10" speakers are going to sound different than 12" speakers. There are some players using 4 x 10 cabs with great tone out there but it is not the same tone as a 4 x 12.
If you like the 12" Green Back (or whatever) then I would say spend the effort and resources to fit one into your rig.
Use the tens when They give the tone you are looking for.
The best way to get a nice fitting shoe is to buy a shoe that fits.
I am a fan of the older Celestion g10-50s. warm, big sounding, nice blues grit when pushed. works perfect for the 18 watt. I love mine. Might have an extra for sale.
I've heard the new 10" gold's (in a 4x10 Marshall cab) through a Vox Night Train, and a Matchless Avalon head. Great sounding speakers!
They ain't cheap though... I'd be inclined to run a pair detuned in a 4x10 cab.
Shrapnel wrote:Most 8" (and smaller) speakers just don't cut the mustard in any guitar amp.
I think it depends on what you're trying to do. I agree that for playing live in a band an 8 isn't enough, but for home practice or recording they can work great. I've got some old Gibson and Fender Champ type amps that are great for recording. One of the 18watt SE I just build has an 8, and it sounds fine.
I think it just depends on the speaker. The Weber or Jenson 8" speakers seem to be fine.
Shrapnel wrote:Most 8" (and smaller) speakers just don't cut the mustard in any guitar amp.
I think it depends on what you're trying to do. I agree that for playing live in a band an 8 isn't enough, but for home practice or recording they can work great. I've got some old Gibson and Fender Champ type amps that are great for recording. One of the 18watt SE I just build has an 8, and it sounds fine.
I think it just depends on the speaker. The Weber or Jenson 8" speakers seem to be fine.
One cool thing to do with 8's is build a 2x8, 3x8, or 4x8 cab, which can be very punchy and responsive. You can also get crazy low-end out of an 8 in a big bass reflex (i.e. sealed, ported) cab. My hi-fi speakers are 8" full-rangers in 3 L ported enclosures and I get bass down to about 25-30 Hz!
I decided to go with the Eminence Ramrod. I'm glad I did. The amp sounds better through the Ramrod than it does through my Marshall 1936 2x12 with Greenbacks. Very nice.
Thanks for letting us know. I thought the Ramrod had potential but only didn't get it because the local supplier didn't know when they would be getting any stock. No-one else had seemed to try one with an 18W. What sort and size of enclousure did you put it in?
kyoungsteadt wrote:I would like to find a 10-inch speaker that rivals a 12-inch Greenback or V30.
kyoungsteadt wrote:I decided to go with the Eminence Ramrod.
Would you say the Ramrod sounds similar to a V30, with the strong high end response of both speakers?
I would say the Ramrod is darker but I did not own both at the same time or play them with the same amp, so I can't be sure. The mids were similar for sure.
The Ramrod is kind of a mix between the Greenback and a V30. The Ramrod has a brighter top end than a GB and more depth to the sound, more 3D. I would say it has the best qualities of the Greenback and the Vintage 30. Vintage 30's sound pretty good once they are broken in. I know a lot of people here don't like them, but... it takes a while to break in a V30. After that I don't see a reason not to like them.
Anyway, the Ramrod is a strong performer. Especially if you like the cranked Marshall sound.
The Red Fang 10" has a surprising amount of bass, and is maybe a bit darker than the Celestion blue it is supposedly based on. Much less raspy than other alnico 10s I have heard in an 18w, in fact not raspy at all. Punchy midrange. Even a single one will get you up to band volume, with a pair you may have to turn down. An amp with 10s doesn't always sound like a "grownup's amp", not a problem with the RFs.
I have one paired with a Lil Buddy, which mellows the sound a bit. The LB has very creamy highs, great for "woman tone" leads, but its bass response is not as tight as the RF. It's also a whole 3 dB quieter, if we go by the published specs.
Who has a 10" Tone Tubby 40/40? I've heard they're louder than the Lil' Buddy. I'm thinking the TT might be just the thing to pair with the Red Fang...
Now that I have sorted the hum gremlins, made some component changes and broken in the amp with a good few hours playing, which is an orig trem I am turning to what I thought would be subleties. First was to play through a 10" Eminence.
I am astonished at the difference in tone from my 12" Eminence. I had not expected such brightness and clarity from the smaller speaker. But much less outright "volume". It is like having two different amps. I can see how the 10" will cut through a lot of other sound better if the volume is adequate.
Two revelations for me then. Firstly is how much the speaker influences the end product and secondly I am considering whether a 2x10 cab should be the next project.
It is "Fender branded Eminence. No indication of its spec. It just says the usual "Special Design". I have had it knocking about for a long time and use it with a small practice amp I built. Not a high end piece I think.
If I were to do 2x10, the speaker selection would have to be very carefully done I suspect.