Why are guitar cabs 12 inch and bass cabs 10 inch?

**Greg_L** · 02-05-2013

Originally Posted by domvac

Does this in anyway explain the 4 ft. speaker in Back to the Future?

Yes. Exactly.

**domvac** · 02-05-2013

AHHHH......Now I understand. Size DOES matter!

**CMB Studios** · 02-06-2013

Originally Posted by fat_fleet

I don't get it. You didn't mention anything about 15s in your original post.

right... the 15 was mentioned in humor, the concept of 1 15 makes sense... but the original question is what should be talked about (if anything) :P

**fat_fleet** · 02-06-2013

Originally Posted by CMB Studios

right... the 15 was mentioned in humor, the concept of 1 15 makes sense... but the original question is what should be talked about (if anything) :P

Okay crayzee.

You asked a question, I answered it. It was no more or less stupid than your original question.
If you read the thread, there are plenty of off-topic responses. Excuse me for trying to help.

**CMB Studios** · 02-06-2013

Originally Posted by fat_fleet

Okay crayzee.

You asked a question, I answered it. It was no more or less stupid than your original question.
If you read the thread, there are plenty of off-topic responses. Excuse me for trying to help.

hey thanks for playin

**Lt. Bob** · 02-06-2013

first ..... on this board threads are a conversation and like any conversation there are side comments made. That's ok here at HR and I would not personally be as interested in threads that had the human element removed ..... so basically people can come in and say what they want to a large degree and the OP is free to ignore what he wants to ignore.

That's just how it is here and, IMO, is more fun and interesting than robotic questions and answers with no human dialog so you're just gonna have to roll with that ...... sorry.
I understand your point but it's just not that way here and isn't going to be.

As for the question ...... let's not forget that there are guitarists that prefer 10's and I'm one of them. A Super Reverb with 4x10s or my Ampeg VT-40 with 4x10's or my Hot Rod deVille with 4x10's are all long time amps that I've chosen to be my main amps for years at a time.
Over here in Fl. I almost always have to use small amps but even then I use a single 10 when possible.
My Mark V only comes with a 12 though and my Blue Angel and my Marshall and a buncha my other amps just come with 12's so I'm ok with them but if I had a choice they'd be 2x10's.

As for cabs ..... as a bass player I can tell you that for a long time I used 4 12's and a friend of mine back then used them too and I think they're the best compromise of all. There are 2x12 and 4x12 bass cabs but they've never really caught on. I don't know why really.
12's are almost as fast as 10's with more low end thump but not slow and mushy like 15's.

For guitars I think Greg has it right ...... even with 4x12's I hear a lotta guitarists have a thin dinky sound so I think there's something inherent about guitars where they need some help.

But I think there's also a matter of ....... ummm ... tradition for lack of a better word.
Musicians generally like things to stay the same.

It actually has taken quite a while for 10's to take over the bass market.
When I was young it was ALL 2x15's and you still see them today and lots of 1x15's.
The 8x10 (SVT) kinda started the change and it's obvious why it could overcome the perception that bass had to go thru 15's .... even though people weren't used to the idea that 10's could carry bass ..... the 8x10 was so damned big that people would accept it.
Once you've done that ...... then the idea of cutting it in half so you not have to haul a refrigerator around became an obvious evolution also.
And since 10's CAN carry low end well and they're so much tighter than a 15 they took over the market.
So I think there were some actual reasons for bass cabs to change to the now common 4x10.

But I don't see any similar needs driving such a change in guitar cabs. 12's sound good .... the cabs aren't too big to schlep around and they look good.
Unless there is a driving reason .... musical things tend to stay the same and there isn't any really compelling reason to change up guitar cabs as there was for bass.
I truly think a lot of it is just tradition driven and unless there's a compelling reason ..... they don't change.

.

**moresound** · 02-06-2013

Now I always thought it had something to do with ego .....

**Greg_L** · 02-06-2013

Originally Posted by Lt. Bob

first ..... on this board threads are a conversation and like any conversation there are side comments made. That's ok here at HR and I would not personally be as interested in threads that had the human element removed ..... so basically people can come in and say what they want to a large degree and the OP is free to ignore what he wants to ignore.

That's just how it is here and, IMO, is more fun and interesting than robotic questions and answers with no human dialog so you're just gonna have to roll with that ...... sorry.
I understand your point but it's just not that way here and isn't going to be.

As for the question ...... let's not forget that there are guitarists that prefer 10's and I'm one of them. A Super Reverb with 4x10s or my Ampeg VT-40 with 4x10's or my Hot Rod deVille with 4x10's are all long time amps that I've chosen to be my main amps for years at a time.
Over here in Fl. I almost always have to use small amps but even then I use a single 10 when possible.
My Mark V only comes with a 12 though and my Blue Angel and my Marshall and a buncha my other amps just come with 12's so I'm ok with them but if I had a choice they'd be 2x10's.

As for cabs ..... as a bass player I can tell you that for a long time I used 4 12's and a friend of mine back then used them too and I think they're the best compromise of all. There are 2x12 and 4x12 bass cabs but they've never really caught on. I don't know why really.
12's are almost as fast as 10's with more low end thump but not slow and mushy like 15's.

For guitars I think Greg has it right ...... even with 4x12's I hear a lotta guitarists have a thin dinky sound so I think there's something inherent about guitars where they need some help.

But I think there's also a matter of ....... ummm ... tradition for lack of a better word.
Musicians generally like things to stay the same.

It actually has taken quite a while for 10's to take over the bass market.
When I was young it was ALL 2x15's and you still see them today and lots of 1x15's.
The 8x10 (SVT) kinda started the change and it's obvious why it could overcome the perception that bass had to go thru 15's .... even though people weren't used to the idea that 10's could carry bass ..... the 8x10 was so damned big that people would accept it.
Once you've done that ...... then the idea of cutting it in half so you not have to haul a refrigerator around became an obvious evolution also.
And since 10's CAN carry low end well and they're so much tighter than a 15 they took over the market.
So I think there were some actual reasons for bass cabs to change to the now common 4x10.

But I don't see any similar needs driving such a change in guitar cabs. 12's sound good .... the cabs aren't too big to schlep around and they look good.
Unless there is a driving reason .... musical things tend to stay the same and there isn't any really compelling reason to change up guitar cabs as there was for bass.
I truly think a lot of it is just tradition driven and unless there's a compelling reason ..... they don't change.

.

And then came.....THE KLOPS!

**Lt. Bob** · 02-06-2013

Originally Posted by Greg_L

And then came.....THE KLOPS!

ahahahaha!

I forgot about the coming KLOPS revolution!

They're the speaker of choice for the Klumps!

**jonny deep** · 02-06-2013

Shit, I should have bought a Klops instead of that 2x12. If I give Joey a call, d'you think he'd do me a trade in? I totally forgot about them when I was researching my purchase. Lame.