pros & cons of using a bass cab?

[Andrew Frost]

I'm thinking of getting one of those lightweight GK bass cabs with a Neo 12 or 15" speaker, and pairing it w/ a tone block head or something similar.
The portability, and weight factor is appealing.
Any reasons why this would or wouldn't be a reasonable pairing?
My technical understanding of how speakers are voiced is abstract, at best.
So I'm all ears, and any thoughts on the issue are welcome.
Thanks
Andy

[Donny Hinson]

It depends on your desired tone and your playing style. That would be a great setup if you played like Chalker, but not so good if you were more into Emmons' sound and stylings. (Your equipment should match your style.)

[Andrew Frost]

Thanks Donny
I've used bass amps in the past, and in general, I like how the highs are tempered somewhat.
But I'd like to know more about the technical differences between
bass speakers/cones, full range speakers, guitar speakers etc in terms of freq/input response and so on and how/why they work or don't work with pedal steel......

[Donny Hinson]

But I'd like to know more about the technical differences between bass speakers/cones, full range speakers, guitar speakers etc in terms of freq/input response and so on and how/why they work or don't work with pedal steel......

I'm no expert, but I'd say a bass speaker is designed for low frequencies and high power, and normally has a heavier, non-ribbed cone. This is because the cone movement (read: "excursion") can be far greater due to that high power and lower frequencies. But, a bass speaker doesn't have to reproduce wide-range sounds. Generally, a bass is played one note at a time - no chords, and no complex (mixed) frequencies, so there is less concern for higher frequencies or harmonics. Also, since chords aren't normally played, there is less concern for intermodulation distortion, which is when several different frequencies being reproduced simultaneously interfere with each other.

Guitars speakers, on the other hand, have a wider range, and they're usually played using chords and intervals which contain both high and low frequencies. The cones on guitar speakers don't need as much excursion, or travel, (since the frequencies are higher) and they are consequently made lighter and more flexible (using ribs). The lighter cone is able to respond to high frequencies and transients faster and clearer, and the ribs allow different parts of the cone to (attempt to) respond to and reproduce different frequencies simultaneously.

I actually use bass speakers for the same reason you might because I now like a fuller sound, with the highs de-emphasized. But each to his own.

[Tony Prior]

What Donny said-

I happen to have a 2x10 GK Bass cab which I love with the Fender J Bass . But for Steel or the 6 string,( tele) it doesn't punch out the high end that I love to hear, I am not talking about piercing hi end treble but rather a moderate mix leaning towards bright. The closed back Bass cab sounds to me like it is subtracting the hi frequencies, and for all the reasons Donny stated above.


For guitars and Steel, I use the same speakers in each of my amps and cabs, the Fender Gold label Eminence 50 watters, which are said to be the Eminence Legends with Fender labels. These are GUITAR speakers and offer a leaning BRIGHT tone with a mild mid range ( open back cabs) while the GK 2x10 closed back Bass cab is completely the other direction, night and day.

Just my thoughts


t

[Steve Sycamore]

Don't think for one minute that a 15" driver has less usable treble or high mids than a 12" or 10"!

A 15" driver CAN deliver more usable and musical highs than either of the smaller drivers, but of course you need to realize that the deeper tones are going to be there much more prevalently than the smaller speakers. But that's what we want isn't it?

I've graduated to using at least one 15" driver in my cabinets when performing or recording any kind of electric guitar. Remember that Stevie Ray Vaughn's choice of driver was the ElectroVoice 15" model and Steve Howe's was the JBL D130 (before his road crew convinced him to switch to Fender Twins with 12" drivers and his tone was never, ever nearly as good). Plenty of other pro's and superpro's preferred 15" speakers.

I'm using a Boss SY-1000 guitar synthesizer/Guitar-To-MIDI unit that also models guitars, pickups, amplifiers and speaker cabinets. The single 15" cabinet that is marketed as a bass cabinet there actually produces the most outstanding and impressive sound for any electric guitars, including the most blazing and dynamic high gain tones.

But all drivers are different, of course. I don't have experience with any Neo's. Above all, any 15" driver being considered should be fairly balanced and clear.

[Tony Prior]

Don't think for one minute that a 15" driver has less usable treble or high mids than a 12" or 10"!

While this is true, it is really based on WHICH 15" driver. They are not all equal. Andrew is talking specifically about BASS designed speaker cabs with drivers designed for BASS response in a closed back cab. They are not the same as drivers designed for general purpose, such as guitars. One of the nicest 15" drivers around is the Eminence used in the Fender Steel King, I believe a 200/300 watt speaker, Eminence also makes a less rugged 15 rated at 150 watts , the Legend 1518- designed for higher freq, like guitar and Steel guitars. Its great for moderate level use. Its very bright but its not the right speaker to place in a Bass cab where we have to MOVE SOME AIR !

[Richard Sinkler]

Interesting thread. I was always led to believe that bass speakers were ribbed (i.e. BW 1502 and JBL D140) and guitar speakers (i.e. BW1501 and JBL D130). In the 70's, a friend and I used to build JBL stereo speaker cabinets for his Dad's electronic stores. We also made music instrument cabinets. Our speaker supplier was the source of the info of ribbed JBL's being bass speakers. We had a kit from JBL that had plans on building different cabinets for their current speaker lines. And bass cabinets always called for D140s with the ribbed cones.

Interesting to find out that that info was not completely accurate. After I started reading the comments here, I googled ribbed vs smooth comes. Lots of great info out there. My biggest take away from that research is that ribbed cones are usually brighter (completely different than what I was led to believe 453 years ago) and don't break up/distort as easy as smooth cones.

[Matthew Walton]

Something else I'll point out is that a lot of modern bass players have a much more full-spectrum sound than decades past. Any time the bass player is the name in lights, for example.

So maybe look into cabinets that advertise or are known for having a "modern" voicing. I'm not super familiar with the GK Neo cabs, so they may fit the bill. To name one of many, Markbass amps and cabs are known for having a more modern sound. I have a Markbass Traveler 102P (2x10) cabinet, and while I haven't gigged with it yet, I've messed around with playing my steels through it (with the Little Mark Ninja) and certainly have no complaints with the sound of the cabinet so far. I will point out that the MB cabs have a tweeter with its own knob that you can turn down completely if you want.

The bass head took me a bit of time to dial in the tone I was looking for, but even then it's entirely doable.

[Steve Sycamore]

While this is true, it is really based on WHICH 15" driver. They are not all equal. Andrew is talking specifically about BASS designed speaker cabs with drivers designed for BASS response in a closed back cab. They are not the same as drivers designed for general purpose, such as guitars. One of the nicest 15" drivers around is the Eminence used in the Fender Steel King, I believe a 200/300 watt speaker, Eminence also makes a less rugged 15 rated at 150 watts , the Legend 1518- designed for higher freq, like guitar and Steel guitars. Its great for moderate level use. Its very bright but its not the right speaker to place in a Bass cab where we have to MOVE SOME AIR !

Yes. I think the only reason a PSG or 6 string player would buy a bass cabinet is convenience (in purchasing and setup) or possibly that he or she wants to also play bass at some point.

Guitar and PSG do not require the enormous cabinet dimensions that bass players employ in my opinion. Good drivers already supply the right frequency spread so that they can sit in much smaller open back or partially open back cabinets. My single 15" cabinet is the same size as a 2 x 12" cabinet and sounds perfectly balanced with a D130 to my ears. Audiences and band members love the sound it produces. So do I

It's been known that tiny 15" combos can be great for playing Jazz. Some examples are the Ibanez Wholetone WT80 and Rivera Jazz Suprema 1x15.

[Ian Rae]

My Telonics 15s are not bass speakers, but they do enable me to play chords low down on my 12-string without the distortion you might get from all the difference tones.

I also play fretless bass through them which is a full-spectrum sound without a heavy low-frequency content (they're open-backed). The regular bass player likes to move some air and he does that with a 4 x 10!