but I'm too lazy to pull it out of storage. Mine came with an OEM cast-frame driver that might have been an Eminence, and I also tried an EVM-15B. As i recall, I preferred it with the port covered.

Uncovered, the port made slight "chuffing" sounds. Though the low end sounded fatter to a point, it seemed like the driver became unloaded at low frequencies, and high volumes made it worse. I even bottomed the driver out a few times, which was pretty scary.

With the port covered, the lows were softer, but it was easier to boost lows with EQ. Though it's somewhat large, i think the cabinet was designed more with 4-string basses in mind. For 40 bucks? I'd go ahead and buy it.

thanks,
-nate.
 

[sonicus]

 I also have Birch cabinet variations without the port that were actually sold by Alembic as A-15 cabinets  that currently both have JBL K-140's.  I also have another without a port with the Gauss . I also have from what I have been told an actual 'Wall of Sound" cabinet without a port . The later being the largest. .  As I mentioned before the Gauss 4580 does well with a port .

[edwardofhuncote]

I'm feeling a little cabinet-envy this morning! 

[sonicus]

All of mine have banana plug connections .

[bigredbass]

Wolf, where does Bag End come out of the Alembic 'incubator' that spawned so many other companies ?  Or is it just a fellow traveler?

[lembic76450]

Edwin,  sorry,  I have been on the road and a little out of touch. I used the 18" cab in the early 90's
with an EAW 3-way cab on top, both run full range in a honky tonk band.  It was not a loud band and
I was able to get by with a F-2B and a Crown 150.  It was very similar sounding a Dual Showman.
The singer/guitarist refered to my set up as Big Woody.  It was quite organic sounding,  the perfect vehicle
for my Series I.  I always left it as a sealed cab.  It seemed to keep the low end tighter.

[edwin]

Edwin,  sorry,  I have been on the road and a little out of touch. I used the 18" cab in the early 90's
with an EAW 3-way cab on top, both run full range in a honky tonk band.  It was not a loud band and
I was able to get by with a F-2B and a Crown 150.  It was very similar sounding a Dual Showman.
The singer/guitarist refered to my set up as Big Woody.  It was quite organic sounding,  the perfect vehicle
for my Series I.  I always left it as a sealed cab.  It seemed to keep the low end tighter.

Thanks! I'm looking forward to trying this all out! The only thing that's a bit of a pain is that it's south of Colorado Springs, a couple of hours away. Maybe tomorrow....