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

[ecc83]

and that's why they sound mushy compared to 10's
not a chance ...... not only have I been a player for 45 years but I've also been a piano tuner ( 3-5 a day 6 days a week till recently a ) and an engineer for 40 years and my ears still work. I have an enormous amount of ear training under my belt..
That would be EVERYBODY'S and stereophonic sound and the many things thyat are wrong with that has absolutely nothing to do with hearing if a 15 is mushy compared to a 10.

You can dredge up all the 'facts' you want to but one fact is: I have VASTLY more experience with bass than you do and 15's are mushy sounding compared to 10's regardless of any arguing over the exact reasons for that.

Well, tongue was in cheek over my hearing! But if you are going to call me out on typos, don't do them yourself and "thyat" is a fact.

Muttley600? I THINK I agree with you! ??

dave.

[muttley600]

Well, tongue was in cheek over my hearing! But if you are going to call me out on typos, don't do them yourself and "thyat" is a fact.

Muttley600? I THINK I agree with you! ??

dave.

Lt knows where I'm coming from and he has a good grasp of this stuff too. Physics and acoustics in particular is my bag. I've been at it for over thirty years in conjunction with making the odd instrument.

You aren't agreeing with me or disagreeing with me, it's physics both pure and applied that we are forced to agree with.

[Greg_L]

Yall can measure internet dicks all you want, to my ears 10's sound better than 15's for bass. Maybe it's the cab, speaker design, room, planets lining up, I couldn't care less. 10's = better.

[muttley600]

Yall can measure internet dicks all you want, to my ears 10's sound better than 15's for bass. Maybe it's the cab, speaker design, room, planets lining up, I couldn't care less. 10's = better.

OK we get it. Nine out of ten gergs who expressed a preference said 10's kick ass. The other one couldn't give a.....

[ecc83]

Yall can measure internet dicks all you want, to my ears 10's sound better than 15's for bass. Maybe it's the cab, speaker design, room, planets lining up, I couldn't care less. 10's = better.

Did not say they were or were not!

Dave.

[Greg_L]

Did not say they were or were not!

Dave.

I didn't say you did!

It's really apples and oranges. And dildos.

[Ainaudio]

Bass and guitar amp and loudspeaker technologies are principle different.
Guitar amp has high distortion and low damping factor, uses high resonance speakers with limited frequency range, and many case - open back boxes.
Bass equipment is much closer to hifi or pro-audio gear.

[ecc83]

Bass and guitar amp and loudspeaker technologies are principle different.
Guitar amp has high distortion and low damping factor, uses high resonance speakers with limited frequency range, and many case - open back boxes.
Bass equipment is much closer to hifi or pro-audio gear.

Indeed. I know of a 4 x12 cab that had special 32Ohm 12's in it because putting bass drivers in series is a big no-no as indeed it is for hi fi speakers.

I once built a pair of line source speakers. 8x 8" drivers in each IIRC and they were paralled in pairs to give 4R and then four 100V line transformers used to get them back to the 100V o/p amp.

They were frigging heavy columns but loud and clean as ***t!

Dave.

[Ainaudio]

Serial connection kills damping factor, and it is what guitar amp needs, and bass amp no.
If there is such possibility to switch loudspeakers in serial and parallel (for example - 2 x 8ohms in 16ohms or in 4 ohms) and there are switchable or separated 16/8/4 ohm amp outs - try and compare 16 ohm with 4 ohm versions on guitar, serial 16 ohms will win !
Open back box is additional factor to lower damping and resonances, open box never will be boomy.
Concerning bass - only parallel loudspeaker connection (Ampeg uses 32ohm speakers for it), and closed or vented/resonator box.

[ecc83]

Serial connection kills damping factor, and it is what guitar amp needs, and bass amp no.
If there is such possibility to switch loudspeakers in serial and parallel (for example - 2 x 8ohms in 16ohms or in 4 ohms) and there are switchable or separated 16/8/4 ohm amp outs - try and compare 16 ohm with 4 ohm versions on guitar, serial 16 ohms will win !
Open back box is additional factor to lower damping and resonances, open box never will be boomy.
Concerning bass - only parallel loudspeaker connection (Ampeg uses 32ohm speakers for it), and closed or vented/resonator box.

Agreed. In almost every regard the "classic" 4x12 guitar cab is an audio designer's worst nightmare.
The cabinet is too small for 4 12 inchers. The panels are left to resonate with almost no stiffening or damping material. It is a closed box but far from airtight and, as you say, each driver "sees" the impedance of the other when in 16Ohm mode which is the preffered mode because that is what would have been used historically ("proper" power amps and speakers were always 15aka 16 Ohms in the begining). It also uses all the copper in the transformer and is thus more efficient...BUT!..

The SOUND of this leaky, rattly box is the one our gonads equate with rock and roll!

Dave