newbie questions about cabs inside

[drew_half_empty]

well, after i get my bassman modded, I'm gonna take the plunge & go for a 4x12, I've found it necessary to get the tone I'm after

recently I've been running my hot rod into my 2x12 4 ohm bassman cab (or rather, the cab I'm using FOR the bassman), which has been sounding... spectacular, much more low end thump & just seemed to bring out the tones I've been looking for

so recently i took both to whole-band practice (instead of just in my room, volumes that drive my mom crazy but not quite giggable volumes), and once again, with the change in rooms i noticed a big difference. Pretty much all my...'thud', for lack of a better word, was gone, it sounded less focused, just not what i want. So after practice i took it back up to my room, put the cab in its usual spot, and noticed one key difference that may have affected things. This being, that there was a bass combo amp directly behind the cab, and the back of the cab itself was sitting infront of a closet, which lead me to think that this sort of atmosphere created an either partial open back, or almost totally closed back atmosphere, versus the room we practice in, where it was sitting pretty far away from any walls.

So, when i get my 4x12, I'm wanting well, the sound i'm getting in my room, so should i go closed back, partial open, or totally open? There are no cabs that come with my speakers...atleast none that i have access to, so it'd be pretty much impossible to try out the different configurations.

also, i can get a 4x12 slant front behringer cab for cheap, closed back, are these good cabs or no? I'll be swapping out the speakers so thats not an issue. Also they have a metal front instead of grill cloth, i dunno if that makes a difference but if it does, well, I'll be going with avatar i suppose.

 

[mrid]

Re: newbie questions about cabs inside

I don't know if this has been suggested before, but I've found that my loud amp settings are totally different from my quiet amp settings. I used to hate the sound of my setup until I realized that I had to do some serious tweaking to get it to sound right at higher volumes. Also, I'd go with a closed-back Avatar over Behringer anyday.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: newbie questions about cabs inside

i know, and i adjusted, but still couldn't quite nail it

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: newbie questions about cabs inside

It's kinda crazy how room acoustics can alter tone, eh?

Maybe your rehearsal space could use some sound-proofing...if you've got extra blankets or pillows, just tape 'em to the walls and ceilings and stuff for some ghetto sound-proofing. Don't lay 'em flat tho, that defeats the purpose.

We did this with my friend's basement and noticed a pretty big overall improvement on our sound...everything sounded more "studio" and less "basement"...haha

Not that that even comes close to answering your question but...

-X

 

[Quencho092]

Re: newbie questions about cabs inside

is it possible for you guys to play outside? smaller rooms are a nightmare for tone, you can really turn your amp up outside and set it to sound good.

I have a pretty similar setup to yours drew, bandmaster>2x12, and outside i can get my best sound. If you want more 'thud' try bridging the 2 channels with a patch cable and using both bass controls. With a fender head, they're really not great for getting lots of really tight higher gain tones, especially in a closed room.

Have you tried the amp with singlecoils? everything sounds more cutting and more focused especially when i have my amp cranked.

 

[Hellion]

Re: newbie questions about cabs inside

Changing rooms changes the tone. That's just kind of the way it is. As far as cabinets go, you'll get more bass response out of a cabinet that doesn't have the slanted top.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: newbie questions about cabs inside

ok but uhh, anyone care to answer the question?

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: newbie questions about cabs inside

Well the answer is really "depends"... You say you want your bedroom tone. The only way to do this would be to move your band into your bedroom. Even then i'm willing to bet your tone would change. Your "thud" is competing for sonic space with the bass guitar and bass drum when you play with the band. The cab change from a 2x12 to a 4x12 will probably change your bedroom tone also if for no other reason than the speakers will probably be aimed more directly at your ears instead of your ankles... To me closed back cabs are more predictable in their response to acoustics... I think this is due to the speaker energy being focused mostly in one direction istead of out the front and back...

 

[gordon_39422]

Re: newbie questions about cabs inside

Play on stages that have a closet behind them, and place your amp there! J/K!!!

I hate when you find THE tone, and cant get it onstage! I dont have an answer, but I thought I would give you some sympathy after all the advice you've given me.

Seriously though, that closet is another resonant chamber which is providing some sympathetic whoomphf!!!

I hope you find a cure for you ailments.

BTW, thanks for the link to the "Unofficial Hot Rod Manual." I have read every link on that page from top to bottom. Some VERY useful stuff for ALL tube amp owners, as well as some great stuff for Hot Rod owners. Already got an order placed for some of the tubes they recommended. I will give one of the speakers a try, as well. Possibly the R,W, & B model you have.

Later,
Allen

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: newbie questions about cabs inside

just a little fyi

if you get the RW&B, your cleans WILL go down hill

 

[gordon_39422]

Re: newbie questions about cabs inside

just a little fyi

if you get the RW&B, your cleans WILL go down hill

I am glad you shared that! I am trying to get as clear of a sound that I can. I will rely on pedals for the OD needs. What do you recommend to accentuate the clarity? I have heard good things about the Jensen CN12, among others. I would like to get the tone I want, but I will also like to have the other accessories handy. As such, once I get the clean sound, I am going to stockpile tubes and drivers that result in other tones as well. Man that Hot Rod page is amazingly full of mods and info that really give you an informatice approach to getting the tones you desire.

Thanks for the heads up! I will hold off on ordering the driver, for now. But the JJ's are in shipment now!! I Can't wait......

Talk to ya later,
Allen

 

[DirrtyCraig]

Re: newbie questions about cabs inside

I know EXACTLY what your talking about, and it sounds to me very clearly that you want a closed cab. I wouldn't skimp though (Behringer), and you don't necessarrily need a 4-12 to solve your problem. Check out an slightly oversized closed back 2-12.

Soldano makes really cool ones, Marshall makes theirs too small I think... these sound kick @ss:
http://splawnguitars.com/images/splcab212black.gif

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: newbie questions about cabs inside

I don't know if this has been suggested before, but I've found that my loud amp settings are totally different from my quiet amp settings. I used to hate the sound of my setup until I realized that I had to do some serious tweaking to get it to sound right at higher volumes. Also, I'd go with a closed-back Avatar over Behringer anyday.

Man I agree! When I go from my spare bedroom with the amp almost against the wall to a somewhat soundproofed home studio with my amp on a riser my eq is COMPLETLY different. In my house I've got the eq set like:

Treble 6-7
Mids 10
Bass 3
Cut almost 1

When I play at the guys studio its like this:

Treble 6-7
Mids 5
Bass 1
Cut 2-3

Same guitar different room, with some sound proofing and carpet everywhere.

All that said I'd say a semi-open back cab would be the way to go. I get lots of ambience from my open back but the 10's help me cut through. It seems to me the metal grate would make a negligible difference compared to open or closed backs. You might get a slight metallic ring from it.

Luke