The guitar’s voice is typically translated by 10-, 12-, or 15-inch speakers. This is due mostly to frequency response and wattage capability. Larger speakers (such as 18-inch) emphasize low end in a way that is not really practical for the guitar’s range. Their extreme power-handling capability and sheer physical size render them impractical as well. Some amps designed for practice and home use utilize smaller speakers such as 6- or 8-inch, but the lower wattage capability and smaller cone size make them less useful in a performance setting. Smaller speakers can provide a “sonic niche” for guitar sounds, especially in a recording environment, creating textures with a de-emphasized low-end, increased upper-midrange and highs. The Eminence 620H is a perfect example. For the most part however, 10-, 12-, and 15-inch speakers provide the balance of warmth and bite, plus the necessary volume to compete in the mix with other instruments.

Frequency Range

The frequency spectrum that the electric guitar resides in is roughly between 70Hz and 5kHz so guitar speakers aren’t really required to reproduce any frequency outside of that range. It’s no coincidence that 12-inch speakers are popular for guitar since most of them fall within those parameters. The Celestion Vintage 30 is a prime example. Ten-inch speakers shift the frequency range slightly higher and 15-inch slightly lower but the biggest differences between the three is in frequency emphasis. Typically, a 12-inch speaker’s frequency response drops off pretty steeply at around 200Hz, with an emphasis in the upper register. Again, 10-inch speakers shift that higher and 15-inch lower. Check out the Celestion G10 Greenback and the Eminence Legend 1518 as a comparison. These ranges complement traditional amplifier designs, creating distinct sounds. In a modern context, speaker manufacturers can fine tune all of the elements that go into creating a certain EQ curve for whatever speaker, but the basic formula for 10-inch, 12-inch, and 15-inch speakers still remains.

The best practical application of using speakers of different sizes is to emphasize tonal characteristics of different amp and guitar combinations. For example, a 15-inch speaker would bring out the warm lows and smooth highs of Les Paul played through an amp with larger power tubes and lots of clean headroom in the preamp section, even with an overdriven sound. By contrast, an amp with a small power section, cranked to the point of break-up, combined with a single-coil-equipped guitar could sound even more brash and snarling with 10-inch speakers.

Vary It Up

Matching speaker wattage rating to amplifier wattage rating seems like the most logical choice and is always a great place to start. However, using a speaker with a higher wattage rating than the amplifier will give more efficient performance with less speaker break-up. This effect will be most noticeable in the low-end frequencies, giving a cleaner and tighter sound. The high end will be affected as well, sounding smoother. For example, the Morgan SW22 22 is rated at 22 watts and the Morgan Amps 112 cabinet is its mate with a speaker rated at 75 watts. Marshall amps did this as far back as the mid ’60s with the full stack, which is a 100-watt head and two cabinets with a total power handling capability of 200 watts. Using a speaker that has a lower wattage rating than your amplifier is not really a good idea; it’s very easy to damage a speaker with too much wattage by either overheating the voice coil or stressing the moving parts.

Part three of this series will continue the discussion on how your tone and amplifier are affected by various speaker combinations. Your ear is your best guide to good tone.

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How to Choose a Guitar Speaker Cabinet – Part 2

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