Too many cabs, but also not enough?

Travel cab for jams and small gigs.

  • A) just buy the thing you want

    Votes: 34 87.2%

  • B) the quilter cabs are plenty good enough

    Votes: 1 2.6%

  • C) Mangle that sub, its not like you're using car audio

    Votes: 1 2.6%

  • D) you don't need to buy or make any more stuff, you have too much stuff already.

    Votes: 5 12.8%
  • Total voters
    39
DEMS854

DEMS854

Jul 15, 2017
62
51
4,551
Detroit, MI
#1
So I, like many of you, have gone through the gamut when it comes to cabs.

TL;DR: buy a barefaced 210s, quilter bass dock, or turn my failing KRK monitor sub into a 1x10?

Started with a peavey 210tx combo which paid my way through school and was plenty fine for 14years of my time as a bassist. Then I joined a loud band... had to upgrade. SVT-4pro and 2x Ampeg SVT-410hlf... then an 810e.... then a barefaced Six10. Sold one 410, bought a quilter BB800 (i love it, can cop close enough the sound of my 4pro without so much knob fiddling, and light). Now I have an ideal large gig setup, but I want to buy a smaller cab to pair with my Bass Block for ease of transport when the big guns aren't needed.

Im considering 4 options:

A) $1k Barefaced 210S: fork over the hard earned cash and get the ideal item, sell off/donate the other cabs.

B) $400 Quilter bass dock 10/12:
buy the paired cabinet designed for my amp, which involves making concessions on volume and weight for a neat package, and maybe disliking the sonic outcome.

C) ~$0-200 KRK10s sub: The power amp is failing in the studio sub, generates an awful, thunderous, sound when left on for too long. Cant find a replacement amp for it at a reasonable price. Was gonna chop it up and try to turn it into a sub for my Ford Ranger before I just threw it out. This morning it occurred to me that its dimensions aren't too far off from a 1x10 bass cab. I could scavenge a speaker out of either the 410 or 810 in the interim and cobble together something that may or may not turn out to be worth the effort. If it end up being something that doesn't sound awful, I can buy an 10" 8ohm 500w speaker for less than 200 and have a bombproof knockaround travel cab.

D) do nothing and try to convince myself I'm happy with what I've got and continue to schlep around the Six10.

If you've got any "buy once cry once" or "ended up not being worth the effort" type of personal anecdotes, please consider sharing them here.
 
#4
Here’s my thoughts on the options…

D) personally I’d scratch this off the list. I hate hauling around big cabs when unnecessary! I’m pretty conservative when it comes to new gear purchases but this seems like a big convenience payoff.

C) Sounds like a gamble, plus the utility of a single 10” is pretty narrow. I’d say no to this too.

So that leaves…

B) I’d go for the 12” (as mentioned above, 10” seems small.) I’ve been using a single 12” Markbass the past few years and it’s a wicked little box. With PA (and even occasionally without) it’s amazing what I’ve gotten away with. I’m not super picky in regards to tone (to a degree,) and this would probably be my personal choice- get the less expensive one.

A) BUT… If you already know you like this one, you may forever be wondering if you should have gotten it, if you don’t!

In the end, I think it’s a toss between A and B. Only you can decide your tolerance on gambling if the Quilter will do what you want it to do!
 
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#5
If you can afford it, get what you want.

I don't see the point in getting a single Quilter if you know it won't be enough...maybe consider a matched pair. Quilter used to offer bigger options (Bassliner 210C and 210W). Maybe you can hunt down NOS or used. Cab Lab – Quilter Labs Bassliner 1x12c, 1x12w, 2x10c, 2x10w | Bass Gear Magazine

If you have done the math to confirm the little KRK sub will work with a bass driver, that could be a fun project. But IMHO a 110 is unlikely to be enough. I would only do this if it's the sort of thing you enjoy, because it is unlikely to meet your performance requirements.
 
#11
DEMS854 said:
So I, like many of you, have gone through the gamut when it comes to cabs.

TL;DR: buy a barefaced 210s, quilter bass dock, or turn my failing KRK monitor sub into a 1x10?

Started with a peavey 210tx combo which paid my way through school and was plenty fine for 14years of my time as a bassist. Then I joined a loud band... had to upgrade. SVT-4pro and 2x Ampeg SVT-410hlf... then an 810e.... then a barefaced Six10. Sold one 410, bought a quilter BB800 (i love it, can cop close enough the sound of my 4pro without so much knob fiddling, and light). Now I have an ideal large gig setup, but I want to buy a smaller cab to pair with my Bass Block for ease of transport when the big guns aren't needed.

Im considering 4 options:

A) $1k Barefaced 210S: fork over the hard earned cash and get the ideal item, sell off/donate the other cabs.

B) $400 Quilter bass dock 10/12:
buy the paired cabinet designed for my amp, which involves making concessions on volume and weight for a neat package, and maybe disliking the sonic outcome.

C) ~$0-200 KRK10s sub: The power amp is failing in the studio sub, generates an awful, thunderous, sound when left on for too long. Cant find a replacement amp for it at a reasonable price. Was gonna chop it up and try to turn it into a sub for my Ford Ranger before I just threw it out. This morning it occurred to me that its dimensions aren't too far off from a 1x10 bass cab. I could scavenge a speaker out of either the 410 or 810 in the interim and cobble together something that may or may not turn out to be worth the effort. If it end up being something that doesn't sound awful, I can buy an 10" 8ohm 500w speaker for less than 200 and have a bombproof knockaround travel cab.

D) do nothing and try to convince myself I'm happy with what I've got and continue to schlep around the Six10.

If you've got any "buy once cry once" or "ended up not being worth the effort" type of personal anecdotes, please consider sharing them here.
Click to expand...

I went with buy what you want. I used to gig big 2x15 cabs and things (a miracle I fit them in my ford focus at the time). Eventually downsized to single Aggie DB112's and class D heads. Still have an Aggie DB410, but almost never need that level of volume with FOH support etc. I'd say, if possible, save up so you don't have to pare down your current herd and get a portable rig you want. Then you can decide if you really want to thin out what you already have which seems like a rad collection.
 
#20
DEMS854 said:
So I, like many of you, have gone through the gamut when it comes to cabs.

TL;DR: buy a barefaced 210s, quilter bass dock, or turn my failing KRK monitor sub into a 1x10?

Started with a peavey 210tx combo which paid my way through school and was plenty fine for 14years of my time as a bassist. Then I joined a loud band... had to upgrade. SVT-4pro and 2x Ampeg SVT-410hlf... then an 810e.... then a barefaced Six10. Sold one 410, bought a quilter BB800 (i love it, can cop close enough the sound of my 4pro without so much knob fiddling, and light). Now I have an ideal large gig setup, but I want to buy a smaller cab to pair with my Bass Block for ease of transport when the big guns aren't needed.

Im considering 4 options:

A) $1k Barefaced 210S: fork over the hard earned cash and get the ideal item, sell off/donate the other cabs.

B) $400 Quilter bass dock 10/12:
buy the paired cabinet designed for my amp, which involves making concessions on volume and weight for a neat package, and maybe disliking the sonic outcome.

C) ~$0-200 KRK10s sub: The power amp is failing in the studio sub, generates an awful, thunderous, sound when left on for too long. Cant find a replacement amp for it at a reasonable price. Was gonna chop it up and try to turn it into a sub for my Ford Ranger before I just threw it out. This morning it occurred to me that its dimensions aren't too far off from a 1x10 bass cab. I could scavenge a speaker out of either the 410 or 810 in the interim and cobble together something that may or may not turn out to be worth the effort. If it end up being something that doesn't sound awful, I can buy an 10" 8ohm 500w speaker for less than 200 and have a bombproof knockaround travel cab.

D) do nothing and try to convince myself I'm happy with what I've got and continue to schlep around the Six10.

If you've got any "buy once cry once" or "ended up not being worth the effort" type of personal anecdotes, please consider sharing them here.
Click to expand...

Back in 2015 I bought a DNS-410 cab by DNA. I expected it to be the last cab I'd ever get. It can handle 1400-watts rms and my Eden WT500/800 can bridge at 800-watts into 8Ω into it. It's the best cab I have ever played through or even heard. It's clarity and articulation are amazing. And it's crazy LOUD with a very low bottom end (37Hz). It arrived at my place in Virginia two days before we moved to the Seattle area of Washington State. I actually hooked up with two groups here. One was a 5-pc classic rock group and the other was a blues/rock trio. One of the first places I played with the 5-pc group was a small, local brewpub where we hosted Friday Night Open Mic Nights. As soon as I rolled in my 410, I had to roll it right back out. It scared the crap out of the owner of that small brewpub and he insisted I play through a small Peavey 112 combo. So my great 410 cab wasn't the last cab I'd ever buy.

After playing through that 112 combo for way too long I bought an Eden EX-112 cab specifially for playing that brewpub. Sounded so good that I bought a second one and would use my big Eden amp with one cab plugged into each of its two power channel for medium-sized venues. So then I didn't use my 410 for medium-sized venues anymore either. About a year later in 2019, when I was accepted into the DNA Endorsing Artist group, I bought a DNS-210 because it sounded just like my 410 but was smaller and lighter.

That DNS-210 was actually the cab I should have purchased first. Nobody ever looks cross-eyed at a bass player bringing in a 210. I expected to use it for medium-sized gigs and it was a little lighter than hauling two 112's around. However it's an unusual 210 cab. It will handle 700-watts rms and has a max SPL of 134db. I very quickly found out it was more than enough for any indoor venue and I could use that one cab anyplace we played indoors. I have since reserved my 410 for outdoor venues and music festivals. At music festivals I get told to turn down using just that DNS-410 cab by itself if I turn my 800-watt Eden amp up to 10:30. So I always keep it below that.

The point of all that is that I should have bought one DNS-210 back in 2015 and then bought a second one when we started playing outdoor venues and music festivals. That 210 is what I use almost all the time. Now I do have to admit to still using that 112 at small venues because it sounds good and I can carry amp, cab, bass, and gig bag in or out all at once. The DNS-210 sounds better but is heavier and I'm older now to where it makes a difference.

So I would suggest you really look hard at getting a good 210 cab like that Barefaced you mention. You need one that has a high max SPL and will handle a lot of power. I'd love to recommend that you get a DNS-210 but David has shuttered the company this year due to parts shortages and parts that are no longer made, so there's not a lot of them around. Street price was $869 new and if you can find a used one, it's still going to be up close to that price. Another 210 that you ought to take a close look at is the Mesa Subway 210. If you have specific questions about it, @agedhorse here on TB designed the Mesa Subway series and I'm sure he'll be happy to help.

But really...go for the 210
 
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