geoff90guitar Posted December 15, 2015 Share Posted December 15, 2015 Well lads, personally I've found these boutique multi-hundred pound cabs very clever and light, if you want to sacrifice your oomph and sound. It's already been invented, you can't beat a real traditional speaker. However, if you've never played with one, you won't miss it. New neo owners will just go round and round and imagine there must be something even better. Still, that's good for business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameronj279 Posted December 15, 2015 Share Posted December 15, 2015 The studio I rehearse at has an Ampeg 8x10 in all of the rooms excluding one. The other room has a EBS 4x10 and the EBS blew the Ampeg out the water in every aspect. Just sounded louder, clearer, beefier, tighter and many other words ending in 'er'. This was also using a class D amp head. Plenty of oomph! I suppose it depends what you like. I definitely don't go for a 'vintage' type sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machinehead Posted December 15, 2015 Share Posted December 15, 2015 I'm of the opposite view. The technical advances in bass guitar cabinets over the past 10 years or so has been stunning. The issue of the material used for the loudspeaker magnet being heard by the human ear amazes me. In the words of Victor Meldrew, "I don't believe it." Other issues are at play here in my opinion. The performance of the new bass cabinets exceeds 40 year old designs in every way - except bragging rights. Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted December 15, 2015 Share Posted December 15, 2015 You haven't been taking your meds again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machinehead Posted December 15, 2015 Share Posted December 15, 2015 Chris_b's post is better than mine. Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 I can't hear any drop off in quality between my modern neo ones and cabs of old... In fact I find them far louder and better sounding along with being smaller / lighter. Whenever I have to use an old school cab that has been provided as backline I'm always disapointed and would much rather use my berg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 (edited) Anyway what's this doing in the review section? Edited December 16, 2015 by CamdenRob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 I have the opposite experience to the OP - I experienced a revelation about how good a bass can sound once I switched to Class D heads and 'clever' Neo-loaded cabs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 [quote name='geoff90guitar' timestamp='1450210477' post='2930640'] Well lads, personally I've found these boutique multi-hundred pound cabs very clever and light, if you want to sacrifice your oomph and sound. It's already been invented, you can't beat a real traditional speaker. However, if you've never played with one, you won't miss it. New neo owners will just go round and round and imagine there must be something even better. Still, that's good for business. [/quote] Welcome.... nice firey post to start off with. As it happens, I agree with you. My light rig is a Demeter and TKS S112's and it gets a LOT on nice comments..which is always nice, (ceramic speakers and Class D with a valve stage) but my full beans rig is Aguilar DB750 and DB cabs and that always gets the knowing smile and look from bass players. Both, IMO, sound great but the Full beans rig is the real deal. It just is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No lust in Jazz Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 Could you define what 'Boutique Gear' is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 Trouble is, John, your "old fashioned" gear is as boutique as they come and bears little relation to the any gear produced 20 years ago let alone "back in the day". My old 50 watt Marshall 4x12 is nowhere near as good as my Bergs in any respect. The thought that my old 1x18 Vox Foundation is a match for my Barefaced cabs is a joke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 My Aguilar Tonehammer 500 and two Barefaced Super 12Ts - even just the one - will give most rigs a run for their money. But I have to say when I use an Ampeg SVT and matching 810, well that`s just got that bit extra to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubsonicSimpleton Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 [quote name='geoff90guitar' timestamp='1450210477' post='2930640'] Well lads, personally I've found these boutique multi-hundred pound cabs very clever and light, if you want to sacrifice your oomph and sound. It's already been invented, you can't beat a real traditional speaker. However, if you've never played with one, you won't miss it. New neo owners will just go round and round and imagine there must be something even better. Still, that's good for business. [/quote] Are you a chiropractor/osteopath/physio and suffering a downturn in paying clients perchance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 [quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1450263393' post='2931055'] Trouble is, John, your "old fashioned" gear is as boutique as they come and bears little relation to the any gear produced 20 years ago let alone "back in the day". My old 50 watt Marshall 4x12 is nowhere near as good as my Bergs in any respect. The thought that my old 1x18 Vox Foundation is a match for my Barefaced cabs is a joke. [/quote] Chris, Yes, I think the DB750 outsrips the SVT in a lot of (ALL..??) ways.... I also think Aguilar have picked off Ampeg almost intentionally. My friends still carry round Bassmen Amps and cabs but their style wouldn't work for me...I can pretty much garauntee it. My current TKS cabs are getting rave reviews at every gig from Musos and bass players.... but I think that is a combination of the cab being great for tone, The Demeter is a class Amp... and believe it or not, gets quite raspy with 'breakup when driven..which I always have to do, so that is a nice side benefit... and I've worked quite had on the sound myself...even tho it is still a work in progress. I'm surprised at the various style of bass players who comment on it.. but there you go...so the (ceramic) cabs being 10kgs is a BONUS, I do recommend the amp tho... I find it on the same lines as the Thunderfunk...whether this is hand wired aspect I don't know, and it is nowhere near as coloured.... not that I had a problem with the colour anyway. but I can see why it is the price it is..and well worth the difference over other Class D I've tried. But yes... I wouldn't quite call it boutique, but have no problem if the price suggest otherwise. At the end of the day, you need to be able to square the compromises you may have to make. Currently very happy with my bass lot.... so much so, I'm looking for another Bass. I think I'll be on my way over to Twyford in the New Year...will let you know when if you are interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 Also, take the point that even SWR and Eden ..which were the rigs of the early 90's struggle today. Maybe the top end stuff they produced is still good like the SWR SM series and the Eden WT amps. The problem with a lot of gear from rehearsal rooms..and hire rigs, is that the speakers may have had a hard life. I've found that with Ashdown and Ampeg fridges... they can sound pretty tired and ragged... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acidbass Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 I think a lot of people's perceptions of tone come from what's between the ears, not the ears themselves! With heavy amps, nostalgia is a wonderful thing (although not as good as it used to be back in the day) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunburstjazz1967 Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 My brand new amp sounds better than a ruined rehearsal space amp,funny that isn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunburstjazz1967 Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 I think some class d amps sound a bit thin but the misconceptions about the cabs come from people trying then with amps they dislike or class d not suited to their taste, neo cab and a heavy weight amp will sound just fine surely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Dean Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 The other night I was in a Studio & plonked my Barefaced super 12T & ABM1000 in front of a classic Ampeg 8x10 rig , at the end of the session I A/Bd them & my Rig blew that Ampeg out of the water . I didn't expect it to be so much better especially when pushing the lows . I actually felt quite smug . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brensabre79 Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 Amps, OK maybe - you can't beat all-valve for that all-valve tone. Speaker cabs? What a load of twaddle. How many 'boutique' cabinets have you tried? They all contain 'traditional' speakers, the principle hasn't changed. The materials have, Neo magnets are lighter, thinner plywood can be used with decent bracing, but at the end of the day, weight aside it's just a box holding a paper cone being propelled back and forth by a magntic motor. It's all in the design. Honestly, it's like saying modern cars with their new fangled gadgets don't handle as well as a 1973 Austin 1100 on the country lanes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LewisK1975 Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 Think someone wanted to start an argument maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 [quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1450268843' post='2931159'] Honestly, it's like saying modern cars with their new fangled gadgets don't handle as well as a 1973 Austin 1100 on the country lanes. [/quote] Or that a 1973 Aston Martin V8 could outperform a 2015 VW Up! What a silly idea indeed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunburstjazz1967 Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 (edited) Something new and crap will be worse than something old and good of its not knackered, something old and crap will be worse than Something new and good, something old and crap will be about as crap as something new and crap, something old and good will be as good as something New and good. The one you like best is the best one for you. Edited December 16, 2015 by sunburstjazz1967 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 I have to say, I've never really been sold on any NEO cabs I tried. Doesn't mean I didn't use them at the time...just knew something wasn't quite right. I could list them as there are a good few... but not one did I like. Draw your own conclusions but the one common element was NEO. That is why I feel I can say I don't like NEO. Whether that might change at some point in the future when I hear one, is a maybe. .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 [quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1450264091' post='2931067'] My Aguilar Tonehammer 500 and two Barefaced Super 12Ts - even just the one - will give most rigs a run for their money. But I have to say when I use an Ampeg SVT and matching 810, well that`s just got that bit extra to it. [/quote] [quote name='Kevin Dean' timestamp='1450268831' post='2931158'] The other night I was in a Studio & plonked my Barefaced super 12T & ABM1000 in front of a classic Ampeg 8x10 rig , at the end of the session I A/Bd them & my Rig blew that Ampeg out of the water . I didn't expect it to be so much better especially when pushing the lows . I actually felt quite smug . [/quote] Good point Kevin, I wonder how much of that is due to the cab or the amp itself. I`d love to hear a full Ampeg valve amp through one of my S12Ts to hear the difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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