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Topic: Should I go 1x15 or keep it 2x12? |
Glen Derksen
From:
Alberta, Canada
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Posted 15 Nov 2010 2:46 pm |
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| It was suggested by a steeler that I put a 15" speaker in my Twin Reverb in order to give me a better sound for my steel. My only concern is, would that eliminate the classic twin sound for my six string electrics, and would it detract the value if I sold it? Thanks. |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 15 Nov 2010 4:06 pm
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I've heard a lot of players dial in an excellent steel tone with the stock speakers.
I change my rig if I'm unhappy with the way it sounds or if I want to try something different. I don't change it based on anyone else's opinion of my sound.
_________________
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Eric Philippsen
From:
Central Florida USA
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Posted 15 Nov 2010 6:01 pm
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How would such a change affect value? You didn't mention how old your Twin is but if it were from the 60's any change would negatively affect value. Then again, you could make the switch and just keep the original baffle board and speakers should you decide to sell it.
A 70's or newer Twin? A change's effect on value diminishes along with the amp's age.
By and large, Twin Reverbs are getting harder to sell. Darn things are heavy. |
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Michael Robertson
From:
Ventura, California. USA
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Posted 15 Nov 2010 6:30 pm
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If, by changing the 2x12 for 1x15 you hope to change the sound of your steel, you can bet it will change the sound of six strings.
I for one would not change to the 15.
That twin will sound just fine for steel with 2x12.
And like b0b said “I don't change it based on anyone else's opinion of my sound.”
I use 15’s in certain amps for steel and use 12’s for guitar in other amps. |
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Brian McGaughey
From:
Orcas Island, WA USA
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Posted 16 Nov 2010 7:29 am
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I'd find a 15" in another cabinet with 1/4" male jack, plug it in to your twin where your 2/12s are plugged in now and try it out.
I know, I know...if it's not an identical cabinet the 15 may sound a little different in Glen's cab but as long as it's an open back cabinet you'll get the idea of 1/15 vs 2/12. |
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 16 Nov 2010 9:55 am
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I personally prefer the sound of 2 12" speakers to a single 15".
_________________
Bob |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Aled Rhys Jones
From:
Berkeley, CA
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Posted 16 Nov 2010 11:24 am
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I'd keep the 12s in it. Worked for Lloyd Green on the Panther Hall album, and I'm sure you'd enjoy your 6 strings more.
As I heard a great brass teacher say, "the wheel is still remarkably round...." I try to bear that in mind when thinking of equipment tweaks, not always with success! |
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Jonathan Cullifer
From:
Gallatin, TN
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Posted 16 Nov 2010 3:24 pm
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| 12s. |
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Glen Derksen
From:
Alberta, Canada
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Posted 17 Nov 2010 1:13 am
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| My twin is a five year old blonde blackface 40th anniversary model with stock speakers, which I might want to replace with two 12s. It seems to me that it would be a lot of work to replace the two speakers with the 15", and what if I don't like it? I could always try Brian's idea of plugging in a cabinet with a 15". |
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Tim Whitlock
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 17 Nov 2010 5:46 am
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| It's a fair amount of work to cut a new baffle and put on new grill cloth. If don't like the sound of the stock speakers it would be easier to replace them with a different brand. I have found Eminence speakers to be a good value. They sound good and are less expensive than Jensen, Weber, Celestion, JBL, et al. |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 17 Nov 2010 5:59 am
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I had a Twin (AB768 chassis)that came with two 12" JBL D120F's. For lead guitar it's great. I replaced the two 12" JBL's with a 15" K130 (4 ohm) JBL and it made a world of difference for my D-10 PP Emmons.
The model Twin I had, was a screwed in (removeable) speaker baffle model. Newer twins have the baffle glued in.
The 15" speaker must be strategically placed so as not to interfere with the components on the chassis. |
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Darrell Owens
From:
California, USA
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John Groover McDuffie
From:
LA California, USA
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Posted 17 Nov 2010 12:50 pm
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I believe the reissue Twins have a removable baffle-board, unlike the '70s Fender amps, so replacing the baffle-board is a relatively straightforward operation, and would be reversible so there would be no negative impact on resale value. There are many sources for custom baffle-boards (Forum member Rick Johnson, Mojotone, JD Newell).
I believe the older reissue Twins have the Fender/Eminence Special Design 12s in them, which I personally like. I have gone back and forth between two of those 12s and an EVM15L and the EVM 12 is A LOT darker/warmer sounding. I have to crank up the treble control 2x as far with the EV15 as I do with the Fender 12s. For playing with a loud band the 12s cut through a lot better.
Do you play C6 or Universal, or strictly E9? I believe one reason many steel players have preferred 15" speakers is they handle the low end of the C6 and Uni tuning better than 12s. |
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Johnny Thomasson
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 21 Nov 2010 1:47 pm
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I put a JBL D130 in my '65 Twin several years ago. I absolutely love the way it sounds with both steel and Tele. It was a bit of work to make a new baffle from scratch (covered with period correct cloth), but it was no more than a Sunday afternoon project. That way if I ever did decide to sell it (which I won't), I could easily restore it back to stock configuration. The weight reduction was a real bonus... you might be surprised at the difference in weight between 2-D120s and 1-D130.
My purely subjective and personal opinion is that it sounds better with the 15, for both steel and guitar. YMMV and all that, of course. I've thought of selling the D120s, but still have them around here somewhere. Like others, I really don't care what anyone else thinks about my sound/tone. When I like what I hear, I play better. However, I've had more than a few people tell me they thought mine was the best sounding Twin they'd ever heard. James Wood told me that every time I took it to him for service.
I play a D10. The biggest improvement was on the low end, and it's evident on both necks. Mids and highs are pretty close to the same. The D120s sounded good too, but to me, the 15 sounds ballsier, for both steel and Tele. (Disclaimer: Tele is the only guitar I've ever played through it... can't speak to how it would sound with say an ES335 or another type guitar, but it sho-nuff makes a Tele sound like a Tele should.) And, it's a myth that you sacrifice highs going from 12's to a 15... mine can kill ya with highs if that's what you want.
I already had the D130 mounted in a stand alone cab, so I got to compare the two speaker configurations side by side. Again, this is just one person's opinion. If you can, try that before going to the trouble to build yourself a baffle board and perhaps buying a 15" speaker to see whether you think you'll like it better (or not). Let us know what you end up deciding on, and good luck!
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Johnny Thomasson |
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Glen Derksen
From:
Alberta, Canada
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Posted 23 Nov 2010 1:25 am
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Thanks for the advice,everyone, and thanks, darryl for those clips.  |
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Austin Tripp
From:
Nashville TN
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Posted 27 Nov 2010 12:19 pm
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I'd stay with the 12"s. Only because they 12"s cut a little better than a 15". At least that's what I've come to find out. Especially if you have 2x12 JBL's. Just my $.02.
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"Hotrod"
Steel guitarist for Cody Jinks
Member CMA |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 28 Nov 2010 1:43 am
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additionally, the 15 is most likely an 8 ohm speaker..the 12's are 8 ohms in parallel making it 4 ohms, which is what the Twin Output Transformer is, 4 ohms. Now, I ran a 70 Twin with an 8 ohm JBL 15/D130 for a couple of decades, the Twin didn't care, but I did feel I was lacking some gain at times. It is said that Fender amps can go the direction of a higher impedance load on the OT rather than a lower load with no issues, I guess mine was proof of that. I am currently using a 71 Twin with 2x12's ,Fender Gold Label Eminence speakers, I wouldn't change this amp to a 15 for anything. Huge difference from the stock Utah speakers which are really mid range heavy. Plus the stock speakers are 39 years old !
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
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Chuck Martin
From:
Clifton, Virginia
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Posted 28 Nov 2010 6:52 am
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I just bought a modified 1970 Twin with a 15" JBL from Darvin here on the forum. I can tell you that the bass is smoother and tighter with the single 15, particulary on the C6th side, and it weighs less than the two 12s. It really comes down to whether you prefer the sound of a single 15 and if you're concerned about the collector value of your amp. You might consider selling your amp if you can get the right price for it and then buy one for less that's already been modified. The problem is that the resale value of vintage amps is generally down right now because of the economy.
Last edited by Chuck Martin on 28 Nov 2010 10:35 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 28 Nov 2010 9:16 am
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| Chuck Martin wrote: |
| the resale value of vintage amps is generally down right now because of the economy. |
making it the perfect time to buy a vintage amp !
There is tons of conversation stating that Twins don't carry the value,I'm here to tell you that the good clean ones do. The bigger problem is many folks do not want to spend the better part of a grand for a TWIN in nice shape, they want one, but do not want to separate themselves from the cash. If you run across a clean TWIN , say 68 thru 71, $800 to a grand,maybe even a tad more, grab it, the slightly newer MV models are also excellent but the market thinks they are worth a couple hundred less, also great amps though.
There are so many smaller tube amps on the market and the general opinion is that they can cut most gigs, maybe they can, but I don't think they can.
SF Twins may be the best value hi powered tube amp out there right now...
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
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Dan Tyack
From:
Olympia, WA USA
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Posted 1 Dec 2010 4:54 pm
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| I prefer two 12" speakers with different sound characteristics, E.g. a JBL and a Celestion. You get a bigger, more dimensional sound that way. |
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Tom Wolverton
From:
Carpinteria, CA
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Posted 4 Dec 2010 2:05 pm what about both?
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If you were running a split cabinet and had the room, why not one 12" and one 15"? Seems like you get the bottom end of a 15" and the "cut-thru" properties of 2 12's. Anyone tried this? It must be not-so good, or more folks would be doing it.
_________________
To write with a broken pencil is pointless. |
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Dan Tyack
From:
Olympia, WA USA
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Posted 4 Dec 2010 6:13 pm
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Exactly right Tom.
I have a 60s Sano tube amp (an accordian amp) with a 15" speaker and 2X8" speakers. I use it with an extention cab with a 2X10" Celestions, and a 12" JBL D121 (the predecessor to the D-120). So I have 1X15, 1X12, 2X10, and 2X8. It sounds *BIG*. |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 5 Dec 2010 9:46 am
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That's overkill, Dan. 
There are two problems with multiple, mismatched speakers: - It's hard to calculate the impedence and wire them correctly.
- The sound guy won't know how to mike and mix your rig.
I use a Mesa/Boogie Maverick combo amp (40 watts). It has a 12" speaker in it, and I stack it on a cabinet that has an identical 12" speaker. It's loud enough on stage and the sound guy has his choice of speakers to mike - they both sound the same. The amp performs best with a 4 ohm load, so the system is optimal.
The speakers are Tone Tubby Alnico HempCones which are lightweight have great bass response. I keep the amp's bass knob on 10, and add mids and treble to get my sound. This is the same tone strategy that Jerry Byrd used with his Fender Twin Reverb.
_________________
-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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Dan Tyack
From:
Olympia, WA USA
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Posted 5 Dec 2010 10:49 am
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You are absolutely right, b0b. 
I don't worry too much about impedence, because most of the amps I use aren't picky about impedence, or have switchable impedence. The cab with 1X12" and 2X10" has an impedence of 5.7, I believe.
I usually have a favorite speaker for miking. With my cab with 1X12" Celestian Century and a D-120, I always mike the Celestian for live shows (it sounds better in the mix).
On the other side of whether to use different sounding speakers, if you use the same speaker, you tend to get a 'tighter', 'more focused' sound, whereas the different speakers sound more 'dimensional', and 'bigger'. These are completely subjective terms, obviously. The THD 2X12" cab (IMHO the best out there) ships with different speakers standard. |
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