Do you prefer a 12 inch speaker over a 15 inch? why?

George Kimery · From: Limestone, TN, USA

I have just taken a Black Widow 1501-4 out of my Evans FET 500 LV and replaced it with an Eminence EPS 12 c. Much better sound than the BW. Sounds like a whole different amp. I don't think the difference in sound is as much going from a 15 to a 12 as it is going from the 1501 to the EPS 12c.

Seems like I heard once that Paul Franklin prefers a 12 inch speaker. Anybody like 12's more than 15's and what are you hearing as the major difference?

For the moment, I have had to borrow the EPS 12c from my Nashville 112 and put the original Blue Marvel speaker back in it. I liked the EPS 12c much better in it, so it will be going back into it as soon as I make a decision on what to get for the Evans to replace the BW that is now out of it.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

To answer your question: NO

Roger Francis · From: kokomo,Indiana, USA

I like 12s better but i think a 15 might be nice beside the 12 to have the best of both worlds. I think the 12 has a tighter sound and if you use distortion i think it sounds better with a 12. Ive been using 12s for so long i cant remember what a difference a 15 sounds like.
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Rittenberry SD10, 2 nashville 112s with telonics speaker, behringer EPQ450 power amp, 705 pups, Telonics FP-100, live steel strings, mogami cords, wet reverb

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

I prefer 12" speakers because the midrange is more focused. I have recently experimented with using 15's again and they just don't cut it for me. With the same make(Brand) of speakers the 15 sounds nasal in the mids where the 12 sounds round and full. Where the 12" shimmers in the highs the 15" has a strident piercing sound. The low range that you can feel from a 15" is the first thing that gets rolled off in a recording session and live it serves only to entertain the steel player while muddying up the bandstand.

Many players sound amazing with 15'S so use whatever works for the sound you like.
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Bob

Robert Parent · From: Gillette, WY

I like 12 inch speakers and have used them for ages. Actually one 12 and one 15 is really the ideal setup except when it comes time to lug it around.

Robert

Charley Hill · From: The Dirty South

If you are using it primarily for E9th, I can see where a 12in would suffice. But certainly, anyone playing C-6th would require the capabilities of a 15 inch.

IMHO Shocked

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Scott Appleton · From: Ashland, Oregon

I like the Neo Eminence 15 i put in my Vibrasonic ... its got a real definitive steel
tone like no other .. I had a NV 112 .. did not get that sound .. had a NV 400 with BW .. did not have that sound ... I also have a Mesa Mav .. with a Webber 12 ..
sounds good in small venues but again does not have that sound .. I run that one with a JBL 12 cab and it gets closer ..

Tom Wolverton · From: Carpinteria, CA

Bob, when you say you prefer a 12" speaker over a 15" speaker, is that a single 12?
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Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

Tom Wolverton · From: Carpinteria, CA

I suspect you don't want to go too small on the cabinet. A bit of volume fills out the bass mo' betta.
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George Kimery · From: Limestone, TN, USA

Are we using 15 inch speakers "because that is the way we have always done it?" Are we afraid to stretch out and try something different?

The thinking has always been that we need the 15 for the low's, particularly on C-6th. Big low's are not that important to me. My C6th playing is just basic Blues and Rockabilly. If I hit the low strings, my bass playing brother can't stand it. Says it is clashing with his bass.

The success of the Peavey 112 proves that a 12 inch speaker is a viable option. It doesn't matter whether you like the Blue Marvel or have switched it out for another speaker. You still have a 12 inch speaker.

The Eminence EPS 12c that I have in my Evans FET 500 now came out of my 112. I now have the Blue Marvel back in the 112. This is OK for right now because the 112 is my backup amp and the Blue Marvel sounds good. Not nearly as good as the EPS 12c, but still good enough for gigs.

The sound I am getting now with the EPS 12c in my Evans is making me re-evaluate everything. I am almost afraid to spend hard earned money on a 15 inch speaker now that I am hearing what a 12 can do.

I appreciate everybody;s suggestions and help, especially Bob for all the detailed information as to why he likes the 12's. A lot of food for thought on all the postings.

Billy Carr · From: Seminary, Mississippi, USA (deceased)

I've had several of both 12's and 15's. Personally, I prefer the 15's over the 12's. My latest find is a 15" Neo speaker. I put it in my NV-400, made a few adjustments and it's a keeper. If I were to trade or purchase a NV-112, it would be to carry around as a backup amp, in case my amp or someone else's amp stopped working at a gig. The 12's are good for studio session work because the final outcome is controlled by the person in the control room. The second thing I look for is what kind of amp is a player using when playing. The guitar is the first thing. I like the sound Mike Johnson gets thru a NV-400. Then again, I watch the Big E using a NV-112 also, so there you go. When I find something that works, that's what I get.

Jay Ganz · From: Out Behind The Barn

Still waiting for someone to make a 13.5" speaker. Rolling Eyes

Dave Grafe · From: Hudson River Valley NY

If it's a JBL I don't care what how big it is, tell me the key and play.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Jay Ganz · From: Out Behind The Barn

Jim Eller · From: Kodak, TN (Michigan transplant)

Does anyone use one 15" and one 12" in a stereo rack system? .... and if so???

George: How did you put that 12" in a 15" hole

John Macy · From: Rockport TX/Denver CO

12" all day here...focus!
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George Kimery · From: Limestone, TN, USA

Jim, I got the 12 inch speaker into the space that was occupied by the 15 inch speaker, by boiling the 12 inch speaker in water for 4 hours. This allowed me to stretch the speaker enough to fit. The speaker and my Wet Reverb go together real well now.

Here was my first idea, but I discarded it because it seemed like too much work:

1. Cut a piece of 1/2 inch thick birch plywood
16 inches square.

2. Cut a hole out in the center to fit the
12 inch speaker.

3. Paint the plywood flat black on both sides.

4. Bolt the speaker to the plywood with 4 bolts.

5. Mount the whole assembly to the existing baffle
board using 1 inch twin fast screws.

See how much simpler it was to just boil the speaker.

I am thinking about making a 12 inch/15 inch hybrid speaker. It will be like a flower, the 12 inch speaker will be growing right out of the center of the 15 speaker. I am looking for investors to get a prototype made. Interested?

John Davis · From: Cambridge, U.K.

12" E120 JBL works for me, nothing else comes close IMHO, but the speaker is only part of the deal it has to match up with the rest of the kit then there is the cab that you put it/them in.
I have tried driving two 12's with one cube that did not work when you crank it up the 80watt amp does not have the balls to drive two 300 watt speakers, but get two cubes and put an E120 in each then your cooking!
its an inconvenience to have to remake the cabs 60mm taller to accommodate the speaker but I reckon its worth it as you end up with two amps that are easy to carry and no one blows you away......
just my 2 cents worth
Winking

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

For a single amp, I'm still hanging on to the old NV400 w/1501, but my favorite set up is 2 12's in a stereo pair with a separate component amp, fx etc. system.

I built a pair of closed back kick back style cabinets that have a terrific sound with either old metal cone 1201's, designed for steel 1203's, or for better stereo sound....one of ea.
FWIW, I play a lot of C6th and the 12's can reproduce the range quite efficiently.
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=234449&highlight=closed+back+cabs

Les Cargill · From: Oklahoma City, Ok, USA

Most 12" will work fine for steel.

If you're building your own cabinet, it might be worth downloading WinISD - Windows Interactive Speaker Design.

You apply the Thiele-Small parameters for a particular speaker and it'll show you the optimum volume and the optimum geometry for that speaker with an emphasis on maximum bass output. You can rejigger the geometry some,. but you should avoid square or even-ratio rectangle sides. It'll calculate the transfer function for the speaker/cab combo and print a graph estimating the frequency response. SFAIK, it's only for acoustic suspension ( closed ) or ported designs - your standard open-back infinite-baffle cab is a different thing.

I have a pair of 15" G&K bass cabs and they're not very good for steel. I also have a pair of Carvin 15" mid drivers that are some better, but the 12" in the Blues Deluxe sounds better in the mids and it doubles on Telecaster.

If I was to upgrade, it'd probably be with a Super Reverb or Twin. But weight is a factor.

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