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62 precision
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I have been looking for the best sound for my 62 precision for years. Iv tried out everyone's rig I could think of and been to plenty of Jams and used new bass amps on hire at gigs. Mark Orange ashdown Ampeg Hartke oh the list is so long. I use PV black widow as the moment but can not get the tone and loudness I want.

Now iv been lucky as a good friend loaned me his collection of old valve amps. I used a 4x10 Trace Elliot every Tue at a Jam so been trying them all out first was Impact by Status OH wow loved it but these are hard to find. Then Selmer 150 and that was good. I was lucky to find a Sound City 120 on E bay and have been so pleased with it as it has been totally re furbished and sounds good so warm. It has so much power that you have to be careful not to over load the cab.The 4 x10 is not the sound I really want.

I am a lover of Eminence speaker they sound very warm with The 62 . I am trying to recreate a Vintage 50s 60s sound. I use heavy flat wound strings. I'm off to try out my friends 2x 15 cab ashdown just to experience 2 x15s. So am thinking shall I get my cabs made or look of something vintage but not sure if I will find anything. Also was thinking of getting 2 x tens so I can get some top tone punch as I need that for Rock. Any ideas would be gratefully received.

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I'd like to hear my smaller 15" cab with a valve amp. My larger 15"+6.5" has so much more bottom and top that it can get a bit boomy and scratchy when powered by a valve amp with the resulting lower cone control and high frequency dirt but I think the simple compact 15" design with its 'tighter' bottom and mellower top (and higher sensitivity) could make a formidable rock rig (especially with two cabs!)

Alex

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You should try a 2x15" with JBL D140 or K140 speakers as used in the ole Fender cabs. Forget about all new 15" speakers in conjunction with tubeamps. Old speakers were made to have high efficiency which was paid by lack of lowend. Todays 15" speakers are tailored to more lowend which give them less efficiency. Old speakers had worse material for the cones so they generated a lot of presence because paper at these times could not damp membrane resonance very well.. Modern speakers have highly damping cone material which doesn´t generate that much presence and hence sounds boring or indirect.
hope my humble english is understandable

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[quote name='jensenmann' post='296919' date='Oct 1 2008, 06:09 PM']You should try a 2x15" with JBL D140 or K140 speakers as used in the ole Fender cabs. Forget about all new 15" speakers in conjunction with tubeamps. Old speakers were made to have high efficiency which was paid by lack of lowend. Todays 15" speakers are tailored to more lowend which give them less efficiency. Old speakers had worse material for the cones so they generated a lot of presence because paper at these times could not damp membrane resonance very well.. Modern speakers have highly damping cone material which doesn´t generate that much presence and hence sounds boring or indirect.
hope my humble english is understandable[/quote]

Your english is certainly understandable but your facts aren't correct! High quality modern speakers are available with just as much or more sensitivity than old JBL speakers and they achieve this sensitivity whilst still maintaining good bottom. You can also buy cutting edge 15" speakers with good presence (i.e. strong treble) due to lightweight and less damped cone materials. Just because some modern 15" speakers are lower sensitivity and more low-end oriented doesn't mean they all are.

Alex

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Well, Alex, my facts were correct, at least until times when I stopped caring for the latest speakers in the nineties. The scene of instrumental speakers that times was getting empty compared to PA speakers which simply didn´t do their job for instruments well. So probably you´re right when it comes down to ultra modern speakers - I stand corrected.
Anyway, I still have to hear the modern 15" cab which does the same that these old JBL speakers do to me.

Edited by jensenmann
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Humble is fine
This is interesting because I spoke to a friend last night who suggested JBLs and used a sound city back in the 70s and still has it. I do trust his Judgment due to him being in my view one of the best 70's rock Blues guitarists of that time and his experience of working with bass players and sound would be very useful so im meeting up with him tomorrow.
I would like to get as much info as poss before buying and to try out cabs first. I think its just what will also sound right for me until I hear it I will not know im the one Playing needing to feel it that's the important bit of course. I'm interested in everyone's ideas so please keep posting it will help I do appreciate it Thanks

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[quote name='62 precision' post='297121' date='Oct 1 2008, 11:07 PM']Humble is fine
This is interesting because I spoke to a friend last night who suggested JBLs and used a sound city back in the 70s and still has it. I do trust his Judgment due to him being in my view one of the best 70's rock Blues guitarists of that time and his experience of working with bass players and sound would be very useful so im meeting up with him tomorrow.
I would like to get as much info as poss before buying and to try out cabs first. I think its just what will also sound right for me until I hear it I will not know im the one Playing needing to feel it that's the important bit of course. I'm interested in everyone's ideas so please keep posting it will help I do appreciate it Thanks[/quote]
matamp 2X15 - great vintage vibe and huge tone.

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Have to say that my modern EBS 2x12 Neo sounds a lot better with my Burman Pro 4000 than my Wem 2x15 ever did, with the added bonus that I'm not expecting it to disintegrate at the drop of a hat as soon as the volume goes past '3'. And you can pick it up with one hand.

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[quote name='pete.young' post='300845' date='Oct 6 2008, 09:47 PM']Have to say that my modern EBS 2x12 Neo sounds a lot better with my Burman Pro 4000 than my Wem 2x15 ever did, with the added bonus that I'm not expecting it to disintegrate at the drop of a hat as soon as the volume goes past '3'. And you can pick it up with one hand.[/quote]

Now I know I can't lift a 2x15 cab so that's going back. Iv tried out lots these few weeks next on the list is an Eden 1x15. The problem is I need to try everything in a gig situation but im in no rush as the sound city is sounding ok through the 4x10 Trace cab with both my Basses. Its interesting at the Jam every bass played by Jammers is sounding good and they are all have there own sound. The Trace Amp that was used before the SC gave the same bad sound to everyone.
So im on a winner and quite a few players turn up to play and like the sound Its loud enough warm and clear even with the Guitar's cranked. Will be taking the SC to get it checked out make sure everything is set ok as want to look after it and may be He will have a few ideas on cabs to try out with it.

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I've got a old Marshall JCM800 running into 2 Acme Low b2s - (Cheers Alex!)

As long as I don't max out the marshall - which results in some WOW overdrive I can get a lovely creamy 70s sound out of it. Very Young / Dylan / Band. Esp with my precision which has a 62 pickup / electronics in it and thomastik flatwounds.

Newer cabs can be a bit hifi - but to be honest that's what I like about my rig - I get the sound I create with the bass and the amp being faithfully reproduced by the cabs.

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