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Hello. I am looking for ideas for one speaker cabinet to cover:
Archtop w flats
Solidbody w rounds
electric bass
Potted plant duo/trio gigs No drums.
Any advice appreciated.
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05-21-2026 02:22 PM
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A guitar’s frequency response is chiefly from 82-5,000 Hz (not that there aren’t any frequencies above that, but 5,000 is seen as an “acceptable” cutoff for guitar speakers).
A bass’ frequency response is from 40 to 2,000 or 3,000 Hz (depending on the specific instrument).
There is some fluctuation in terms of cutoff frequencies of bass speakers, some are in the 2,000-3,000 range. Some go a little higher. I remember looking a while back and find some that went up to 4,000 (but nothing up to 5,000).
So frequency response is a good place to start looking. If it only goes up to 3,000 Hz, it’s probably not going to work for guitar. There are some flatter frequency response speakers out there (like those that are made for FRFR and PA systems) that cover the necessary range. But it depends what kind of an amplifiers you’re using and how much “color” you want out of your speaker.
another consideration is cabinet construction. Bass speaker cabinets are primarily closed backs. Guitar speakers can be either open or closed back.
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Originally Posted by wengr
On the one hand, I own a speaker cabinet that does exactly what you describe, and surprisingly well.
It is an older (Kurt Meyer era, which I think means late 1990s, or maybe very early 2000s) Flite Sound 1x12 cabinet, front-ported, and loaded with an ancient (1960s) Altec-Lansing 601 driver that was reconed as a fullrange driver (so, the duplex/coax tweeter was completely removed) in 1980.
Driving that cabinet with an Acoustic Image Focus 1 Series II head, it is the perfect jazz amp for my archtop strung with flatwounds. So long as there are no drums and I'm not playing the 5-string, it is a gorgeous sounding bass amp. Since most of my "Solidbody w rounds" guitar playing is in the pop, rock, or funk genres, there's probably a POD Pro or a Samsamp GT2 being used as well, but that amp serves those sounds quite well. It is clean, clear, wideband (though definitely not "FRFR"), and loud enough for any pop, rock, or funk combo I have played with in the past >20 years. Also, the cabinet is stupidly lightweight; very convenient for taking to gigs.
HOWEVER
...my "advice" is to not try to recreate that speaker cabinet, except perhaps in the most generalized way.
For one thing, an Altec 601 is a very rare driver, and it has much lower thermal power handling than contemporary 12" guitar speakers. And tbh I don't think there's anything too magical about that speaker, except perhaps for the fact that it handles bass so well.
Secondly, the Flite Sound company has undergone ownership changes several (!) times since I bought this cabinet, and the current owner is an asshole. I cannot in good conscience recommend giving him your money.
So... I dunno.
:::shrugs:::
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Covering bass is going to call for a cabinet with some solid power handling. It also calls for a shift lower in frequency response.
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I have a pair of 1990's Harry Kolbe 1X12, front port and EV12L, I've heard folk use them around NYC with arch top, solid body and bass. I think they're out of production, but I have to imagine someone is building similar
https://www.juliensauctions.com/en/i...peaker-cabinet
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For me that cab would be the TOOB Metro BG+. I am amazed at how good all my instruments sound through it. It doesn't hurt that it weighs a couple of pounds and takes up just a couple of cubic feet. I use it with a DV Mark EG250. It is my primary setup for everything.
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A Harry Kolbe 1x12 is the Holy Grail for what OP is looking for. If you can find one, grab it! Originally Posted by paulkogut
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Maybe some kind of FRFR but with an adjustable or defeatable tweeter.
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