tallchris wrote: Wed Nov 10, 2021 1:15 pm

Dr Tony Balls wrote: Wed Nov 10, 2021 1:01 pm
3) I should probably just build myself a Balls TL806 to satisfy my needs. That cab plus a neo speaker would probably be perfect.

I've kinda really wanted a TL806 style 2x12 cab for bass with some neo speakers, like a mini-version of the old Mesa Diesel 2x15:

Garth wrote: Thu Nov 11, 2021 8:03 am Neal, Jeff, Carlin, and Ben I think all have one (or two) and could probably put them on the scale for you and we can math out the weight dif w/ neo speakers.

benadrian wrote: Wed Nov 10, 2021 7:02 pm Personally, I've never played a Neo guitar speaker that had me think "oh hell yeah". I HAVE had the experience of "this amp sounds pretty good and it's SUPER light."

tommy wrote: Thu Nov 11, 2021 10:48 am

benadrian wrote: Wed Nov 10, 2021 7:02 pm Personally, I've never played a Neo guitar speaker that had me think "oh hell yeah". I HAVE had the experience of "this amp sounds pretty good and it's SUPER light."

The Neo Creamback is the only Neo guitar speaker that I have thought sounded good. I'd have zero problems recommending that to anyone looking for a classic Celestion sound in a lightweight speaker. As for bass ones, I've played several that sounded pretty great clean, but once you add any drive to it they get HARSH.

Dr Tony Balls wrote: Thu Nov 11, 2021 11:33 am They get harsh from greater sound levels or from a distorted signal? Like, with amp volume on 1 and distortion pedal, do they sound harsh?

Garth wrote: Thu Nov 11, 2021 8:03 am

How serious are you about this? I've been wanting to build one for a long time and just haven't gotten around to it yet. Probably those EVM neo clones by Eminence would be the most likely choice of speaker for you, but for me, I have a lot of speakers in the attic needing homes.

I can say this though, to build it to spec w/ 3/4" marine-grade baltic or Russian birch....it's still going to be kinda heavy even w/ Neo's. One of the key features of the build is that it has internal bracing/framing that even w/ a lighter wood like pine that add to the weight more than you'd think. The ones I built were chonky even empty.

Neal, Jeff, Carlin, and Ben I think all have one (or two) and could probably put them on the scale for you and we can math out the weight dif w/ neo speakers.

four_oclocker_2.2 wrote: Thu Nov 11, 2021 8:51 am According to my bathroom scale, one TL-806 cabinet as built by Garth weighs 40.6 lbs with an Eminence EM12 speaker in it.

tallchris wrote: Thu Nov 11, 2021 12:46 pm

Garth wrote: Thu Nov 11, 2021 8:03 am

How serious are you about this? I've been wanting to build one for a long time and just haven't gotten around to it yet. Probably those EVM neo clones by Eminence would be the most likely choice of speaker for you, but for me, I have a lot of speakers in the attic needing homes.

I can say this though, to build it to spec w/ 3/4" marine-grade baltic or Russian birch....it's still going to be kinda heavy even w/ Neo's. One of the key features of the build is that it has internal bracing/framing that even w/ a lighter wood like pine that add to the weight more than you'd think. The ones I built were chonky even empty.

Neal, Jeff, Carlin, and Ben I think all have one (or two) and could probably put them on the scale for you and we can math out the weight dif w/ neo speakers.

Like semi-serious? My main thing about that Mesa Subway 2x15 I posted about is I want something with a speaker a little closer to my head, and a 2x15 that weighs 60 lbs just fits like a pair of orthopedic shoes.

four_oclocker_2.2 wrote: Thu Nov 11, 2021 8:51 am According to my bathroom scale, one TL-806 cabinet as built by Garth weighs 40.6 lbs with an Eminence EM12 speaker in it.

Seems like you could shave 9-11 lbs just from switching to a neo Eminence speaker.

four_oclocker_2.2 wrote: Thu Nov 11, 2021 2:38 pm Watt's been using Barefaced cabinets for a few years now and they seem like they get the job done!

Garth wrote: Thu Nov 11, 2021 3:08 pm At that price they'd fucking better.

I can't speak to what they're doing there w/ out actually ever having seen one of those cabinets, but it wouldn't surprise me if they were using thinner plywood and did not include the internal bracing. Both of those things, for good or ill I do not know, will change the sound from what the original TL806 was doing.

To make a dual TL806 unit properly, you'd have to include the center divider, which, again, adds weight. However...EV did publish builders-plans for a TL806Q cabinet and if you look closely, you can see it has only a single center divider and not 4 individual chambers:



Thinking out loud here...something I hadn't considered until looking again at these quad plans would be to orient a dual-TL806 cabinet the long-ways with the ports in the middle instead of like the Subway example photo above. I would think this should give you more low end reproduction than the 80 hz from a single (or two side-by-side) TL806. The quad says it goes down to 50, so guessing a dual would get you...somewhere in between, but cutting off at 80 seems high to me. Might be just the thing for bass, although it would be kinda skinny standing on its side which might decrease its utility a bunch unless you were putting like a Quilter or something on top.