the_happy_honker
56 posts
Mar 05, 2011
1:27 PM
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I've been debating whether I should get an amp with an 8" inch speaker (as Adam advocates - midrange harmonics and all that) or a 10" or 12" inch (which many seem to favor for greater volume and bass response).
In the course of these deliberations it occurred to me to ask why speakers are always of the same size in the same cabinet. Why not have a cabinet with both an 8" and a 12" and get the best of both worlds?
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Joe_L
1115 posts
Mar 05, 2011
3:29 PM
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1. Harp amps aren't like stereos. Bigger speakers do not equate to better bass response.
2. Not all builders use the same size speaker in multi-speaker combo amps. Gibson mixed speakers sizes back in the 50's. Sonny Jr has been mixing speakers sizes for several years now.
3. Play lots of amps before buying one. If you've got good tone and mic handling technique, you won't need a special amp.
4. Generally speaking, eight inch speakers don't always project well. You may have to mic up an amp with 8's.
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hvyj
1276 posts
Mar 05, 2011
5:05 PM
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IMHO, larger speakers don't always correlate to better bass response for harmonica. I think 12s can sound a little shrill for harp compared to 10s which I think sound tighter and punchier for harp. So, FWIW, I find that 10s have better bass response for amplified harp than 12s. But, YMMV.
Another thing to consider is how much volume of air your speakers are moving. The guitar player in my band had been playing through a 1x12 and I was playing through a 1x10 SWR bass amp. Then my guitar player got a custom Fuques 2x12 guitar amp. Great sounding amp. I could easily compete volume wise with my 1x10 SWR bass amp (which has 120 watts and doesn't feed back due to its sophisticated EQ) but he was getting a lot more presence because his speakers were moving so much more air. So i started to use my tubed down Fender Super Reverb Reissue (4x10) which gave me more presence so I sound more balanced with the guitar player's Fuques. Balance is important.
You aren't going to get a lot of presence out of multiple 8s. Personally, i don't like micing my amp through the PA unless the other amps in the band are also mic'd. I think it sounds out of balance if some amps are mic'd and some are not. So i like to use an amp big enough to carry the room if the guitar player is using an amp big enough to carry the room. of course, on a really big stage everything gets mic'd.
Last Edited by on Mar 05, 2011 5:24 PM
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