Which 12-inch bass guitar speakers to use?

[Guest mytilini]

Hi there. Has anyone got some recommendations for 12-inch bass guitar speakers? I have a custom-built, professionally-converted 2x12 fully SEALED enclosure, made from an old Orange 4x12 guitar cabinet. I want to keep this as a small cab to use in tight spaces.

I've currently loaded it with a pair of 300 Watt R.M.S., 8 Ohm Eminence Delta 12A speakers, wired in parallel to provide a 600 Watt R.M.S. 4 Ohm cabinet. The problem is, it sounds AWFUL; muddy, lack of definition, presence & general "zing". Eminence confirm these aren't the most suitable speakers for bass guitar cabinet use.....GREAT!

So, I'm now looking for a pair of MINIMUM 275 Watt R.M.S. 16 Ohm 12-inch speakers, suitable for use in this cabinet. I'm gonna wire them together in series to give a 550 Watt R.M.S. 8 Ohm cabinet. The cab's internal dimensions are (W) 390mm. (H) 790mm. (D) 380mm. giving an internal volume of 0.11 cubic metre (=110 litres) and the cab is lined with Monacor acoustic wadding. I'll be driving it with a Gallien-Krueger 1001 RB-II head's woofer amp, putting out 460 Watts into an 8 Ohm cab.

What would YOU use...??!!??

[Mr. Foxen]

I'd use a bigger ported cab, and Kappalite 3012.

Edited September 24, 2009 by Mr. Foxen

[joegarcia]

Please tell me you haven't cut up that Orange cab.

Edited September 24, 2009 by joegarcia

[Guest mytilini]

Two things - yep, I've had others say the Eminence Kappalite 3012 (in both its HO & LF forms) would be a great speaker to use, but at what cost? They ARE inordinately expensive for what is, after all, a small gig back-up cab only...! As to using a smaller cab - that defeat's the object of the exercise. As to the member who asked me to say I hadn;t cut-up an Orange 4x12 cabinet - I hadn't - I'd bought it like that off eBay some years ago!!!

At this rate, it would seem that using a pair of Gallien-Krueger 12" NEO speaker might be a cost-effective solution...any thoughts?

[Guest johnzgerman]

[quote name='mytilini' post='607083' date='Sep 23 2009, 08:50 PM']Hi there. Has anyone got some recommendations for 12-inch bass guitar speakers? I have a custom-built, professionally-converted 2x12 fully SEALED enclosure, made from an old Orange 4x12 guitar cabinet. I want to keep this as a small cab to use in tight spaces.

I've currently loaded it with a pair of 300 Watt R.M.S., 8 Ohm Eminence Delta 12A speakers, wired in parallel to provide a 600 Watt R.M.S. 4 Ohm cabinet. The problem is, it sounds AWFUL; muddy, lack of definition, presence & general "zing". Eminence confirm these aren't the most suitable speakers for bass guitar cabinet use.....GREAT!

So, I'm now looking for a pair of MINIMUM 275 Watt R.M.S. 16 Ohm 12-inch speakers, suitable for use in this cabinet. I'm gonna wire them together in series to give a 550 Watt R.M.S. 8 Ohm cabinet. The cab's internal dimensions are (W) 390mm. (H) 790mm. (D) 380mm. giving an internal volume of 0.11 cubic metre (=110 litres) and the cab is lined with Monacor acoustic wadding. I'll be driving it with a Gallien-Krueger 1001 RB-II head's woofer amp, putting out 460 Watts into an 8 Ohm cab.

What would YOU use...??!!??[/quote]

i would use a bass cab and sell the orange guitar cab to a guitarist...

[Musky]

I don't think the 3012's are intended to be used in sealed cabs either.

[Stewart]

I doubt very much whether the GK Neos would be happy in a small sealed cab (all Neo cabs are substantially ported)

I'm with johnzgerman - get rid of it and get something else.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

[quote name='Musky' post='607645' date='Sep 24 2009, 08:09 AM']I don't think the 3012's are intended to be used in sealed cabs either.[/quote]+1. The EBP is over twice what a sealed cab wants. [url="http://www.eminence.com/resources/data.asp"]http://www.eminence.com/resources/data.asp[/url]

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='mytilini' post='607629' date='Sep 24 2009, 12:59 PM']Two things - yep, I've had others say the Eminence Kappalite 3012 (in both its HO & LF forms) would be a great speaker to use, but at what cost? They ARE inordinately expensive for what is, after all, a small gig back-up cab only...! As to using a smaller cab - that defeat's the object of the exercise. As to the member who asked me to say I hadn;t cut-up an Orange 4x12 cabinet - I hadn't - I'd bought it like that off eBay some years ago!!!

At this rate, it would seem that using a pair of Gallien-Krueger 12" NEO speaker might be a cost-effective solution...any thoughts?[/quote]

A single kappalite 3012 LF and make the other hole into a port.