Rig-building, decisions, and 8" vs 10" cabs?

**Toat** · 03-20-2016, 11:41 AM

I'm looking to put together a new amp rig that's modular and versatile enough to cover my needs from jamming at my house to playing sessions and gigs around town.

My guitar is an Eastman ER-1, I'd like to run stereo or mono from my pedalboard into either Quilter Tone Block 200, Henriksen head, Mambo head, or combination thereof.

Then there is questions about speakers. I have a Jazzamp 110 right now which sounds great but I'm also toying with the idea of the Eminence Beta 8", are they warmer than the 10"?

I had thought of getting both a 2x8 and 2x10 cab so that I could compare the two, grab one for smaller gigs and have the option to run stereo through both.

But this could quickly get expensive, Ear Candy are pricey. I found this which is closed back but not ported: Sub Z 2x10 Extension Guitar Cabinet 210 Solid Pine Closed Back Unloaded | eBay

Thoughts on any or all of this?

**abelljo** · 03-20-2016, 11:52 AM

I didn't like the Beta, but I have an 8" Eminence Acoustinator that sounds very warm and woody. That's if you are looking to getting more of an acoustic tone.

**marcwhy** · 03-20-2016, 11:55 AM

Hey Toat,
[See my reply to you in the "DIY 8 cab" post!]

"Modular" and "versatile" are great, but be careful: as much as I've enjoyed a 2x10 cab, it was big and heavy, and it even had neos in it! [The 2x8 is a piece of cake, though!]

If you need "inexpensive" and are willing to do some work, try: TRM Home [Again, I gave you other options in the other post.]

This brief vid is with a Mambo head and my JDesigns 2x8 cab:

**jorgemg1984** · 03-20-2016, 12:06 PM

The Beta 8 is different (better soudning) than the 10 or 12.

**Toat** · 03-20-2016, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by marcwhy

Hey Toat,
[See my reply to you in the "DIY 8 cab" post!]

"Modular" and "versatile" are great, but be careful: as much as I've enjoyed a 2x10 cab, it was big and heavy, and it even had neos in it! [The 2x8 is a piece of cake, though!]

If you need "inexpensive" and are willing to do some work, try: TRM Home [Again, I gave you other options in the other post.]

This brief vid is with a Mambo head and my JDesigns 2x8 cab:

http://www.trmguitarcabs.com/

Hm, this is interesting. Perhaps my best option is to first grab a 2x8 to compare and go from there.
I don't see a 2x8 on TRM or JDesigns website, was it a custom order? How about the closed back design without ports?
I think you may have gotten the link to the vid wrong but I'm interested

Thank you!

**Franz 1997** · 03-20-2016, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by jorgemg1984

The Beta 8 is different (better soudning) than the 10 or 12.

I find that too. The beta 8 is great, the 10 is OK, and the 12 is not a good guitar speaker. IMO, of course...

**hans halmackenreuter** · 03-20-2016, 12:43 PM

I build a cab with an Beta 8 and sounds great to me. In my opinion it is very well suited for guitar.

**marcwhy** · 03-20-2016, 01:16 PM

Originally Posted by Toat

Hm, this is interesting. Perhaps my best option is to first grab a 2x8 to compare and go from there.
I don't see a 2x8 on TRM or JDesigns website, was it a custom order? How about the closed back design without ports?
I think you may have gotten the link to the vid wrong but I'm interested

Thank you!

[Sorry! Updated the video above! Too much cutting and pasting ….]

The JDesigns was a custom cab; Jeff is a great guy, and really easy to work with! Mark Nerby (my other recommendation) also seems pretty cool from our few emails.

A 2x8 paired with a 1x10 or 1x12 (as needed) would give you trememdous versatility, I think, for most gigs. I've performed comfortably with my 2x8 in a loud quartet (bass, sax, drums, gtr) using a 20W tube amp in a large, somewhat noisy, coffeehouse setting.

I think Jack Zucker has written here before about a 2x8 needing ports rather than open back; I haven't A/B'd my open back with my friend's Nerby with Thiele ports, but I hope to, soon!

**Jim Soloway** · 03-20-2016, 02:21 PM

I have both an 8" cab (a Beta 8) and a 10" cab (an Eminence Lil' Buddy). I think they both sound good. The 8 sounds better to me when I'm trying to get more of an acoustic tone while I prefer the 10 for a more electric tone. One thing to keep in mind about the Beta 8 though is that it take a lot of power to drive it properly.

**vernon** · 03-20-2016, 02:27 PM

For jazz purposes the 1x8, 2x8, or 1x10 are much better ported/closed back. I've got a RE NY8 and a RE Stealth 10 and they have plenty of warmth. Great sounding jazz guitar speakers.

**Jim Soloway** · 03-20-2016, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by vernon

For jazz purposes the 1x8, 2x8, or 1x10 are much better ported/closed back. I've got a RE NY8 and a RE Stealth 10 and they have plenty of warmth. Great sounding jazz guitar speakers.

Agreed. I used to have the exact same cabs and I now have a pair of Earcandy Ported cabs.

**jorgemg1984** · 03-20-2016, 04:36 PM

In my experience, EVs sound glorious with "jazz amps".

**coolvinny** · 03-20-2016, 06:36 PM

Originally Posted by Toat

I'm looking to put together a new amp rig that's modular and versatile enough to cover my needs from jamming at my house to playing sessions and gigs around town.

.................

I had thought of getting both a 2x8 and 2x10 cab so that I could compare the two, grab one for smaller gigs and have the option to run stereo through both.

..................

Thoughts on any or all of this?

My thought is that a 2x8 setup is hardly limited to "smaller gigs". My RE Twin 8 can blow down doors, and it's also my go-to for any outdoor big band thing (indoors for big and I'd use a 1 x 10). At the same time, my 2x8 handles smaller spaces just fine. It's about the size of a Princeton.

**Greaser** · 03-20-2016, 07:45 PM

Originally Posted by marcwhy

Hey Toat,
[See my reply to you in the "DIY 8 cab" post!]

"Modular" and "versatile" are great, but be careful: as much as I've enjoyed a 2x10 cab, it was big and heavy, and it even had neos in it! [The 2x8 is a piece of cake, though!]

If you need "inexpensive" and are willing to do some work, try: TRM Home [Again, I gave you other options in the other post.]

This brief vid is with a Mambo head and my JDesigns 2x8 cab:

Sounds good, what speakers are in your 2x8?

**marcwhy** · 03-20-2016, 08:24 PM

Originally Posted by Greaser

Sounds good, what speakers are in your 2x8?

Well, Don Latarski can sound good on anything!

At that time it had Eminence "820H's," but I put in a pair of Jupiters, which I prefer.

**Greaser** · 03-20-2016, 08:59 PM

Originally Posted by marcwhy

Well, Don Latarski can sound good on anything!

At that time it had Eminence "820H's," but I put in a pair of Jupiters, which I prefer.

I've heard great things about Jupiter speakers. Wonder what your cab would sound like with one of the hemp Eminence and one of the Jupiter?

**Greaser** · 03-20-2016, 09:00 PM

How does the 2x8 sound in general compared to the more common 1x10, 2x10 or 1x12?

**marcwhy** · 03-20-2016, 09:06 PM

Originally Posted by Greaser

I've heard great things about Jupiter speakers. Wonder what your cab would sound like with one of the hemp Eminence and one of the Jupiter?

Never tried it, but I bet it would be cool!

Re: the 2x8 compared to 110, 112, etc.: they're obviously "different," and my 112 cabs do sound "bigger," but not necessarily "better." My main guitar is a Novax semi-hollowbody with a 25-27" scale, and the low E is big and full on the 2x8!

**jzucker** · 03-20-2016, 09:20 PM

the beta 8 is what Raezer's edge used in the T8T cab which was the best sounding and most well rounded and versatile cab I ever owned.

**Franz 1997** · 03-21-2016, 01:00 PM

Originally Posted by Jim Soloway

One thing to keep in mind about the Beta 8 though is that it take a lot of power to drive it properly.

I disagree. One of the strengths of the beta 8 is its midrange punch in the 200-500hz range ( in other words, from around the G string fundamental up to maybe C on the top string). If you take the trouble to look at the sensitivity charts, you'll see that the beta 8 and beta 10 are within 1 dB of each other ( i.e. very little, not audible) in this range, while the beta 10 has a midrange dip around 600 Hz and the beta doesn't.

So, roughly the same power needed to drive the 8 in the fundamental note range as the 10.

Geeky, I know. But I it has a lot to do with why the 8 sounds punchier than the 10. IMO, of course. What the 8 doesn't have is an extended top end, but that suits me.

I find you can tell quite a bit about speakers from not just accepting the overall sensitivity figure, and instead looking at the graph. Many speakers with super-high sensitivity ratings get the rating boosted by the response over 1KHz, which is the harmonics area on the guitar- but these same speakers often have quite low sensitivity below that point, often with heavily rolled off bass response, so they tend to sound great for other music but not so good for a trad jazz guitar sound. One case in point is some of the modern neo 'EV clone" speakers, which roll off the bass below 500HZ, resulting in a somewhat anaemic top string response and generally honky, nasal sound - to me, at least

**Jim Soloway** · 03-21-2016, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by Franz 1997

I disagree. One of the strengths of the beta 8 is its midrange punch in the 200-500hz range ( in other words, from around the G string fundamental up to maybe C on the top string). If you take the trouble to look at the sensitivity charts, you'll see that the beta 8 and beta 10 are within 1 dB of each other ( i.e. very little, not audible) in this range, while the beta 10 has a midrange dip around 600 Hz and the beta doesn't.

So, roughly the same power needed to drive the 8 in the fundamental note range as the 10.

Geeky, I know. But I it has a lot to do with why the 8 sounds punchier than the 10. IMO, of course. What the 8 doesn't have is an extended top end, but that suits me.

I find you can tell quite a bit about speakers from not just accepting the overall sensitivity figure, and instead looking at the graph. Many speakers with super-high sensitivity ratings get the rating boosted by the response over 1KHz, which is the harmonics area on the guitar- but these same speakers often have quite low sensitivity below that point, often with heavily rolled off bass response, so they tend to sound great for other music but not so good for a trad jazz guitar sound. One case in point is some of the modern neo 'EV clone" speakers, which roll off the bass below 500HZ, resulting in a somewhat anaemic top string response and generally honky, nasal sound - to me, at least

I've owned two Beta 8's, one in a Raezer's Edge NY 8 cab and one (which I currently own) in an Earcandy Mr. Watts cab. When I owned the NY 8, I also had a Raezer's Edge Stealth 10. Now that I have the Mr. Watts, I also have an Earcandy Ethan 1x10 with an Eminence Lil' Buddy speaker. In all instances, my 8" cab and my 10" cab were running off the same amps (currently a pair of Gallien Krueger MB200's), often side by side and sometimes in stereo. Without any comment on the specs you cite, I can tell you from first hand experience that the getting a similar volume level from the 8" cabs has consistently required pushing the amp much harder than the 10. Just my experience (and BTW, I liked both my NY 8 and my Mr. Watts).

**Franz 1997** · 03-21-2016, 01:53 PM

Originally Posted by Jim Soloway

I've owned two Beta 8's, one in a Raezer's Edge NY 8 cab and one (which I currently own) in an Earcandy Mr. Watts cab. When I owned the NY 8, I also had a Raezer's Edge Stealth 10. Now that I have the Mr. Watts, I also have an Earcandy Ethan 1x10 with an Eminence Lil' Buddy speaker. In all instances, my 8" cab and my 10" cab were running off the same amps (currently a pair of Gallien Krueger MB200's), often side by side and sometimes in stereo. Without any comment on the specs you cite, I can tell you from first hand experience that the getting a similar volume level from the 8" cabs has consistently required pushing the amp much harder than the 10. Just my experience (and BTW, I liked both my NY 8 and my Mr. Watts).

Im not saying you're wrong, I'm saying that according to the specs - and comparing the emi beta 8 and the beta 10, not another speaker - they should push about the same audible fundamental note volume per watt. There might be other variables happening in your particular case, with these different cabs and a different speaker. I'm simply comparing one speaker unit to another.

**Jim Soloway** · 03-21-2016, 02:14 PM

Originally Posted by Franz 1997

Im not saying you're wrong, I'm saying that according to the specs - and comparing the emi beta 8 and the beta 10, not another speaker - they should push about the same audible fundamental note volume per watt. There might be other variables happening in your particular case, with these different cabs and a different speaker. I'm simply comparing one speaker unit to another.

Understood. There is a huge difference in available choices between 8" speakers and 10" speakers so I didn't really think of comparing it to the Beta 10. For most of the people on this site, there is really only one 8" speaker that can possibly work: the Beta 8. On the other hand, there is a plethora of 10" speakers that are viable choices. It never occurred to me to compare the Beta 8 to the Beta 10 but rather with all of these other high quality 10" speakers.

**Toat** · 03-21-2016, 09:53 PM

So to recap, what are my best bets for a reasonably priced closed back ported 2x8 cab? I'm willing to load and wire the speakers myself.

**Greaser** · 03-21-2016, 10:10 PM

Originally Posted by Toat

So to recap, what are my best bets for a reasonably priced closed back ported 2x8 cab? I'm willing to load and wire the speakers myself.

Most likely Ear Candy cabs. He sells a lot on reverb.com. I don't have any experience with them but it seems like your best bet for reasonable $. There are a couple of people I've seen on here that have Ear Candy 2x8's and seem to like them, maybe one of them will chime in.