SPEAKERS!

[ForrestS]

I'm not to familiar with bass speakers as much as I am aboust guitar amp speakers. I'll looking around at different cabinets and I'm coming here to ask weather I should be looking at 8, 10, 12, 15 inch speakers and what types of speakers (Brands, modles). I'm not playing at gig levels but just in my home. I suppose you'll want to know what amp I'm running through but to tell you the truth I run through amps like a mad man, I love trading for new gear all the time so a new amp is just moments away lol

 

Thanks all

[ThudMaker]

It isn't the size of the speaker so much as it's the design of the cabinet that matters for bass. Let us know what amps you tend to gravitate toward, what type of tone you like and what styles of music you like to play. Folks here will be able to make better suggestions for you.

[lz4005]

There's not nearly as much of an orthodoxy about speaker size for bass as there is for guitar (12's! Only 12's! Or are you some kind of communist?!).

Thud's 100% right that it's impossible to make a meaningful recommendation without knowing what kind of tone you're after. And that cab desgn is more important than speaker size.

[ForrestS]

I'm sure it's not much help saying I'm looking for a well rounded spectrum of tone but I guess I'm looking for more information than what equipment work best for me. Info like tonal characteristics of different cab/speaker sizes, makes and models.

[perrydabassman]

Best bass speakers of all are piranha fives.......Oh yeah.......Phil Jones bass nut fer sure........

[Bassin' 'Round]

It isn't the size of the speaker so much as it's the design of the cabinet that matters for bass. Let us know what amps you tend to gravitate toward, what type of tone you like and what styles of music you like to play. Folks here will be able to make better suggestions for you.

 

Yes, the box design & crossover(s), if used, matter greatly. And yes, the size of the speaker isn't as important as the design/attributes/specs of the speaker itself. It all starts with the specific speaker, though. There are tremendous speakers of every size, just as there are average & poor speakers of every size. Bang-for-the-buck, though, 15s are the overall best value. For instance, all things being (

kind-ish

) equal in specs, a single 15 will move/displace more air than two 10s. And you're just paying for a single 15 rather than two 10s.

 The two best "full-range" 15 are the Eminence Kappa Lite 3015 & Faital Pro 15PR400. They're both tremendous. Used with or without a high frequency driver (tweeter), a 115 with either of these is great. Pair 2 of these 115 cabs or combine 2 of either driver in a 215, & you've got a rig that will be m-o-r-e than enough for just about any conceivable gig. Then there is the 15" Eminence Kappa Lite 3015

LF

(low frequency). This is a monster driver, but for probably 90% or more guys, it needs to be paired up with a dedicated midrange speaker. Use a top notch 6" like the 18Sound 6ND410 & you have the single greatest value going. This "15/6" will out-perform any commercial 410 & be much small & lighter while doing it. If buying new, it can be less expensive than the inferior 410, too. Used, it's even a better value. Stack 2 of THESE (or put the 2x3015LFs, 2x6ND410s in one larger box) & you have THE MOST FORMIDABLE cabinet out there. Period. 

There are a couple very nice 18s, too, but for most guys, 18s start really pushing the boundaries of reasonable transporting/schlepping.