NCD (sort of) - LDS 2x8 "Subway"

[Low Down Brown]

Greetings TB'ers.

I just had to take a moment to brag on Don Oatman at Low Down Sound for building this tiny monster of a 2x8" cab for me.

This 2x8" cab was built to match another LDS cab that I picked up from a fellow TB member which is a tweeterless Mesa Subway style cab loaded with a 15" Kappalite 3015 HO. I received the 2x8" cab a couple of months ago, but I wanted to put it to work for a while before I posted. As expected, it has performed flawlessly as a stand alone bass cab, even with a full band....it shrugs off 5 strings and octave pedals like it's nothing. There is no farting or flabbing...just pure, sweet, DEEP bass. Paired with the 15", I have a rig that can handle just about any gig I will ever encounter and the whole thing weighs less than 75 lbs.

Specs:

- 600 watts RMS
- 8 ohm
- loaded with Beyma 8P300Fe/N speakers
- Eminence HF with L-pad
- 20" W x 13.5" H x 15.75 D
- 37 lbs.

Yeah, it's chunky at 37 lbs., but I knew it would be a few pounds over my goal weight when I chose those drivers. Honestly though, I can live with the weight because the sound it just AWESOME. Those 8's are so punchy and articulate..and they can get DEEP! Since it's such a compact cab, it's really easy to handle and I can get my entire rig in one trip now...bass on my back, Quilter on a pedalboard in one hand, bass cab in the other.

Great time to be a bass player...

 

[Downunderwonder]

If you ignore the basses and pedals the stack looks like 212 on top of a 18 and probably makes as much noise as 1987.

 

[Low Down Brown]

If you ignore the basses and pedals the stack looks like 212 on top of a 18 and probably makes as much noise as 1987.

Yes indeed...it gets ridiculous LOUD. I don't know if it's 'mini' enough to be considered in the whole 'mini-rig of doom' category, but it packs a punch for such a tiny footprint.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Nice, lightweight 2-8 he built for you.

The first cab Don built for me was a 2-8" with a 6 1/2" mid driver. Very compact (slightly larger than yours at 27"H x 14 1/2"H x 15 3/4"D), but heavy duty construction, so it weight 51 lb., but it sounded glorious.

 

[Low Down Brown]

Nice, lightweight 2-8 he built for you.

The first cab Don built for me was a 2-8" with a 6 1/2" mid driver. Very compact (slightly larger than yours at 27"H x 14 1/2"H x 15 3/4"D), but heavy duty construction, so it weight 51 lb., but it sounded glorious.

That sounds like a pretty beastly cab too! I almost went with a 6.5" mid driver in mine, but the freq. response on those Beyma's is up to 8 kHZ, so Don suggested I save the size/weight and go with the HF driver. Pretty sure I would be happy with that 6.5" if I had gone that route though.

 

[Brad Johnson]

Don makes nice cabs. I have a 3 way 1-8 I use most days.

 

[cableguy]

Don builds great cabs. I've gotten to know him the last few years and he's a great guy/player as well. Congrats on the NCD.

 

[Jeff Scott]

That sounds like a pretty beastly cab too! I almost went with a 6.5" mid driver in mine, but the freq. response on those Beyma's is up to 8 kHZ, so Don suggested I save the size/weight and go with the HF driver. Pretty sure I would be happy with that 6.5" if I had gone that route though.

Don is a master, so what he suggested to you was the best solution for your driver choices.

I had a pair of Ciare 8" Neo drivers in mine' they worked well with the 18Sound 6 1/2" mid driver.

Here are some photos of it.

Part of the weight was due to the heavy duty coating on it (better than the common Duratex® coating that is/was popular), and, also due to the 3/4" BB plywood and heavy bracing inside. This cabinet was absolutely rock solid, and sounded way bigger than its size would suggest.

 

[Low Down Brown]

Don builds great cabs. I've gotten to know him the last few years and he's a great guy/player as well. Congrats on the NCD.

Thanks! Yeah, he's definitely an easy going and knowledgeable dude. We'd get sidetracked during our phone calls and talk about everything but bass cabs while we were negotiating that build. He knows his stuff when it comes to music and cabs, for sure.

 

[Low Down Brown]

That IS one beastly little cab! Probably got quite a few surprised looking faces when folks heard the sound coming out of that thing...

 

[Basically Bob]

Don is a master, so what he suggested to you was the best solution for your driver choices.

I had a pair of Ciare 8" Neo drivers in mine' they worked well with the 18Sound 6 1/2" mid driver.

Here are some photos of it.

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View attachment 3550092
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View attachment 3550095

Part of the weight was due to the heavy duty coating on it (better than the common Duratex® coating that is/was popular), and, also due to the 3/4" BB plywood and heavy bracing inside. This cabinet was absolutely rock solid, and sounded way bigger than its size would suggest.

Oh man, that is one sweet rig!

 

[kesslari]

Beautiful cabs and I’ve had only great experiences with Don.

 

[Jeff Scott]

This is the 8" driver Don used in my cab:

http://www.usspeaker.com/ciare ndk8-3-1.htm