2011 January - March
31/03/2011 - Compact
First thing - This cab is unbelievably light. Lift it out of the box and you'll be thinking that they forgot to fit the driver. Next thing you notice is how good the painted finish looks. First tests sounded impressive. First rehearsal brought compliments from both guitarists in the band. (guitarists noticing the bassists tone! - how rare is that?) When it came to the first gig, I was well chuffed - I could hear everything I played really clearly - the highs were smooth and the lows were really solid with no distortion. Coupled with the Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 its the best rig i've owned by far. I got the impression that, at gigging volumes, it was coasting with a lot more to offer. I ordered a cover from Roqsolid - Excellent value - Highly recommended. One last thing, If you're going to get a barefaced cab, pay the extra for the silver cloth speaker grill - it transforms the looks of the cab giving it a distinct vintage vibe. Thanks.
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14/03/2011 - Big Baby (France)
I'm back to work and to an internet connection after a few days off. I haven't yet had the opportunity to play the cab loud but I've got a gig next Saturday (electric line up) and I think I can guess what I will get. I will let you know. This cab is exactly what I expected: the sound is tight and focused, with deep accurate lows. Although I remember what you wrote about non-linearity I cannot imagine that it could be disappointing when played loud.
So, so far I've played it at home volume. As you said, this cab is very revealing. The sound of my bass is beautiful. What a change from the noisy and inaccurate sound of the Warwick Blue Cab 60! But, obviously, the shortcomings of the bass are revealed too even though it is nothing catastrophic. The tone of the low B string is not consitent with what I get on the other strings but my strings need changing and I might have to adjust the pickups height. So I don't want to be hasty in my opinion.
I tried to plug in my five string double bass and here the lows are awesome! Very deep, very clear and rich. I also have quite a loud low pitched hum, but that's nothing new. I currently use a vey basic and cheap piezo pickup, so I shall have to look into the matter.
I've played the Big Baby quite a lot over the past week and it makes practicing a real pleasure. Not just hearing, but feeling the sound physically. The sound is beautiful (clear, punchy, deep) with all the controls flat: congratulations! I gave up tweaking the EQ: it is useless. So I play with all the controls flat (on the bass (EQ and pickup balance flat) as well as on the amp), and with the midrange speaker attenuated. You've done a great job. I will let you know about Saturday.
Best regards,
Thierry
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14/03/2011 - Compact
Just thought I would give you an after gig report. Apart from me boring everybody silly by making them pick up the cab to see how light it was it was a great gig!
The Compact was great. It did exactly what I wanted. Plenty of low end (with bass boost on the amp) but not boomy at all and very articulate all over the neck. My cheap and cheerful amp seemed to be a great match too. At 250w into 8 ohms it was loud enough with some to spare although I had to go almost full on the master volume and 3/4 on the "gain". I did tweak it a bit higher which seemed to result in quite a volume swell but not sure how usable that volume would have been. Still, all I need to do is be as loud as the drummer and it did that admirably.
Oh and a little factoid for your specs page. The cab is strong enough to support a 15st+ bass player standing on it to reach a wall mounted power socket! :D
Thanks again mate. I can't express how happy I am with it.
Paul.
[Barefaced: As we said to Paul, the Compact should be able to support as many people as you can fit onto it!]
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14/03/2011 - Compact (and Midget T)
Thanks for the Compact.
I have had a chance to use it in a band now. It really is very good! I know you know that, but I'm telling you anyway.
For the music I play, jazz & funk, it does the job perfectly. I was able to just put the amp on flat and get the right sound straight from the bass's tone controls, (active bass).
The compact doesn't need any bass boost, as the midget does, to get the full tone. Its a very clean effortless full tone, with no colouration. Adding the midget as a stack was very interesting. The amp was set to flat and the midget gives a very transparent midrange clarity to the bass tone, without any weird gritt or metallic tone, like some speakers I have experienced. Turning on the tweeter added perfect treble, again without the nasty gritty spiky sound that so many cabs have.
Using the two cabs together the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, the overall tone is amazing, it really is, everything is there. I can carry them easily too.
Together, these cabs are exactly what I imagined that I wanted. Many thanks and congratulations for making this possible and designing such amazing cabs.
Best Regards
Andrew
P.S.
I will send another review after I have used the cabs in more venues / situations.
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10/03/2011 - Compact
The compact arrived yesterday mid afternoon. I very quickly unpacked it much to the intruigue of my work collegues, who soon lost interest when they realised what it was. Their loss I guess.
Out of the box, it looked absolutely stunning. I'm not sure if you've changed anything slightly from the first compact I bought, but it was shiney and fantastic build quality and finish.
The arrival was timed perfectly as I had a rehearsal, and had my terror bass with me and effects board, so walked down the road with the whole rig, got a bus and rolled up to the surprise of my band mates.
Having a compact and midget already, I thought I'd been through the 'breaking in the speaker' process. I hadn't. We played for the first hour, and the sound was good - playing a lot of punk numbers and the sort. After about an hour and a half though playing at serious volume, I realsied the cab was suddenly (or so it felt) so much more responsive to the eq and pick up blend on my bass; provided much thicker lows, more punch and very articulate. It put a massive grin on my face and I couldnt stop looking at it!
I think I'd missed the 'breaking in' period with the last two as I played a lot at home before hitting the rehearsal room, and this was kind of a Eurika moment as it happened!!
I'll be gigging this weekend. Its our guitarists daughters wedding, and we're going for a wall of amps effect so taking both compacts and the midget for effect. I'm tempted to slave my shuttle and run the whole lot, but I dont think the band, guests or venue will forgive me if i ran it past 1! I'll aim to get a pic or two though - a double compact and midget stack is a monster!!
So just another big thank you for what I think are the best bass cabs on the market today, I'm grateful for your time and advice throughout. I am, however, sorry that its unlikely I'll be buying anymore from you in the near future. Unless of course I open a recording or rehearsal studio!!
I'm off to get some ear plugs - probably some ER15's or something. Much needed!!
All the best, and thank you again,
Andy
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07/03/2011 - Super Twelve T
Magnificent. Thank you.
Roger
[Barefaced: Is that the shortest post-gig review ever? ;-) ]
Little more to add really; the cab is light and loud and everyone including me thought the sound was great. Very impressed with the tweeter which can be heard to great and infinitely variable effect with bass and iPod. The thermal cut-out operated on my amp once, but that was a bit of over enthusiasm with the low B on my bass. I trimmed the level and all was well and quite loud enough. Does the cab have any protection?The dispersion is very good and I could hear clearly sat right next to the cab. The drummer who was 10 feet at the side also heard everything. The finish looks very durable indeed.
So,magnificent and thanks for getting it to me for Friday.
Roger
[Barefaced: Excellent! As the woofers loosen up the lows will get bigger and deeper and your amp will find it much easier to drive the cab, so I'll be interested to hear if you have any more thermalling out from the amp once the cab's done more than three loud gigs. Push it as hard as you like, you'll hear the warning signs of increased distortion well before damage occurs.]
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07/03/2011 - Super Twelve T
I have used the cab at a couple of rehearsals so far and from the first moment that I played through it I realised that it was going to deliver the tone that I have been looking for. The cab is very smooth and defined and never gets lost in the mix, I have a gig coming up in a couple of weeks which I know it’s going to handle with ease. The portability is making life so much easier as well. It’s a brilliant cab and brilliantly executed, many thanks, I will keep you posted as to how things go following some gigs.
All the best
Anthony
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17/02/2011 - Compact
Just wanted to saying that I'm now loving the cab!
I've started using the cab with a new head (Line 6 Lowdown 750 HD). Not sure if you are a fan of the emulation approach to bass tone, but I'm finding it really useful for dialing up different tones easily.
I've experimented with adding compression to my sound and I really like it - I think like you said there must have been some compression inherent in my Trace Elliot rig.
I've also experimented with putting a lot more presence and middle into my tone - I find that as long as I do that with a really retro sounding amp (like the FlipTop model on my new head), then I really like the sound of it.
I've also put some round wounds back on my P-Bass like you suggested. I'm getting more punch that way.
I'm not done with the experiment yet - lots more things I want to try, but I'm now getting some sounds that I really love, and starting to find sounds that I love that are quite different from the Trace Elliot sound I had.
So thanks very much for all your guidance on this.
Needless to say, I'd like to keep the amp now if that's ok!! :)
kind regards
Alan
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14/02/2011 - Compact (update from 01/02/2011)
Had the opportunity to gig with the Compact twice now. It's held up very well so far, didn't need to turn the amp up much past half way and easily kept up with the drums and two guitars. The tone's lovely and cuts through very well, while remaining very bassy. Obviously transporting it is a delight, it's a luxury to be able to carry the cab, head, bass and bag of leads and accessories in one trip.
As well as using the cab myself, it was used by another band at each gig, so it gave me the opportunity to hear it from the audience perspective, and it sounded just as good as on stage. The clarity and the way it cuts through the rest of the band is great, and even after reading other people's feedback I didn't expect it to sound as good as it did, especially at its size and weight.
Overall, no complaints with it so far. Thanks for all the help and advice with it.
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13/02/2011 - Dual Compacts
Gigged the 2 compacts sat night, mainly classic rock and im really pleased with the sound even with the weedy little giant. i played with a small low boost a little more mid and a slight treble cut. The extra power with the second cab meant i could get the sound without having to boost the mids to cut through. They look and sound amazing. The highs are well balanced and clear. Love em.
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12/02/2011 - Super Twelve
Just a quick e-mail to say thanks for your help in my initial selection and, now that my Super Twelve's got some gigs under its belt, I thought you might like some feedback to add to your site.
The first thing I noticed after unpacking it was the lightness. Even now I've had it a couple of months, I still have to be careful not to smack myself in the face when picking it up! It is noticeably lighter than either of the Ashdown 210 and 115 cabs I used to use for gigs but still feels solid and well-engineered rather than insubstantial.
The next thing to strike me, once I'd got it plugged in, was how good it sounds. I liked my Ashdown cabs, but this one retains the warm quality of the bass and amp while sounding clearer without getting harsh or clinical which is a vague way of trying to describe how it sounds great!
Last, but definitely not least, is the sheer volume this cab can generate! It's now handled several gigs at pubs and small clubs with plenty in reserve and my brief forays up to window-rattling volumes (before getting glared at by the rest of the band) suggest that large venues won't be any problem. Even at the deep end of the low B, there's no hint of "farting out" or muddiness, just loud, clear, low notes. This is playing a Schecter 5-string through an Ashdown ABM500III.
I can confess now that had the Super Fifteen been available when I ordered, I would have been tempted by it for its larger size and the slight niggling worry about the ability of the Twelve to handle gigging volumes, but I have no such concerns now. The Twelve copes easily and when it sounds so good, I don't need anything bigger to boost my ego but appreciate the ease with which I can load the car and carry it around.
Cheers, Joe
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01/02/2011 - Super Twelve T
Just a quick line to keep you posted on progress with the Super 12T. I have now gigged the cab in everything from small sweaty pubs through to large victorian theatre stages and it hasn't missed a beat! Music has ranged from my regular punk gig through to wedding covers bands I dep for (musical whore!). Soundmen and punters alike have commented on the sound quality....and that is the key word "Quality". I have played louder (just) cabs, but this one just sounds like me and my bass. I have even taken to removing all outboard effect, so the signal path is bass-lead-amp-cab. Many thanks, hope the company is thriving.
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01/02/2011 - Compact
Had the first opportunity to try out the Compact at practise today, using the Hartke LH500- thanks for recommending that, too. After a few songs had a great sound through it, bassy but cut through well, and had a lot of clarity. Sounded crisp with the distortion on, which is something I've struggled with through a lot of cabs at gigs. Even had the guitarists asking me to turn down, while wearing earplugs, which is a real seal of approval!
Transporting it was a walk in the park, and the drummer couldn't believe the weight, even more so once he heard it.
So far, very impressed with it. Gigging it on Friday, and I'll let you know how it gets on with that. Thanks for the help once again, it's exactly the sound I was looking for.
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30/01/2011 - Compact (Canada)
I got my Compact from Barefaced a little while back, and I have to say I'm really digging it. Not only is it the most portable cab (at 27LBS for a 1-15) that is capable of big volume, but the tone is excellent. Often when you buy a portable cab you have to compromise in tone. The result is often a cab that is too midrangey. The Compact is fairly even and full range sounding. It does not have a huge, "scooped", deep low end, but I find that tone signature just gets lost in a mix anyway. I'm matching mine up with a Markbass CMD 121P 112 combo and the result is tremendous. I get a tall stack that is easier to hear on a small stage. My rig sounds very loud and I don't have to compromise my tone for portability. I have gone thru MANY cabs (like over a dozen) and this is the most portable cab I have owned that also sounds very good.
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27/01/2011 - Big Baby prototype
Sounding good so far. Played it again yesterday in a big place with no PA support and it was up to the task. I like the fact that my bass just sounds like my bass and keeps that way the more I turn up. People can't believe how light it is when I turn up!
Cheers Dan
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25/01/2011 - Midget T + Compact (post-gig update on 16/01/11 feedback)I was previously gigging with two different bass rigs - TC Electronic RH450 with 1 x RS212 and 1 x RS210 and a Markbass CMD121H combo (depending on band and venue). Bass guitar is a Spector 5 string.
(Please note that these are my opinions and observations. I neither work for, or am affiliated with Barefaced in any way but I do play a lot of gigs around the UK with different bands playing different styles in widely differing venues and have been doing so since 1974 and have been through some gear in that time). When comparing the Midget/Compact (driven by EA iAmp800) to the TC rig I found :-
Much clearer and better defined bottom end, punchier and clearer lower and upper mids as well as sweet top end when using Barefaced rig. To get a similar sound from the TC rig I found I really needed to crank the upper mids and treble, back off the bass quite a bit and even then it didn't have the clarity or definition offered by the Barefaced combination. In general I would say the TC rig is aimed more at bass players who favour the SVT valve sound. The other problem which I had at a lot of venues was no matter how I placed the speakers or EQ'd the RH450 this set up always sounded boomy, especially in smaller venues. Hence the search and discovery of the Barefaced cabs. Lastly the weight! What weight? The Barefaced are a fraction of the weight of the TC cabs. No competition on that score.
My other rig, a Markbass CMD121H was a very usable combo in its own right. Loud and with good mid-range cut, it stood up well against the drummer and guitarist in terms of being heard; but . . Sounded boxy and the bottom end whilst big was a bit muddy and soft rather than deep, tight and clear. I ran up the iAmp800 into just the Midget to give a more balanced comparison and after EQing a bit of bottom into the Midget would say that the Markbass just lacked the clarity and definition got from the Midget and sounded a bit thick and syrupy. The Midget could certainly go as loud (if not slightly louder) than the Markbass, whilst sounding less distorted and much deeper without sounding boomy or boxy.
At the end of the day the Barefaced cabs give me an ultra-lightweight, modular bass rig with a tight bottom end (oower misses), clearer and punchier mids as well as a clean top end without harshness. These are keepers. Sorry if this all sounds like a sales pitch but I promise you it isn't. These cabs really work; at least for me.
Other rigs now sold on eBay. Sorted!
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Midget T - 19/01/11
Thanks for getting back to me. I've actually been out and made an amp purchase already. I went to Andertons in Guildford and ran 3 heads through the Midget: RH450, Little Mark Tube and an Orange Bass Terror. I quite liked the RH450, but was put off by the fact that it only had one speakon output. Also liked the Little Mark Tube. But the Orange blew them both out the water. The other amps both sounded overly compressed and a little strangled when compared to the Orange - that head really makes the cab sing nicely. And it has switchable impedance so you can get the full 500w out of it (is also half the price of the RH450 which is no bad thing).
I tested it out at full volume at rehearsal last week. Very pleased with it - and big thumbs up from band mates - both said they could hear it much better than any previous set-up. I'd been worried that it might not cut through, but no issues there. Reckon this will have me sorted for all occasions. So I flogged my beloved Markbass STD 104 on the weekend - a true endorsement for your cab!
I'll let you know how it performs live once I've gigged it.
Cheers for all you help and advice
Stu
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Super Twelve - 19/01/11
Having recieved my super twelve cabinet at the end of 2010 I must write to say it is everything that you claimed (and more) I have now had the chance to play it in a little and it sounds better every day. I purchased this cab on the strength of your expert comments on the website without hearing a barefaced cab but I am not in any way disapointed this cab reminds me of the fender bassman that i had in the seventies i really liked that cab too. but with some major differences. the barefaced cab is much lighter and produces a volume that is unbelievable (sadly i destroyed the speakers in the fender trying to keep up with a marshall lead stack!!) that will not be a problem with the barefaced cab.The exterior finish on the super twelve is far more robust than the fender ever was. If anyone is considering the super twelve cab but would like to hear it first,contact me thro barefaced, we rehearse in Glasgow city centre each friday. cheers Eddie
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Compact - 16/01/11
I'm loving your Compact, which sounds stunning with my Shuttle 6 or SWR 350 at "normal" volume. I'm not Marcus Miller but always try to be "bright" and "punchy" and feel that a second cab would help on those bigger (or unexpectedly large) gigs. Also my upright sounds a bit "electric" through the Shuttle/Compact, and I miss the high frequency "grit" and "twang" of the unamplified acoustic sound.
I expect I'll be buying something off you in 2011, but would like to try the Midget-T before comitting!
Regards
Guy
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Midget T + Compact - 16/01/11
huge big thanks for last Thursday and letting me collect my Compact and Midget.
Haven’t had a chance to gig with them yet but have a gig next Saturday. I have spent some time playing through them with the iAmp800 and they are superb together or on their own. They work really well with this amp. I will also get a Shuttle 9.0 which will probably end up being the main amp due to portability.
Quick question – what was the spray cleaner you used and where could I get some from. I would like to buy some to help keep the cabs clean.
Before I get rid of my Markbass CMD121H I will do a shootout for you with the Midget T and the Shuttle (or iAmp) to see how they compare.
Again thanks for all your help. In my opinion you make the best light weight (and great sounding) bass cabs currently available ANYWHERE at any price.
Pure genius!!!!
Kind regards,
Mark