Ugh speaker cabinets, am I right??

#25
HolmeBass said:
What did you end up getting, and how do you like it?
Click to expand...

It was a long and winding road. I had an uncommon driver issue with my green boy that ultimately caused me to move away from the platform.

The Super Compact was my next Barefaced cab. I didn’t quite like it with a Jule Monique, and I moved to a Genz Shuttle head with a parametric mid that got things where I wanted them. The cab is a great size and easy to haul. It was plenty loud in my amateur jam sessions with an unrestrained drummer. I actually really liked it paired with a Mesa Buster tube head but it was silly to have that head/cab pairing for moving around. I did have a Super Midget which has been revised and rebranded in the current lineup. I liked it better than the SC sonically in most ways but the smaller cab was a bit lacking in lows at the output I needed, and the SC was just a bit closer to the mark. I ultimately bit the bullet and went for the Big Baby 2. Great sound. Very happy with it as a FRFR cab. It’s a little awkward to carry compared to the SC mostly because of the dimensions and handle placement. It’s not really much heavier (keep in mind I have some mobility handicaps). It’s also a bit oddly sized in terms of the width when you rest a full sized amp on top. They widened the v3 and it looks to be a better fit for many full sized heads.

I ended up getting a second BB2 and a rack power amp and running the pair as a PA for synth and sampler gigs. For jamming on bass I found a single was quite good on its own, and a Cab Sim pedal really opened up the options for getting a variety of sounds with bass guitar.

They are a premium, and they aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but they are quite good. If you’re looking to make the jump to a BB3 then I think you’ll be comfortable the switch. It might not be a radical change, but it should be roughly where you’re trying to get.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Passinwind
#26
monsterthompson said:
It was a long and winding road. I had an uncommon driver issue with my green boy that ultimately caused me to move away from the platform.

The Super Compact was my next Barefaced cab. I didn’t quite like it with a Jule Monique, and I moved to a Genz Shuttle head with a parametric mid that got things where I wanted them. The cab is a great size and easy to haul. It was plenty loud in my amateur jam sessions with an unrestrained drummer. I actually really liked it paired with a Mesa Buster tube head but it was silly to have that head/cab pairing for moving around. I did have a Super Midget which has been revised and rebranded in the current lineup. I liked it better than the SC sonically in most ways but the smaller cab was a bit lacking in lows at the output I needed, and the SC was just a bit closer to the mark. I ultimately bit the bullet and went for the Big Baby 2. Great sound. Very happy with it as a FRFR cab. It’s a little awkward to carry comp.ared to the SC mostly because of the dimensions and handle placement. It’s not really much heavier (keep in mind I have some mobility handicaps). It’s also a bit oddly sized in terms of the width when you rest a full sized amp on top. They widened the v3 and it looks to be a better fit for many full sized heads.

I ended up getting a second BB2 and a rack power amp and running the pair as a PA for synth and sampler gigs. For jamming on bass I found a single was quite good on its own, and a Cab Sim pedal really opened up the options for getting a variety of sounds with bass guitar.

They are a premium, and they aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but they are quite good. If you’re looking to make the jump to a BB3 then I think you’ll be comfortable the switch. It might not be a radical change, but it should be roughly where you’re trying to get.
Click to expand...
Thank you for this thorough reply!

How does the low end on the Big Baby compare to the fEARful? I found I preferred the fEARful to the Fearless because of the lows .

I would probably be looking at a Super Twin at the very least for my volume needs.
 
#27
HolmeBass said:
Thank you for this thorough reply!

How does the low end on the Big Baby compare to the fEARful? I found I preferred the fEARful to the Fearless because of the lows .

I would probably be looking at a Super Twin at the very least for my volume needs.
Click to expand...

There was a decent amount of time and gear churn between the cabs so I really couldn’t say anything meaningful other than I always felt I had enough low end and it was never overwhelming or wooly.

The Super Twin should be a powerhouse. I never stacked my two BB2 cabs for a jam session but I kinda wish I had a reason to. Unfortunately, I don’t see a reason in the foreseeable future.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HolmeBass
#31
HolmeBass said:
So now I am more and more curious, @monsterthompson , as to what issue you experienced with your fEARful drivers.

Is there an existing thread you could link? I am not trying to force you to write a treatise here, but am keen on trouble-shooting this effectively. Thank you.
Click to expand...

PM sent. There’s a thread but it’s old and ugly and I’m not keen on dredging it up and ruffling feathers.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HolmeBass and Passinwind
#32
I built the same 15/6 with the same grille material, attached with edge screws but no interior stand-offs. It has never rattled. I covered all the edge strips with rat-fur like they used to use for cab covering - has worked well on every speaker cabinet I've used it on.. I did, however, extend the depth a little to provide a recess for the grille.
 
#33
eddiemac said:
I built the same 15/6 with the same grille material, attached with edge screws but no interior stand-offs. It has never rattled. I covered all the edge strips with rat-fur like they used to use for cab covering - has worked well on every speaker cabinet I've used it on.. I did, however, extend the depth a little to provide a recess for the grille.
Click to expand...
This build has padded weatherstripping material around the edge of the grille, the screws driving through the grate and the weather-stripping, then has the 4 additional standoffs screwed into the baffle.

I’ve been using it for years with no issues. I finally got to (had to) turn it up loud enough to expose the issue. Maybe you just haven’t played it loud enough yet to expose the issue?
 
#34
HolmeBass said:
This build has padded weatherstripping material around the edge of the grille, the screws driving through the grate and the weather-stripping, then has the 4 additional standoffs screwed into the baffle.

I’ve been using it for years with no issues. I finally got to (had to) turn it up loud enough to expose the issue. Maybe you just haven’t played it loud enough yet to expose the issue?
Click to expand...
Oh, I think I have. (By the way, the rat fir goes all the way around the strips).
 
#35
eddiemac said:
Oh, I think I have. (By the way, the rat fir goes all the way around the strips).
Click to expand...
The weather stripping goes all the way around the perimeter of the grille on my cabinet. What vibrates is the free part away from the edge. There’s no way edge damping would address this. I either need another standoff or six spread around, or a stiffer grille material, like what is used on my F112.

I played mine loud plenty of times without issue.

This was “limiter light constantly flashing” loud on the D-800+ and the issues appeared.
 
#36
Metal grills for instrument cabs
and PA cabs was really becoming the normal
around the mid 90's.
Wouldn't feel to bad.
Almost all of them rattle over time.
Heavy grills just make it heavier.
The fix was adding more fasteners and rubber
stand offs to the center of the material.
Which is where it flexes more.
Usually the cabinet is vibrating to much.
The baffle vibrates at high SPL
and the grill sings along with it.

Easier and better to use cloth grill.
Or add braces to baffle or corners.
Depends on cabinet age.
Corners or side joints weaken over years.
Baffles can be weak from the beginning.
Unfortunate many PA towers cannot be modified
to refit with cloth grills.

Otherwise hardware will loosen from
travel vibrations. Specially trailered
equipment
 
Last edited:
#37
HolmeBass said:
So I finally got to play a gig where I could, indeed was asked to by the band, to turn up very loud. I was running my Warwick Streamer Stage I in my Mesa D-800+, using a fEarful 15/6 and a Fearless F112. It sounded glorious, we all agreed. As the gig wore one, and crescendos were enjoyed, I noticed the speaker grille for my fEARful was vibrating! Once it caught my attention, it was impossible to un-hear. Then I noticed another, more faint, sound of frying bacon, a fast staticky crackle. It was a total bummer. To finally really wind out the rig and hear that unwanted noise sucked.

Since then I've played gigs, at the more "usual" volumes, and it's just not enough to get any of the pathology to show itself.

So I just set my rig up at the edge of my garage, with the garage door open, and let it rip. I easily reproduced no issues at lower volumes, even a level that is in truth what I would call a loud gig, but nothing. Then I jacked the master up, like at the fated gig, saw the limiter flashing on the Mesa. And then both issues reproduced. I could then separate the cabinets and test them individually at the same voltage (roughly... I left my gain structure exactly the same and tested each cabinet in turn) and found the rattle was the speaker grille on the fEARful, and the sizzling static was in the F112.

The fEARful 15/6 was built a long time ago by someone else from a Speaker Hardware flat pack (IIRC). They used a cheap stamped wire grate for the grille, with only 4 vibration-damping standoffs. So I am going to replace the grille wholesale. I am attracted to waffle grilles, although I now know this to be polarizing from this informative thread from 2022:


The 15/6:
View attachment 7041105

I am worried about installing the mounting brackets on the finished speaker cabinet, and am hoping some of the speaker cabinet gurus, like @agedhorse , @Passinwind , @Redbrangus , @basscooker , @micguy , @Wasnex can chime in. Let's say I use this Penn Elco mounting bracket kit from Parts Express: Penn-Elcom G0780KIT Large Speaker Grill Clamp Kit

I imagine I un-install the drivers, get the anchor brackets and bolts loose enough to re-install the driver, then put the cover on, and tighten the brackets down. Honestly, it sounds daunting, but whatever.

What I would like to know is: how important is keeping the cabinet air-tight as I drive the mounting bolts through the baffle? Should I avoid drilling through the baffle? The bolts appear flat-headed, so seems I would need to drill. Should I use some glue or something to try and make the hole air-tight? Thanks for any insight. Or does it just need to be "good enough, mostly air-tight" and not "diving on the Titanic air-tight"? Am I over-thinking this part? Thanks for any insight.

As for the F112, I am going to open her up and try and check on the connections to the jack plate, the speakers, and the crossover. Make sure no batting is accidentally rubbing on a cone. After that, though, I'll have to find someone to fix it, maybe test the drivers to make sure they are not blown. Although the cabinet is supposed to handle 450 W and should only ever have received 350 W at the most, so I wouldn't expect the drivers to be blown.
Click to expand...
The wheel on the side ts likely to rattle too. I've always run with no grilles at all - wheeled road cases for my 1-15s. When I was using huge horn loaded JBLs, had a plywood front cover that clipped on for transport.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HolmeBass
#40
After swapping out the OEM 12" speaker for an Eminence DeltaLite II, my Acoustic B100c combo amp started vibrating the Velcro-mounted OEM grille/fabric assembly noticeably, if you can believe it. I tried isolating it better but got nowhere - finally ripped all the grille covering off and fitted a piece of aluminum house stucco screening to it that I painted - used some rubber washered hardware to attach. Fixed! Looks more pro too!
 
  • Like
  • Wow
Reactions: 2saddleslab and agedhorse
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back