We saw Lera Lynn last weekend.  She's the "talent" at the sleezy bar the protagonists would meet in HBO's "True Detective"  this past season.  Anyway, she had her band and they had a most interesting set up for a 4 piece (guitar, singer guitar, bass and drums).   T Bone produced the music for the show and her latest CD and it shows - a wide open, slow rock sound w/ plenty of space for the sorta spaghetti-western lead guitar (I believe it is an Americana thing these days).  The cool thing was the bass - he was playing through an Orange Amp and it looked like a small cabinet.  Maybe I'm mistaken, but the 8-inch? 
 
Which seems ridiculous for bass but the bass guitar cut through above the drums (w/ two fat toms) instead of flubbing around down in the low registers.  It got out of the way yet didn't step on her acoustic or his electric, and the drums sounded eerily clean and punchy.  Of course, this is a great sounding venue and she had a good sound guy w/ her.
 
  I talked to her after buying her T Bone produced vinyl (reminds me why I like it) but we didn't talk about the sound design.  The sound guy was loading the van (and unloading more albums) so I didn't get a chance to ask him (and reminds me why I don't like doing live sound - you get stuck doing all the suck jobs because no one else will.  Is this a new thing, old thing or am I off my rocker, using a small woofer for live bass to keep things clean?  And I wonder if it would work for keys?
 
Inquiring minds want to know.

Smallest Orange bass drivers are 10".

10" speakers have been used for bass for as long as there's been electric basses, right back into the 50s. Some can produce a surprising amount of low end as well as cut through a mix. A friend of mine has an old (pre-Gibson take-over) Trace Elliot bass combo with a single 10" driver and it thunders away with the best of them.

more than likely,
the amp was for the 'tone', and the signal was sent to FOH via direct
 
great for recording,
not so much for live work.
 
who needs a giant cabinet on stage,
when you've got a full range PA ready to do all the heavy lifting.......?
 
and if you are using IE's, why even bother with a cab at all, if you have a good direct sound

I didn't see any 10-inch speakers when I casually looked at orange - maybe I missed it.  Thanks.
 
Maybe, Bat.  At least they bothered to mic it.  But, if it was just for show why not a large cab, except they are travelling in a van? 
 
Thanks all.  One of those things I wonder about.  A great show if you get a chance to see her.