Concert Bass and Cabinet X

[Jeff Troy]

Hi, Guys,

Just picked up a nice silver Concert Bass head, no speaker enclosure, and wondered what were the correct bass cabinets that match the width of the head.

Once I know the correct piece(s), I can either find-and-buy or build one of them, but I'd like to know which enclosures are correct.

I got several choices from the catalog thread, but didn't see anything that was Concert Bass-specific.

Thanks and warmest regards,

[george]

Make sure the speakers are connected to give a MINIMUM of four ohms to your concert amp.

[Isaac]

Jeff, there is no "correct" speaker cabinet. In those days, Sunn had a "mix and match" philosophy. The idea was to buy an amp, then get the speaker cabinet that best suited the sound you were looking for. A player might have used a single 115S, for portability, with perhaps a second 115S for larger gigs. Another person might prefer the 215S. Folded horns were popular in those days, so a 118MH or 215SH might be used instead. Some people might even have chosen a 412S, 612S or 415S.

If that looks like gibberish to you, here's how to decode it. The first digit is the number of drivers in the cabinet. The second two digits are the size of the drivers. The first letter is the type of driver: S for Sunn Transducer, M for Sunn Magna, and V for Cerwin Vega. The H designates a horn loaded cabinet.

Now, all that said, the most common choice was probably the 215S. It also was the same width as the amp, which is not true for all of the cabinets I mentioned.

[Jeff Troy]

Hi, Isaac and George,

Thank you for your responses.

I have a couple of 215 and 410S cabs, a 415M, 115, and several others.



I don't have, and never have had any kind of an 18-inch speaker setup, so I'm thinking that one of the 118 enclosures might be fun to try.

The 115 I have is a converted PA cabinet with the cutout for the horn covered over in the baffle. Are the 118 cabinets basically the same? I'd prefer to build the rear-loaded version so I don't have to mess with a separate grille frame.

Can anyone make a hand drawing of the innards so I know how to attack the port(s)?

Thanks in advance, and warmest regards,

[CLD]

FWIW, Jeff, I preferred the sound of my Concert Bass with the 215SH and 118BH. With the 215 and 415 it just didn't have anywhere near the fullness of a tube amp sound but the folded horn cabinets made up for it.

Glad to hear you have more Sunn gear! You're an inspiration to us all.

 

[dheizer]

My vote is for the 215SH, but I might just be a bit biased.

[grimniggzy]

Some people might even have chosen a 412S, 612S or 415S.

If that looks like gibberish to you, here's how to decode it. The first digit is the number of drivers in the cabinet. The second two digits are the size of the drivers.

Man, I'd totally rock a 61X2
 
I kid, I kid
 

[Johnny Guitar]

Hello Jeff,
These are not mine but here are a couple of pics.
Johnny G.

[Jeff Troy]

Hey Johnnie O,

How ya' doin'?

On the right hand side of the image I posted, that pair of 412SR enclosures and the two Concert Horn Accessory pieces on top of them are what I did with the pieces I bought from you. The innards for the horns are the same, but I built two wooden cases to match the pair I had.

Thanks for the 118 pics. Are they the same cabinets with one port area painted, or are they the two different pieces I saw in the 1975 list? If they are different, do you know which is which?

With the outer dimensions that are listed, I'm pretty sure I can build a pretty accurate cabinet from the drawings you sent. Just want to be sure that I'm going in the right direction. Thanks again for your help, now and before.

Warmest regards,

[Isaac]

At a glance, the first 118 pic appears to be a 118M, and the second is definitely a 118V.

[Jeff Troy]

Thanks, Isaac,

According to the 1975 information in the Catalog Thread, the M is 30 inches wide. The 118V appears to be the same, but I didn't see it in the listings. Does anyone have a drawing or an image of the 118MH, which is stated to be 24 inches wide and 26 inches deep? That one sounds like what I'd like most for the Concert head.

Thanks again and warmest regards,

[EdBass]

You could name the rig "Thumper".

[CLD]

Here's another one.

[Isaac]

Yes, the 118V is also 30"x30". The only difference between it and the 118M is the driver.