Larger Speaker on Small Amp?

I couldn't narrow down a search to find anything specific on this:

Would there be any value in putting a larger speaker on a low wattage amp? Like stuffing a 10 or 12 inch in there.

I have a Fender VibroChamp XD.
http://www.long-mcquade.com/?page=products&ProductsID=664

Output is 5 watts into 4 ohms.
Speaker is One 8", 4Ω Fender® S Special D Design. I could not find the wattage on this speaker.

It's got external speaker jack so I could find out without hacking the cabinet at least. One thing to take into consideration is that I rarely play this above 3 anyway.

I have no problem with this sound (I love this amp), but these questions must be asked!

Thanks for any input!

Is it an open or closed back? If it's a closed enclosure, then you probably would want to stay away from putting in a larger driver. They build a cabinet the size they do for many reasons more than just the size of the driver.

A drivers resonance factor, frequency outputs and combing affects all come into play when they design them...

I'm not going to comment much on the open back because I don't know just how much of a factor this would have on them, however, I'm sure it would have some affect.

At least thats the way it is with loudspeaker design. Guitar amps may be a totally different ball game, but I wouldn't think so.

Having said that... It's yours man... Do what you want with it.

It's semi closed. I don't have any particular plan to do anything, but there's a lot of room in there, so it's definitely a potential consideration if there were any particular benefit. Where it is only an 8" I thought there might be some bottom or mids I would gain.

I see the odd amp for sale where the owner has put in a larger speaker. Maybe that's why it's now for sale: they ruined the sound??

Usually, I would recommend getting an extension speaker in a separate cab.

The only thing holding me back is the fact that the stock speaker is only 4 Ohms.

An extension speaker will usually be connected in parallel with the internal speaker. This would reduce the net load impedance to as little as 2 Ohms (if the external speaker is also a 4 Ohm unit). That may not be a problem, but I would want to check that out before spending any money.

Thanks, folks! All this is good information, but umm... we're still missing the point of my question. :) Would my sound/tone benefit?

For example, in an ad, I saw a fellow with an Epiphone version of my VibroChamp (The 5w Epiphone Special). He replaced the original speaker in the cabinet with a 75 watt Eminence. Why did he do this? Did he benefit? Is it a waste of time, especially on an amp so small, OR would it be the opposite? A great boon because the amp (and speaker) is so small?

Originally Posted by: RazboThanks, folks! All this is good information, but umm... we're still missing the point of my question. :) Would my sound/tone benefit?

You don't really expect an answer to something that subjective, do you?

:rolleyes: Well, yeah, I do. Something like a 12" will give me better mids or lows or something. I can tell from the vast number of non-postings in this thread that it ain't gonna happen though. I'm surprised: Generally speaking, people - humanity! - feels compelled to give opinions. But on this... nothing! :)

Will your cab support a 12? If so, try it. I would think a larger driver would give a bigger sound. In theory it seems like it would.

BUT... If your cab can support one, meaning, the driver wont be too big for it, I personally wouldn't cut the baffle circle any bigger. At least not until you know you're satisfied with the results. If you cut the baffle's circle larger, then you may not be able to bolt your old 10 back on.

Originally Posted by: LordathestringsYou don't really expect an answer to something that subjective, do you?

Now that there is some funny stuff. :D