12 inch bass speaker recommendations

[SicilMammal]

I have a behringer bxl1800; it's all I've ever used since about 08, there's nothing wrong with it but thinking about maybe swapping the speaker someday if I find a good one on sale

 

[Raf Seibert]

I am forced to ask, what’s wrong with. Your current drivers? Or, what are you trying to accomplish sonically by switching?

 

[funkinbottom]

maybe swapping the speaker someday if I find a good one on sale

Well, this method rarely works out that great. Sure, put any "good speaker on sale" in and it will make sound, but good sound? It's a gamble at best, as cabs are designed to a drivers specs, not the other way around. You're Probably better of building or buying a new cab. If you are absolutely determined to put in a new speaker, get specs of original driver from Behringer, and find a driver with those specs (or extremely close).
Another thing you might do is call Eminence(or other speaker company) and ask for recommendations. They are pretty helpful. But you will need very specific info for them. Internal volume of the cabinet, and the diameter and length of port.(unless it's a sealed cab). And power of amp.
If you don't know how to determine the internal cubic feet of a cab, it's not to hard to figure. Measure (in inches) the internal width, height and depth of cab. Then multiply WxHxD then divide by 1,728 (cube ft. in inches) will give you internal vol. example: 16"x 18" x 12"= 3,456 divided by 1,728 = 2, so 2 cube Ft. Then measure port diameter and total length.

Again, this method is hit and miss. Best of luck.

 

[Redbrangus]

As already mentioned, the enclosure has to 'fit' the driver's parameters; 'upgrading' is hit or miss. Ported enclosures CAN be re-tuned to better match a particular driver, but it requires a bit of reverse engineering as well as an understanding of Thiele-Small parameters. All in all, if your cab isn't meeting your needs, it's a far easier and more reliable solution to sell it and get something that does.

 

[Hip_Pocket]

I have a Bergantino ceramic magnet 12 I’ll sell you for $100 plus shipping which won’t be much at all.

 

[Pontiac Thrasher]

I have a behringer bxl1800; it's all I've ever used since about 08, there's nothing wrong with it but thinking about maybe swapping the speaker someday if I find a good one on sale

Convert the cabinet into a head unit, pickup a Mesa Subway 115, then relax and enjoy your next 17 years?

: )

 

[GreyBeard]

When I first started playing bass back in the late 60's there was very little science involved in bass speaker cabinets. They would slap pretty much any speaker into a cabinet and call it a bass cabinet. My first 2x12 small cab Bassman was loaded with Jensen guitar speakers. Now days cabinets and speakers are computer matched and replacing the original speakers with something more expensive is a crap shoot. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"

 

[Rip Van Dan]

When I first started playing bass back in the late 60's there was very little science involved in bass speaker cabinets. They would slap pretty much any speaker into a cabinet and call it a bass cabinet. My first 2x12 small cab Bassman was loaded with Jensen guitar speakers. Now days cabinets and speakers are computer matched and replacing the original speakers with something more expensive is a crap shoot. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"

I had a 1966 Bassman (blackface) with the large cab. It had different speakers than the guitar speakers and at one time, I could have told you the model numbers. But even though they were different they weren't much better. They sounded good until I turned that 50-watt all-tube amp over #7 on the dial. Then the speakers would fart out. I blew two speakers out of that cab before I traded it in for a different one. I was touring with a nightclub group in 1971 and getting buried by the guitar and keys player's new Vox Super Beatle amps (120-watts rms). Traded in my Bassman towards a Standel piggy-back amp (MCIIb/SAM30b) that could easily bury those Super Beatle amps. That was a sweet amp up until 1976 when all my touring gear was stolen.

Really enjoyed my Bassman from 1966 through high school and some college, right up until I started touring with a nightclub group. Then it wasn't even close to being enough rig for the gig. Also back in the early through mid-60's nobody had even developed the Thiele-Small parameters system to understand how to get good sound and reliability out of speakers in bass cabs. So it was all trial and error. 1966 was the only year they made that 212 cab. Next year it was a slightly small 215 cab, which lived just fine.

 

[Pontiac Thrasher]

I had a 1966 Bassman (blackface) with the large cab. It had different speakers than the guitar speakers and at one time, I could have told you the model numbers. But even though they were different they weren't much better. They sounded good until I turned that 50-watt all-tube amp over #7 on the dial. Then the speakers would fart out. I blew two speakers out of that cab before I traded it in for a different one. I was touring with a nightclub group in 1971 and getting buried by the guitar and keys player's new Vox Super Beatle amps (120-watts rms). Traded in my Bassman towards a Standel piggy-back amp (MCIIb/SAM30b) that could easily bury those Super Beatle amps. That was a sweet amp up until 1976 when all my touring gear was stolen.

Really enjoyed my Bassman from 1966 through high school and some college, right up until I started touring with a nightclub group. Then it wasn't even close to being enough rig for the gig. Also back in the early through mid-60's nobody had even developed the Thiele-Small parameters system to understand how to get good sound and reliability out of speakers in bass cabs. So it was all trial and error. 1966 was the only year they made that 212 cab. Next year it was a slightly small 215 cab, which lived just fine.

Was looking up your amp, AI is on the job?

; )

 

[Jazzdogg]

I had a 1966 Bassman (blackface) with the large cab. It had different speakers than the guitar speakers and at one time, I could have told you the model numbers. But even though they were different they weren't much better. They sounded good until I turned that 50-watt all-tube amp over #7 on the dial. Then the speakers would fart out. I blew two speakers out of that cab before I traded it in for a different one. I was touring with a nightclub group in 1971 and getting buried by the guitar and keys player's new Vox Super Beatle amps (120-watts rms). Traded in my Bassman towards a Standel piggy-back amp (MCIIb/SAM30b) that could easily bury those Super Beatle amps. That was a sweet amp up until 1976 when all my touring gear was stolen.

Really enjoyed my Bassman from 1966 through high school and some college, right up until I started touring with a nightclub group. Then it wasn't even close to being enough rig for the gig. Also back in the early through mid-60's nobody had even developed the Thiele-Small parameters system to understand how to get good sound and reliability out of speakers in bass cabs. So it was all trial and error. 1966 was the only year they made that 212 cab. Next year it was a slightly small 215 cab, which lived just fine.

I still have two rigs from back in the day, both from the mid-sixties. 0ne is a Bassman black face with 2x12 cab, the other is an Ampeg SB12. These days, they are only used infrequently at home. Every guitarist who has played through my old Bassman wants to buy it. But, it isn't a gig worthy for bass if clarity and volume are needed. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

Was looking up your amp, AI is on the job?

; )
View attachment 7157987

Looks like it was pulling from at least some of my comments about it on TB and FB.

 

[GreyBeard]

I had a 1966 Bassman (blackface) with the large cab. It had different speakers than the guitar speakers and at one time, I could have told you the model numbers. But even though they were different they weren't much better. They sounded good until I turned that 50-watt all-tube amp over #7 on the dial. Then the speakers would fart out. I blew two speakers out of that cab before I traded it in for a different one. I was touring with a nightclub group in 1971 and getting buried by the guitar and keys player's new Vox Super Beatle amps (120-watts rms). Traded in my Bassman towards a Standel piggy-back amp (MCIIb/SAM30b) that could easily bury those Super Beatle amps. That was a sweet amp up until 1976 when all my touring gear was stolen.

Really enjoyed my Bassman from 1966 through high school and some college, right up until I started touring with a nightclub group. Then it wasn't even close to being enough rig for the gig. Also back in the early through mid-60's nobody had even developed the Thiele-Small parameters system to understand how to get good sound and reliability out of speakers in bass cabs. So it was all trial and error. 1966 was the only year they made that 212 cab. Next year it was a slightly small 215 cab, which lived just fine.

I had a similar problem with my bassman. It was fine for college stage band but when I tried to gig with it, it just didn't cut it. I replaced it with a Kustom 200 with 2x15 CTS cabinet. I do remember those Standel amps and they were killer for their day.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

I had a similar problem with my bassman. It was fine for college stage band but when I tried to gig with it, it just didn't cut it. I replaced it with a Kustom 200 with 2x15 CTS cabinet. I do remember those Standel amps and they were killer for their day.

Interestingly, my Standel amp also used two 15" speakers made by CTS though if I recall correctly the ones used in the Kustom cabs had the chrome dust covers and Standel's CTS speakers did not.

 

[GreyBeard]

Interestingly, my Standel amp also used two 15" speakers made by CTS though if I recall correctly the ones used in the Kustom cabs had the chrome dust covers and Standel's CTS speakers did not.

The Kustom 200 cab could be ordered with either CTS or JBL speakers. The JBLs had the shinny dust covers and the CTS had a black dust cover with a vent in the center. (just how I remember it)

 

[basscooker]

Looks like it was pulling from at least some of my comments about it on TB and FB.

Kinda cool tho

I wonder in the context of the mentioned scenario if the AI's are slick enough to NOT dig into the "musical misinformation" thread in TBmisc. Or, honestly pull from some of our joking suggestions.

Which now that I think about it... begs the question; are the AI's any good at tossing out sarcasm?

 

[agedhorse]

When I first started playing bass back in the late 60's there was very little science involved in bass speaker cabinets. They would slap pretty much any speaker into a cabinet and call it a bass cabinet. My first 2x12 small cab Bassman was loaded with Jensen guitar speakers. Now days cabinets and speakers are computer matched and replacing the original speakers with something more expensive is a crap shoot. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"

Yeah, and many cabinets back in the day performed pretty terrible compared with the better designs of today. We (designers) might have learned a thing or two along the way.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

The Kustom 200 cab could be ordered with either CTS or JBL speakers. The JBLs had the shinny dust covers and the CTS had a black dust cover with a vent in the center. (just how I remember it)

Now that you mention it, you are absolutely right. We had the Kustom PA towers and they were loaded with the JBL D120F's. I must have had a brain fart there! I'm still amazed at how well the speakers were matched to that amp. It amazes me that they were that loud with 200-watts. I use a 225-watt amp now with a 112 for small venues and that's not enough for medium-sized venues. That 200-watts into those CTS 15" speakers were ungodly loud and I never got them to distort at all. But sound was different too as back then you needed the 15" speakers for the deep bass sound. Now I can get just as loud with far more clarity and articulation along with a much more focused bottom end, but I use an 800-watt amp to do that.

 

[agedhorse]

Now that you mention it, you are absolutely right. We had the Kustom PA towers and they were loaded with the JBL D120F's. I must have had a brain fart there! I'm still amazed at how well the speakers were matched to that amp. It amazes me that they were that loud with 200-watts. I use a 225-watt amp now with a 112 for small venues and that's not enough for medium-sized venues. That 200-watts into those CTS 15" speakers were ungodly loud and I never got them to distort at all. But sound was different too as back then you needed the 15" speakers for the deep bass sound. Now I can get just as loud with far more clarity and articulation along with a much more focused bottom end, but I use an 800-watt amp to do that.

Those 15” drivers fell like a rock below 60Hz, and had huge mid bass peaks too… nothing like today’s modern drivers.

 

[GreyBeard]

Those 15” drivers fell like a rock below 60Hz, and had huge mid bass peaks too… nothing like today’s modern drivers.

I always thought that the CTS drivers worked better in those vented rolled and pleated cabinets than did the JBL's. (jmho)

 

[agedhorse]

I always thought that the CTS drivers worked better in those vented rolled and pleated cabinets than did the JBL's. (jmho)

The JBL's didn't work all that great either...