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What size speakers do you prefer?


action_panzer
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[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1399458157' post='2444348']
Modern speaker tech means cone size doesn't have a lot to do with the sound 'type' anymore.
[/quote]

This. 15" drivers don't go 'lower' than 12" drivers and 10" drivers don't necessarily give more mid or punch.

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Phil Jones likes the trouser flapping ability of 5" speakers.

If you're finding smaller speakers a bit gutless, I'd suggest you stop trying cheap/old/rubbish cabs & try out some decent cabs instead.

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[quote name='mike 110' timestamp='1399460359' post='2444385']
This is interesting for me as I've just bought an Ashdown MIBass Amp head and I'm still pondering which Cab/Speaker to get :( :)
[/quote]

Take your amp & bass along to a good shop with a selection of cabs & try out as many as you can (took me months) & get whichever one has the best sound that You like.
If you find that the cab isn't loud enough at gigs, get a 2nd identical cab. This way you'll get more of the sound that you like.

Another option is to try a Barefaced cab. Alex offers a 30 day free trial (or is it money back?) to make sure you're happy with the cab.

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10's and 12's and the most glorious sound I've had for ages was from a
a big amp running into a 212 and 210....
But.... sometimes you have to wonder what bass players themselves hear and
actually want and they often think a bass sound stops at an Ampeg rig.
This is not a dig at Ampeg so much but the outdated view the players
have of a good bass sound. I call it the pub 'thunk' sound :lol:

Anyway... I don't see the point of 15's..never really have, tbh and don't own one.

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[quote name='mike 110' timestamp='1399460359' post='2444385']
This is interesting for me as I've just bought an Ashdown MIBass Amp head and I'm still pondering which Cab/Speaker to get :( :)
[/quote]

Bergantino. Specific model to be picked by your ears. [/Berg fan boy post!]

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[quote name='mike 110' timestamp='1399460359' post='2444385']
This is interesting for me as I've just bought an Ashdown MIBass Amp head and I'm still pondering which Cab/Speaker to get :( :)
[/quote]

Popular brands on this forum are Bergantino, Aguilar, Genz-Benz (now defunct), Markbass, Barefaced... as has been said it's best if you can try as many different cabs as possible before you make a decision. Easier said than done, I know.

Alex's month-long Barefaced trial is good because you can then audition the cab in the situations it's going to be used - trying out cabs (or anything else) in shops is not really a good way to do it. Solo sounds are never the same in a band setting (for example).

Edited by discreet
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You don't need maths to understand what is going on with speaker sizes until you start to design the cabs yourself. So, in Alex's absence...

Thicker bass strings go lower not because they are thick but because they have more mass. The note they make doesn't depend just upon their mass but upon how they are tuned and how flexible they are. It's the same with speaker cones. Heavy cones go lower so a thick 10" and a thin 15 could weigh the same and resonate at the same frequency.

Tuning speaker cones depends upon the suspension, the magnetic circuit and the cabinet design, with the rider that you mainly can't get them to do much below their resonant frequency in free air.

Interestingly thin cones flex and this means thin cones are often better at high frequencies, though this may be distorted. thin coned 15's may end up with more top end than thick coned 10's. Just depends upon the specific design and where the designer puts the extra paper pulp. The Eminence 3015HO is a good example of this.

The other thing is that efficiency depends upon surface area and a lot of cheap large cones can end up making a loud noise, as in the 8x10's around. If you want super small lightweight cabs to do the same they generally need a lot of power.

The final consideration is excursion, to make loud bass you need to move a lot of air and small speakers need to move a long way to create say 120dB of 40Hz fundamental. Too far for any single 10, and for most 12's.

So, you can get the frequency response from a small speaker but at a cost, one way or another.

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I like using 10's, and 12's instead of 15's anymore. I just play at home now, or studio work. Both playing isn't using high enough volumes to get a 15" to move enough air to get a sound I prefer. A good 15" does sound nice at higher volumes though.

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I'm definitely 'old school' when it comes to bass. I have 3 cabs: Fender Bassman 2 x 15, fitted with Beyma 300w speakers, an Ampeg 4 x 10 HE and 'Giggles', an HH 2 x 15 folded horn. My main bass is a Hofner Verithin and my main amp a Hiwatt PA head; 200w with 4 x KT88s. I usually go for the Fender cab, but Giggles gets a lot of play, too. I have a 6-string fretless, 'Jazz'-style, which plays better through the Ampeg. All the cabs deliver bass in spades, it's basically the playing style which determines the ultimate tonal decision. None of the cabs disappoint in any register, really, we're talking nuances here, or maybe even sentimentality. I wouldn't under-estimate the nostalgia effect.
Just my tuppence-worth.

Edited by Dad3353
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[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1399465795' post='2444471']
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I wouldn't under-estimate the nostalgia effect. [/font][/color]Just my tuppence-worth.
[/quote]

I think you'll find that's 0.834p. :P

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Its a total subjective subject :unsure:

Personally, I like tens because they 'appear' to give me the sound I like. That said, loudspeaker technology has advanced so much in the last 10 years that I'd probably like 12's and 15's if I tried them. I was reading the specs on one FaitalPro 12" LF driver the other day that had a resonant frequency of 45hz and an Xmax of 12.45mm - thats an awful lot of air moving trouser flapping capability in a lightweight neo driver package :o

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I have used nothing but 10's for many years, but I picked up a 212 to add to my backline a couple of years ago and I have used it many times as a stand alone cab and sounds very good for most styles I can throw at it. Plus, I'm never short of volume. Everyone is a winner.

But, for the bigger gigs I pop either a 210 or 410 on top. I find that setup gives better balance than a 15 underneath. 15's are okay at close proximity, but I find that you lose it once you are at a fair distance away from your backline. I haven't used a 15 for a very long time and I doubt that I ever will since I have been using a 212 as I feel that it delivers the lower frequencies with a lot more response and volume. I like my tone to be quite perky and other players will have a different approach when choosing their preferred speaker size, but these types of conversations are always incredibly subjective and my way wouldn't work for everyone.

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