DIY cabs

[RichardH]

No worries about the age of the thread - it's [i]meant[/] to be added to over time!

[Fretless Eric]

[quote name='RichardH' post='164276' date='Mar 27 2008, 06:28 PM']No worries about the age of the thread - it's [i]meant[/] to be added to over time![/quote]
I can offer a little update. Some interesting things happening here.

I've been using my 2 1x12" cabs with the Kappas for some time now with my Yamaha UEB and Jazz/Precision/etc. and found that I was getting colouration around a C on the A string with the upright. I've since added cross bracing, not much, to the back panel of the cab and I have clean sound again. I really have been pleased with these two cabs and played a variety of gigs with them.

Coming up this week is the Brunswick Hotel in Sydney Road, for anyone who knows Melbourne, and a couple of weeks time the Rosstown Hotel on the Dandenong Road. I'm told these are good to have said you've played them but all new to me.

[Huw]

Hey guys.

I'm very soon to be acquiring a second hand Laney head and 4x10 cab. The head's fair enough, but it was the cab I was really interested in.
My plan now, as soon as I get my hands on it is to strip it down, give it a clean up and reupholster it and whatnot. A new lick of paint, as it were.

In addition to this, I've had the brain wave to make a matching cabinet and stick my current combo's 15" speaker in, to make myself a noise/nuisance machine of epic proportions.

I've already, a few years ago, taken my old Marshall valvestate guitar combo and converted it to a head and 4x12 angled cab. So I'm not too bothered about the cabinet construction (woodworking or parts and mounting), but I still have some very naive questions to ask, so if anyone could field them, that'd be ace.



My current amp is a GK 400RB 115 Combo

voila

The reason I have to ask, rather than just check it, is cos it's locked up at our rehearsal space at the moment. It's a great amp and everything, but it's so heavy and cumbersome, I'd rather split it into two parts and carry one at a time.

Is it an act of true ignorance to believe that if I started to take that box apart I'd essentially find a 400RB Head just screwed into position at the top?


Or is it going to be a bit messier with wires hanging about the place?


If the answer to that is the one I want to hear, and I can proceed I have a couple of questions regarding the science of the cabinets. Something I never really bothered with when I made my guitar cab.

What's the deal with ports and holes? The GK has a huge port on the back, but nothing at the front. I'm not so sure about the 4x10 I have coming. But do I only have to worry about that on a 15" sub?

Wadding. Feeling around the inside of my existing combo proves there's a lot of that stuff currently in it. How much do I need and will it change depending on the ports

OR

whether it's an Open/Closed back cab? And should I even consider making it open?


...and finally I must confess to not really understanding the whole ohms and combinations of speakers/cabinets. If anyone could explain it, or point me in the right direction of something that explains it, thank you.

[thylacine23]

My current amp is a GK 400RB 115 Combo

voila

Or is it going to be a bit messier with wires hanging about the place?


take out the head unit from a gk rig, and youll need, the 4 feet, the top lid assy, and rack ears

132-0593-D 8GK1001/700RBTOPCOVER £31.75 + vat

And the ears are as follows:

000.572 8GKRACKEARS £28 + vat

all from Beyerdynamic just google it, they are really very good and more than helpfull for gk spares ect

ive used them a few times, brilliant service, the second best reason for owning a gk rig, plug
hope thats a help,

[Huw]

Thanks for that, I may look into getting it rack mounted at some point.



I've just spent a rather intense week of sawing, drilling, glueing and, uh.. screwing.

As well as the occasional bleeding and swearing.

You'll find a lot of [url="http://www.flickr.com/photos/18158427@N05/sets/72157604526354107/"]inbetweeny photos here[/url] but for those of you with a short attention span..

I started off with a Laney 4x10 I just got from ebay, my GK 1x15 Combo and an armful of wood and will a great deal of sweat, some actual blood and many metaphorical tears, the following transformation took place.












Putt it all together and you end up with something like this:


(except that photo is slightly photoshopped. I'm currently missing 3 sets of speaker grill clamps, so I've copy and pasted the one I do have to illustrate the finished target)

[budget bassist]

Wow that's really cool, i like it, not too sure about the colours but it's a really clever idea and a fantastic time waster (keeps you quiet for a bit i mean )

[Protium]

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=30714"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=30714[/url]

[ZMech]

Well the good news is that my dads friend has agreed to let me use his workshop to make a cab. The bad news is that this is an awfully long thread, and I'm a lazy teenager.
Is there a somewhat more abreviated version? I'm also in need of advice about what wood to use if that makes a difference.
Please don't rinse me for being a lazy sod

[Musky]

[quote name='Zach' post='359944' date='Dec 20 2008, 10:42 PM']Well the good news is that my dads friend has agreed to let me use his workshop to make a cab. The bad news is that this is an awfully long thread, and I'm a lazy teenager.
Is there a somewhat more abreviated version? I'm also in need of advice about what wood to use if that makes a difference.
Please don't rinse me for being a lazy sod [/quote]

Baltic birch ply seems to be the top choice - if you can find any.

[thomas]

Unless your loading the cab with a PD1850 12mm birch ply with some decent bracing should be plently. 15/18mm ply may be easier to work with if you're new to woodworking tho. Unfortunatly, you should expect to pay upwards of £40 a sheet, so when buying remeber to look out for even thickness in the layers and as few voids as possible.
Its not really that hard to find if you look at the correct places, hell if you go for the 18mm thick stuff even B&Q stock it (and cut it for you), but you should try buy it from your timber merchant above them.

[Happy Jack]

Want to go all radical?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/16-x-4-inch-100-mm-BASS-MID-HIGH-LOUD-SPEAKER-DRIVER_W0QQitemZ130281497227QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item130281497227&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A10%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/16-x-4-inch-100-mm-B...A1%7C240%3A1318[/url]

[Protium]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='381244' date='Jan 15 2009, 01:22 PM']Want to go all radical?

[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/16-x-4-inch-100-mm-BASS-MID-HIGH-LOUD-SPEAKER-DRIVER_W0QQitemZ130281497227QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item130281497227&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A10%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/16-x-4-inch-100-mm-B...A1%7C240%3A1318[/url]

[/quote]

"It can handle enourmous power. In my testing well in excess of [b]75-100W[/b] RMS"

[hookys6stringbass]

I really fancy building a big feck off 2 x 15 bass cab!! Can anyone point me in the right direction for plans???

[alexclaber]

[quote name='hookys6stringbass' post='391239' date='Jan 25 2009, 09:14 PM']I really fancy building a big feck off 2 x 15 bass cab!! Can anyone point me in the right direction for plans???[/quote]

Check out Eminence's cab designs for the Kappalite 3015, probably one there to suit and it is a truly righteous driver.

Alex

[hookys6stringbass]

[quote name='alexclaber' post='393510' date='Jan 28 2009, 10:48 AM']Check out Eminence's cab designs for the Kappalite 3015, probably one there to suit and it is a truly righteous driver.

Alex[/quote]

Thanks Alex, Is there a link?? The 3015's sound pretty good, as I like to play high up or should I say lead melodic bass do you think thse speakers would suit??

[alexclaber]

[quote name='hookys6stringbass' post='393793' date='Jan 28 2009, 04:25 PM']Thanks Alex, Is there a link?? The 3015's sound pretty good, as I like to play high up or should I say lead melodic bass do you think thse speakers would suit??[/quote]

[url="http://www.eminence.com/proaudio_speaker_detail.asp?web_detail_link=KAPPALITE3015&speaker_size=15&SUB_CAT_ID=3"]http://www.eminence.com/proaudio_speaker_d...mp;SUB_CAT_ID=3[/url]

Click on the cab design pdf on the right. Remember to deduct the wall thickness, port volume, cone volume and any bracing/handles etc when calculating internal (net) volume, or you'll end up short of bottom!

I'm quite a one for chords on the bass and the 3015 has absolutely no problem with them, plenty of midrange and treble clarity. I'd have thought lead melodic bass would work great on them because they have that clarity but they still sound fat because the midrange output is pretty even unlike many modern drivers where midrange output increases as you go higher in frequency.

Alex

[hookys6stringbass]

[quote name='alexclaber' post='393837' date='Jan 28 2009, 05:15 PM'][url="http://www.eminence.com/proaudio_speaker_detail.asp?web_detail_link=KAPPALITE3015&speaker_size=15&SUB_CAT_ID=3"]http://www.eminence.com/proaudio_speaker_d...mp;SUB_CAT_ID=3[/url]

Click on the cab design pdf on the right. Remember to deduct the wall thickness, port volume, cone volume and any bracing/handles etc when calculating internal (net) volume, or you'll end up short of bottom!

I'm quite a one for chords on the bass and the 3015 has absolutely no problem with them, plenty of midrange and treble clarity. I'd have thought lead melodic bass would work great on them because they have that clarity but they still sound fat because the midrange output is pretty even unlike many modern drivers where midrange output increases as you go higher in frequency.

Alex[/quote]

Thanks for the input Alex .I'm going to use the 3015's they sound just right for me...... might even put one in my Ashdown ABM C115 if I can.....

[lowrentdiscographer]

Howdy Builders,

Following in from a recent thread I started but am far to lazy to find and link, I have nearly finished construction of an Electrovoice 15 as shown earlier in this thread.

As it's oh-so-nearly finished I've been on a spending spree and purchased a Hartke LH500 head (hopefully arriving tomorrow if Mr Delivery Man can get through the snow), an Eminence Kappa 15 (450 @ 8 ohm), and a few other bits and pieces to finish it off, but I think to be fair the cab itself is not as well constructed as it might have been :blush: . This is at odds with the rest of the project as the speaker and amp are a couple of tiers 'up' from what I'd originally planned.

So I'm thinking about writing off the £12.00 of ply offcuts that I've not yet paid my Dad for, and starting again, but I have a couple of (well actually 4) questions...

How would the cab be effected if I were to construct it from MDF, what are the pro's and cons, as far as the finished product goes?

How would the cab be effected if I were to use thinner material (ply or MDF)? Should I keep the internal dimensions the same, or work to the external volume and use the extra internal space to allow for a coulpe of internal braces (any tips on placement?)

Would it be detrimental if I were to extend the front edge of the 'port top' to bring it flush with the front-face edge of the cab? (For purely aesthetic reasons, I want to cover the baffle and speaker with flat grille, flush to the front, but have the ports 'on show' a-la some of the modern 'boutique-style' cabs)

I've bought some B&Q recycled plastic loft insulation to line it with, it's very dense and very fluffy (technical, I know ) but its also quite thick (expands to 'up to 150mm). Will this occupy 'too much' of the internal space, or is this an issue I'm inventing? I was thinking maybe a few well placed staples could keep it in check?

Many thanks,

Steve.

[RichardH]

MDF - it would be VERY HEAVY!!!!!!! Make sure you wear a mask when sanding/planing/routing MDF.

If you went with 12mm ply, then I would keep the external dims the same and add some bracing. I would also use birch ply for the extra stiffness and void-free-ness it offers.
These cabs aren't THAT sensitive to volume, IMO. As far as what bracing to add, then I'd think a couple of ply "ribs" down the back and side panels would do the job - say 40mm strips glued edge on to offer greater stiffening. Then maybe a couple of diagonals from these ribs up to the top and bottom of the cab. The foaming Polyurethane glue is your friend here (unless you get it on your skin).

Extending the top of the port - you will be marginally lengthening the port, so it may have an effect.

Insulation - I don't know this stuff, but I'm assuming it's not going to flake into little bits like the usual Rockwool stuff would? It sounds a bit thick - a lot of staples may hold it back - or could you half its thickness by peeling it apart?

[lowrentdiscographer]

Cheers guys. Cab is nearing completion so I will put a short build post up when its done...

S.

[fatgoogle]

Hi guys, i want to make a 2x15, ill post details later, but im using two fane speakers, a passive crossover unit and a 5" driver, if i post all this would someone be able to help with ther size. I want this to be as simple as possible, i also need some help with the tuning of the cab, so if i post all this, will you be able to explain it in laymans terms. Thabnks Sam

[Merton]

I've finally gotten somewhere with my 1x15 self-build cab.

The cab is pretty tiny, but a bit bigger than an Ashdown Mini15. It's the same footprint as the Trace V-Type series combos and cabs, and is the same speaker config and tuning as the 1x15 comob I used to have (now residing with Tinman ). That is, Eminence Beta 15, tuned to about 48Hz in a 56x54x33cm (external) box. It's light, it's f-ing loud (126db at ~ 110Hz, 1W @ 1m), but it doesn't go massively low - Alex's cabs would eat this for breakfast. Fortunately it doesn't (theoretically) suffer any over-excursion due to the impedance curve below about 80Hz. To my ears it sounds mighty fine, but I built it coz I liked the combo's sound

The LH500 makes it sing...

[attachment=20981:DSC00256.JPG]

So, first tests have proved it's going to sound good, now all I need to do is:

1) finish bracing the inside
2) re-check the airtightness of the box
3) line the interior walls with wadding
4) cover the cab
5) make the vinyl-weave grille frame (metal circle is added foot protection )
6) add feet and corners

...then I can recheck its performance

I reckon it'll weigh in at about 18kg, we'll see...

Expect it to be finished in about 6 months....

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='Merton' post='417814' date='Feb 23 2009, 08:28 PM']... it's f-ing loud (126db at ~ 110Hz, 1W @ 1m) ...[/quote]

126dB?



I said [size=7]126dB?[/size]



Mad, ye're all mad, I tell ye.

[stevie]

Nice work. I'd just mention though that three-inch ports will normally make an awful lot of wind noise in that size of cab. You might consider increasing them to 4".

[stevie]

[quote name='Merton' post='417814' date='Feb 23 2009, 08:28 PM']The LH500 makes it sing...[/quote]

With the Eminence Beta in there it will doubtless be singing the One Note Samba.