Sunn Sceptre 4x12 as a bass cab?

[mintyice]

Would it be possible to use a Sunn Sceptre 4x12 as a bass cabinet?

[buzzsunn]

In general all cabs can be used either for guitar or bass. Unfortunately you may find the drivers a bit weak for bass application. Keep in mind, if you cab has the original sunn transducer speakers, that the cab is rated at abou 100watts. Bit low in my opinion for a bass rig.
You can always try for yourself. The results would definitely be interesting.
T.

[EdBass]

I tried to run my Sceptre cab paired with a 200S cab with a 200S head. Like an idiot I didn't try it at home or in a studio first, just took the rig to a paying gig and fired it up at sound check.
It just detracted from the tone of the 200S rig without the Sceptre cab IMO, sounded "snarky" and distorted. Those AlNiCo Sunn Transducers were bouncing all over the place making all kinds of non bass friendly noises.
I unplugged the cab and went with the 200S rig only and used the Sceptre cab for a stage prop for the show.

Maybe with some proper woofers (something that works with sealed cabs of that volume) it would be workable, but I'd have to give a thumbs down to a factory stock Sceptre cab for bass, at least at live gig volumes.

[Happy Face]

Please don't ignore advice from Edbass. Just don't do it.

I'm not as anal , I mean, particular, about sound as Ed, but he is right on this one.

(But then, the other night I rolled out my old Coliseum Lead with a 4 JBL MI-12's cab I used as a keyboard rig for a while. From experience, if you dial it all up right, it kranks out a really nice modern bass sound, as long as you don't really yank on the stings too heavily. Which I do.) 

So... Listen to Ed's advice here.

[loudthud]

The stock Sunn speakers in the Sceptre were never intended for Bass Guitar. If you install some random 12 inch bass speakers, it's a complete dice roll wheather it will work or not. The chances of it sounding good are about the same as rolling double box cars.

[Isaac]

I don't think the odds are quite that low. It's a large cabinet, and sealed cabs are much more forgiving than ported cabs are. I think the possibility of getting a decent bass sound with a more or less random bass driver is pretty good. Depending, of course, on what one considers decent.

[Rancho Rauncho]

http://www.mesaboogie.com/Product_Info/Bass_Cabs/PowerhouseCABS/Images-PHfronts/NEW-Feb2008/4x12PH-LGfnt.jpg

http://static.musiciansfriend.com/derivates/19/001/314/691/DV020_Jpg_Jumbo_580278_R.jpg

http://static.musiciansfriend.com/derivates/6/001/446/344/DV019_Jpg_Regular_H13502.004.001_boss_tweed_4_ohm_V.jpg

Above are three modern 4x12's that are descendents of the Sunn staggered design at roughly the same dimensions as the Sceptre cab, which shows(at least to me)that the configuration has some validity. With the 15" depth, the internal volume of the Sunn is a bit bigger than a standard Marshall/Hiwatt, so, loaded with proper bass frequency handling drivers, it will work OK.  Keep in mind that it's a seal cab, no ports, so a certain amount of low frequency energy would be lost. As an experiment, I once put a quartet of 90 watt Celestions that were developed specifically for Line 6 modeling amps(therefore flatter response)into my Sunn vertical 4x12, and it sounded pretty good, but, as you might expect, in the Lemmy/60's Entwistle/J.J. Burnell realm. I eventually reverted it back to a guitar cab with some original alnico Sunn transducers, but if I were to do it again as a bass cab, I'd use some Emenence Basslites

[EdBass]

Those Mesa and Aggie cabs are probably about 12 cubic in  larger when you factor in the thinner walled modern construction, the GK even larger, but much more importantly all of them are ported.

Not a bad thing or a good thing IMO, but tonally and in relation to driver selection apples and oranges when compared to a Sceptre.
I agree with Isaac that sealed cabs are more forgiving, but I doubt you could get any comparable (to the examples above) low bass extension out of the Sceptre cab regardless of what drivers you put in it.
However, like I said IMO that isn't good or bad; it's about what sounds best to the interested listener.
The bottom end response of an Ampeg 'fridge falls off a table at about 100hz, and those seem to be pretty much universally liked for bass guitar...

I’d call Eminence (or Faital, or B&C, etc.) and tell them that I was looking for quad 12” drivers for bass guitar using a sealed 7 cu ft box and see what they think. They are usually very accommodating.

[slavestate]

Not exactly SUNN related but on the 4x12 subject. I have been using an old ACC 105 4x12 cabinet for almost 2 years now exclusively for bass. It has the original 12" Eminence aluminum coned speakers inside and I have used it with many different bass amps including a Sunn Concert Bass, Acoustic 450, 470, 150B and Fender Bassman 100. All of these amplifiers were a solid match for this particular cabinet.

The measurements of this cabinet are 36H x 26W x 15D, the same size of their 402 2x15 which also is a fantastic accompaniment to a Concert Bass among many other vintage heads.

This 105 can be seen at:

http://acoustic.homeunix.net/twiki/bin/view/Acoustic/GuitarCabinet105

[scotzoid]

Just to be contrary, it's not only possible, but I've been using my Sceptre cab for years with my Sorado head. The 4-12 cab sounds so much tighter & punchier than the 2-15 cab that came with the head.

In fairness, I'm not 100% sure I haven't got a blown/cracked speaker or two in the 2-15, it's had a dreadfully hard life. But when I'm not competing with guitarists who *crank it up to eleven*, the Sceptre cab gives me everything I need from it.

Yeh, I know, zombie thread, been gone for a while...