When we asked “Which speaker size projects best for a bass player when playing live?”, many of you posted comments on what you think works best. Some of you wrote very detailed comments. There were a few that really stood out, enough to where an entire article (the one you’re reading right now) could be dedicated to it.
From Rick Lazaroff:
I’m very surprised that most bass players still use 1 x full range cab or a combination of 2 x full range cabs of different speaker configurations. In the early 80’s I switched from using full range cabs to a sub and top cab employing an electronic cross over. When I made the switch it was magic. I’ve used a few different combinations. 2×18″ for a sub with a 2×10″ on top crossed over around 100htz or 2×15″ on the bottom with 2×10″ on top. It’s the only way to go. Clarity, punch, lots of bottom end and high end definition. You’ve got to move air and that’s not going to happen playing through a 2×10″ cab. And most 2×10″ can also have a tweeter as well. It’s a set up that’s bassically a small P.A. system. At present I’m only using a 1×15″ cab for my sub and it’s really not enough for the bottom end. I plan on adding another 1×15″ cab to beef up the situation. If you want to heard over the drummer and a guitar player you’ve got move air. And it’s not just about volume. It’s about clarity & projection. Get yourself a sub and a top cab and an electronic crossover. And, a good quality rack mount compressor. The real secret to a balanced attack. It’s not overkill. It’s the reason every soundman tells me my bass sounds great. (Fender Jazz Bass with EMG’s)
From Phil S.:
I am always amazed by the number of folks who still think 10’s have more “punch” and “clarity”, and 15’s have more “warmth” and “low end”. Seriously? With all of the proven data that shows the only thing a speaker’s size tells you about a speaker is the size of the speaker, one has to wonder how this is still a topic of discussion. If you wanna mix driver sizes, knock yourself out, it’s your rig, your sound, and your money, but in most cases, the 4×10 is able to handle more wattage than the standard 1×15, so while your 4×10 is humming along, your 1×15 is on the brink of destruction. Unless you’re listening specifically to the 1×15, you may not hear it struggling until it’s too late. I played the “standard” 410/115 combo for years. Thought it sounded killer, until I played a rig with 2×212’s. That rig went deeper and had more articulation than my 410/115 ever thought about, and with less EQ! From that point on, I’ve only played two matching cabs or one really good cab. Right now, I’ve got two LDS 15/6/1’s and two Ampeg PN-410’s, but my gigging rig is a single Barefaced Big Twin II, which is a ported 2×12 with a horn. That single 2×12 is as loud and as deep as the two Ampeg’s and it has the same kind of articulation as the two LDS’s. It also happens to weigh less than 50 lbs, and it has super smooth casters and a well-placed top handle.
My point is that my 212 cab has all the “punch” of 10’s and all the “warmth” of 15’s. If I needed another cab(I don’t), I’d buy another Barefaced BTII. Why would I take a chance that some other cabinet with a different sized driver will pair up with this cab and sound like crap? I know this cab sounds amazing, so why wouldn’t I just buy another one? Mismatched drivers MIGHT work, but matching drivers DO work, and speaker size really means nothing…
Just so everyone doesn’t think I’m totally new school, my pedalboard is almost all analog(my loop switcher has some digital qualities), and my main amp is an all-tube Mesa Strategy(my backup amp is a Mesa D800+…;-) )
From renotunez:
I am a live player, have done some studio in my past but I perfer playing live. Back in the late 80’s early 90’s I had a Fender BRX bi-amped 400 watt head with a 2×10 and a 15″ each in it’s own cabinet. Then my friend who at that time was a rep for Kaman Corp. He convinced me to use his Trace Elliot’s SMX-12 2×10 combo w/ horn back in the early 90’s one night. That configuration sold me, thus selling my Fender amp, speaker cabinets, and even Fender Jazz V string ( it had Kubicki active electronics and I had upgraded to Bartolini pickups). After trying his amp and his Hamer Cruise Bass V with a 2Tek bridge (Jazz inspired and passive) I was sold! Had everything I needed, and my tone was much more defined than with my Fender kit. I was playing in a 3 piece Classic Rock band back then and need clear tones and a defined sound. After that tryout, the 2×10’s w/ a horn and a English made Trace head became my go to. I just like the early Trace stuff’s warm, defined tone even still today. Currently I am using an English pre-Gibson Trace GP-7, a Rane dual compressor with crossover, w/ 2×10 w/ horn cabinet. Bass guitar goes in to a Tech21 Sansamp VT direct box before amp/compressor and split to PA mixing board. I’m 63 and I like the modular stack approach due to weight/transporting it for other gigs. I just need to hear myself on stage, not really to project. Last year for 3 months I played without an amp on stage as a trial to explore downsizing, just direct into PA and thru monitors. Hated it! I went back to the amp after 3 months. I really feel an amp on stage helps me stay connected to the band. Without an amp on stage it was very hard for me, especially after using amps on stage since the early 70’s. I did try the challenge, but I don’t care for bass just in monitors or thru a small monitor. JMHO, and it works well for me. I am always conscience of my volume and band mate interactions.
From James Markway:
I am a pro player of over 40 years on electric and upright, with over 10,000 gigs in the New Orleans area. If you have to be louder than a 10″ speaker can provide on an upright gig, that gig should be on electric.
I used to use 6 different cabs I made myself- 2 cabs w/single 15″ Altec Lansing 4-21, 2 cabs with single EV 12L, and 2 cabs with single 10″ Hartke aluminum cones. Each cab was 8 ohms and built to specs derived from the computer EV 12L design.
I would mix and match cabs to whatever the gig demanded. I even had a junction box so that I could run 3 cabs but still have the resulting ohms fall between 4 and 8 ohms. Then Hurricane Katrina destroyed all of that gear.
When I got new gear I got a single 10″ and a single 12″ from Flitesound. This is what I use now for any gig. Loud electric gigs get both cabs, upright gigs get the 10″, and I use the single 12 on the occasional gig needing more than a 10″. That’s it.
4 10″ cabs have a pronounced mid range bump that you can’t get rid of. 8 10″ cabs are stupid unless you are playing heavy metal. Most concert rental rigs are TOO BIG. I like to use a small cab on stage at a concert or festival, like a 2 10″. That way you can push the cab up to, but not into, distortion. This gives the best bass tone without being distorted. A smaller rig on any stage makes the soundman’s job easier, with monitors not as loud, and reduced low frequency feedback due to low frequency resonances. Use a small cab, push it up to the threshold of distortion but not into it, and you will get great tone, a happy sound man, and grateful fellow band members.
I recently played a small jazz room here in town with both electric and upright- I used a rebuilt 1969 Fender Showman head with a LDS 2 8″ cab. With each axe in its own separate channel, it was perfect.
From Dan G.:
Back in the 60’s I used a 1966 Fender Bassman amp (blackface) with a really large 212 cabinet (new size for ’66). That worked fine for high-school group and also worked fine when I first started touring with a nightclub group (5-days a week, 50-weeks a year). Then the guitarist and keyboards both bought Vox Super Beatle amps, which buried my poor Bassman.
In 1971 while playing “Little Bo’s” in Lincoln Nebraska, I visited Hospe music looking for a dual showman. They had sold out the week before so I was trying everything in the shop. The finally showed me a previous year’s model of a Standel bass amp. It was the MCIIB head (just a preamp in the head) and a SAM30B cabinet. The SAM30B was a 215 cab with 4 circular ports alongside the speakers. It was a powered cab at 250-watts and was shorter and twice as deep as my bassman cab. I could easily bury the guitar and keyboard’s Super-Beatle amps with it. Speakers were very efficient and I couldn’t dial it up beyond 9 o’clock indoors (3 on the dial). Outdoors, I could run it at 12 o’clock (5 on the dial) because there were no walls to bounce it off of.
I toured for another 2 years with that amp and it was as good as it gets – better than the acoustic 360/361 and the all-tube SVT with the 810’s. It was stolen in 1976 along with my 1965 Fender Jazz Bass.
Used a number of single 15’s since and none of them were good enough for anything beyond small club. Then I got an acoustic B410 and stacked that on top of my GK115. With some EQ’ing (the 115 was terribly boomy) I could make that stack sound good and play inside or out with my 800-watt Eden amp driving it.
In 2015, I bought DNA’s DNS-410. It’ll handle 1400-watts rms. Using that same 800-watt Eden amp, I can’t run it above 9:30 without blowing everyone out of the room. That 410 is as good as it gets and it will stand up to an 810 without any problem. The low B string on my 5 string sounds tight and clear. If I play bass chords on it, you can discern each note of the chord. The clarity and richness of the sound is just amazing.
Until I bought my DNS410, I would still have preferred my old Standel (2×15) if I still had it. But that new DNS-410 is just killer – inside, outside, loud or soft, it rocks the house and has no fear at all of a Marshall double stack of 12’s or a super-loud drummer. So, for me, my 410 is the choice.
From Bill J:
For years I have been using a Hartke 5000HA with either a lighter 4×10 Hartke Transporter cab or a 2×10 SWR Workingman… or often, both. I play from small Tiki bars, small to medium clubs to Outdoor festivals. This setup has been sufficient. I am 65 and wanted something smaller and lighter since I play blues, classic rock, R&B, Alternative music or acoustic folk with multiple groups almost nightly. I took the plunge and bought a Phil Jones Compact Suitcase and Compact 4 cabinet without hearing one, based solely on feedback on several bass forums (Risky, I know!). I now run 500 watts through a total of 8×5″ speakers (I know this sounds crazy… it did to me too!). I have used it in all the above settings (for larger or outdoor venues I run direct to PA through my trusty SansAmp Tech 21 3 channel programmable DI) and have been extremely pleased with this setup. I use my old ’74 Fender Jazz rewired in ’76 with Sunrise pickups by Pat Murphy and Tim Shaw. I like a clean, well rounded punchy tone, but also go for some growl with some high end cutting through when needed. The typical… and common comment I get is “Awesome bass sound! What is that little amp?”. I just did a show with another band with a bassist that swears by his old SVT with 8x10s. He was hesitant to use it when I emailed him ahead of time just to let him know what I was going to have set up on stage so he could bring his amp. When he heard us play, he raved about it, and used it himself. Afterwards he asked all about it since he was unfamiliar with Phil Jones. My only issue has been since it is so small (only about 2′ stacked), I have resorted to putting it up on a milk carton (now my cord crate) so I can hear it better when in less than ideal monitor situations. I realize I am losing some natural bass from it not being on the floor, but that is has not been an issue.
From EddieB:
These days I use a 4×10 + 1×15 for larger venues, though I put the 15 on top because it’s lighter. For smaller gigs, just the 1×15. I power them with a GK 800RB. This has served me well going on 20 years now. For really small gigs I’ll use a GK MB150 microbass combo with its single 12 and maybe an additional 1×12 to get a little more bottom.
Before that, I used a Sunn 2000S with a variety of speakers, finally settling on 9×12 in three cabinets. I still have the muscles to prove it. Back then we had limited power so we had to add speakers to get projection. These days you can fit 2000W into a shoe box and still lift it with one hand.
Whatever happened to the 1×18 in a folded horn “W” cabinet? The Acoustic 360 used to rule the bass world. I think they actually sounded louder the further away from them you were. With a backline of those you could play a coliseum and not need to run the bass through a PA. Probably not ideal for your local pub or Elks club though.
From Donn R. Westmoreland:
I was a cabinetmaker before I became disabled, so I built my rig and it’s unique as far as I know. The baffle is angled at 15 degrees to overcome phase-cancellation of standing waves off the back of the 15″ speaker. There is a ‘Port’ 2 1/2 ” tall that runs the entire bottom of the cabinet. At the bottom it is 24″ deep, at the top approx. 18″ deep. It is 24″ tall and 24″ wide (OD). The speaker enclosure is sealed with a 15″ passive radiator aiming down into the ‘Port’. It is loaded with a Peavey Black Widow 15 (400W capable) and is packed with insulation. The upper cabinet is a 2 – 10″ cab, built with similar design parameters to the 1 – 15, though no passive radiators and porting is tuned. 10″ Peavey Black Widow speakers load this cabinet. The baffle is a 10 degree ‘V’ to create cross coverage. This cab is incomplete, so I can’t tell you yet how they sound together?
The idea was based on room coverage, the two tens angle so that they cover 145 degrees, more than enough to push into the room. It stands on a pole out of the top of the 1 – 15. The 1 – 15 aims upward to bounce the long waves off the ceiling with a coverage of 115 degrees wide; which I know covers the room I’ve played it many times. It also pushes the deep bass from the port across the floor. which increases the ‘feel’ received by the audience.
I did feel the need for the two ten box, to ‘brighten’ the sound and give the rig more mid/upper punch. But the bass you feel in your chest on the rockers and boogie tunes, that comes out of the 15 box. My amp head burned, so I don’t even know what I will end up with to power the rig, as I’m not playing right now, I have a few problems. But given my choice, this rig would run on a Peavey VB 2 head, heavy, but everything you ever need.
I’m a hobbyist player; and an on-again-off-again weekend warrior (I admit it). My experience is in bars and clubs, no large venues, though I would love to hear this rig in a larger space, with DI/mic’d through the PA mixed. I think I’m onto something.
Thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts on amplifiers and speaker cabinet setups. And if you’d like to continue the conversation, please feel free to post a comment or two below.
I’ve been playing gigs for over 51 years & used just about every combination of speakers you can think of. I’ve had the Acoustic 360, 2X15 EV cabs, 4X10 Hartkes, 12X10 Schroeder, 2X12 Avatar & 2X10 Avatar & thought they all did the job. I’m now using a Phil Jones C4 (4X5) cab with a Quilter Bass Block, playing in the same clubs & catering halls & it sounds great & my back loves it!
I have had a few different amp configerations over the years. I started in the late 60’s with a Fender Bassman which had 2 12’s. Thinking that the speakers were what was cause of the distortion at higher volumes, I cut the holes bigger and replaced the 12’s with 2 EV 15’s, which really didn’t help much. At that time I didn’t realize that the 30 watt tube amp was the problem. Somewhere around 19771 a bought an Acoustic 360. It was a great amp, but as funk started rearing it’s ugly head, I found that it didn’t have enough upper registry clarity. I also have used an Ampeg B15S (which was a great amp), until it was stolen, and a B15N. In the bi-amp crazed days I switched to a Carvin 115 with a Carvin 410 on top (later I out the 410 on the bottom), powered by a GK 800RB. This was a great rig; it sounded great (it still does)and I could use both or either cabinet, depending on what and where I was playing. Several month ago I purchased a GK Fusion 800 and 2 GK Neo 112 cabinets – kind of like back to my Bassman days, but with a much better amp.
The problem with deciding on an amp, based on the opinions of others, is that opinions are like a certain part of the human anatomy – everyone seems to have one. So my advice is to try several different brands, with several different speaker combinations, and buy what sounds best and what you can afford. Some times buying the “Consumer Reports” best recommended item does not always work out.
In my experience, the quickest way to a muddy sound is to send the same signal to diverse drivers. If you’re bi-amping or using a crossover you can get some great sonic coverage, but otherwise it’s best not to mix speaker sizes.
I’ve also found that speakers in a vertical alignment cover an area much better than those grouped horizontally — there’s a bunch of science around how waves combine and cancel that explains it, but the reality is that speakers in a vertical line project right to left, and speakers in the same horizontal plane direct sound top to bottom. I find cabs with speakers in a square (like the typical 4×10) to have the worst of both when it comes to directional sound – they only sound good when standing directly in front of them, and not off axis.
So, my live rig is a collection of small matching 1×12 cabs. I will use one for a small gig, two for medium venues, and 3 or 4 for big spaces and outdoor gigs, always stacked vertically. It’s modular, flexible, easy to move, and sounds great over the widest area.
I’ve had 15s, 4 x 10s, and have tried the combo in the past. Recently what I have been using are GK NEO 212 IIs (I own 2). I own both a GK 1001 RBii and a GK Fusion 550 head. I’ve found that I mainly only need one of those cabs for 90% of my gigs, and on the are occasion, I might use both at the same time. Most of the time I leave one at my lockout rehearsal space, and keep the other one at home so that when I gig I don’t have to drive to the lockout. These cabs seem to have a flatter (more transparent) sound than either 10’s or 15’s, so your sound is more determined by the amp and bass itself (so there is one less variable to dialing in your sound for the room).
I have 2 GK 2×12″ Neo cabs also with the 800mb head. I also use one cab most of the time. I find them to have a much better sound than 10″s or 15″s. They are perfect and weighing in at 53 lbs.
Bi-amping is where it’s at.
I run a variety of preamps into a bi-amp Crest power amp.
The rig can be as small as a single 12″ sealed sub, and a 6″ for low volume and high quality.
Those needing to make a whole lot of noise can use four bass horns and a vertical stack of 10s. As noted above, the vertical stack is also where it’s at.
The Crest, or similar, handles all the impedance issues, along with the 24db crossover slope.
Painless and clean.
These days, at least around here, anything that needs more than a small amp has a P.A. that I can go through. Getting by fine with a little Markbass for all but a few gigs, I have a SWR 2×10 as an extension cab if needed, but it hasn’t seen a stage in the last 200 gigs.
Best sound I had was an SVT and two Avatar 2×12’s; warm but with enough articulation for anything short of Prog, loud enough without too much mud.
I’ve played though just about every combination you can think of but i tried something on a whim and found it very pleasing. I purchased 2 of the BG250 combos by TC Electronics. One is the 15 inch and the other is the 2×10. When on stage I link them together by the D.I. and now you have a rig with infinite adjust-ability. They’re 40 something pounds each and I replaced the corner hardware with interlocking corners. i can stack them upright or lay them on their sides. I’m surprised nobody else thought of it . I own an ampeg 8×10 with a SVT 450 head, a 2×10 and a 4×10. I’ve also been using a Behringer 450 and a 1000 watt heads and have never…ever had any issues with them so why do I need to change them, besides all I play now is my 2 TC combos.
I am still performing 2-3 times a week at 53, a lot of gigs all kinds of venues and situations. I’ve had all kinds bass gear. Lately, the 12″ speaker and horn from JBL’s PRX812 sounds like heaven to me. It’s a multi-purpose powered cab, so it’s my monitor wedge. It helps keep stage volume down, too. My sound man friend once said:
‘we used to think we needed an svt, we just needed a better PA’
I quit listening the second someone says “it’s the only way to go.” Seriously? What you mean is that it’s the only way to go, for you! I’ve been playing bass and running sound for 45 years, and have played through every conceivable setup available, and all that matters is whether or not it sounds the way you want it to. And when the sound guy, if it’s me, tells you your bass sounds great, it’s usually from the direct feed before your amp and processing, not necessarily from your rig. Frankly, the size of the rooms I play in, in combination with the guitarists amps and such, would not allow for a multiple 18″ + 15″ plus whatever else you need to get your tone. This has been just my opinion. Carry on!
After using several combinations over the years (Acoustic 360, GK 800RB, Randall, Carvin 210 w/18″ sub,Eden WT800 w/410 XLT and XST, Road 18″ with various heads etc., I finally found my signature sound with the SWR 900 (bridged 800 watts) with the SWR 410 Goliath III. Playing R&B, blues, reggae, jazz, gospel, funk, smooth jazz and latin this really works for me from outdoor concert venues to small clubs. At age 60 weight is a concern now so I have been blessed to find something light that sounds almost just like my signature SWR rig. For lightweight gear I now use a Fender Rumble 500 (210 combo) and the Rumble 15″ extension cab. Fender 5 , Sire-Marcus Miller 5 and Ken Smith 6……..
I have an Ampeg PF 500 that I used to run into an Ampeg 410 HLF. Loved it, but seemed like a little something was missing( for me, of course). I’m 63, and got tired of lifting 110 lbs into my van. So I sold the HLF and ordered a PF210 and a PF115, and bingo! The sound couldn’t have suited my ears better, and my buddies seem to be impressed as well. And my back thanks me every time I load up. I can play any size gig with this rig, but for small to medium gigs the PF 210 works great by itself.
For small gigs/clubs I’m using an Ampeg PF500 thru an Eden 2×10, sitting on an isolator box. Have to dial the bass EQ a bit more with this set-up but it works nicely. I do a fair amount of outdoor gigs in the summer months and have been running a Mesa M-Pulse 600 thru a 2×15 EV cab. Sounds great but requires more lugging. I just played a large outdoor party (no house PA) and had great success using an the Ampeg PF500 thru a 1×15 Avatar Cab, (neo15″+6″+horn), and an Eden 2×10, sitting vertically on top. Best stage sound yet for medium venues… had the Ampeg turned up half-way. A big, full, present sound. Not as big as the Mesa 2×15, but the weight is very manageable and the stage balance with a six-piece band is a great fit.
2×12=24
2×15=30
4×10=40
Which One Moves The Most Air ?
Your math is flawed. The area of a circle is π * r(2), so a 10 inch circle is 78.5 square inches, a 12 inch circle is 113 square inches, and a 15 inch circle is 176.7 square inches. So:
2×12=226 square inches
2×15=353.4 square inches
4×10=314 square inches
BUT, that doesn’t even count the fact that speakers are bowl shaped, which increases the volume and surface area of a larger speaker even more than a smaller one. A pair of 15″ speakers definitely have more capacity than 4 tens. BUT, you also have to account for power handling, cone excursion or “throw”, etc, etc. It’s never simple.
Air moved by a speaker is determined by its volume displacement not its diameter. Volume displaced or Vd equals cross sectional area (Sd) times excursion limit (Xmax). A speakers usable cross section is less than its nominal diameter but to keep the math simple we’ll use the nominal values. Larger speakers are typically capable of longer cone excursion so compare these drivers. Sd(cm2) and Xmax(mm) is found on speaker data sheets. Units need to be converted to cm to calculate Vd and area A=Pi * r^2
Size Radius(cm) Sd(cm2) Xmax(cm) Vd(cm3) Total volume
10” 12.7cm 506.7 0.4cm 202.7cm3 x 4 = 810.8 cm3
12” 15.2cm 729.6 0.5cm 364.8cm3 x 2 = 729.6 cm3
15” 19.1cm 1140.1 0.6cm 684.1cm3 x 1 = 684.1 cm3
As you can see, a 410 moves the most air but not by as much as you might think. The other factors which come into play are sensitivity in dB/W, low end frequency response, and mechanical limit or fart out. The 410 will be loudest but have the weakest response below 100 Hz. A 15” driver should have a strong bass response which extends lower but won’t be as loud. A 215 can keep up with a 410 and smoke it in low end response but won’t have the upper mid and treble reach. A 212 doesn’t quite keep up with a 410 volume but generally has a better low end response. This is a general example but shows that accurate comparison is not as simple as just comparing speaker diameter and involves several factors and trade offs. Best thing to do is play through each and see what best suits you needs.
Geeze I’ve played every combo described above. Nothing beats 2 cabs with 2×12″ NEO’s with an 800 watt head. Gallien Krueger. The punch of 10’s the depth of 18’s the volume of Zeus and at 52 lbs each cab and 5.5 lbs for the head. What more can you ask for?
Well then…maybe someone should tell Victor Wooten that he’s doing it all wrong by using a 115 and a 410 together.
Technically he isn’t doing it wrong, he could just be doing it better…Did I just say that!!??
A couple thoughts on that… First, I believe Wooten signed an endorsement deal with Hartke back in 2009 so I’m pretty sure he gets paid to be seen playing their stuff and Hartke wants to sell lots of 410s and 115s. Second, I believe he drives the two cabinets with two entirely separate amps, which allows him independent control of the two sound paths. Finally, this is Victor Wooten — he could play a diddly bow through a Sears & Roebuck amp and find a way to make it sound amazing!
After reading all the comments from my fellow bass players I think I’ll take a shot t it.
I’m 64 and been playing since I was 14. My main axe is my “67 P-bass but it doesn’t come out that much anymore. I use the Flea Jazz and the 2013 Gibson EB bass (first year made…natural ash) and a std. Surf green P-J bass…no mods on any. I’ve tried all the “D” class heads and use, believe it or not, the Fender 500watt (looks like an old bassman) with either a Fender 2-10 cab or my Sunn SPL cab with 2-15’s. Here’s the point. Neither cab has the original speakers. The 2-10 has Eminence 3010’s with the tweeter ripped out (get more air out) and it sounds great on small gigs. Punchy, good bottom, light. The same with the Sunn, two Eminence 3015’s. Great light speakers. This cab is light (NOW) and hits the highs and lows with ease and is clear and projects. Backup head is a Carvin BX 700. Best bang for your dollar. Parametric, 7 band sliders and clean 700 watts.
Here’s my point… the cab is just a box. As long as it’s ported right any bass will sound great with the right cab tuning and the your choice of GOOD speakers.
Has anyone ever wondered why JBL NEVER made a 10″ bass speaker? Because, as a bass player our money is made from the 7th fret to the open strings. Nothing reproduces those frequencies like a 15″ speaker. I have a ’67 bassman bottom with 2-12 Faital neo’s . After two gig I ended up cutting two 3.5″ ports in it (again , the front). The results..another good but not great sounding cab. Nothing like the 15″,s. The heads being made these days reproduce any bass with extreme clarity. The most important link in the chain is the SPEAKERS. Try loading you cabs with different speakers and hear and feel the difference !!
@Nick, I’d agree on the 7 band eq comment.
But 10s can be voiced like 15s, through cab porting nowadays. The benefit is mostly space.
A 210 handles more power, and moves more air than a single 15″, despite it being heavier most of the time.
That being said, I’ve played with modern 15″ cabs, and they sounded boomy. perhaps it was the back wall, or the stage,
However, I have since moved to twin 12″ cabs, and they give for me, the perfect indoor balance. My twin 15″ cabs I sometimes still use on larger, outdoor stages.
Did phil S. just say in one paragraph that speaker size is irrelevant to tonal quality and then say he switched from 4×10 to 2×12 and got ‘more clarity and articulation and deeper sound’?
Lol.
Back in mid to late 60s I used a Fender Bassman and GUILD bass with nylon strings and felt pick. Playing Motown that was the standard. all bass no treble. 1971 buy new Sound City 200 W/ 2 cabs 4- 12s ea. then buy my 1972 RIC. 4001 playing prog. rock. 1975 buy Ampeg b15n for small gigs but heavy as hell. Now have old Kustom w/ 2 15s eminence and play in 2 different bands just for fun. Need lightweight gear and looking into GK the CK line and Markbass. Each amp and guitar had a purpose in a certain time of music. All were the best for me at that time.! Still rockin at 66yrs with guitar player i started out with in1965. ROCK ON!
+1 for bi-amping. Been playing bass since 1976. I have yet to find a setup I like better than bi-amping. I use a 4 Ohm 15″ Driver for the lows (Emminence Kappa Pro 15C) , in an EV spec. cabinet, TL606 I think they call it, and an 8 Ohm, 12″ driver for the highs.(EVM 12L) in a box that kinda copies a bag end design. I power it up with a GK 800RB. I love having separate volume controls for each box, and can vary the crossover point from 100 hz to 1000 hz.. usually run it a 500hz. Right now I’m building a 2×8 box to try in place of the EV12″…something I’ve been wanting to try for a while. The 2) 8″ drivers are 16 Ohms, and will be in separate, sealed enclosures within a larger box. Looking forward to trying that out this summer. I came across a good deal on an Avatar 4×10 a few years back….an older model before they went to neos, but it never made it to the stage. It had plenty of bottom, but I just couldn’t EQ the mids out of it to my taste. I sold it before ever taking it to a gig.
Really dig hearing the different opinions about stage rigs….very educational.
Ever played bass through an EV T18 manifold cabinet? My brother builds for a sound company one day he asked me to play though a T18 and when I did it was articulate low and powerful. This was a wow moment for me. I want my brother to build me a 212 manifold cab . I think this is the only bass cab any bass player could need.chard
Originally, the sound I loved the most is a bit amped CS 800 to dual 18″s with Peavey MkIV to dual 10″s.
My 1st rig was a Fender Bassman and a single EV1″5 loaded in an EV cab. Next was a Peavey MkIV into the same EV cab plus Mitchel loaded with a JBL 18″. Peavey Mega bass bi amped with Hartke 410 TP with a Peavey CS800 to dual 18″ Peavey cabs.
Currently I wanted to re-grove my favorite sounds into a new setup. This is what worked; 88 Peavey Fury, GK 800 RB, bi amped to a Kustom 115B and Hartke 410 TP.
Hello SPANKY,
Why did you select the Eminence Kappa 15C (450w, 4ohm) over the Eminence Legend CA15 (300w, 4ohm)?
Hi from Australia
Back in the 70’s we needed to project bass from the stage. I had an acoustic head, a couple of 15″ J Bins that would throw into the room.
Then I started touring, clubs, wine bars, hotels, festivals, outdoors… etc. That’s when I switched to 10″cones to deal with all the variable stages, most were badly constructed and boomy. I even tried some Boss boxes, they sounded great but they moved very little air.
These days I play UB & EB through a Radial DI into a Genz Benz Shuttlemax 9.2. I use either a 2×10 or a 1×15 cab. Speaker cabs have come a long way since the 60/70’s, one thing I’ve noticed is my lust for a grittier sound, tubes perhaps? Mesa Boogie 400+ 2/2×12″ cabs would be my dream rig and a roadie. 🙂
My professional advice?
A 210 is mostly limited to 300W, and it barely works in a live situation where everything is controlled; let alone in a live setting where a drummer smashes his sticks like his drum was a saw table!
The size of the amp in watts, should be the size of the congregation in seat space, roughly speaking (1 watt per seat space).
I find a 300/500W amp works fine in most live situations with 2x 12″ cabs each handling up to 250W.
Twin 15″ give too much low end in most church-sized rooms, but are better for the open stages.
Tens, yes, they generally give more cut. Though occasionally there are those focused and voiced towards the low end. I don’t agree with Phil S here, sorry:
15″ cabs are just pushing more air than tens, which results in an overall better projection of the low end.
While tens can sound like 15s, most of the time, tens handle 75-125W, and 15s handle 300-400W. That’s the difference of air moved per cone vibration!
I would like to try a biamped set up. I’ve run a single 12 inch speaker for the last couple of decades – Eden and/or Mesa Boogie. I always have FOH support so I’m really only concerned with my monitor and a little stage volume. A pair of 12s biamped sounds interesting. When I start to push the single 12, I can feel/hear it struggling. I’m guessing a biamped rig would address this…allowing me to get higher volume without pushing the speaker(s) too hard.