Frequency emphasis in Hermida Z-cab

[brads]

I have a ported 1x12 Hermida cab that sounds great in all ways but one: the bass strings are over-emphasized, with certain pitches really over the top volume-wise.

The worst offenders are low B, C and especially C# notes played on the A string when using the neck pickup (single-coil in this case). Also happens playing those notes higher on the neck on the bottom E string. It happens slightly on the treble pickup, but it just sounds like strong bass, not over the top like on the neck pickup.

I've pretty much tried everything: Screwed the bass side of my Tele neck pickup WAY down, swapped speakers, angeled the cab up, raised the cab off the floor, and turned the bass all the way down on my amp.

I can reduce the problem only very slightly, not enough to really improve things.

By the way, I'm using a Badger (EL84s) so it's not an amp known for an overabundance of bass.

Any ideas on how to overcome this would be greatly appreciated, as the cab sounds great across the rest of the spectrum.

 

[hardys]

Interesting. What speaker?

 

[brads]

I've used a Scumback H75, a Scumnico, and a Weber pre-rola greenback type speaker.

Changing speakers does little to change things.

 

[brads]

Anyone with one of these cabs (I know you're out there) experiencing this as well?

Thanks

 

[Scumback Speakers]

Brad, I've got this exact cab still in it's shipping box downstairs. I'll try some different speakers in it (JBL, etc) and see if it reacts the same way. But you're getting the same thing with THREE different speakers? That's kinda odd.

 

[brads]

Yeah, Jim, It's not the speakers---they sound great (that Scumnico is killer!) in my other cabs.

I had read that ported designs are sort of tuned to a particular frequency that gets emphasized. In my case, it seems to be C# and notes near to it.

I'll be interested in your findings.

 

[r8burst]

I have that cab, and I use an 8 ohm Eminence Red Fang. I've never had that issue. It sounds fat and even all over the range of the guitar (primarily a Hot Rod Tele)

Tony

 

[Scumback Speakers]

I just got done testing the 1x12 ported cab with a Scumnico 16 ohm 65 watt. After 20 minutes, in both clean. light OD and NUKE modes I couldn't make the cab do anything stupid sounding or create any frequencies that would make it oscillate or sound boomy.

Trust me, as brutal as I am with gear, I tried.

 

[guitarman_1]

I have one loaded with an Alnico Gold and one with an original Scumbag
sa12/30h 75 cone( My fave alltime speaker by the way). Nothing but sweet tones coming from the cabs. Id be interested in finding whats the culprit.

 

[brads]

I received a very nice reply from Alf offering to do whatever to rectify it. What a stand-up guy!

I tried it with another amp and also moved the cab around the room to see if I could get rid of it, but no dice.

If you play C# on wound A string with a Tele neck pickup, it sounds approximately half again as loud as playing an E on the same string.

It must be mysterious and random forces converging on this one cab. No one else seems to have this problem.

Anyway, I'm going to send it back to Alf so he can check it out.

I'm hoping to get this back (or a replacement cab from Alf) as it sounds great in all other respects.

 

[slopeshoulder]

well, it may be your room.
Otherwise, I would say the cab is not good.

 

[ahermida]

I think that particular cab might have an issue. That's the 1st time I hear that one of those cabs does that. We'll take care of it.

Alf