Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum

Other Stuff => Cabinets-Speakers => Topic started by: TubeGeek on May 05, 2011, 12:39:46 am

Title: Bass amplifier speaker recommendations
Post by: TubeGeek on May 05, 2011, 12:39:46 am
Hey guys,

I've got a project coming up where I am going to be repairing and possibly modifying a traynor yba-3 amp for my own personal use as a bass amp.  I bought the amp a few weeks ago.

I have an empty unused 4x12 cabinet I plan to use for the cabinet.  Right now I am going to install two speakers in this cab and see if that's enough for me. I am looking for recommendations for a 12" speaker.

I've got my eye on Weber's bass 12" ceramic speakers.

Title: Re: Bass amplifier speaker recommendations
Post by: Frankenamp on May 05, 2011, 09:22:19 am
http://www.eminence.com/guitar-bass/bass-guitar/

S2012?   If you were looking for a ten it would be easy(er) BP102.

Look for a decent Xmax: 5.2mm is OK... but not spectacular.  Xlim of 9.8mm is OK but still a little short.

Speaker design is a lot of compromises- if you design for super efficiency the other parameters suffer a bit  If you like clean bass and not too loud- a two by, or a four by twelve is ok but not spectacular. If you want really loud or really low, get a horn. (I have a nice splintery, well worn soapbox reserved for 4X12's) :icon_biggrin:
Title: Re: Bass amplifier speaker recommendations
Post by: TubeGeek on May 06, 2011, 02:38:10 pm
I decided to order two of weber's 12" bass speakers.  Hopefully it does the job for me,  i could end up ordering more down the road but this is a start.
Title: Re: Bass amplifier speaker recommendations
Post by: thermion on May 08, 2011, 09:41:20 am
what type of bass tone do you want? huge and boomy (classic rock bass) or tight with high end (slap and funk)? i noticed not too many 12" offerings... maybe since these don't quite get the tight, fast transient of a 10" or the bowel-rumbling of a 15 or 18".
if these 2x12" don't get you where you want to be, rebaffle the cab and put 1x15" and a 2x or 3x10". maybe even try to get a crossover in there...this would be a good mix of tones.
there are a ton of good spanky 10"s around. for the big speaker, the peavey low riders are nothing short of awesome. FWIW, when I got my low rider 15 the product manual said to be aware of structural damage to buildings, vertigo, permanent hearing damage, and GI disturbances. nuff said.
oh yeah, also with many peavey speakers you can buy modular replacement parts so if the cone fails you can unbolt it, save the magnet, and just slap on a new cone (backstage with simple tools!).

I have no financial ties to PV.
Title: Re: Bass amplifier speaker recommendations
Post by: TubeGeek on May 08, 2011, 10:35:12 am
I'm looking for a big sound with clean bottom end.  I don't think I need a huge sound as this will only be for jamming occasionally and recording.

The reason I want to use 12" is because I have an empty 4x12 cabinet that I may as well put to use.  I didn't put much thought into this, I figured I'd get the yba-3 repaired and at least have a few full range bass speakers to play the amp through instead of limited freq range gtr speakers.

I also figured 2x12's might be enough for me but we'll see.  Your point of quick transient response with 10's makes sense.  Who knows...maybe at some point I will have another dedicated bass cabinet built instead of using a 4x12 gtr cab.  One step at a time.

I have a reissue 57 p-bass that I rarely use because I don't have an actual bass amp setup...
Title: Re: Bass amplifier speaker recommendations
Post by: JN on May 26, 2011, 11:02:22 am
You'll have to think about or research cabinet size/proper-porting to make those speakers sound the best...it makes a bigger difference to bass speakers than it does to guitar speakers.
Title: Re: Bass amplifier speaker recommendations
Post by: thermion on May 26, 2011, 12:39:42 pm
JN is right on with money.
WRT the peavey drivers, they include some pretty useful info along with the speaker about cabinet volume, number of ports, and the size of those ports. I'm guessing these recommendations are based on the known thiele-small parameters of their speakers.
Of course there is a lot of info about porting to be found via google.
Let us know how it goes!
Title: Re: Bass amplifier speaker recommendations
Post by: TubeGeek on May 26, 2011, 06:58:16 pm
Yeah...I realized I jumped the gun when I bought those weber's.  I was able to cancel those speakers on that order so now I have more time to figure out what to do.

I am not sure if my empty 4x12 cabinet is going to give me the sound I want.  I want to use it because I already have the cab but in the back of my mind I know I'm prob gonna have to get another dedicated bass cab.  I am looking at avatar's bass cabs, they look nice and are designed for bass freq's.

I am also considering getting an 8x10 cab for this yba-3.  Choices!

First thing will be to fix the problem in the amp and go from there.  It will be on the bench this weekend, that's the plan at least.

Title: Re: Bass amplifier speaker recommendations
Post by: TubeGeek on May 27, 2011, 01:27:59 am
Does anyone know what speakers are being used in the traynor tc-410 800-watt 4x10 bass cabinet?
http://www.traynoramps.com/products.asp?type=6&cat=61&id=381 (http://www.traynoramps.com/products.asp?type=6&cat=61&id=381)

Looks to me like they could be eminence ??? http://www.eminence.com/speakers/speaker-detail/?model=Legend_BP102_4 (http://www.eminence.com/speakers/speaker-detail/?model=Legend_BP102_4)

I found one locally for sale
Title: Re: Bass amplifier speaker recommendations
Post by: 6G6 on November 20, 2011, 01:29:58 pm
Check out the fEARful speaker designs for clear lows and clean full range response.
I can't seem to copy a link, but a Google search will turn up several Talkbass threads,
a website and the fEARful forum.
These things are freakin' awsome!  :icon_biggrin:
Title: Re: Bass amplifier speaker recommendations
Post by: birt on November 21, 2011, 04:54:01 am
a good bass 12" is the Jensen C12K. it's not fun to carry around though.