Count Bassie

Hey one more question, if I can tax you guys again: My amp is now an SWR SM-400s, and it runs around 400w @ 8 ohms, more at 4 ohms... I'm afraid of slamming too hard into a pair of 10-125s. Now maybe this is a bit of an obvious question, but would you rather go for the 10-300s?...

[quote name='jaydentaku' timestamp='1350569888' post='1840645'] I have a hand made cab i pick up from a fellow on here. It has an 18" Fane Classic 200watts at 8ohms. Its from the 80's. Forget the figures, it is LOUD and has an excellent sound. [/quote] That's encouraging! Also I've just heard from a Fane rep after contacting them, and the prices are pretty encouraging as well... so I shall return...

Say Phil... if you're in 'ear-shot' of this thread still; I was going to model in WinSID Alpha and come up with port sizes to fill two of the 4 speaker/baffle holes. Would you port or do sealed? I'm thinking a 2x10 still... I'm actually getting ready to move on this now!

Buy for sound and most useful features, not for wattage. Depends, but 200-400 is probably enough for anything if you pair with well-designed cabs, and if you learn how to get the most out of your amp. The trend for high-power is mostly due to buying into the bogus marketing feed. My Eden head runs "400w at 4 ohms" and does just fine wherever I go with it. Punch, nice tones, and good solid presence in the mix. Ta-da.

Thanks. I should've turned the amp on and got the purple light in the shot! I'd be almost ok if it were my only amp, actually.

Got this recently from an old bass playing hero/avatar from my upstart days in the Miami, FL punk scene. Back in the 80s we had a pretty slammin' thing going on: Lots of original bands, lots of people going to see them- was quite the happening, the likes of which I haven't seen since the advent of youtube and facebook... but I'll stop before someone offers me some well-cooked oatmeal and a diaper change... Anyway, I scored this amp from a guy named Ray Harris, whose band "Z-Cars" was at the top of the rock heap back then. What a great band- loaded with vibe, energy, and they were highly entertaining. Walking into their gig for the first time was a revelation to my young green sensibilities... It was an "Ohhh... yeah! So THIS is how you play the bass..." kind of a moment. He wasn't using this one, but we met up on facebook about a year ago, and this came along: I've been playing it in our original punk-esque trio, "The Same"; we're starting off with a short list of covers from The Sex Pistols, Dead Boys, Husker Du, Ramones, Motor Head and a couple Who covers... my kids think it's sort of a kick that their dad is (still) a punk-rocker. Kinda cute. Them, I mean. : ) I've also found that running the amp's volume pretty 'hot' and keeping the instrument's volume back a bit helps with getting the most headroom out of it. Those Eminence Kappalite 3015s in the TL-606 cabs don't hurt either. Dang thing works- got some nice snarl and some satisfying, deep lows with this old full-contact model Kustom head. And I always wear my safety goggles.

Just cruised back through... I've been in double-time mode with work and family-related stuff, and that cab is still sitting in the basement! I keep looking at it... but it taunts me with promises of a better life, so I'll have to get to it. Haven't forgotten!

The additional buzz is that GK will mod the older model up to the series-II spec, free of charge- you only pay shipping. It's on my list of things to do now! I'm pretty much figuring all my standard watering-hole type gig needs will be met with the MB112 and a powered extension 1x12. There's a Talkbass thread about it [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f15/new-gk-mb112-ii-just-arrived-big-box-need-411-a-858875/#post13015160"]here...[/url]

Love the XL cabs- I had an old Guild/Hartke with a rumpled cone, and it was great! Tight, warm, nice pleasant 'punch'. Saw Throwing Muses in '96 here in Providence RI, and their bassist played a Fender Precision through a GK 800RB and Hartke 410/115 stack. Beeeeautiful sound. I also had a Hartke 1155 combo for a while- a 3500 head and 115 alum and 5" alum mid-driver in the cab. Sweet little combo, made a Hofner Beatle Bass come through true and present. Great stuff all around, I think.

One note, if I may chime in- you'll notice [i]more air [/i]being pushed with 2 cabs... and if you get decent matched cabs (at 8 ohms each), they'll probably 'link up' and increase the apparent dB by a few: You'll tend to get a bigger-sounding bottom and generally more presence in the live mix- so there are benefits to using 2 cabs. Edit: Also you get the full benefit of your amp's headroom at 4 ohms, another reason for more apparent lows and presence... If I'm indoors with a line to PA, or playing a low-key gig, I almost always just bring one cab. We'll be playing in a funky small-town parade on back of a flat-bed tow-truck next month though, so I'll be stacking the TL-606s for that nuttiness...

[quote name='bertbass' timestamp='1337942211' post='1667667'] Marshall Major and 4 Vox Foundation cabs, 18s. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54H3EUAzpVg[/media] [/quote] The singer sounds like the guy from Stories... both bass players too (same guy?). And I dig the fat 'bump' of those 18s...

Here are a few more... [b]"Room EQ Switch"[/b] [IMG]http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c179/Sloom/Amps%20and%20Gear/Polytone/Polytone%20Bass%20Combo%20212-300/PolytonelabelRoomEQ.jpg[/IMG] [b]Power amp[/b] [IMG]http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c179/Sloom/Amps%20and%20Gear/Polytone/Polytone%20Bass%20Combo%20212-300/Polytonepoweramp.jpg[/IMG] [b]CTS 12s, date-coded 1974, still sound great[/b] [IMG]http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c179/Sloom/Amps%20and%20Gear/Polytone/Polytone%20Bass%20Combo%20212-300/Polytoneopened.jpg[/IMG]

Alrighty, I did a swap a month or so ago wherein I traded my Trace Elliot Commando 15 (150 watts) and an old pair of JBL mains for a Polytone 212-300 bass combo amp. It sounds clean and clear, seems very 'uncolored'- I joke that I can almost pretend to hear the wood of my bass... So a nice lady at Polytone amps named Dianne spoke with me after leaving a few messages, and told me shed go find the manual for it that they'd have on hand and mail me a photocopy. "Great!", I said and thanked her very much. A few days later I got a phone message that she could not find any info on the amp, and that perhaps it's an older model than she'd thought. I'm still waiting for more info, having left two messages since that call. They're not really known for being on top of their customer relations unless you're Ray Brown, and he's not my uncle. Anyway the amp is a 2x12 cab, preamp up top with a front panel, and the power section bolted to the bottom of the inside of the cab. Front panel controls are Bass, Treble, Volume. There are two identical channels, 2 jacks each for plugging in to. 180 watts of spanking clean signal into a pair of CTS 12s from 1974. Pix below. I'd be very interested to hear any info or insight, wisdom, etc., anyone might have to throw in here. Thanks very much! I've got more pix stashed but these'll give you the presentation... it's in pretty great shape for an amp built in 1974 or so.

Got all that- thanks Phil! I'll post some kind of finding...

[quote name='icastle' timestamp='1339706610' post='1693237'] I used to see loads of Fane speakers back in the 80's. They had a dedicated bass range back then - Studio 10/12/15B - 250W 8Ω drivers. Those drivers really punched one hell of a wallop in a well designed cabinet. [/quote] I'd like something to really be a good custom fit... it'll be about what I can learn and execute.

That cab is divided into two, down the center. So I'd be routing a hole in it, I imagine. One thought was to build an enclosure for an amplifier into the cab, making it a combo. It could become pretty Borg-ish if I let this run into the ether very far! So I'm just riffing now... I'll go throw it around and come back. Thanks again all, much appreciation for your help!

...and would make for a funky-looking box!

[quote name='LawrenceH' timestamp='1339705623' post='1693202'] Thinking about Mr F's comment I'd also suggest considering having one driver on the top panel and one directly below- that way you get better horizontal distribution (hear it more clearly from the side) but retain the monitoring benefits of the angled top speaker. You could easily enough play with this to see which way you preferred. The benefits of vertical stacking speakers is another subject that has been done to death here and on talkbass... [/quote] Yes, all us Talkbass hang-outs are now authorities on this topic! I hadn't even thought of it seriously for this however, but it's interesting.

Went and downloaded the pdf for the 10-125, will load them into WinISD over the weekend and see what they might look like in this old box I've got here. I'm thinking that my Trace AH250GP7 head might make a good mate for that smooth idea. Funny that I've always had more of that peaky thing going on, and esp when playing reggae I've had to dial it out. All lows with some attack on top, no mids...

A remark made about the 300 from Phil: [quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1339660674' post='1692014']...The deep bass is really clean and effortless but almost unspectacular as a result.[/quote] Can you elaborate just a bit here?

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1339701544' post='1693089'] Hey Rog. Love you really. P x [/quote] I know it man. Now let's have a look at that namesake of mine?...

Wow, some really good info here! Thanks Phil and Lawrence- I just got in from work, didn't even have a chance to ring you up... I'll give it all another looking-at and add it to the pile of notes. The idea of a sealed box is interesting, and frankly would cut out a bit of math and cutting plugs and new holes... Mr. Foxen, yes indeed, the drivers are written into the plan as facing upwards from the angled half of the baffle. It's originally about having a monitor for FOH shows, and being enough as a solo unit for small rooms. Alright- thanks everyone, I shall return...

[quote name='EdwardHimself' timestamp='1339664605' post='1692090'] ? [/quote] Sorry, should've posted somewhere else! Nancy's fascination with my non-screen name has just come to my attention, and I made a comment. All of it silliness, pardon my out-of-place remark... please carry on!

[quote name='LawrenceH' timestamp='1339617882' post='1691690'] Phil Starr has I think used a Fane 10" PA driver, you could PM him. They're not one of the fashionable names in bass guitar land but they definitely used to make good PA speakers, and AFAIK still do. Dunno if they'd be a very economic option in the US. If you want that flat PA driver sound in bass cab have a look at stuff from Faital and 18Sound maybe? [/quote] Willdew, thanks!

And don't forget your safety goggles. : )