Fender twin 15 or 12s

Clinton Zimmerman · From: Memphis,Mo

I have a twin I am rebuilding,what are your thoughts on 2 12" speakers or a 15. Just curious what the difference might be.

Paul Sutherland · From: Placerville, California

Assuming the same brand and model/series speakers, two twelves will weigh almost twice as much as a single 15. The baffle for two twelves will be slightly lighter, as more wood is cut out.

My twin with a single 15 JBL weighs just under 70 pounds. With two 12 JBLs it weighs over 80 pounds. I really notice the difference.

Soundwise; it's all a matter of personal preference. To my ear, my Twin with a K130 sounds fabulous. But my Twin with a K120 and a D120f sounds slightly better. The K130 is super smooth and even sounding, but a bit sterile when compared to the two 12s.
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Edward Rhea · From: Medford Oklahoma, USA

I'm really enjoying my '69 Twin Reverb. It has Altec 12's and sounds really good. I got to a/b them against a JBL K130 and noticed such a minimal difference that I decided to keep the twelves. In my opinion, the pair of twelves move a tad more air than a single 15, but both sounded great. The down side is the amp is heavy!( but you probably know that)
Splitting it to a speaker cab and head are definitely in its future!

Justin Griffith · From: Taylor, Texas, USA

I have both and prefer the D-130 15". My 2X12 Twin has EV's and its just ok. The 15 one is way lighter.
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Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

I have two twins, an Ultralinear with Eminence Legend E-M12G (12") speakers, and a 65 reissue with a Jensen Mod 15.
I found the pair of 12s sounds better than the 15, regardless of which amp was driving them. The very best sound was the Ultralinear through its two 12s with my closed-back 15 extension cabinet.
Ideally, I'd run a single Telonics 12 (4 Ohm) and a closed-back cab with a neo 15. Wait. That's my Milkman!
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Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

I had a Twin (AB768 chassis) that came with two 12" JBL D-120F's. I replaced the two 12" with one JBL K-130. Made a big (improved) difference for steel.

I played around KC and recorded with that Twin for about 6 years before I moved on to a Peavey Session 500.

Tim Whitlock · From: Colorado, USA

If we're just talking speaker size - assuming the same brand of speakers - I find a 15 gives a more focused sound where the 2x12 sound is more diffused. For lack of a better word the 15 gives more thump or punch whereas the 12s give you that big 3D sound. Sorry for my vague descriptions but it's hard to put into words.

For what it's worth my Twin currently sports an Altec 418B 15" and I am super happy with it. I have played other Twins with JBL D-130F and D-120s that sounded fantastic, too. I find I do prefer a quality alnico magnet speaker. One of the reasons I went with a 1x15 is that alnico magnets are heavy and as Paul mentioned, a 15" alnico speaker weighs much less than two 12" alnico speakers. I tried the Weber 1x15 NeoMag. It sounded as good or better than a D-130F but it crapped out when things got loud. Otherewise I have no experience with neo magnets, but I would be interested if I could find one that sounds as good as my Altec.

Hamilton Barnard · From: Oro Valley, Arizona (deceased)

I have four Twins with 2x12 and one Twin with 1x15. I prefer 2x12s.

Steve Lipsey · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

BUT - there is a "gotcha" here - if you mic the 2x12 amp, you are only micing ONE speaker, so you actually - for the audience in FOH - are playing a 1x12...

The fuller sound that 2 speakers give you is only direct, not through the PA...same with stereo (e.g., some people use 2 amps for this)

I used to love unmatched 2x12s - my Matchless amps used two different 12s, and I even changed one to a 10" and 12", that tone was really grand....until I realized that I was the only one hearing it.

Of course, you could mic both speakers...I'm sure the sound guy would love you for that...and I bet it would change the interactive effect, wouldn't be the same through the PA as direct...

You mostly are just carrying more weight, not getting better tone, I'd suspect.
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Jim Pitman · From: Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA

I've noticed a 12 seems to have a wider dispersion pattern than a 15 in general. It always bugged me that I had to be right on axis with my amp with a 15 to hear the highs. That's not so with the 12 I have now. I only use one 12 in a 70W amp.
It's been a long trend to use a 15" speaker for a pedal steel. Indeed, if you want to hear that extended bass then a 15 ususally does better. But, I have finally concluded that pedal steel sound gets lost or masked if you give it wide bandwith. I think it sounds better in a band situation if you don't have all that bass. This is supported by the fact that producers and recording engineers will sonically map different instuments by assigning each a different EQ profile so they don't conflict and stand out better. I've found I prefer the steel guitar to be EQed such that it occupies the same range as the human voice.

Johnie Helms · From: Oklahoma, USA

Hey Clinton...

I've found it's all the end result of what your ears tell you...

I have a 71 SF that I replaced the baffel with a 15" 4Ohm Common Wealth..

That sounds better to Me than the Eminence 12's. Now having said that

I used a cartage amp a few Weeks ago , TRRI w/2-12's, and it also sounded fine..

I believe you'll move more air w/2-12s but perhaps give up a lil low end.

Personaly Perfer a 1-15" for over all. IMHO...

JH

Ken Metcalf · From: San Antonio Texas USA

People would replace old worn out 12s with a new JBL 15 and say a 15 is better. But if you replace old worn out 12s with new JBL 12s it is a major improvement.
Good speakers are better than old worn out speakers.
1-15, 2-12 or 4-10s

Clinton Zimmerman · From: Memphis,Mo

Thanks everyone.

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