I apologize if this has been addressed elsewhere in this forum, but I did not see anything on this precise question. I'm wondering if you or anyone on here have/has compared a single G12Q vs a pair of Veteran 10 speakers, with the same amp. Or just generally how a single 12 compares to a pair of 10-inch speakers. I have almost no experience with a 2x10 and I'm really curious about a pair of Vet 10s. Think tweed or Vox or Bluesbreaker as opposed to blackface or silverface amps.
My understanding is that the Veteran 10 is essentially a 10-inch G12Q (correct me if I'm wrong). I currently have a G12Q installed in a "detuned" 1x12 pine cabinet (it's ported as a 2x12 but designed to have only one speaker) and I'm using it with a Morgan MVP23 head that I just purchased. It is a good match for this amp, though I think the combo version of this amp has a British style speaker with a larger magnet. The Morgan has tons of gain on tap, but I tend to like chimey, edge-of-breakup tones most of the time. I LOVE the tones of the G12Q sound samples here; that's what sold me on this speaker.
I have a different cabinet, a 1x10 pine cab, loaded with an ET-10, which sounds great with my Gibson GA-18 and my Auble EL-84 head but sounds too compressed and dark with my new Morgan (EL-84 head). To my ears, the Morgan likes the more crispy and articulate G12Q much better. So I think it would also sound good with one or two Veteran 10 speakers, but I'm wondering if two Veteran 10s would have any advantages over one G12Q?? More punch and spank for twangy, alt-country licks? Better power handling for safety (not blowing a speaker)?
I've owned the Veteran 10 before, but I currently don't have one. I could replace the 2x12 baffle in my detuned 1x12 with a 2x10 baffle and try it out with two tens (I would probably try a pair of Vet 10s first). I'd love to get a little more clean headroom or spanky, punchiness out of the Morgan, and being 23 watts, it is probably pushing the G12Q a little too hard anyway, though I would usually probably dial back the amp's voltage with the onboard attenuation most of the time. Replacing the baffle board is not as easy as swapping preamp tubes, but I would do it in a heartbeat if it would help me tailor this rig to my style. Thanks for any insights or opinions.
Awesome, thanks for being so specific!
"I'm wondering if two Veteran 10s would have any advantages over one G12Q?? More punch and spank for twangy, alt-country licks? Better power handling for safety (not blowing a speaker)?"
Yes, to all of the above ... plus, the biggest difference: 2 tens just plain have a bunch more surface area than a single twelve, so they move more air and ... when comparing 12" to 2x10" versions of a similar speaker ... the tens will always be a little louder, and bigger sounding.
"I'd love to get a little more clean headroom or spanky, punchiness out of the Morgan, and being 23 watts, it is probably pushing the G12Q a little too hard anyway"
Yes again to all this. Especially being a little too tight on headroom for the 23+ watts ... you'll definitely get more clean headroom out of the pair of tens.
Oh, and yes, I have compared both on the same amp.
I rebuilt an old 2-EL84 Kent amp (set up for about 18-watts) ... it came with a (blown) single 12. I originally replaced with a G12Q, then made a new baffle and went with the Vet 10 pair ... and fell in LOVE!