Hondo
312 posts
Nov 07, 2014
9:56 AM
|
Which is best for harp or is it subjective?
|
NathanLWBC
16 posts
Nov 07, 2014
11:22 AM
|
Just like guitar, I think harp should use open back cabs. I really only like closed back cabs for bass. Open backs sound warmer and less angular to me. You really need that punchiness for bass, but for harp...probably not.
----------
--Nathan Heck
Lead Technician, Lone Wolf Blues Co.
customerservice@lonewolfblues.com
|
hvyj
2574 posts
Nov 07, 2014
10:11 PM
|
It's a matter of personal preference. A closed back cab/amp will have a darker, more focused tone. If you are into " crunch" that's probably not what you want, but if you are into a cleaner sound, it may work well. If you've got a open back amp/cab you can get an idea about how a closed back would sound by putting the back of the amp/cab up against a wall when you play through it.
Personally, I wouldn't agree that open backs necessarily sound warmer than closed backs. Sometimes I use an SWR Baby Baby Blue acoustic bass amp with a closed back (tube pre and semi parametric EQ) which gives me a deep, dark basically clean tone that I think is warm. But I also get a warm tone from my open back tube amps, so it's hard to generalize. A lot of it has to do with microphone choice and how you dial in the amp.
Last Edited by hvyj on Nov 07, 2014 11:09 PM
|
Martic
108 posts
Nov 07, 2014
11:06 PM
|
I can't tell how it affects tone, but in my experience closed backs tend to reduce feedback.
OT: micing an open-back amp you can get a lot of bass punch just by placing the mic on the back of the amp, behind the speaker.
|
Littoral
1150 posts
Nov 08, 2014
3:27 AM
|
I'd try it out by "A/B" with a piece of wood to cover the back. Not perfect but pretty close.
|
NathanLWBC
17 posts
Nov 08, 2014
6:55 AM
|
I'd second Littoral's idea. That should give you a good idea as to what you prefer.
----------
--Nathan Heck
Lead Technician, Lone Wolf Blues Co.
customerservice@lonewolfblues.com
|
hvyj
2575 posts
Nov 08, 2014
12:06 PM
|
Of course, if you are gigging with a closed back amp there is the intensely practical problem of where to put the power cord when you load out so you won't forget it the next time. If you have an open back amp you can simply stash the power cord in the back of the amp.
|
Hondo
313 posts
Nov 08, 2014
4:05 PM
|
Thank you everyone. I have a cab for 1x10 and want to pick up a 2x10 cab for a 5 watt head and a 20 watt head that I have. This helps.
|
Barley Nectar
562 posts
Nov 08, 2014
4:52 PM
|
A true closed back cab is air tight. These usually have some kind of acoustic damping material inside. The air tight enclosure will dampen cone motion as pressure changes inside the cab due to cone movement. This will cause a form of compression. I have no first hand experience with closed cabs but I would think they would accent mid and high frequency sounds by restricting low frequency/long cone motion. JMO...BN
|
Bilzharp
37 posts
Nov 09, 2014
6:29 AM
|
"A true closed back cab is air tight."
Most of them that I've seen are ported (usually on the baffle)and actually emphasize the bass. You might be right about some of the older closed back amps. I can't remember whether my old Tremolux piggy back was ported or not.
|
kudzurunner
5124 posts
Nov 09, 2014
9:16 AM
|
I don't know any professional blues player who uses a closed-back amp in normal gigging situations.
Mouses are solid state and closed back, and I used one yesterday when I was busking on Venice Beach. It works just fine in those outdoor situations.
I've seen a few jazz chromatic players who want a particular kind of very clean sound and use small cube-type amps with closed backs.
|
JJ Harper
30 posts
Nov 09, 2014
1:00 PM
|
A closed back on a tube amp is not a good idea. Too much heat.
For extension speaker cabs I've used both open and closed backs. Can't say which is better.
|
