Reggae bass cab?

Combining subs, tops and all the rest of your kit.
Message
Author
Néal Zheimer
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 6:45 am

Reggae bass cab?

#1 Post by Néal Zheimer »

Hi

I play the bass guitar for a French 9 piece Reggae band (drums, guitar, keys, bass, baritone sax, alto sax, trombone, trumpet and lead singer). I am responsible for the low end part of the sound, I'm looking for a bass and fat sound.
For rehearsal and tiny bar gigs, I play on a small Fender BXR Sixty which does the trick.

Yesterday, we went to a medium sized gig and there wasn't space left for me on the PA, I was forced to up the volume and the busted cones in my Ashdown 2x10 cab farted during the whole show 😭

I'm hesitating between a DR and a Omni and have a hard time making a decision between the two.
I'm a professional cabinet woodworker so build complexity shouldn't be an issue.

Any help or feedback is appreciated

Cheers

Guillaume

User avatar
Bill Fitzmaurice
Site Admin
Posts: 28619
Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 5:59 pm

Re: Reggae bass cab?

#2 Post by Bill Fitzmaurice »

O15 or O15TB, loaded with two premium twelves. I'd leave the tweeter out.

jimbo7
Posts: 849
Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2012 10:45 am
Location: St. Louis

Re: Reggae bass cab?

#3 Post by jimbo7 »

Are wood prices in Europe as high as they are here in the U.S.?
BFM builds:
XF212
T24 BP102 24"
2x SLA's 6-5" mids, 9- gt-302's
2x AT 14" MCM 55-2421
TrT 5" MCM 55-2421
AT 18" JBL GTO804
2x OT12 flat array
2x SLA Pro 2-Alpha 6's 2-Goldwoods
2x T39 24" 3012lf
Simplex 10 BP102

User avatar
AntonZ
Posts: 2664
Joined: Sun May 14, 2006 6:00 am
Location: NL

Re: Reggae bass cab?

#4 Post by AntonZ »

Probably higher. Prices for construction material are going through the roof worldwide and ply has always been more expensive in Europe. Yes, we should be closer to the source for baltic birch, but for some reason it still is cheaper at your side of the pond. Perhaps to do with the quantities used, the Europeans tend to build more in brick/concrete.

User avatar
Bill Fitzmaurice
Site Admin
Posts: 28619
Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 5:59 pm

Re: Reggae bass cab?

#5 Post by Bill Fitzmaurice »

That doesn't explain BB prices, as we don't use it in home construction, only in cabinetry, furniture, aircraft and boats.

User avatar
AntonZ
Posts: 2664
Joined: Sun May 14, 2006 6:00 am
Location: NL

Re: Reggae bass cab?

#6 Post by AntonZ »

Tax and economics of scale perhaps? I'm not sure what it is, but over the years I have been drooling over the prices of BB in the US.
Poplar 1/2" 4x8 retails over €50 where I live. Same size in BB is some €65.

User avatar
Bill Fitzmaurice
Site Admin
Posts: 28619
Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 5:59 pm

Re: Reggae bass cab?

#7 Post by Bill Fitzmaurice »

Use the poplar, it's lighter. I wish we could find it here.

Bruce Weldy
Posts: 8301
Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:37 am
Location: New Braunfels, TX

Re: Reggae bass cab?

#8 Post by Bruce Weldy »

Thought I'd check the prices locally here in Texas. I've been buying Russian BB 5x5 for about 30 bucks......it's now $39 (1.56/sq ft). Not horrible compared to 1/2 BC ply at $77 for a 4x8 (2.40/sq ft). Just proves it's our national product that is getting way out of line.

6 - T39 3012LF
4 - OT12 2512
1 - T24
1 - SLA Pro
2 - XF210


"A system with a few knobs set up by someone who knows what they are doing is always better than one with a lot of knobs set up by someone who doesn't."

User avatar
AntonZ
Posts: 2664
Joined: Sun May 14, 2006 6:00 am
Location: NL

Re: Reggae bass cab?

#9 Post by AntonZ »

Bill Fitzmaurice wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 5:17 pm Use the poplar, it's lighter. I wish we could find it here.
I do. Poplar is somewhat softer and thus tends to dent more upon impact. And birch is nicer to work with. But the weight saved is well worth it.

User avatar
Bill Fitzmaurice
Site Admin
Posts: 28619
Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 5:59 pm

Re: Reggae bass cab?

#10 Post by Bill Fitzmaurice »

Bruce Weldy wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 5:43 pm Just proves it's our national product that is getting way out of line.
It's more likely due to 30% of softwood normally comes from Canada. Between Covid and tariffs that figure has dropped considerably.

User avatar
Seth
Posts: 2731
Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2009 8:06 pm
Location: Sacramento, California, USA
Contact:

Re: Reggae bass cab?

#11 Post by Seth »

I was a little intrigued by the 9 piece French Reggae band and thought to myself I wonder what French Reggae is... google google YouTube YouTube... I was a little disappointed when I learned it was simply Reggae sung in French. LOL Thought it might have been some new sub-style or spin I wasn't aware of. Nope. Not the case at all.

None the less, a 9 piece band sounds like it would be a great show!
Build in process - 2 WH6, one Alpha 6a loaded, one PRV Audio 6MB250-NDY loaded

Two 2x6 shorty SLA Pro's
One T39, 16", 3012LF loaded
Tall AutoTuba, 20" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421
TruckTuba, 8½" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421

jimbo7
Posts: 849
Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2012 10:45 am
Location: St. Louis

Re: Reggae bass cab?

#12 Post by jimbo7 »

Seth wrote: Wed Jun 23, 2021 1:25 pm I was a little intrigued by the 9 piece French Reggae band and thought to myself I wonder what French Reggae is...
Mix 1/2 Zydeco with 1/2 Jamaican Reggae. Stir it in a mixer then pour it out the speakers.
BFM builds:
XF212
T24 BP102 24"
2x SLA's 6-5" mids, 9- gt-302's
2x AT 14" MCM 55-2421
TrT 5" MCM 55-2421
AT 18" JBL GTO804
2x OT12 flat array
2x SLA Pro 2-Alpha 6's 2-Goldwoods
2x T39 24" 3012lf
Simplex 10 BP102

Néal Zheimer
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 6:45 am

Re: Reggae bass cab?

#13 Post by Néal Zheimer »

Sorry it took so long to get back to you guys.
Bill Fitzmaurice wrote: Mon Jun 21, 2021 6:33 am O15 or O15TB, loaded with two premium twelves. I'd leave the tweeter out.
Thanks, I think I'll head this way.
jimbo7 wrote: Mon Jun 21, 2021 6:57 pm Are wood prices in Europe as high as they are here in the U.S.?
Yes, prices are high. The worst is that availability is another issue...
It's getting a bit better these days (but not like it was).

The reason behind this, according to my suppliers is twofold:
1. Since Covid, the whole supply chain was disrupted (logistics, factories...)
2. Wood (even solid wood) is getting more expensive here because the cut trees are being exported to China and America (they pay more than Europeans do).
Bill Fitzmaurice wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 11:32 am That doesn't explain BB prices, as we don't use it in home construction, only in cabinetry, furniture, aircraft and boats.
We indeed build walls with maconnery, wooden framework structures are getting more and more popular though.
Funny thing is that in cabinetry, we tend to use melamine particule board.
Seth wrote: Wed Jun 23, 2021 1:25 pm I was a little intrigued by the 9 piece French Reggae band and thought to myself I wonder what French Reggae is... google google YouTube YouTube... I was a little disappointed when I learned it was simply Reggae sung in French. LOL Thought it might have been some new sub-style or spin I wasn't aware of. Nope. Not the case at all.

None the less, a 9 piece band sounds like it would be a great show!
Sorry to disapoint :)
We are called Reggae Blaster, you can hear us on any streaming platform (released the first EP) and we have a video clip on YT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFo-X9nadDY
[/ad]

BTW, 1/2" (12mm) plywood is not the easier to find here, can 15mm do the trick if I expand out the enveloppe?

Cheers

User avatar
Bill Fitzmaurice
Site Admin
Posts: 28619
Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 5:59 pm

Re: Reggae bass cab?

#14 Post by Bill Fitzmaurice »

15mm is OK.

Néal Zheimer
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 6:45 am

Re: Reggae bass cab?

#15 Post by Néal Zheimer »

Hi

Thanks for the info.
I was looking for alternative speakers for the build because a couple of Kappalite 3012LF's are a bit on the expensive side of things for my budget (about 500€ for the pair).

Given the specs from the documentation, I searched the Loudspeaker Database and stumbled uppon the LaVoce SSF122.50L (Official datasheet):
✓ fs=41Hz
✓ Qts=0.41
✓ Xmax=±11.5mm
✓ VD=610.7cm³
:mrgreen: for 225€ delivered

Are these any good or should I continue to save up for a pair of Kappalite 3012LF?

Cheers

Post Reply