10 vs 12. Thoughts?

So I posted a newbie question a bit ago about pairing an amp and cab with ohms etc. At the time I was lookin at a blackstar ht-5 but after much thought I can't get away from the Vox ac4. My k.i.s.s. type of gear selection leans me much more towards a single channel amp, pedals for anything else because I probably would just stick to one of the channels if I had a multiple channel amp anyhow. That being said, here is my dilemma;
The ac4 as most of you might know comes in a combo, with a 10 inch speaker, or a half stack, 12 inch speaker. Nobody even close to me has the stack but I have played the combo and it fits my needs quite well. I have heard, and logically understand, that the 12 inch speaker would give me a fuller more complete sound. I was wondering how you all felt about this. Money is sort of an issue in the sense that I don't want to waste it, but I will take the hit for the tone if it is worth it. I also understand that I could always get a cab later if I got the combo but I don't see much point in that..might as well just bite the bullet to begin with. Furthermore, the affordability of the amplifier to begin with is so good that money can't really be much of a complaint but portability definately gives the combo an advantage. I know that all of this is a personal preference, as with all gear, but I would really appreciate and enjoy your feedback about 12 inch vs 10 inch speakers as a general application, and for this amp specifically if you have experienced it. Thanks alot guys
Mike

Hi Mike

I have recently built a cab for a 10" speaker I've had lying around for years and it's kick arse. It's as full as the 12" speakers I'm used to, partially because of the specifics of its construction and design. It has altered my view of 10" speakers, now I quite like them! Speakers vary hugely, and getting a good one is the best thing you could do. You can get good ones for around the $60 mark like an Eminence Ragin' Cajun 10" which I have. The one that comes standard in the AC4 combo is pretty good, I haven't heard the one in the separate cab but would imagine it would be of equal quality.

They're a great little amp. I helped out a friend of mine who, like you, is pretty new to amplifiers. We ran through a lot of little amps and the AC4 was the best by FAR. It also looks the coolest. If I were you I'd go for the head, that way you can use it with ease with many different sized cabs and speakers and find ones which suit you best. Don't let the combo's perceived portability sway you, the head is so small that you could carry it in a back pack with your pedals very easily... Head's also prolong the life of the tubes because they are in a separate enclosure that doesn't vibrate as much as the inside of a combo amp.

Jamie

The majority of guitar players will tell you that 12 inch is the ideal size for a guitar speaker but there are a lot of great guitar players that prefer 15 inch or 10 inch speakers. There is absolutely nothing wrong with using 10 -inch guitar speakers. In general a 10 -inch will be more punchy and more responsive but at a loss of some bass presence. However, as pointed out in the previous post a 10 in a properly built cabinet can sound like a 12. But even a 10 that sounds like a 10 is a good thing. Buy the amp you want, later down the road when you have some money, buy a 1 x 12 cabinet and compare.

I use 10 inch speakers because they fit my style of play. It's all about personal preference. As pointed out above, Eminece has a large selection of relatively cheap American made speakers. My current preference in 10-inch is the Ramrod.

Good luck

Tom

Thanks guys. I'm gonna have alot of trouble looking at the combo and knowing I could have had the head. The combo really got a little bit to much mid range when it was cranked which wasn't due to the tone knob but the actual vibrations themselves. I guess before I focused on my playing so much that to spend money on amps and effects and nice guitars was a bit pointless until I could play well..like those dudes that buy 5000 golf clubs and can't even hit the damn ball. The G&L was my first move in the direction of having gear that doesn't hold me back, and I'm gonna have to go with the head for the sake of just doing it right the first time.

In general a 10 -inch will be more punchy and more responsive but at a loss of some bass presence.

Very well put Tom. That's exactly the difference between the two.