PAYMENT QUESTIONS:
Q: How does paying with PayPal work?
A: Please click here for a picture-guided explanation of checkout options.
CABINET QUESTIONS:
Q: How are your speakers loaded, front or rear? And does this make a difference?
A: Our cabinets are built for front-loading. Simply loosen the 4 screws on the grill cloth frame until they are almost removed (leave them in the grill cloth frame and use to pull the frame out). Now you will be able to access the speakers, which is easiest with the cab laying on its back. You will see that the weight of the speaker's heaviest part, its magnet, is secured by the rim of the speaker itself, creating a natural counter balance and weight security. We prefer front-loading because it is structurally superior. In rear-loaded designs the weight of the speaker hangs away from the baffle board with only nuts or screws keeping the speaker in place, no natural counter balance is present.
Tonally, front vs. rear-loading only matters in so much as it effects the box volume. If you change a rear-loading cab to a front-loading cab, the volume of the cab would increase and the tone would change... for better or for worse is up to your ear to determine. But the change in tone really has nothing to do with the speaker mount, it has to do with the change in box volume. But if, for example, you made this change and like it better, then perhaps the builder should have made his box deeper in the first place, which would have achieved the same result! As long as the type of mount is figured into the box volume and intended tonal result, the mount itself is arbitrary. Freda Cabs are precision engineered taking every variable into consideration, including front-loaded, to achieve our desired result of big, organic, premium tone.
Q: Why is there padding at the back of the cabinet? What does this do for the sound?
A: We use a moderate amount of high quality acoustical material, NOT carpet padding. Two identical Freda Cabs were demoed side by side, one with carpet padding and one with our high quality acoustic material. The results were unanimous that the cab with acoustic material must have a better speaker or superior design because it sounded so much better. In fact the cab dimensions were identical and so were the speakers! The acoustic material helps to keep treble frequencies from biting, tightens up the midrange and bass, and also knocks down some standing waves, making for a warm, tight, focused sound. And there is absolutely NO muffled quality, the tone is rich and focused.
Q: What about putting angled walls inside the cabinet to break standing waves?
A: First this means more wood, which means a heavier cab, which is contrary to our goal of portability. Also, this technique is less effective in larger, deeper cabinets. In our side by side comparisons, a little high-quality sound absorption material outperforms a cabinet with internal angles! Amazing and true! Angled may be more effective in shallower cabs, but the tonal result is very different, not the tone we are going for, and certainly not able to produce POWERSOUND. Our design is all about a big, organic, room-filling tone that's both full and focused at the same time. With POWERSOUND we've achieved exactly that!
SPEAKERS:
Q: Do your cabinets change the tone of speakers?
A: No, our cabinet does not fundamentally change the tone of a speaker, it just helps the speaker to sound its best. Our cab design helps to remove any ice pick from the high end, naturally accentuate bass and mid frequencies in order to make your tone bigger and more articulate, and also make your speaker operate more efficiently, which will give you a bigger sound at more usable volumes. Don't worry about the perfect Freda cab/speaker combination, just stick with a tone you like and let the Freda cab work it's magic, opening up that speaker and breathing life into your tone.
Q: What speaker is the best?
A: Ok, here's the skinny.... there is no best! There are so many great sounding options and alternatives on the current marketplace today it can be overwhelming. We've taken the time to learn the details, and we are proud to say we support American workers and builders. Contact us today to help you decide what speaker is best for you!
WIRING:
Q: Can I have my cabinet wired 4 ohms?
A: For a 1x12, only Weber speakers are available in 4 ohms. For both 2x10s and 2x12s, yes, 4 ohms is possible by using two 8 ohm speakers (wired parallel).
Q: Can I have my cabinet wired 8 ohms?
A: For a 1x12, yes, all 12” speakers are available in 8 ohms. For 2x10s and 2x12s, you must have two 16 ohm speakers (wired parallel) in order to end up with an 8 ohm cabinet. All Weber speakers are available in 16 ohms, some Eminence speakers are, please check here.
Q: Can I have my cabinet wired 16 ohms?
A: For a 1x12, as long as a speaker is made in 16 ohms, then yes. All Weber speakers are available in 16 ohms, some Eminence speakers are, check here. For all 2x10s and 2x12s, yes, 16 ohms will be achieved by wiring two 8 ohm speakers in series. Seeing as all speakers are available in 8 ohms, a 16 ohm cabinet is possible for all 2x10s and 2x12s.
Q: Can I have my 2x10 or 2x12 wired in switchable stereo/mono?
A: Yes, there is a $30 up charge.
