Moos3h Posted July 6, 2019 Share Posted July 6, 2019 Hi all, Im considering changing the driver in the Little Bastard 12” cab as it struggles since I’ve moved to 5 string. I REALLY love the size of the cab so would be keen to see if I can breathe new life into it. There’s no tweeter so I do need something that can cover the ‘full range’ so may be in moon on a stick territory! Amp is 500w so each cab receives 250w ish Thinking Beyma SM212? Thanks in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Starr Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 I suppose this is probably one for me. I gigged Fri and yesterday with my two Mk1 Beyma cabs and I've another gig today. Obviously I'm reasonably happy with them. It's also my excuse for a shortish reply. I don't know the Little Bastard so I'll need to look it up before I give you a detailed reply, I've got some bass to sort out for todays gig. They (SM212) aren't your typical bass speakers. The cone break up at higher frequencies is particularly well controlled so they have a fairly flat upper response. Most bass speakers have a mid range peak that gives speakers a bit of extra 'bite' to the sound. They also have extended excursion with a nice long voice coil so they handle the lows well, which is what you want. They will sound different to what you have though, without a tweeter you may miss that bite. Obviously I haven't found it a problem and you can just re-eq but it isn't for everyone. Basically if you change the driver you'll lose everything the LB gives you except the look, and that is true of any speaker swap. The other thing to consider would be an HPF. Your speakers are struggling because of the extra deep bass, but here's the secret, you can't actually hear it. Our ears are really insensitive to deep bass, and there is precious little energy down there in most basses. What you do have from a fiver is a richer mix of lower harmonics and a bit less of the upper ones from those nice fat strings. That means if you use something like a Thumpinator you probably won't hear a lot of difference to your sound (except it will sound cleaner) and your audience even less so. It'll cut the speaker excursion at 30Hz by maybe 100x (10,000%) That'll stop the speaker flapping about and return the coil to where it is meant to be. That might give you what you want without messing about with your cabs. I'll have a look a the practicalities later if you want and see if I can find something that will work in your cab Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merton Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 The LB112 cab is quite small from what I can remember and undamped inside (well worth adding this if you can find a suitable driver). It’s also worth double checking the port size(s) as IIRC they’re quite small so may need a tweak... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moos3h Posted July 7, 2019 Author Share Posted July 7, 2019 Thanks both - yes the cab is totally un-damped. Worth adding some whilst I’ve got the driver out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moos3h Posted July 7, 2019 Author Share Posted July 7, 2019 I should add that there is definitely a buzz from one of the drivers too (absent from the other cab and 100% not something vibrating) even at lowish volumes so I think it’s a good excuse to try a driver upgrade! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Starr Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 I should be playing bass. Have a really good look round the cab, buzzing can easily be from one of many things. Often the wires touching the cone! Just removing your speaker and re fixing it may sort the problem. then have a good look at the speaker. Tears in the cone? look a the dust cover dome in the middle, they can get unstuck over time, also look carefully where the cone meets the pleated surround, again it cam come unglued as can the surround from the speaker frame. Any loose screws stuck to the magnet? Back to the bass 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete.young Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 I'd be inclined to have a word with @Ashdown Engineering before you do anything drastic. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moos3h Posted July 7, 2019 Author Share Posted July 7, 2019 I’ve had a really good look, deffo nothing loose and / or signs of damage. 99.9% certain it’s mechanical inside the speaker. Low B really gives it something to think about - other cab is totally fine tho! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Starr Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 OK had a quick look and as far as I can see the Ashdown cab is something like 35litres internally. That's a touch bigger than the cab I gigged with this afternoon with SM212's in. They certainly work in that sized cab. If you live anywhere near Somerset you'd be welcome to see how they sound. Interestingly we had a shootout a couple of years ago where a little Ashdown 1x12 surprised us all by sounding rather good compared with some much more expensive cabs in our room with admittedly poor acoustics. I designed my little cab a year ago as an attempt to counter some of the difficult small venues I was playing and built it in the same room at the bash a year ago. I thought at the time it sounded rather like the Ashdown of a year before though that hadn't been my intention. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Starr Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 12 hours ago, pete.young said: I'd be inclined to have a word with @Ashdown Engineering before you do anything drastic. This is really good advice. They are so helpful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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