I'm trying to take a high-fi approach to my bass/guitar cabinet. I have a 2x12 cabinet I use primarily for bass guitar. I also use it for guitar in one band. It's a little small 28" x 15" x 14" (approx).

I currently have two Eden 12" speakers in it. I wanted to get a little better efficiency with lower powered tube amps (fender or traynors 40-60 watts). I also wanted more top end since I use it for guitar as well. I play mostly rock at moderate volumes.

Here's my question:

will there be any problems/benifits to using two different drivers in the same cabinet. I was thinking of using an Eminence Alpha-12 (for bass and low zmax) and a Beta-12LT (for top end).

the beta-12lt has slightly better sensitivity (99dB) but much higher zmax (94ohms). It extends to 10khz wich is very appealing.

the cab in already made and there is no room for a tweeter (which I generally don't like to use with bass or guitar...

Any insight into this set-up would be helpful...

thanks
David

When making a musical instrument that produces new sound, most always the designer will purpose-create resonances and other artifacts that make the sound interesting. Bob Moog patented a device that essentially made mutiple sharp peaks in the response curve, similar to pushing all the controls of a graphic EQ up to full-scale. Acoustic instrument designers always use resonant woods and resonating chambers to make a distinct sound. So all these kinds of things are "OK" - in fact, desirable - when producing sound from a musical instrument and help to make your "sound" unique.

Basically, what I'm telling you is that you should probably check the driver to make sure it will play the range you want, i.e. don't put it in a drastically oversized or undersized box. But you should not be as concerned about comb filtering or having a slightly overdamped or underdamped response curve as the builders of a loudspeaker made to reproduce music.

Reproduction loudspeakers should be as accurate as possible; This is not the case for guitar cabinets. So check to make sure the system parameters aren't "out of the ballpark" and then put it together and see if it's "making your sound." If you like the sound you're makin', then you've hit it.

• http://www.jblpro.com/pub/obsolete/M121-8_And_M151-8.pdf

I have seen many bass guitar cabs with different drivers, perhaps a 15" or 18" with a pair of 8" or 10" for midrange punch. I don't know if these are crossed over or simply wired parallel.

Due to changing role of bass guitar in pop/rock, there is a trend away from the heavy boomy bass, to a tone with a more crisp and precise sound... thus multiple smaller drivers. You see bass cabs now with four 10's, for example.

Paul