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1x15 Cabs


vickers89
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Hi,

I've been playing a Ampeg B Series 1x15 cab for the last 4/5 years and its starting to come near the end of its life! I love the sound of it and I've been able to drive the hell out of it and its lived to tell the tale!

I use a SWR working pro 700 head and don't really run any effects other than a bit of chorus/octave. I use a Fender Jazz bass 1972 reissue but also own a Standard Jazz. I play in a function around 3 nights a week give or take, so I need something that will last etc.

I did recently buy a Hartke AK115 from Thomann (£119) which seemed a bargain considering it is was 300w. But the quality of the cabinet was nothing compared to the Ampeg I currently have. Indeed it was loud but the clarity on stage was pretty bad.

Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions on 1x15 cabs out there as i'm struggling to pin any down. I realistically need 400/500w to give me headroom in the bigger venues we play.

I've looked at the Markbass Standard 115HR, Ampeg SVT15E and Hartke HX115 HyDrive (but not played through any of these)

Cheers,
Mat

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I used to have an SVT115E and found it a bit underwhelming. I found I needed to boost the mids a lot so ended up with a sound that I didn't really like that much. It seemed to boost a certain bass frequency that was quite muddy and indistinct.

Would happily recommend the Hartke Hydrive 115 though. Have seen a local band that uses one and always sounds terrific! Someone's selling one on this forum for a few hundred quid I think.

Truckstop

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I've not used a Markbass 15 but every other configuration of Markbass cab I've ever used has been totally solid, so I can't imagine their 15 being any different. I've found Markbass cabs to be very dependable and can take anything you throw at them.

Though on the other hand... you may find a 2X12 to be a lot more versatile... just sayin'... :D

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Warwick have just bought out the WCA LW115 CE cab.

It's the same basic design as the earlier WCA LW115 (300w) but is now fitted with a 500w Celestion driver.

They're not hugely trendy, but I've been using a WCA LW115 as part of my rig for a few years now and they're well built and certainly cut through the overall stage sound nicely.

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I think the 212 600w cab idea is the way to go, tbh... as getting 500w out a 15 is going to be hard ...and if it does suck that sort of juice, or need it, then the tune may be such that you really need to hear it to see if that is to your liking.

Assuming 300w at 8 ohms is a more reasonable position, then I liked the PF cab...altho I played it with a PF amp
and that was getting towards my studio idea of the old Ampeg sound...which I liked in context but bare in mind
we had a studio mix from it.. Live..?? a lot more work...!!

The problem with 15's..IMO..is that you need to keep them focused at volume so there may be better options
if you widened your search criteria..
I think a 212 is a more versatile and more powerful option to explore..??? but that will bump the budget up.

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[quote name='vickers89' timestamp='1414493156' post='2589721']
I realistically need 400/500w to give me headroom in the bigger venues we play.
[/quote]

Unfortunately, the power rating doesn't say anything about how loud the cabinet will go (how loud/deep you can play without the speaker distorting). The power rating is an indication of how resistant the speaker is to heat failure, and to bass players, that isn't really an important issue. The average power for a bass signal is lower than for say the PA which handles the sound reproduction of the full band, and it's the average power that creates the heat the RMS rating refers to.

What's much more interesting for bass players is how far the speaker cone can travel without distorting, and how much air is moved (displacement). This is what really decides how low/loud you can play. You could have two different 600W speakers, both able to take the same amount of average power without failing, but one having large displacement, and the other one a much smaller displacement. The small displacement speaker would start sounding bad when turning up the volume, while the high displacement speaker would continue to deliver at higher volumes, even though they both are rated 600W.

It's too bad that most manufacturers don't list displacement/excursion capabilities of their speakers. For the designer, it's a known value, so it wouldn't be an impossible thing to list with the other specifications, and could help potential customers in choosing the right gear.

Don't just go by the power rating. Without knowing and being able to compare displacement values, the best way to decide on which speakers can deliver what you're looking for is to simply try them out yourself and compare. If you tried one 300W cabinet that does the job, don't expect a 500W cabinet to be able to go even louder without distorting, it could just as well be the other way around.

Edited by tks.se
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[quote name='tks.se' timestamp='1414501754' post='2589865']
Unfortunately, the power rating doesn't say anything about how loud the cabinet will go (how loud/deep you can play without the speaker distorting). The power rating is an indication of how resistant the speaker is to heat failure, and to bass players, that isn't really an important issue. The average power for a bass signal is lower than for say the PA which handles the sound reproduction of the full band, and it's the average power that creates the heat the RMS rating refers to.

What's much more interesting for bass players is how far the speaker cone can travel without distorting, and how much air is moved (displacement). This is what really decides how low/loud you can play. You could have two different 600W speakers, both able to take the same amount of average power without failing, but one having large displacement, and the other one a much smaller displacement. The small displacement speaker would start sounding bad when turning up the volume, while the high displacement speaker would continue to deliver at higher volumes, even though they both are rated 600W.

It's too bad that most manufacturers don't list displacement/excursion capabilities of their speakers. For the designer, it's a known value, so it wouldn't be an impossible thing to list with the other specifications, and could help potential customers in choosing the right gear.

Don't just go by the power rating. Without knowing and being able to compare displacement values, the best way to decide on which speakers can deliver what you're looking for is to simply try them out yourself and compare. If you tried one 300W cabinet that does the job, don't expect a 500W cabinet to be able to go even louder without distorting, it could just as well be the other way around.
[/quote]

This is a great post. There are so many myths I hear on a regular basis about gear compatibility and for example power handling that perpetuates further misinformation. I'd love to see a single resource online that explains away so many falsehoods with your clarity and ease of understanding.

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[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1414502459' post='2589888']
Well... You could try the Barefaced website. :D
[/quote]

Well, yes for someone like me who understands the acronyms, but most of my students don't know what THD %, SPL or what "excursion vs thermally limited power handling" is. K.I.S.S is an acronym that many do know though :)

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I've been using a Markbass Traveller 151p with the tweeter swapped out for a Stageline one. Gigged it on it's own paired with a LMII and it handles a low B fine at volume and sounds huge. Not the smallest cab but pretty light, an easy one hand carry. Tweeter is adjustable so you can turn it right off if you don't want the horrible Leson one they ship with.

I don't notice much volume difference between this and my Schroeder which I always thought was a very loud cab, I also did an outdoor gig using just the Jeff Berlin combo as backline and it was plenty loud enough, I barely tickled the volume knob.

Handle is decent too!

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I would agree with lemmywinks..the traveller 151p along with the ny 151p is the way to
go..modern 15 inch drivers now have a half decent midrange along with good bottom end
wallop,plus markbass drivers are made by b & c(pressed steel basket)but still good...
swapping that tweeter out is a good move me thinks!!!

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Hi there, I also use my Ampeg B115E as my main giging cab and love the well balanced tone across all 4 strings. It's easy to lift with hinged and sprung side handles also easy to move on castors. And it looks cool.

I briefly owned an Ashdown ABM 115. Tone-wise it had huge low end but little else. It was big, weighed a ton, uncomfortable side handles and no castors.
The Peavey TVX 115 I found fairly close tone-wise to the Ampeg.

Why not replace the speaker if the cabinet is still sound?

Edited by grandad
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I'm with grandad. Assuming the cab is up to it (it looks like it but it might need a bit of tweaking), the best thing you could do it put a premium quality Italian 15-inch driver in there. Something by B&C, Faital, 18sound, RCF. It will cost you between two and three hundred pounds. Doing that will give you a box that will vastly outperform any commercial cab you can buy.
I know you won't though.

Edited by stevie
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[quote name='ebenezer' timestamp='1414509864' post='2590023']
I would agree with lemmywinks..the traveller 151p along with the ny 151p is the way to
go..modern 15 inch drivers now have a half decent midrange along with good bottom end
wallop,plus markbass drivers are made by b & c(pressed steel basket)but still good...
swapping that tweeter out is a good move me thinks!!!
[/quote]

Markbass has been fitting Chinese copies of B&C drivers for some time.

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[quote name='stevie' timestamp='1414707209' post='2592614']
Markbass has been fitting Chinese copies of B&C drivers for some time.
[/quote]
I didn't know that. :huh:

The B&C drivers are a fine bit of kit & they certainly can move some.

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[quote name='dood' timestamp='1414502225' post='2589882']
This is a great post. There are so many myths I hear on a regular basis about gear compatibility and for example power handling that perpetuates further misinformation. I'd love to see a single resource online that explains away so many falsehoods with your clarity and ease of understanding.
[/quote]
TKS used to have some very informative links on the webpage. (tks.se) I cannot find them now, I think the page is under reconstruction. I hope the links will be up again...

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Barefaced have gone off 15s - why I don't know - I've used 15s for bass (& Mid...Tannoy HPD15, back in the day) for ever - used to buy bathroom-type handles for the cabs (from Isaac Lord, High Wycombe, if you care...) - I don't believe that you can shove ball-crunching bass (pardon to any maiden aunts out there) through itsy-bitsy 10" or 12" drivers, esp if you use original Ormat amps or similar....look around for some Barefaced 'original' 15s - they really move air........
:o

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I'm using a 65Amps Apollo cab with a Faital Pro 15. Nice and balanced and works well for my needs - gigging pub band with live drummer and P.A.support. They aren't that easily found though but well made and solid! It was on ebay and I'd recommend having a look on there just in case you see a bargain!

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