The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    Any recommendations for an external 12" speaker that works well with this amp? That's what I have at home. I sometimes play at a studio where they have the full size one and, not surprisingly, I like the way it sounds better. I'm not looking to get something super high-end (whatever that means).

    Thanks!

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  3. #2

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    Lots of options, but what's your budget??

  4. #3
    I'd be happy to spend $300, but will go up to $500. Is that a realistic range? Thanks.

  5. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by rlyacht
    I'd be happy to spend $300, but will go up to $500. Is that a realistic range? Thanks.
    Sure, that's a good range, thanks! You can find a used Raezer's Edge in that range; a new Toob (especially if you're trying to stay portable!); or a used VBoutique cab.

    Are you set on a 12"? I've been enjoying 10" cabs a lot!

  6. #5
    Thanks! I'm not really set on 12 - really I picked it because it's common and also because I thought that maybe the step up from 8 to 12 would be a lot more (measured in some way :-) ) than 8 - 10. But having something smaller would be better, since this is just going to sit in my bedroom.

  7. #6

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    In that price range, you might consider a powered speaker.

    The electronics don't have to weigh much, so maybe the powered speaker wouldn't weigh a lot more than a passive one, and it has the potential of being more versatile if you have a mixer and some other things to amplify. They also usually have the hardware for mounting on a tripod, which might be valuable.

    I played some gigs where I plugged the LJ into a Yamaha Stagepas. I pointed the LJ at myself and used the Yamaha for FOH. I was very happy with the sound.

    In fact, a used Yamaha Stagepas 300, which can sound great, is within your budget and you don't even have to use both speakers. You can use the one with the built in mixer and leave the other at home.

    Just a thought.

  8. #7

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    When I go searching for new speakers, I have to narrow it down to what type of sound do I want. I have to also consider what I want the sound to do. Then I have to consider wattage and ohms.

  9. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by rlyacht
    I'd be happy to spend $300, but will go up to $500. Is that a realistic range? Thanks.
    In that range, you could get a DV Mark Jazz, which would be exactly what you want sound-wise, take up no more space than an extension cabinet, and give you the option of bringing it or the LJ according to the gig/session's needs instead of having to bring two pieces of gear.

  10. #9

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    For bedroom playing, the internal speaker of the Little Jazz is more than loud enough, and sounds very good. That's where I mostly play mine. I also have a Vibrolux Reverb in there, which I've had since I bought it second-hand ~1990. The Little Jazz sounds better to me, and that's what I mostly play. Sometimes the VR is as good, maybe better, with a particular guitar, but not enough to make it worth turning on. It's not a bedroom amp. I use the LJ for that, and have used it in blues jams so loud I had to use earplugs, and it kept up fine with the big tube and SS amps, even at not a lot above 50% volume. If you want an external speaker, any would do, depending entirely on your taste. Different speakers, of different sizes, in different cabinets, have different sounds, so it's hard to recommend any specific combination. For me, though, an external speaker isn't necessary. I have tried a few, including my RE Stealth 10ER, and the sound I prefer is just the LJ, sometimes with a reverb pedal set very low. I have some pedals, including a Joyo American Sound and a JR Barnyard, but I still like just the amp better. YMMV, you're not me.

    FWIW, I generally tilt the amp rather steeply and face it to the wall, maybe a foot away. This reflects the sound back, and sounds slightly better to me. Flat on the floor gives a much bassier sound, which some may prefer. Tilting reduces the bass coupling and the need for me to turn the bass control down, which affects the tone of the treble and mids. Distance from a reflecting surface such as a wall also matters, whether it's facing the wall or away from it, because of the rear port.

  11. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by sgosnell

    FWIW, I generally tilt the amp rather steeply and face it to the wall, maybe a foot away. This reflects the sound back, and sounds slightly better to me. Flat on the floor gives a much bassier sound, which some may prefer. Tilting reduces the bass coupling and the need for me to turn the bass control down, which affects the tone of the treble and mids. Distance from a reflecting surface such as a wall also matters, whether it's facing the wall or away from it, because of the rear port.
    I'm with sgosnell in my enjoyment of the LJ. I've been using it for almost everything, including playing with two different 19 piece big bands. All I have to do is comp a little less loudly than the pianist and solo about as loud as an unamplified saxophone. It will do that, unless the saxophonist is unusually loud, which some are. For an uncoming gig in a bigger than usual room, I'm planning to bring a second amp, just in case. I played an octet (four horns) gig in a big room with about 200 people and the LJ was fine. I have done a couple of loud outdoor gigs where I wished it could be louder, but not by much.

    I find that I prefer the sound with the amp flat on the floor and the bass turned down. sgosnell and I seem to agree about taming the bass, but have different solutions. I agree that the coupling to the floor makes a significant difference in sound. I haven't tried having it face a wall -- the usual venues I play in don't make that easy to do.

    The amp doesn't strike me as highly directional, because of the rear port. But, if you're right behind it, it has a bit of cocked-wah sound.

    My guess is that it might come in second place in an A/B comparison to some other amps, but from what I read on here, it seems to hold it's own when people have the LJ and a competing amp, like the Blu/Bud, Quilter, AER Compact 60 or others. People sometimes prefer the alternative, but tend to comment on how it's a close call.

    Even if there's a better option, it's likely to cost more than $350 (or whatever inflation has done to the price) and weigh more than 15lbs.

    So, the same electronics with the bigger speaker is worth considering. You read that the LJ is anywhere from 40-60 watts, but I think those are into different impedences or something. I think it's the same electronics.

  12. #11

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    I have a DV Mark Jazz head, which I believe is pretty much the same amp in the Little Jazz. Most of the time I keep it plugged into the 2 x 8 cabinet (DV Mark Jazz 208) that was designed to go with the head. Sometimes, if I want a bigger sound, I plug it in to an open-back cabinet with a 12" Eminence Cannabis Rex. It sounds good!
    Last edited by Chazmo; 06-05-2023 at 05:07 PM.

  13. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by John A.
    In that range, you could get a DV Mark Jazz, which would be exactly what you want sound-wise, take up no more space than an extension cabinet, and give you the option of bringing it or the LJ according to the gig/session's needs instead of having to bring two pieces of gear.
    I had both a Jazz 12 and an LJ for about 2 years. When my Blu 6 finally arrived, I sold the LJ and have the 12 at the club where I play twice a week. The sound is very similar, with the 12 being a bit louder and a bit fuller at the bottom. The club has national acts Fridays and Saturdays, and I’m amazed at how many try and love the 12.

    It’s been used for blues, rock, roots, and jazz in preference to the CS PR and the SF Vibrolux in our backline. The stage gets crowded with all of our amps on it (there’s also a tweed Blues Deluxe”, so the Jazz 12 lives in the back office along with the BD. When it’s out, I use it a lot.

    With a Jazz 12 and a Little Jazz, you could even run the DI from one into the other if you need even more output.
    Last edited by nevershouldhavesoldit; 06-06-2023 at 02:28 PM.

  14. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
    I had both a Jazz 12 and an LJ for about 2 years and still have the LJ at the club where I play twice a week. The sound is very similar, with the 12 being a bit louder and a bit fuller at the bottom. The club has national acts Fridays and Saturdays, and I’m amazed at how many try and love the 12.

    It’s been used for blues, rock, roots, and jazz in preference to the CS PR and the SF Vibrolux in our backline. The stage gets crowded with all of our amps on it (there’s also a tweed Blues Deluxe”, so the Jazz 12 lives in the back office along with the BD. When it’s out, I use it a lot.

    With a Jazz 12 and a Little Jazz, you could even run the DI from one into the other if you need even more output.
    The OP specifically said he likes the Jazz 12 better than his LJ and wants a cabinet with a larger speaker to emulate the 12. But his budget is actually enough to buy an entire Jazz 12. Hence my comment. Personally, I have no opinion as to which size is better (I'm much more familiar with the LJ). I was just pointing out that getting a whole J12 strikes me as a better solution for the price and schlep factor to the problem of wanting the sound of an j12 than adding another speaker to the LJ.

  15. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by Chazmo
    I have a DV Mark Jazz head, which I believe is pretty much the same amp in the Little Jazz. Most of the time I keep it plugged into the 2 x 8 cabinet (DV Mark Jazz 208) that was designed to go with the head. Sometimes, if I want a bigger sound, I plug it in to an open-back cabinet with a 12" Eminence Cannabis Rex. It sounds good!
    I would of guessed that the Cannabis Rex would work good. I am trying to remember what Jensen or Eminence speaker Henriksen use to offer for their “blues” amp. I always wanted to give the Jensen Blackbird a try.

  16. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by John A.
    The OP specifically said he likes the Jazz 12 better than his LJ and wants a cabinet with a larger speaker to emulate the 12. But his budget is actually enough to buy an entire Jazz 12. Hence my comment. Personally, I have no opinion as to which size is better (I'm much more familiar with the LJ). I was just pointing out that getting a whole J12 strikes me as a better solution for the price and schlep factor to the problem of wanting the sound of an j12 than adding another speaker to the LJ.
    And I"m agreeing with you. But even better than having a Jazz 12 is having both, for the added flexibility of using either one alone or running them together. And the pair cost far less than one Blu 6.

    I did erroneously say that I left the LJ at the club. I sold the LJ and left the Jazz 12 at the club and will correct that post now.

  17. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by st.bede
    I would of guessed that the Cannabis Rex would work good. I am trying to remember what Jensen or Eminence speaker Henriksen use to offer for their “blues” amp. I always wanted to give the Jensen Blackbird a try.
    I believe the Henriksen Bluesamp had an Eminence Ragin' Cajun 10" speaker.

  18. #17

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    On the used market you should be able to find plenty of 12” or 2x12” cabinets for very reasonable prices. I’ve gotten 4x12 Marshall cabs, 4x10 bass cabs, 2x12 cabs, all for $150 or less and in great shape. And yeah, it makes a significant difference in the overall quality of your sound.

    I always, if it’s possible, run a combo guitar amp into a 2x12 cabinet. For rock it makes a huge difference; it allows you to have a mid-treble tone, while still getting an underlying richness from the floor coupling and from the cabinet itself. And for jazz it also works IMO.

  19. #18

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    I agree with the 2x12 for rock assessment, however I also find a good 1x12 can be really punchy, not in the thick sound diffusion way, but in a tighter sound. I tend to fav 1x12 over 2x12. I wonder if it is, because even when I am playing rock, I tend to play cleaner then typical… except for the moments when fuzz is useful.