Phil-osopher10 Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 So I have been toying with the idea of getting a new cab. I have ear marked out either the Genzbenz focus 112 or the Gallien krueger 212. Both of them retail around the £200 price point. What are your opinions on the cabs? Are there others I haven't considered? I realise that the GK will be louder than the genz cause of more speaker area, but I prefer clarity over volume and could always add a second 112 if needs be. The amp I would be using is a mesa boogie walkabout. I had a 112 scout extension cab and it was great and at the minute I am using a mesa 115 scout combo. Any help will be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 The Hartke Hydrive 112 is also one to consider. It has variable impedence as well - 8 ohm and 4 ohm. It gets good reviews. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha2bh_OZl0I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamfist Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 [quote name='gjones' timestamp='1357678689' post='1926719'] The Hartke Hydrive 112 is also one to consider. [/quote] And at almost twice the price. I'd also suggest to the OP of adding the GK neo 112 onto the possibles list. THE GK neos are class cabinets and should take a bit more punishment than the Genz 112 before farting out if you needed to use it for a gig. It's a bit more expensive, but only a bit. Should be able to pick one up for about £259 I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0175westwood29 Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 (edited) [quote name='gjones' timestamp='1357678689' post='1926719'] The Hartke Hydrive 112 is also one to consider. It has variable impedence as well - 8 ohm and 4 ohm. It gets good reviews. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha2bh_OZl0I[/media] [/quote] this cab is unbelievably good! seriously worth the little bit extra as i know ill get slated for this but the lower range gk cabs didnt do it for me! the speaker is amazing too! and it 300w at either 4 or 8 ohms, rather than 200w i know this doesnt mean much but the hartke is a loud little cab andy Edited January 8, 2013 by 0175westwood29 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil-osopher10 Posted January 8, 2013 Author Share Posted January 8, 2013 I understand that they probably are a good bit better, however at the start of that clip they sounded muffled. But at the money they are asking I would prefer to get a secondhand really really good cab like vanderkley or bergantino. My overall preference would be a super12 but it is way out of my price range at the moment. Would either of the cabs sound muffled? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0175westwood29 Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 [quote name='Phil-osopher10' timestamp='1357685812' post='1926908'] I understand that they probably are a good bit better, however at the start of that clip they sounded muffled. But at the money they are asking I would prefer to get a secondhand really really good cab like vanderkley or bergantino. My overall preference would be a super12 but it is way out of my price range at the moment. Would either of the cabs sound muffled? [/quote] thats probs more the amp that the cab as you can see i use a swr head and its really sharp and clean, with a nice bit of bite much better than the video makes out andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted January 8, 2013 Share Posted January 8, 2013 [quote name='Phil-osopher10' timestamp='1357685812' post='1926908'] I understand that they probably are a good bit better, however at the start of that clip they sounded muffled. But at the money they are asking I would prefer to get a secondhand really really good cab like vanderkley or bergantino. My overall preference would be a super12 but it is way out of my price range at the moment. Would either of the cabs sound muffled? [/quote] If you look at the graphic on the amp he's set it with a low peak and a mid peak. The high end has been rolled off, which is probably why it sounds muffled. Hartkes usually have plenty of high end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 I say buy the Focus, we need some reviews of them on BC! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andydye Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 there are probably loads of s/h cabs at that price point on here just now, have a quick shufty through the for sale listings and see what you can find, you'll get summat better for your money! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil-osopher10 Posted January 9, 2013 Author Share Posted January 9, 2013 Aye, normally I would go for secondhand but there seems to be very little of anything I want at the minute, though patience is a virtue and all that! Does anyone have a Genz benz focus 112? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatgoogle Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 I've got a GK neo 112 and its brilliant. Very light to get around, and with my mb500 its gets ridiculously loud for one 12" speaker. Also handles a b pretty damn well as long as your not looking for a deep sub sound. Planning on getting a second one pretty soon. I was also looking at the focus 112 and mark at bassdirect did recommend it to me, but i went with Gk as, iirc, it had a bit more power or db or similar, in case i went for a different head in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andydye Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 [quote name='Phil-osopher10' timestamp='1357735872' post='1927419'] Aye, normally I would go for secondhand but there seems to be very little of anything I want at the minute, though patience is a virtue and all that! Does anyone have a Genz benz focus 112? [/quote] It's always the way, when you don't want summat it's all over the place but as soon as you want one they dry up quicksmart! Hope you find one matey! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flippyfloop Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 I've just ordered a Focus 112. Should be with me tomorrow. Really happy with my Vanderkley but found that I need a bit more volume on some gigs & can't afford a 2nd Vanderkley at present. Hear a lot of good press on the Focus range so thought I'd give it a go. If I'm happy I may consider selling the Vanderkley & getting another Focus or two. I'll report back after a few gigs..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil-osopher10 Posted January 16, 2013 Author Share Posted January 16, 2013 That's good to hear! looking forward to the review! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flippyfloop Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Hi All, So, my Genz Benz Focus 112 arrived today. I've spent about an hour with it & my Vanderkley 112 MNT. I will give a more in depth review when I've spent more time with it on gig's, rehearsals, etc…. Initial impressions on the Focus cab - One word, wow ! For the money, £215, I'll say that again £215 !! Can't be beaten at this price. The sound in my front room is Focused ( no pun intended. ) The lows seem strong, mids are there & so are the highs. Very clear. Compared to the Vanderkley, I'd say the Vanderkley has a more three dimensional sound. Not to say that the Genz is worse, just voiced differently. I think they compliment each other very well & excited to gig with the pair of them. Structure wise, the Focus is light at 32lbs. I can't believe it's not Neo ! Gonna be a dream to cart around although I'm used to light weight cabs these days. The top handle is ok, better than the one I had on my old SWR Workingman 15 & Markbass CMD12 combos, but I'm not a fan of this type of handle & always prefer recessed ones. Another major design fault is that the handle doesn't accommodate an amp head sitting on top of it. It's to large, WTF Genz Benz ! They really need to change this. Put it on the side ! So I need to fashion a bit of foam to put on the top or fit some new feet to my amp I also found that when I switched the tweeter on the back panel, the panel felt a bit flimsy. I guess this is to be expected at this price point & not a big deal for me as the tweeter will stay on all the time now anyway. Back panel felt fine when plugging in the speakon though. Only one Speakon input by the way. Would prefer to have two but no big deal. So some of the cons mentioned above may hint at some money saving choices but I still find it to be amazing value. The main thing is it sounds really, really good. Sure, the Vanderkley has the edge but costs nearly three times as much. I highly recommend you check these out. I will be buying another 112 or 210 very soon. A big thank you to Mark at Bassdirect for his advice & super service. Top bloke & the cab arrived in less than 24hrs. Feel free to ask questions. A quick pic ( sorry about the sunlight ) - [IMG]http://i934.photobucket.com/albums/ad186/flippyfloop/rigj_zpsa7cae50c.jpg[/IMG] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigthumb Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 These Focus cabs are just great. Dont think for any second that they are 'budget' in any way. They may be cheaper than a lot of the top stuff but thats the only difference! Agree about the handle though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime_BASS Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 [quote name='bigthumb' timestamp='1358451250' post='1939533'] These Focus cabs are just great. Dont think for any second that they are 'budget' in any way. They may be cheaper than a lot of the top stuff but thats the only difference! Agree about the handle though [/quote] I have the 410T coming in soon so glad to hear this, TBH I was sold on Ed Freidlands video on youtube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigthumb Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 (edited) I've owned one of the big 6x10 Genz cabs and a Neox 2x12. The Focus cabs IMO offer the same build quality. They really are very good. The price if the 1x12 is just silly and I'd love to try one after owning GS112's and EA CXL1x12's in the past. I've yet to hear a better 12" cab than the EA but these are not made anymore? My Focus 15" is superb as a stand alone cab. Compact and light weight. Its nothing like a typical 15" cab you'd expect. Its lively, bright, articulate and obviously has great depth but not wolley and vague. I can only imagine the 12" cabs being the same. Edited January 18, 2013 by bigthumb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guybrush threepwood Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 The EA CXL is a fantastic cab, still have one in 'storage' (at my parents house) would love to hear a 12" cab that compares to it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil-osopher10 Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 How do you find running just the genz cab on it's own? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flippyfloop Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 [quote name='Phil-osopher10' timestamp='1358827414' post='1945718'] How do you find running just the genz cab on it's own? [/quote] Really good. Tried it out on a quiet jazz trio gig and it was great. Only thing I'm not sure with it is that it doesn't match as well as I'd like with my Vanderkley. I bet x2 Focus cabs would sound awesome. Same with Vanderkley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime_BASS Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 [quote name='flippyfloop' timestamp='1359121265' post='1950171'] Really good. Tried it out on a quiet jazz trio gig and it was great. Only thing I'm not sure with it is that it doesn't match as well as I'd like with my Vanderkley. I bet x2 Focus cabs would sound awesome. Same with Vanderkley. [/quote] well for how cheap the cab is compared to the vanderkley I wouldn't worry to much. Taken the 410 in this week, only had a little play and it has the best midrange of any 410 I've tried and heard. My only worry is the height of it, being a tall lad on small stages I always struggle to hear backline that is short. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigthumb Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 [quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1359141341' post='1950746'] well for how cheap the cab is compared to the vanderkley I wouldn't worry to much. Taken the 410 in this week, only had a little play and it has the best midrange of any 410 I've tried and heard. My only worry is the height of it, being a tall lad on small stages I always struggle to hear backline that is short. [/quote] They are good 'eh? I've always preferred using two cabs as I struggle to hear myself clearly when you're practically standing on top of your amp! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil-osopher10 Posted January 28, 2013 Author Share Posted January 28, 2013 Selling it after a week doesn't look too good on its resume! haha. Does it merit spending the extra for the more expensive cab? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.gif.9ad672bb8b84505709f76b39c8c256ec.gif)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.