But IMHO no 10s in any kind of cabinet can match 15s. YMMV.
A vintage SVT is loaded with guitar drivers. A typical guitar 12" has a resonance (effectively usable low freq cuttoffpoint in a sealed cab for a single unit) of 75Hz +/- depending on brand/model. For a 10 that's easily 5-10Hz higher on average. A typical bass guitar 10 will have a resonance lower, at 60Hz or less. A hifi woofer can have resonance below 40Hz. Then there's an increase in low end response gained from the multi-driver array on top of that.
Put actual bass 10s or proper (sub)woofers in there and it will blow any 2x15 (barring PA bass bins etc; I mean actual bass guitar cabs) out of the water as regards F3 point. That's exactly what I did a few years back. Built an 8x10 and loaded it with pre-Celestion Rola hifi woofers. Nearly busted a window the first time I tried it. None of my 15s ever came close.
Anyway, I agree a vintage SVT cab is a little lean, but what PBG is saying is that this is likely a good thing as you can get all the woof one might want using the amps EQ; it's the combo that works. That was probably an (intentional) design feature.
Especially when I plug in the ""120W"" Sunn. Night and day. The Sunn would bury the Mesa.
LOL. They had that low rating so that people wouldn't freq out that they'd blow the cab - a 2x15 loaded with contemporary JBLs which on paper could not handle more than that.
Like I said, my EV 15L/B (not sure; label-less OEM frame and a recone job), couldn't take it, and I wasn't anywhere close to diming it (though the headroom means that the lows were overly-well-represented; the transient peaks are enormous). Not sure if it was the 200 or later/current 400 watt version (I suspect the former, obviously). The RCF is 400 RMS, and more robustly built besides. I just got it and have a good relationship with the local reconer place so if I don't like it or get worried as I turn it up, I'll go trade it in and have them custom make me something with a double spider - basically a Gauss, but with an instrument cone - EV or something.
I actually like the size, smaller than a 4x12 and the weight is really good. Put a neo speaker in that, and it weighs nothing!
Agreed. Even with the RCF or EV (neither are light compared to other 15s) it's easy to carry - one hand on the handle, use yer thigh to support the bottom, lean back for counterweight and walk (also I have 2 castors on the bottom of one side for a tilt and roll on smoother surfaces). I just wish it was 1/2" wider so the Sunn wouldn't overhang; that drives me batty, but you can hardly tell from a bit of distance (e.g. from the audience when on stage). I am on the lookout for a (rare, especially up here) 30" wide version of the Sunn 1x15 horn (most were 2x15 or 24" wide 1x15 for the smaller heads, or later, bass reflex, which I am not a fan of), or 1x18 horn (seen a few on ebay recently, but they're always in Cali and the shipping is a nonstarter). The MM RH line was basically a clone of those. EV also made one (1x18; saw one for sale recently). I mean it's nice to have a matching rig, but also to loose that last bit of overhang.
Driver weight would make more difference in a multi-speaker cab, but as you say they are just a bit smaller than a 4x12 (makes for a nice visual balance on stage), but still can't get it into a car backseat via a standard sedan door. I've cut cabs in half for that before (it was a DIY thing to begin with). Neo would save you only a couple pounds (15" frames can get heavy if not stamped frame, which is not an option for me); barely noticed when I tried, but it adds up in my 4x12 (originally I had 2 JBLs and 2 EVs in there - couldn't lift it by myself - switched to Weber Neomag JBL clones and neo Faitals and now I can). Anyway, nothing neo sounded better than the EV in the 115RH and was double the price (Faital probably would sound really good in there, and I love the 12s, but really expensive, and all neo drivers are from the modern school where they aim for flat response vs older ddesigns like JBL and EV where there is still some, not as big, upper mid bump,; like a guitar driver, but not as pronounced and lower peak freq - that's part of what makes a 1x15 work well as a complete rig, especially with a tube head, which are darker than ss.... especialyl Sunns). The RCF is probably a bit heavier, but about the same price and less worry.