Vintage Bass Cab - Modern Speaker - meh…

[Jowes_84]

Hi low-end fanatics!

so after getting a 2-15 and a 1-15 late 70’s / early 80’s vented bassman cab to play loud and louder in our big rehearsal space … the 1-15 with a speaker that seems original, the 2-15 with two Eminence Kappa LF drivers… I am surprised about the results:

the 1-15 sound great no matter what I plug in, bass, guitar, solid state, tube amp… but wattage-wise I would not bring it to a bigger gig

the 2-15 moves lots of air and is loud, takes almost any Bass head there is and sounds somewhat present and bold - however - it just doesn’t sound right to me. Midsy-muffeley-justnotrighty…

Am I Crazy?
I have an EVM15b, EV Force 15 and a JBL K130 lying around, potentially for sale, but now I seriously consider ripping the „2x 15 Eminence LF high wattage and especially made for bass“ speakers out and instead screw those old 15s in.

yes?
No?

some more pics tonight when I hopefully get the chance to open up the bad boys in the rehearsal room and show you guys what’s inside.

any experience / knowledge highly appreciated
thanks!

 

[Jowes_84]

Ok - the 1-15 has an EV15L
While playing with the band, the 2-15 actually had more bass and fit better in the mix
The 1-15 was a bit weak/bright
on it’s own, the 2-15 sounds dull
Seems like both in parallel would be a good combination
Not sure about using my old EV for the 2-15 anymore
I’ll do some testing soon.

 

[Jowes_84]

EVM15Bs in the 2-15 did the trick. L would work too, the 1-15 will get an EVM15L. More top end and a more balanced sound.
The Emis were sold-they are made for modern cabs (with high-f horns)

 

[Edgar Allan Presley]

Thanks for posting this. I have a '67 2x15 cab for my Bassman head that I'd use mostly for guitar but sometimes for bass. The original speakers sound tired and I've been wondering if I should recone the originals or replace them. Your posts remind me to take that massive cab out and play with others before I make any changes. I like the big upright cabs for a crowded stage, but I really don't like carrying it.

 

[Jowes_84]

Mine stays in the rehearsal room where I can turn up the amp. Most shows - if I ever play live again - I am more than loud enough with my MarkBass 250 and a 2x10.
But yes, playing this beast in a rock band powered by an old Fender 135 Head is quite something.

 

[Lowerleftcoast]

The Emis were sold-they are made for modern cabs

The Kappa LF drivers do not deliver the high range that is needed for a bass guitar.

The D130 sounds nice, has a high sensitivity rating something like 103dB/1M but the xmax is too small and it is only rated for *maybe* 100W (JBL says 30W but the designer says more). It would be easy for a bass guitar amp to overpower them. (The Fender Showman used 1 D130F but soon changed to 2 D130F speakers because the Showman could blow the single D130F. The Dual Showman was born. hah.)

The EV Plays into the high range, has good sensitivity, can handle 200W and has an acceptable xmax.

You can find modern 15" bass speakers for bass guitar, but the Kappa LF drivers can't do it without help in the high end.

 

[Killing Floor]

I can't say whether you are crazy. It's difficult to tell with some people.

But I can agree as a bassist and guitarist since the era of your cabs. Speakers are not all equal and the science of cabinet design has come a long way since the big sealed blocks and sugar scoops.

In fact, before I gave away a bunch of road used gear to some local kids I compared my modern 212/800W amp with a 412 and a 215 with rack power amps and the 212 was louder and had more headroom before distorting.

Eminence makes good speakers, there are others too.

 

[Jowes_84]

I can't say whether you are crazy. It's difficult to tell with some people.

But I can agree as a bassist and guitarist since the era of your cabs. Speakers are not all equal and the science of cabinet design has come a long way since the big sealed blocks and sugar scoops.

In fact, before I gave away a bunch of road used gear to some local kids I compared my modern 212/800W amp with a 412 and a 215 with rack power amps and the 212 was louder and had more headroom before distorting.

Eminence makes good speakers, there are others too.

There is really no reason to go with the old stuff anymore besides being sentimental.
In the bass world, many light and powerful options are available.
The only plus of an older tube head with such a heavy 2-15 cab with EVs is that you can plug in any instrument and it will sound good.