What size speakers do you prefer?

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

From a totally objective standpoint there are over a dozen factors that determine driver performance, cone area (Sd) being only one. And the cab you put the driver into has as much bearing on the result as the driver specs do. In short, there is no characteristic sound based on driver size alone.

[JTUK]

[quote name='shizznit' timestamp='1399481464' post='2444673']
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..............................
.............for the bigger gigs I pop either a 210 or 410 on top. I find that setup gives better balance than a 15 underneath. .........[/quote]

My 212 with a 210 on top is just the best sound ever for me.... it is lively, punchy and will cut through anything ..
The tweeters are up to around three qtrs on both cabs but I have to do very little with the amp.
The sound is what I would call a vintage modern Fender ( think modern Paul Turner ) and has all the snap and pop you need without being anyway near cliched.

In order to run the amp down to 2 and balance the loads across the cabs, ( as the 212 does 600 @ 8 and the 210 does 350 @ 8 ) I'd add another 210 but I haven't needed it on bigger stages.
And even in high ceiling hard-walled rooms, it is never boomy on modern stage flooring... unlike quite a few other rigs I could recall.

[JapanAxe]

I have no cone-size-based preference, as long as there are no tweeters involved.

[discreet]

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1399496928' post='2444872']
I have no cone-size-based preference.
[/quote]

[JapanAxe]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1399497072' post='2444876']

[/quote]

[discreet]

Ah, so you DO have a preference? Thhp!

[Telebass]

For quiet rehearsal, a 25W 1x10 combo. Louder practice and small/medium gigs, a 300W 1x12 combo. Loud rock? 500W head and 2x15 cab! Boom!

Edited May 8, 2014 by Telebass

[Marvin]

I just happen to have had 10's over the last few years. They were the most bang for my buck.

[VTypeV4]

I've used 8, 10, 12 & 15" speakers over the years to good effect.. Currently I'm using a 4x10 and 1x15 (I know I know!) plus my combo which is 1x15. One of the best sounding rigs I had was a 4x8 combo which great if not heavy.

To me, the size of the speaker is not so important but the sound of it is paramount. I seem to come back to Celestions for bass (and more recently PA) as they seem to sound sweet and just get on with it without drama. I know Eminence are generally more popular, lots of OEM units are made by them too. I had good service from a Peavey 410TVX loaded with a variation of their 10" pressed chassis.

[basshead56]

I like them all! As long as it cuts through and gives me enough bottom end.

Mostly using 10's live these days but when I (rarely) get the chance to use it live - nowt beats the Marshall VBA 8x12 rig!!!

I've had good and bad experiences with 15's - owned an amazing Trace Elliot 2x15 that could alter the Earth's spin on its axis and my old humble Rumble sounded great every time but have also had some flabby ones too - house backline in some venues we played in featured some awful (older) Ashdown combos, a pig of an old Laney head and cab and what I'm sure was a GK stack (but the logos were missing). A good pre and DI set up solved most of that

I reckon it is much less complicated these days, as most of the modern stuff is far better engineered.

[Mr.T]

I used to use a Trace 2x10 and a matching 1x15.
The 2x10 was deeper sounding, so as others have already said..... There is no particular sound related to driver sizes.


I am now using a pair of homemade cabs loaded with Emminence 12's.

Not because I have a preference for any particular size of driver!
...for me, it was more about having the 'right' size of cabinets that sound how I want them to sound, and are easily lugged around.
I also find that I can hear myself on stage far better than I ever have.

Edited May 8, 2014 by Mr.T

[Bassman Steve]

I'm horribly old school and use 15's but have a 2x18 which gets occasional use too.

I hear all the arguments for 10's and 12's but have always found them too 'responsive' for my crude technique, they seem to be far less forgiving than some lumbering great 15" cone. I have had the same sound for about 35 years now and still love it so I have desire to change at all.

I dare say a lightweight 1x10 could sound great but I don't actually care. Precision bass, valve amp and 2x15 - I'm a cave man so bite me!

[Guest]

Nothing crude about your playing Steve and the tone from that Mesa / Mesa set up is sublime.
Just turn it up a bit next time hehe.

[JTUK]

[quote name='Bassman Steve' timestamp='1399620845' post='2445861']
I'm horribly old school and use 15's but have a 2x18 which gets occasional use too.

I hear all the arguments for 10's and 12's but have always found them too 'responsive' for my crude technique, they seem to be far less forgiving than some lumbering great 15" cone. I have had the same sound for about 35 years now and still love it so I have desire to change at all.

I dare say a lightweight 1x10 could sound great but I don't actually care. Precision bass, valve amp and 2x15 - I'm a cave man so bite me!
[/quote]

And I would guess that is why quite a few 'precision' sounding cabs come back onto the market pretty quickly.
It is all very well being able to hear everything, supposedly, but do you WANT to hear it

You can go two ways with it...you can use it as a tool to be cleaner, which is no overnight thing at all if you see the attack
some people get into the bass ( their technique would required a brutal major overhaul IMO ) or you can give the job to
the engr to clean up and bury in the mix. Doesn't get round the solo'd bass sound though.

[Bassman Steve]

I'd probably respond better if I knew what you were trying to say.

What is a Precision sounding cab? An 8x10? A Portaflex? A 4x12? The market is full of all of those types (though fewer 15's which seems to fly in the face of what you're implying - I think).

Solo bass? It's how it sounds in the mix, not on its own surely - unless you're Stanley Clarke maybe.

[Count Bassy]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1399460003' post='2444377']
Harsh, but true!
[/quote]

True indeed, but not everyone can afford £7-800 for a "Decent Cab".

[JTUK]

[quote name='Bassman Steve' timestamp='1399629990' post='2445982']
I'd probably respond better if I knew what you were trying to say.

What is a Precision sounding cab? An 8x10? A Portaflex? A 4x12? The market is full of all of those types (though fewer 15's which seems to fly in the face of what you're implying - I think).

Solo bass? It's how it sounds in the mix, not on its own surely - unless you're Stanley Clarke maybe.
[/quote]

I am saying quite a few bass players don't have a sound that is kind on its own... and that can be down to what they hear
and produce or what their technique produces. Plenty of guys round here use Ampeg... and they get that 'great' clunky sound
which is all they are ever going to get with their all round set-up and the way they play.
This is what I see and hear time and time again. Prorbaly a bit of a pet theme as well, as there doesn't seem to be a lot of variation or thought in it... but they seem happy, on the whole. Not what I would call a great sound or in any way cultured, but hey...

When I say solo'd, it is more applicable to just playing with the drums where the bass sound is exposed..or even an intro.
Many songs can be stripped down so the bass sound will be heard quite specifically....
Slow songs, ...anywhere where the gtr and other instruments aren't able to mask the bass.

A 'precision cab would be an honest cab where there isn't a lot of colouring....
It is about a pure bass sound ...

Edited May 9, 2014 by JTUK

[Conan]

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1399630571' post='2445995']
True indeed, but not everyone can afford £7-800 for a "Decent Cab".
[/quote]

True of course, but by shopping carefully and buying second-hand these "decent cabs" can be had for a lot less than that.

[discreet]

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1399630571' post='2445995']
True indeed, but not everyone can afford £7-800 for a "Decent Cab".[/quote][size=4][quote name='Conan' timestamp='1399631648' post='2446022'][/size]True of course, but by shopping carefully and buying second-hand these "decent cabs" can be had for a lot less than that.
[/quote]

My 'decent cab' (Barefaced Big One) cost £400 second-hand.

Edited May 9, 2014 by discreet

[mikebass84]

I used to prefer a 1x15 but now I've grown older and a bit more wise I like the sound of 10s.
I do play thru a 2x10 and a 1x15 so I get the best of both worlds

[Handwired]

You should never search for a cab with a specific driver size in mind, just worry about weather the cab sounds good to you or not.

[Mr.T]

[quote name='Handwired' timestamp='1399722708' post='2446993']
You should never search for a cab with a specific driver size in mind, just worry about weather the cab sounds good to you or not.
[/quote]

^^^ I agree ^^^

With all that has been said about driver sizes and modern drivers, I don't understand why so many Bass Players still think that getting the 'right' sound is quite so dependent on what size driver is in the cab! ..... Oh well,... Old dogs, new tricks, etc. [size=4] [/size]

[ezbass]

I'm currently using a 6x5 powered cab with a 2x5 combo on top.

[keeponehandloose]

I may be about to move from 15s to 10s,
ive used a 15" mesa walkabout and ext cab for the last few years but have now aquired a promethean combo and matching cab with 10s.
for URB the promethean set up sounds superb, but I double on electric which is better through the mesa. decisions......

[NancyJohnson]

I'm fortunate enough to have a 4x10 and a 1x15, both have high frequency horns. I rarely pair them up and the 4x10 is the cabinet I tend to use most of the time. To be honest, I've never really felt once the band is fully up to volume that I could really differentiate between the two cabs - any frequency range gets lost in the overall mix and all I hear is whump.
P