Can use Steel King for Bass?

[Saucer4]

I've just gotten a '61 Vibrasonic to use with my pedal steel, superceding a Steel King.

I need to sell something and thought maybe its time for my clumbersome bass rig to go (I don't play my bass much these days anyway). I am wondering whether I can use the Steel King (maybe close and port the back) for bass?

Its basically a Fender Bassman 200 power amp with a nice flexible EQ preamp tiltled towards steel guitar. Very flexible parametric EQ, with a nifty "eq tilt". Will the "Custom 15 inch driver" by Eminence cut the mustard?

Here's the amp:

http://www.fender.com/products/searc...tno=2289500000

any thoughts?

PS. as this is a Telecaster forum, I should add that my Tele will continue to get played through a Fender Blues Deluxe RI. Unless the Vibrasonic displaces that too ......

[Warren Pederson]

Probably work for extremely low levels. Think bedroom volume. You could easily rig up a different cab. Don't sell gear.

[Saucer4]

As another option. i was thinking of using maybe 2x10s with the Steel King

Are there nice high performance ones that chuck out lottsa bass?

[Shoved BassVIII]

To the best of my knowledge, you can use any head with a bass cab....whether or not it sounds good is a different issue

[Saucer4]

what I want to know is whether my steel king amplifier can be used as a serious good bass combo. Does that 15" Eminence make a good bass speaker?
would it work better if I closed the cabinet?

[Tim Armstrong]

At the very least, I'd take out that speaker and put in one designed for bass.

As for the cab design, open back cabs don't do a great job for bass, but I don't know how effective closing off the back would be...

I'd probably just run it into a bass cab.

...or maybe just sell it and buy a bass amp!



Tim

[4mal]

That actually looks like either an Eminence Detla or Kappa. As long as you bring up the volume solowly paying attention to it not 'farting out' you can probably do OK with it... For under $300 you could also get a 4 ohm, 1x12 Avatar neo cab. Delivered... Lightweight and put's out a bunch of volume. It's reasonably efficient. Probably a better sounding solution than hacking your Steel King if it's in the budget.

I have that cab in 8 ohms and often run it with a 180 watt micro amp and it's enough for a 50 - 100 seater at low to moderate volmues. Mostly these days I'm without drums so that cuts the volume requirement down considerably.

[Saucer4]

Thanks, Guys. I've managed to determine that the speaker, an Eminence Commonwealth is the copy of a guitar speaker, the JBL130 thingy, and probably not well suited.

I might look into these Australian made cabs. I could use one of these single twelves or 2x10s with either the Steel King head or the Vibrasonic (~45w).

http://www.bassgeardirect.com.au/Bergantino%20home.htm

[Saucer4]

4Mal - thanks for the tip. There are a lot of Avatar cabinets on ebay right now (including empty cabinets)

[Tim Armstrong]

If you're looking for a cabinet, Lopoline makes nice ones for VERY reasonable prices!

Tim

[4mal]

Originally Posted by Saucer4

I might look into these Australian made cabs. I could use one of these single twelves or 2x10s with either the Steel King head or the Vibrasonic (~45w).

http://www.bassgeardirect.com.au/Bergantino%20home.htm

Bergantino is MIA and generally considered among the best cab's out ther ebut - they are very low efficiency. For his 1x12, 2x10 cab, the HT322 he recommends a Crest CA-9 ... bridged ... that would be 1000 w at 8 ohms, clean, 30 hz ... those cab's will just laught at your Steel King - or my 700 watt into 4 ohm GK for that matter ...

The 1x12 is every bit as power hungry ...

Interesting that Eminence is drawing a comparison the the D130. Makes sense in a way as the D130 was sort of regarded as the grail for Steel guys IIRC. The 130 shared the same magnet and fram as the 140, the bass speaker. The difference was a lighter weight cone and no stiffening rib's in the cone material. That Commonwealth appears to be an Eminence bass speaker from the rear. 130's actually sounded pretty good for bass if they were'nt pushed hard ... If they were puched hard they generally broke. An Avatar SB112 is my fave among the relatively inexpensive cab's out there - I can't build one for what they'll put one on my doorstep for ...