Bass Discussion Item, Yes You Can Answer

A question came to mind today that I had never thought about. I am bringing it up on this forum as many of you have bass players in your bands.

Why are bass cabinets usually 10" or 15" in cabinets? Here is why I bring up this question.

I use a 2-10 Carvin Rs1000 1000w bass amp. I also use a 15" and an SWR Golaith II 4-10 cabinet that weighs 100 lbs. The 100 lb 4-10 cabinet is getting a bit too much for me to load and unload. I have been looking for some lighter cabinets.

Today I stopped by the local GC and saw a used David Eden 2-12 bass cabinet sitting there. I lifted it and to my amazement it was less than 50 lbs. That got my attention.. I asked the salesman who I usually deal with, "Why does't anyone use 12" bass cabinets"? I received a funny look and he didn't know either. I negotiated a deal on it and brought it home and tested it. It is different, very clear, articulate and full tone. I'm am happy with the initial results. Here is a photo. So why are they so rare. I don't recall seeing a 12" other than in a low watt single combo. Thanks for your input -- Darwin Here is a photo.

I have no idea why they don't use 12" speakers for bass. A couple of weeks ago we used backline supplied by another band on the bill, the bass amp was one of these

A 112 Markbass combo. It sounded unbelievably good for something smaller than the old milk crate it was sitting on. If I'd played one of these before buying my 410 + head rig I would have one.

I did a little online research and this is a good answer I found in another forum's thread from over 13 years ago. From other sources I gather fashion and availability as well as punchy response from 10s balanced with the low end of 15s could factor into this as well. Technology has changed over the years:

One reason is size. A 4x12 is too big to fit on top of a 1x15. A 2x12 does fit, but doesn't move the air of a 4x10. Because a 4x10 fits in the same enclosure as a 1x15, you can use the same enclosure and the manufacturer can save money.

Another is cost to achive the same sound quality. A paper 10" woofer is easier to control and less likely to break-up than a paper 12". That's why really good audiophile speaker lines don't use 12" woofers until the top of their line - and then they're usually made out of kevlar or spectra or carbon fiber, which ain't cheap.

They also need larger magnets to control them, which cost more. 15 inch woofers have the same problem, but, because they are only one to an enclosure they're cheaper than two or four 12" woofers, and 15" are usually only used to hold down the very low tones, they aren't expected to reproduce the higher ranges of a bass.

Source

Jamie and Salmon, thanks for responding. Salmon, I think your answer is probably accurate and it had to do with cost. Jamie, II agree on the Markbass amps. I just wish they were not so expensive.

Back to the discussion that you presented Salmon, Technology has changed. I did some more research and the 12's in this cabinet are Eminence Neos and light. This is the concept that Markbass and others are promoting. In my case, I have a 15 cabinet on the floor behind me with the 2-10 cabinet on top of it. I was using the 4-10 cabinet on the other side of the stage as Steve, our lead player, likes a bass cabinet behind him. I will be using the 2-12 in that position and I suspect the blend of the 10s, 12s, and 15 will be just fine. The 12 cabinet is very clear and defined. I will let you know how it works in a couple of weeks. Thanks again for you input as I had never thought about this before. BTW Jamie, how do you like playing bass and how is it going for you?-- Darwin

The form factor thing has something to it. 4x10" matches a 15" and 4x12" would match 18" better than 15".

I personally like 12"ers pretty much, used a 4x12" Marshall bass cab with their JCM800 100W Bass head for years. Only issue was the typical comment of why the hell I'm using a "guitar rig" as nobody could tell the difference from a distance.

GeorgeB, thank you. If I weren't so old I would have added an 18 long ago. I don't quite have the strength I used to have and we don't have roadies, so lighter is a big drawing card for me. Thanks again! -- Darwin

You know years ago when I was a R&R DJ, I asked a bass player just that during sound check one afternoon. Can't remember the band but he had that standard Ampeg stack thing going as they did in that day, all loaded with 10's. He told me that he had tried 12's but they would distort way quicker than the 10's. I always thought the speaker technology at the time was the reason and they just stuck with it even though bigger speakers today can withstand the stresses of bass guitar.

Strange thing, working on a P-Bass last week, customer wanted to hear it. I'm not a bottom dweller so I've no amp. I let him plug into my old Fender '75. You know, it's that old Paul Rivera design thing Fender did to compete with Mesa 30 plus years ago. Anyway, it sounded awesome! I couldn't believe it.

I think he's plotting to get my amp now.

Have some fun today,
Larry

Larry, interesting story and probably a good reason. Old age has set in and I had forgotten that my old 66 Fender Bassman had a 2-12 cabinet. I had those reconed in 76 or whenever I got it. They sounded good but I never pushed them. Besides, that was a 60 watt amp at its best. I know that JBL had to redesign their DF130s to DF140s for bass use and they were good for not more 50 watts each. Anyway, these neos sound good and I will use them next gig along with the 15 and 10s. Speaker technology has improved in recent years so we will see how it works. It is less than half the weight of the 4-10 cabinet. Thanks for you input and have a good evening!-- Darwin