Menu
Very interesting discussion. Here's what I can add from my experience.
The 2 main cabinets that I have been using are a Dual Showman style 2X15"
with JBL D-130 speakers, and Marshall 1960BV which is a 4x12" with Celestion
Vintage 30s (straight cab).
In live situations I used to use the JBL cab for the surfy stuff and the
Marshall for the distorted parts. I never had a problem of being heard, but
that was mostly the guitar I was using (the Charvel has so much more mid
range, that the scooped mid character of the JBLs was offset).
Then I switched to just the Marshall cab for convenience reasons. This made
me cut through even more.
When recording, though, I wanted to retain the more "correct" tone of the
JBLs, so I had the opportunity to hear the difference side by side. The 15"
inch speakers have a totally scooped sound, which can make the guitar get
burried in the mix, compared to smaller speakers. I can't compare them to
10" speakers, but the contrast to the 12" speakers was very notcieable. The
15" might have been moving more low frequencies, but they were the ones that
you usually need to cut because they don't mix well in the overall texture
of the complete band sound.
Today I'm using my JBL cab in conjunction with the Marshall cab (different
sides of the stage), but with the Jazzmaster guitar I get burried sometimes
(especially since Hans my bandmate is playing a Moserite through a
Vibro-King which has 3X10" Jensen speakers, and an EV 12" extension cabinet
on "my" side of the stage).
So - it's not just speaker size and type, it's also the guitar you're using,
how many other guitars in the band, how fast or how thick the overall
texture of the music is.
You have to try to arrange the voicing and the playing to suit all that. For
example, I spend most of playing time on the lower notes of the guitar
(because I'm not such a good player, and because that's the sound I like
best), so I have to watch and see that the bass player doesn't play too much
on his higher notes, becasue these are the same octave as the guitar and
they collide. The faster the songs are, the more trouble it is.
So, if anyone is considering getting a 15" speaker cabinet, they need to
consider all these factors, and decide if they really want to go through all
the trouble (I know I do, but I'm just hard headed about it).
You'd do very well if you take Dave's advise and go with the smaller
speakers.
My 2 agorot.
Ran
