It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 7:56 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 25 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
Post subject: Pickup Type and Speaker Size Matching?
Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2016 6:50 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2014 10:33 pm
Posts: 811
I have an observation, one that may be solely a matter of personal taste, or it may have some basis in fact. I want your opinions.

One prerequisite: I'm not some Eric Johnson-esque guru that claims I can tell what type of battery is being used in my Fuzz pedal, or some feng shui nut who orients his amp towards the Cavern Club for optimum Beatle-ishness. I just have a simple question based on personal experience and preference.

Generally speaking, I prefer to have 10“ speakers in my amps. My favorite amps (both the ones I own as well as the ones I would like to own) have 10" speakers in various configurations. Examples are my beloved '63-reissue Vibroverb (2x10), my sorely-missed/dearly departed 1973 Fender Bassman Ten (4x10), and the "never-owned-one-but-certainly-wouldn't-mind" Super Reverb (4x10) and Princeton Reverb (1x10) models.

Likewise, a similar personal preference is for (firstly) P-90 pickups, followed by various bridge pickups designed for/installed in Telecasters, and lastly, Stratocaster-style pickups...all of these are single-coil pickups.

When I play a guitar with single-coil pickups (no matter what the species), I prefer to plug it into an amp loaded with 10“ speakers. The combination of sweet-but-not-searing highs, punchy mids and tight lows is Sonic Bliss for me.

(This also holds true for harmonica playing, but that's a different nut to crack.)

The same pickup(s) often lose some of the punchy attack and become flabby on the low end when plugged into an amp loaded with 12“ speakers.

This may be solely due to my playing style and technique. But, to me, single-coils are best paired with 10“ speakers.

Do you find that certain pickups work best with (not just certain amps, but) certain speaker sizes?

_________________
Good Vibes To Y'all!
Blues, Rock and Outlaw Country
Texas Roadhouse Music at It's Finest...


Last edited by Screamin Armadillo on Wed Apr 06, 2016 7:02 am, edited 2 times in total.

Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Pickup Type and Speaker Size Matching?
Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2016 6:51 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2014 10:33 pm
Posts: 811
EVIDENCE THAT MY THEORY IS DUE SOME CREEDENCE PART II:
I own (and cherish) a humbucker-loaded G&L F100 and I'm currently in the possession of a Epiphone Les Paul Ultra (which I don't own but have enjoyed playing).

They sound good through my 63RIVV, but I found I prefer both of them in an amp loaded with 12" speakers. They sound richer and fuller, and seemingly don't lose the bottom end tightness that a single coil-equipped axe often does.

_________________
Good Vibes To Y'all!
Blues, Rock and Outlaw Country
Texas Roadhouse Music at It's Finest...


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Pickup Type and Speaker Size Matching?
Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2016 7:07 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2014 10:33 pm
Posts: 811
EVIDENCE THAT MY THEORY IS FULL OF CRAP:
It may solely be a matter of playing style/technique:

...a P-90 equipped guitar into a Marshall with a 4x12 speaker configuration or a 1x12-loaded Vox AC15 can be amazing.
...Brian May's single-coil-equipped Red Special into the 2x12-loaded AC30 is exquisite.
...a stock Esquire through a Vox AC30 (2x12) can rip up blues-rock and rockabilly perfectly (just ask Dave "Kid" Ramos).
...as evidenced by many a British Heavy Metal fan, a Strat into a Marshall stack (8x12) is brutishly beautiful.
...a million country twangers will swear by a Telecaster paired with a Deluxe Reverb (1x12).
...and Stevie Ray Vaughan's Stratocaster-into-two-(1x15) 1964 Vibroverbs sound inspires me down to this day (although, to be fair, he also used Super Reverbs, Dumbles and various Marshalls with different speaker configurations).

_________________
Good Vibes To Y'all!
Blues, Rock and Outlaw Country
Texas Roadhouse Music at It's Finest...


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Pickup Type and Speaker Size Matching?
Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2016 7:15 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
Far be it for me to declare your theory to be scatologically-laden but my observations are that I sound like me regardless of guitar type, pickup configuration, amp model, or speaker size.

:wink:

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Pickup Type and Speaker Size Matching?
Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2016 7:27 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2014 10:33 pm
Posts: 811
Retroverbial wrote:
I sound like me regardless of guitar type, pickup configuration, amp model, or speaker size.

:wink:

Arjay

I agree. I sound like me no matter what...but do you find certain pickup-speaker combinations more pleasing than others?

Quote:
...scatologically-laden...
:lol: :lol: That would be a great name for a band...

_________________
Good Vibes To Y'all!
Blues, Rock and Outlaw Country
Texas Roadhouse Music at It's Finest...


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Pickup Type and Speaker Size Matching?
Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2016 7:58 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
I do have a propensity for JBL speakers -- twelves and fifteens only (their ten sounds like someone torturing a smoke detector with an ice pick).

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Pickup Type and Speaker Size Matching?
Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2016 10:43 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jun 30, 2008 10:47 am
Posts: 15336
Location: In a galaxy far far away
That's all I'm gigging these days. My Junior into a Marshall head that I've mucked about with. Even put a resonance control in to bring the bass more forward in the sound. Into a 1980 G12-65 loaded 4x12. A speaker known to be a bit soft sounding.
I have no problem with flabby bass.

My personal observations lead me to believe that wind, magnet and cone shape make more of a difference than size. Or maybe that cab configuration aids certain frequencies even?
I've a Class 5 which has a Celestion G-10F speaker. The amp has a crushing amount of bass. Where if I throw it into a 4x12, I find myself upping the bass on the amp a bit.

Small speakers can really surprise you sometimes

_________________
No no and no


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Pickup Type and Speaker Size Matching?
Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2016 1:10 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2009 7:13 pm
Posts: 19025
Location: Illinois, USA
Screamin Armadillo wrote:

Do you find that certain pickups work best with (not just certain amps, but) certain speaker sizes?



Super Reverb (4x10), great amp that can cover the bases for any lead guitar player

_________________
you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Pickup Type and Speaker Size Matching?
Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2016 12:08 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 7:27 pm
Posts: 3448
Location: Connecticut
Quote:
...scatologically-laden...
:lol: :lol: That would be a great name for a band...[/quote]

Might be difficult for club patrons to pronounce after the 2nd or third beer. :wink:


As for speaker size, I'm only playing thru 3 amps, one with 10 the other 2 12's ...
A Pro Junior, a Pawn Shop series Ramparte and my trusty early 60's Magnatone .
Guitars are predominantly Stratocasters, one Tele/Strat hybrid. Pickup choices of SCN's, Texas Specials, Noiseless and ones that came with the 98 mim strat, a 2000 Mim Strat and the more recent FSR ...
Also will be reassembling a Strat with a HSS set up of Carvin Pups... ( these date back to mid 90's )

In all I run clean to the amp only occasionally using a mid 60's Vox Wah for tone color... I do know however that my previous HR Deluxe LE was too shrill so amp wise I still have to experiment a bit...

Then again bottom line is personal attack but an interesting and always changing pursuit.

_________________
"C'est parti mon Kiki "


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Pickup Type and Speaker Size Matching?
Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2016 1:04 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Sun Sep 08, 2013 8:50 pm
Posts: 4602
Location: ˚ɷ˚
53magnatone wrote:
Screamin Armadillo wrote:
Retroverbial wrote:
...scatologically-laden...
:lol: :lol: That would be a great name for a band...


Might be difficult for club patrons to pronounce after the 2nd or third beer. :wink:

It would become "Scat Lads" no matter what.

As for pickup types vs speaker size, I kind of disagree with the esteemed OP. Some of the point of P-90s compared to small singles is to get a less scooped sound with more bass. With more bass, I'd like to have at least 12" speakers.
It of course depends on the speakers too - some are a bit muddier in the bass. But that's what EQ is for, eh?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Pickup Type and Speaker Size Matching?
Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 2:42 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Sat Mar 22, 2008 10:38 am
Posts: 12975
Location: Canada
Here's one man's story about speaker size and build.

As of 2010 Dick has continued to split a reverb unit between two Fender Dual Showman amps along with a Custom Strat with Custom '54' pickups in order to replicate the Strats of yesteryear.

FSB
I'm currently using N3 pickups with 2x12 inch stock Celestion Seventy-80 speakers.

I know that other pickups can be brighter or sound more open; but, this setup seems to work quite well, and the digital brightness/edge from the Mustang IV seems to be tamed down slightly in a positive way. I may change to N4s later, but the N3s are very good for my recording purposes. I'm satisfied with these speakers that are better than I expected considering the price. I wouldn't mind trying Dick's 15 inch setup though.

Hendrix, Clapton, and even Page found tone at one time or another in 15 inch speakers too.

_________________
Hello, big guitar. Meet my little fingers.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Pickup Type and Speaker Size Matching?
Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 7:52 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:50 pm
Posts: 7998
Location: ʎɹʇunoɔ ǝsoɹ pןıʍ
Wow ....
:shock: (long low whistle)

Now that's an ego.

_________________
Image
Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Pickup Type and Speaker Size Matching?
Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 9:16 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2014 10:33 pm
Posts: 811
BMW-KTM wrote:
Wow ....
:shock: (long low whistle)

Now that's an ego.

If you don't know how good Dick Dale is, just wait...he'll tell you soon enough!

I love his playing, I think the stories about him and Leo experimenting with amps, etc., are really interesting...but man, he's a bit arrogant.

_________________
Good Vibes To Y'all!
Blues, Rock and Outlaw Country
Texas Roadhouse Music at It's Finest...


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Pickup Type and Speaker Size Matching?
Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 9:51 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Wed Dec 15, 2010 7:06 am
Posts: 1662
Screamin Armadillo wrote:
BMW-KTM wrote:
Wow ....
:shock: (long low whistle)

Now that's an ego.

If you don't know how good Dick Dale is, just wait...he'll tell you soon enough!

I love his playing, I think the stories about him and Leo experimenting with amps, etc., are really interesting...but man, he's a bit arrogant.


Yeah guess he is, but...............He is Dick Dale, and no one else is :lol:
mud


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Pickup Type and Speaker Size Matching?
Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2016 10:47 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:50 pm
Posts: 7998
Location: ʎɹʇunoɔ ǝsoɹ pןıʍ
I just LOVE that bit about his strings turning purple from the intense heat generated by his aggressive playing style.
I guess that's why he can break 3 strings in a song even though he's playing "bridge cables".
They work-harden so quickly ... one song and ka-blouie.
I also quite fond of how he can ignite into flames every Jensen speaker model ever made.

Image

(PS - I can do that too. It's called lighter fluid)

_________________
Image
Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 25 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: