12's?!! For Bass?!! Oh come now! Really?!!

[borgward]

I have heard all the pros and cons 12" vs 15", etc. I never liked the 2 X 12 cab, except for southern boogie rock. Had several experience's with 12's lately. One was a SWR, which I thought was a decent amp, and an Ashdown. The SWR definitely did not cut it in a small club. The Ashdown at an open air event w/sound support was pretty good, but no cigar. Used my 77 Ripper with both amps. I finally began bringing my Peavey Bass 400 and 4 X 10 cab to the small club. All the players there really preferred it over the SWR 12.

I am currently running the Ripper through a MM 130 reverb guitar amp head and 2 Peavey 15" mains in a practice space. Sounds really good.

I am wondering if the people who prefer 12's do because they fit their style of playing.

 

[JimmyM]

I have heard all the pros and cons 12" vs 15", etc. I never liked the 2 X 12 cab, except for southern boogie rock. Had several experience's with 12's lately. One was a SWR, which I thought was a decent amp, and an Ashdown. The SWR definitely did not cut it in a small club. The Ashdown at an open air event w/sound support was pretty good, but no cigar. Used my 77 Ripper with both amps. I finally began bringing my Peavey Bass 400 and 4 X 10 cab to the small club. All the players there really preferred it over the SWR 12.

I am currently running the Ripper through a MM 130 reverb guitar amp head and 2 Peavey 15" mains in a practice space. Sounds really good.

I am wondering if the people who prefer 12's do because they fit their style of playing.

If that was true, then all cabs with 12"s would sound alike. But they don't. It's all dependent on the design of the speakers and the boxes they're put in. I can find cabs I like and dislike with any size speaker(s), and if folks got out of the mindset that certain size speakers sound a certain way and only that way, then they would, too. That said, if you find you prefer cabs you've played with 10"s or 15"s over the 12"s you've played, not a thing in the world wrong with that, either. How many cabs can you use on a single gig?

(unless you're playing doom or large arenas with metal bands that have high stage volume, that is)

 

[Chef]

Different words to say what jimmy said:

Driver size has pretty much NOTHING to do with what a cab sounds like.

 

[TubeDood]

Once you go 12's .... you forget about other sizes.
Light, deep, rich , full

15's ( except for the new mesa subway and bergs) are a pain to EQ in a lot of small rooms

Ymmv

 

[monsterthompson]

Different words to say what jimmy said:

Driver size has pretty much NOTHING to do with what a cab sounds like.

That should put an end to this.

 

[BogeyBass]

12 inch finally became accepted
Cause of the whole. " Light" thing.

Otherwise then and now. Just slightly more efficiency a 2x12 is just a little more louder a feasible than a 2x10.

Actually single high power 12" will probably cover a 2x10.

 

[Chef]

Real life examples:
The GK Neo 112 sounds nothing like a fEARful 12/6/1, which sounds nothing like a Bear ML112.
The GK Neo 115 sounds nothing at all like an ampeg 115LF, which sounds exactly nothing at all like a fEARful 15/6/1.
The Fender "pyramid 412" i had with my Bassman 100, years ago, doesn't sound anything like the fEARful 12/6/1 I use a lot, and couldn't keep up with it either in terms of SPL.

Y'all can keep saying "12's sound like this, and 15's sound like that," but that's, like, just your opinion, man.

 

[borgward]

yeah, GK's are really good. I eaw guy using a really small 1 X ? Like way smaller than a 12. It was astounding, and out of my price range.

 

[TubeDood]

Uncool Old Farts are *not* playing Coachella this year.

They are, however, appearing daily on TB for your reading pleasure

I snort laughed at this .

But seriously .... 12s are the bees knees

 

[n!k]

I've owned 1x12, 2x12, 4x12, two different 6x12 cabinets and they were all awesome. I love 12's!

 

[74hc]

I use to like 12" cabs, never 15", and not often multiple 10"s. However, since I tried the Subway 115 recently, I do like that one 15" cab.

Does that mean I'm getting old?

 

[bucephylus]

Ummm.....seems like a pretty uninformed popcorn topic to me; but, what do I know?

Does it strike anyone else as ironic that the two main iconic theater bass cabinets were a 118 and an 810? No 12's or 15's anywhere in sight.

Come to think of it, I can't even come up with THE iconic 15 cab. Probably be a 215 if it ever existed. I remember back in the early 70's in Detroit where I was back then, the big thing was to build an EV designed 215 box called the SRO and load it up with JBL K-140's. But, after googling SRO 215, I couldn't even find a SINGLE image. So, THAT can't be the iconic 215.

I did gig a Sunn 415 with a V baffle mount for about two years. With the Model T on top, it was pretty awesome. But, it never really caught on, and I eventually decided I needed a passenger seat in my Capri for dates more than that cab.

At one point, I actually built a 115 derivative of the SRO design, and loaded it with a single K-140; which I still have, even though I think I sold it twice. Still sounds pretty great for the bad penny it is.

And, don't show me your Peavey's. BW or not, those are only iconic from a garage band kind of perspective. All due respect to Peavey, who have been stellar. For who they're made for. I did gig a TKO combo at a local open mic for about 3 years. Perfect open mic backline amp, since it sounded ok, and I didn't care about it.

So, while 15's no doubt can be made to sound great, none have stayed with me, and I can't think of one I would want to gig now. Though the new Mesa SW215 does look MIGHTY impressive. No, I'd be more likely to hunt down an old 360, IF I was looking for the vintage thing.

My current armory includes a pair of 212's, a 112, and a 610; all Bergantino. The 212's are the AE212, Jim's first neodymium loaded 212. If anything, that cab is guilty of too much bass and with some instruments needs to be tamed with an HPF. An interesting point is that Jim's B|Amp profile for the AE212 is nearly indistinguishable from the non-profile sound; which says something for that cab's voicing.

No, 12's have been getting my gigs done for about the last 20 years. What was the point of this thread again? Oh, yeah, just no.

 

[Passinwind]

Ummm.....seems like a pretty uninformed popcorn topic to me; but, what do I know?

Does it strike anyone else as ironic that the two main iconic theater bass cabinets were a 118 and an 810? No 12's or 15's anywhere in sight.

Clearly you are/were not a Deadhead.

 

[bucephylus]

Clearly you are/were not a Deadhead.

You know, Charlie, that's true; I never did drink that Kool-Aid. LOL. Though I did certainly admire their instruments and custom backlines. Mind blowing for sure. But, would you consider them iconic?

OK, MAYBE one of the Bag End 15's would qualify. That's about as close as I can get to a non-Custom iconic 15.

 

[chadds]

Ummm.....seems like a pretty uninformed popcorn topic to me; but, what do I know?

Does it strike anyone else as ironic that the two main iconic theater bass cabinets were a 118 and an 810? No 12's or 15's anywhere in sight.

Come to think of it, I can't even come up with THE iconic 15 cab. Probably be a 215 if it ever existed. I remember back in the early 70's in Detroit where I was back then, the big thing was to build an EV designed 215 box called the SRO and load it up with JBL K-140's. But, after googling SRO 215, I couldn't even find a SINGLE image. So, THAT can't be the iconic 215.

I did gig a Sunn 415 with a V baffle mount for about two years. With the Model T on top, it was pretty awesome. But, it never really caught on, and I eventually decided I needed a passenger seat in my Capri for dates more than that cab.

At one point, I actually built a 115 derivative of the SRO design, and loaded it with a single K-140; which I still have, even though I think I sold it twice. Still sounds pretty great for the bad penny it is.

And, don't show me your Peavey's. BW or not, those are only iconic from a garage band kind of perspective. All due respect to Peavey, who have been stellar. For who they're made for. I did gig a TKO combo at a local open mic for about 3 years. Perfect open mic backline amp, since it sounded ok, and I didn't care about it.

So, while 15's no doubt can be made to sound great, none have stayed with me, and I can't think of one I would want to gig now. Though the new Mesa SW215 does look MIGHTY impressive. No, I'd be more likely to hunt down an old 360, IF I was looking for the vintage thing.

My current armory includes a pair of 212's, a 112, and a 610; all Bergantino. The 212's are the AE212, Jim's first neodymium loaded 212. If anything, that cab is guilty of too much bass and with some instruments needs to be tamed with an HPF. An interesting point is that Jim's B|Amp profile for the AE212 is nearly indistinguishable from the non-profile sound; which says something for that cab's voicing.

No, 12's have been getting my gigs done for about the last 20 years. What was the point of this thread again? Oh, yeah, just no.

Personal choice? Of course? I use 8"s. A lot. ...and 10"s, 12"s & 15"s.

Iconic? Check our history. Single & Dual Showman D140. Ampeg B-15. Sunn 200 and 2000s. 15"s
Hendrix, Cream and The Who. 12"s.

 

[bucephylus]

Personal choice? Of course? I use 8"s. A lot. ...and 10"s, 12"s & 15"s.

Iconic? Check our history. Single & Dual Showman D140. Ampeg B-15. Sunn 200 and 2000s. 15"s
Hendrix, Cream and The Who. 12"s.

True. For shame. Especially the B-15.

 

[Passinwind]

You know, Charlie, that's true; I never did drink that Kool-Aid. LOL. Though I did certainly admire their instruments and custom backlines. Mind blowing for sure. But, would you consider them iconic?.

Phil Lesh's part of the Wall of Sound is the most iconic bass rig of all time in my mind, no doubt about it. And if the B-15 isn't, what is?

 

[bucephylus]

Phil Lesh's part of the Wall of Sound is the most iconic bass rig of all time in my mind, no doubt about it. And if the B-15 isn't, what is?

Right, see previous post. Brain fart on the B-15. I realized the error, and was trying to edit, meanwhile @chadds pointed out my faulty memory. Oh well...

Guess it's a matter of what I meant by iconic. I was referring to 15's that were commercially available and regularly used on the club circuit, AND are still recognized and in use today. The B-15 certainly qualifies. Phil's rig was iconic; but, in a way that none of us will ever touch.

I tend to consider the Acoustic 360/361 and Ampeg SVT as the main large bass amp icons that us plebs have had in use. YMMV

 

[Passinwind]

Guess it's a matter of what I meant by iconic. I was referring to 15's that were commercially available and regularly used on the club circuit, AND are still recognized and in use today. The B-15 certainly qualifies. Phil's rig was iconic; but, in a way that none of us will ever touch.

I used to see bits of the Wall in Seattle clubs in the mid 80s all the time. Those cabs are crazy heavy! But anyhow, when you said "theater cabs" I thought you meant concert halls, not clubs. For clubs, I'd say the E-V TL606 cab in all the many variants is pretty danged iconic, and still in use all over the world every day. Personally, I haven't seen a full SVT rig in use anywhere in at least 5 years, except at a TB GTG. So as usual, I think a lot boils down to personal filters.