12" Bass speakers - recommendations?

[Tag]

I'm looking to convert a hefty 4x12 guitar cab I have into bass duty. I'm using 200 tube watts so I'm pretty sure I'll only need 100 watt speakers (400 total), but higher-rated speakers will get the job done too I suppose...

 

Any ideas?

[LO_RYDER]

Originally posted by Taganov I'm looking to convert a hefty 4x12 guitar cab I have into bass duty. I'm using 200 tube watts so I'm pretty sure I'll only need 100 watt speakers (400 total), but higher-rated speakers will get the job done too I suppose... Any ideas?

 

Yeah what are you going to do for an amp? I mean a guitar amp is not going to reproduce the proper bass frequencies regardless of what speakers you stick in it. .

[Emprov]

 

Originally posted by Taganov Any ideas?

 

 

Ya, buy a cab. There are quite a few differences between bass and guitar cabs. What you're suggesting is kind of like trying to use a Rice Rocket on a dirtbike course, completely different animals for completely different purposes. There are a ton of great budget options out there for you, Avatar and Dr. Bass just to name two.

[Tag]

Originally posted by LO_RYDER Yeah what are you going to do for an amp? I mean a guitar amp is not going to reproduce the proper bass frequencies regardless of what speakers you stick in it. .

 

No, I'm using a bass amp - Traynor YBA-200

[Mudbass]

Best to spend your money on a real bass cab. Guitar cabs don't have sufficient size or porting to make decent bass cabs no matter what speakers you put in them.

[Tag]

Originally posted by Emprov Ya, buy a cab. There are quite a few differences between bass and guitar cabs. What you're suggesting is kind of like trying to use a Rice Rocket on a dirtbike course, completely different animals for completely different purposes. There are a ton of great budget options out there for you, Avatar and Dr. Bass just to name two.

 

Hmm. Well, my 4x12 has virtually the identical measurements of the Trace Elliot 4x12 they made for a while (off by a few mm), so what else would make my cab unsuitable for bass?

 

[speddling]

I had a Kustom "Tuck -n- Roll" 4x12 guitar cabinet in the 80s that was loaded with Electro Voice 12" drivers. My Ric 4003 sounded MASSIVE through it. I did biamp it with a 1x18 most the time... but ran it full range or alone plenty of times.

[Emprov]

 

Originally posted by Taganov Hmm. Well, my 4x12 has virtually the identical measurements of the Trace Elliot 4x12 they made for a while (off by a few mm), so what else would make my cab unsuitable for bass?

 

 

Any number of things. Primarily, cabs are designed and tuned to go with specific speakers. This includes cab/port volume, proper sealing of the cab, bracing, etc... If the cab's sealed, (no port) you could probably grab WinISD or something like that and look for some speakers that'll fit the dimentions of your cab. More likely though, it'll be a heck of a lot cheaper and you'll have better results if you just go out and buy someone else's cab. There's a lot out there on the used market.

[Jazz Ad]

Originally posted by Taganov Hmm. Well, my 4x12 has virtually the identical measurements of the Trace Elliot 4x12 they made for a while (off by a few mm), so what else would make my cab unsuitable for bass?

This is very unlikely.

A bass cab is typically about twice as deep as a guitar cab.

It's also ported most of the time, where guitar cabs tend to be open back or closed.

Finally, A box is designed to match a specific kind of speaker, which won't be the case here.

[Tag]

 

Originally posted by Jazz Ad This is very unlikely. A bass cab is typically about twice as deep as a guitar cab. It's also ported most of the time, where guitar cabs tend to be open back or closed. Finally, A box is designed to match a specific kind of speaker, which won't be the case here.

 

 

However unlikely, it is true. I have an old Trace catalog which list the measurements of the cab, and my guitar cab is actually 1/2 inch deeper than the Trace cab!

 

I don't believe the Trace cab was ported either...I think they pretty much designed it to be a midrange punch machine, which is what I'm looking for.

 

Trace 1248: 29.4 x 29.7 x 13.97

 

My Matamp cab: 30.5 x 28.5 x 14.5

 

I don't see what the difference would be between these two cabs, with the same speakers in them?

[mahatma]

Just go ahead and slap some Eminence Delta LF speakers in that cab and let her rip !

 

Then post a reply on how it went, and how much the lesson cost.

[Tag]

Originally posted by mahatma Just go ahead and slap some Eminence Delta LF speakers in that cab and let her rip ! Then post a reply on how it went, and how much the lesson cost.

 

[mahatma]

No disrespect:

 

Take one 4x12 guitar cab...

Swap out guitar speakers for Eminence Delta LF's...

4 each Delta's = $$$

 

Try to lift 846 LB cabinet...handles break..drop on foot...

Go to E.R. = $$$

 

recuperate...fix handles...lift cabinet...throw out spine...

Go to E.R. = $$$

 

Wise up...hire roadie = $$$

 

roadie throws out spine...sues you...$$$

 

cabinet not spec'd to speakers...blow out

speakers...$$$

 

restore guitar cab and OEM speakers... zero sum

 

buy lightweight neodymium speakers and cab matched to

your amp...$$$

 

Done

[illidian]

Regular Delta 12's would probably sound pretty sweet.

 

Not much bottom, but would be a punch machine.

 

[burdizzos]

Throw two Eminence Delta 12 LFs in it.

 

Cover the other holes with at least 1/2" thick plywood.

 

In one of the hole covers put a 6" diameter port that is 2" deep.

 

 

It shwould work fairly well, provided that they rest of the cab is sealed up and secure.

[jazzbassist]

If making a cabinent sound good were just a matter of throwing some speakers in a box there would be a lot of people with a lot more money left in their pockets that belong to this thread.

 

I hate to break it to you, but Trace Elliot isn't really well known for quality in the bass world...

 

There is a lot more physics that goes into building a speaker cabinent that you think. Take this from the guy with the BS in physics... Tuning, porting, size, dimensions, baffling, all of this stuff must be considered in conjunction with the speakers for a proper sound. I have actually seen speakers break a poorly made cabinent apart (sound studio, Christopher Newport University, it was awesome).

 

Spend some money and buy something from someone who knows what they are doing. It is why they are in the business.

 

One of the best cabinent makers out there is Jim Bergantino. check him out.

[musicjunky]

 

Originally posted by jazzbassist I hate to break it to you, but Trace Elliot isn't really well known for quality in the bass world...

 

 

?? Some of the most sought after amps are trace. the tone i get from mine i would take over ampeg anyday. maybe you are just talking about their cabs, ive never played through them. but i have heard good things.

[Tag]

Originally posted by jazzbassist I hate to break it to you, but Trace Elliot isn't really well known for quality in the bass world...

 

That's a new one to me...I thought Trace made great stuff.

[oldivor]

Originally posted by Taganov That's a new one to me...I thought Trace made great stuff.

 

yeah those V series amps really suck.

[burdizzos]

 

Originally posted by jazzbassist If making a cabinent sound good were just a matter of throwing some speakers in a box there would be a lot of people with a lot more money left in their pockets that belong to this thread.

 

 

Not really. Unless you're getting parts ar wholesale prices, it will cost you more to build a cab than it will to buy a similar cab with the same components.

 

Computers have made speaker cab building very easy and it is just a matter of throwing some speakers into a cabinbet after about 10 minutes of data entry and experimentation on the old compy.

[Filobassman]

Get some Carvin 12's direct they aren't that much money.

[burdizzos]

 

Originally posted by Filobassman Get some Carvin 12's direct they aren't that much money.

 

 

The "Carvin" 12s are just rebadged Eminence Beta 12s which can be had for $60 from partsexpress.com

 

I wouldn't recommend Betas for a bass cab.

[John S. Shinal]

Originally posted by burdizzos Throw two Eminence Delta 12 LFs in it. Cover the other holes with at least 1/2" thick plywood. In one of the hole covers put a 6" diameter port that is 2" deep. It shwould work fairly well, provided that they rest of the cab is sealed up and secure.

 

+1

 

I'd expect you're going to have to add a brace or two when you hear that cabinet vibrating from the Delta 12LFs. If you wire it for 4 ohms (speakers in parallel), you can throw a lot of power at it. I think you'd bottom out the speakers before you reach the 1000w rating of a pair of Delta 12LFs.

[jazzbassist]

Originally posted by musicjunky ?? Some of the most sought after amps are trace. the tone i get from mine i would take over ampeg anyday. maybe you are just talking about their cabs, ive never played through them. but i have heard good things.

 

 

 

I really haven't met anyone who has been thrilled with a trace. In fact, most of the TEs I see would be better used for boat anchors. Maybe they would be good in an 80s hair metal setting, but I can think of many other amps that i would rather have.

 

But, I also think fender sounds like poo too...

[der oxenrig]

Originally posted by LO_RYDER Yeah what are you going to do for an amp? I mean a guitar amp is not going to reproduce the proper bass frequencies regardless of what speakers you stick in it. .

 

Yes it will.