richrips

At the moment they are coated in 2 coats of ronseal floor paint. This is tough and cheap, my only problem is that being a matt finish (or satiny at best) it seems to attract dirt so i may gloss white over the top and leave the ronseal as the daddy of all undercoats..... as for weight, Bill quotes 40lbs (19kg) on his site and although i don't have scales, this feels about right. i'm just trying to find some countersunk chrome corners and leather carry straps if anyone is in the know? Thanks for the positive responses! rich

I just finished building a pair of Bill Fitzmaurice Jack 12 cabs and thought i'd share the good news! They are 12mm birch ply and fitted with Eminence Kappalite 3012HO drivers. Finished sticking in foam and mounting jacks last night and went to band practice, the sound is incredible. A lot of the buzz around bills designs revolves around the sesitivity and off axis response. i was blown away by the clarity and volume. i got all the volume i needed from one cab turned up to 3 on my crown xls402 power amp. The tone was really solid. I have been playing my stingray through my peavey stack for a few years now and recently moved to playing heavy flats to try and get maximum punch and depth out of it. I've never noticed much growl using the flats but the new cabs growl as much as you want them to. It's refreshing to not have the clarity from the strings and mudded by cabs that would turn a growl in to a wobble. I'm really happy with the cabs and will play a few gigs before i consider tweeters (which were optional) i haven't been playing much slap and can't comment as i have a fretless or flats to play at the moment. i can get all the growl and edge i want though and there's always the bright switch on my preamp if needs but i can't see myself needing it. I am a firm believer that a speaker sounds best operating in the middle of it's power handling abilities rather than at max wattage and, thanks to the each cabs 400watts rms handling, i'm harldy likely to push them beyond a point where they don't sound incredible. Thanks to bill and several fellow builders for tips and supply links. I may be able to make the south wales bass bash so i'll bring these along if i do and all challenges are welcome! Hope everyone likes white! cheers, rich

[quote name='Rasta' post='578996' date='Aug 24 2009, 01:00 PM']Aston 'Family Man' Barret from the Wailers, his sound is [b]BASS[/b] And next week we're playing on the same bill as him in Falmouth...whoooaaa! A very proud time ahead [/quote] What day and where? sounds sweet as! cheers, rich and this is my idea of basstopia.... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgrOD4PZzuY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgrOD4PZzuY[/url] and this [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64OcpQC25V4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64OcpQC25V4[/url] (think my mind usually blows around 1m37) and this [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxKBnR_8LIM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxKBnR_8LIM[/url] and this (in fact is this the best live performance of any song ever by any band?) [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T92py7wxcD4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T92py7wxcD4[/url] and maybe this (prefer the studio version...) [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0edgQvX_MI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0edgQvX_MI[/url] and of course this... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deP3olcStJs"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deP3olcStJs[/url] hell this too! [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI2INBQVpwk"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI2INBQVpwk[/url] and where would the world be without this? [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj0KeBxLy9Y"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj0KeBxLy9Y[/url] And i'd feel guilty for ever if this was left out... (from 2m18 you should probably be sitting comfortably...) [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3VMV4Tk8Lw"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3VMV4Tk8Lw[/url] and any way back to my original point which was something to do with... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys6ZOT_eCdM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys6ZOT_eCdM[/url] mais bien sur aussi.... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-n-jZJhpT4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-n-jZJhpT4[/url] um i have to go and play bass now.... ENJOY! Comments welcome....

I'd be keen to meet a few fellow cardiff bassists (and their gear!) and hopefully will have my BFM jack 12's ready by then! Cheers, Rich

Any more suggestions? I'm sure there are a load of 1U users on here! ebay looks like a minefield and i want first hand experiences! also, any links to the alien amps? google just gives me hollywood films whatever i type.... cheers r

Hi, I'm currently up/downsizing my rig. Heavy, inefficient peavey gear (425W rms) is transforming in to two lightweight 450watt (rms each!) BFM jack cabs (white/chrome to make bootsy proud...) and a sweet amp setup. i'm currently using a peavey alpha valve preamp with a crown xls 402 power amp like this [url="http://www.crownaudio.com/amp_htm/xls.htm"]http://www.crownaudio.com/amp_htm/xls.htm[/url] When placed in a rack with a compressor, this weighs more than both new cabs combined and almost as much as a mesa 400. I'm quite keen on a DHA valve preamp and would like to get a lighter, but still powerful, power amp. does anyone have any experiences with 1U power amps? Whats good/bad/ugly? I don't have heaps of cash to throw at it so nothing ludicrous please! cheers, Rich

I have managed to source £260 for a pair of 3012ho's but am reluctant to order before hearing opinions on the two manufacturers below. Interestingly the kappalite is available from approx £190/pair in the states....damn the atlantic! Back to my original questions please, has anyone used any of the B&C 12's? [url="http://www.bluearan.co.uk/index.php?id=BAC...de=manufacturer"]http://www.bluearan.co.uk/index.php?id=BAC...de=manufacturer[/url] anyone used the neo celestion green label 12s? [url="http://professional.celestion.com/bass/green/index.asp"]http://professional.celestion.com/bass/green/index.asp[/url] I'm happy with a cabinet design and in an ideal world would use a 3012ho straight away, but i'm trying to balance watts/quality/response/sensitivity against pounds. Uni, recession, and sonic perfection are tough to mix! Apologies Bill if you feel this thread should be on your forum. I prefer basschat for questions about availability and costs (because it is UK specific). Your forum is indeed a wealth of technical information and i'm sure i will be using it during my build. As a fairly new member, i don't want to upset anyone, but i'm only looking for open, intelligent, polite information, not 20 posts of bickering and slander! Lay off each other! experinces with celestion or b&c neo 12s anyone? Thanks, Rich

Hi Alex, Thanks for all your help on my various cab threads. A lot of fingers are pointing me in the direction of the eminence 3012ho neo driver. On american ebay these are less than £100 (around $150) but can i find them in the uk? I've troed blue aran and lean business but havn't seen a price come close to the US listings. Any ideas? cheers, rich

I'm looking to build a pair of jack 112 cabs from Bill Fitzmaurice website. a couple of speakers are mentioned as suitable. The eminence 3012ho looks like a classy piece of kit but i'm finding it hard to find (especially reasonably priced...) in the uk. [url="http://www.eminence.com/proaudio_speaker_detail.asp?web_detail_link=kappalite3012ho&speaker_size=12&SUB_CAT_ID=3"]http://www.eminence.com/proaudio_speaker_d...mp;SUB_CAT_ID=3[/url] Failing that, has anyone used the B&C 12 inchers? [url="http://www.bluearan.co.uk/index.php?id=BAC12NDL76&browsemode=manufacturer"]http://www.bluearan.co.uk/index.php?id=BAC...de=manufacturer[/url] anyone used the neo celestion green label 12s? [url="http://professional.celestion.com/bass/green/index.asp"]http://professional.celestion.com/bass/green/index.asp[/url] opinions, advice, comparisons, experiences and links to deals most welcome! Thanks again, Rich

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' post='564487' date='Aug 9 2009, 09:32 PM']Where basic bass reflex boxes are concerned the fEarful are as good as any commercial offerings, and better than most. I'd be hard pressed to name a commercial cab that's as well engineered, or even close to it for that matter. I've also recently prototyped a couple of 12/6 cabs for a manufacturer, similar to the fEarful 12/6, using the 3012HO driver. They're nice cabs, a lot better than the high priced 'boutique' 1x12s out there. OTOH side by side with my Jack 112 loaded with a only a 2512 they're very much also-rans. You can only do so much with a bass reflex box.[/quote] hi bill, i'm swinging towards your idea for a couple of 1x12+horn jack cabs. before i place my order, a couple of questions: What speakers would this combination use for a good power-weight ratio. i'm quite keen on neo celestions but if you can recommend a 12inch driver,a tweeter and a crossover (or simple plans for one...) available in the uk, i can start doing sums. do you have a response curve for a 1x12 jack cab? Any user feedback on Bills 1x12 jack cabs would also be much appreciated! I'm glad that this is starting to point at a specific build route after all the discussion! Thanks to all the contributors, especially Bill, Mr.T, Alex, Stewart and i'm sure i've missed a few.... Cheers team! rich incidentally, i'm using a peavey 2x10 tvx and a bw 115 both mint condition unlike my back (which i screwed working for removals..) i'll be selling soon from cardiff, plymouth and anywhere in between. also i drive to maidenhead occasionally.

I feel like i should be paying for this much knowledge..... alas, a couple more questions! 1.Is dispersion affected by the width of a cab or simply by the width of the speakers in the cab? (for a traditional box with speaker in front arrangement) 2.Why is it bad to use different sized speakers to produce the same frequencies? (surely almost every rig [cue bi-amping argument...] with parallel identical outputs running in to two cabs where one is, say, a 4x10 and the other a 1x15, would be a victim of this fault? 3.And in a way, i want to go back to a more informed version of my original question.... i have been convinced that a 4x10 is bad science. i would like two cabs for ease of carrying and so i can use one alone for smaller gigs etc. i don't want these two cabs to interfere with each other when used together. i want a full spectrum of sound as i am an effects fiend and i want good power handling. i don't want this rig to be huge, just to sound it! I really would like to make my own cabs because: 1.i love making stuff 2. i refuse to accept that markbass et al are capable of any mystical wizardry beyond us mortals which makes their cabs worth 4-500 quid more than the materials used 3. i don't have the money to buy an off-the-shelf lightweight rig but can afford a few neo speakers and ply by selling my current monolith... SOOOO.... what do i build? Thanks, Rich

WOW. I never expected this thread to entice this much knowledge and debate! Thanks to everyone involved for facts and opinion both scientific and artistic/practical. I studied engineering at imperial before dropping out to play bass at ICMP so i can really empathise with both sides.... I can see the horizontal dispersion effects would be better for speakers arranged vertically to reduce destructive wave patterns in the horizontal plane as each speaker would have it's own vertical space to project in to without interference from a speaker on the same "floor of the building" as it were. i can also see that a tall narrow cab may be impractical to move around and odd to look at. MORE QUESTIONS...... (i hope these spark as much debate as the last ones!i'll soon have enough knowledge to take on markbass.... In the picture below, the speakers are staggered. Does this diagonal arrangement have any advantage/disadvantage over a purely vertical arrangement? The speakers appear to overlap vertically only very slightly so horizontal dispersion should not be affected (in comparison to a pure vertical arrangement). The diagonal arrangement and slight vertical overlap allows the stack to be shorter (easier to lift amp on to) than a pure vertical and the extra width is more sightly and practical (easier/safer to balance an amp on). Is this correct? Would a diagonally arranged 2x10 on top of a vented 1x12 cab (made possibly using one of bills designs to squeexe every last ounce of low out of it) be a scientifically sound (lol) solution? cheers, rich [/quote]

[quote name='Bill Fitzmaurice' post='562786' date='Aug 7 2009, 02:21 PM']Don't build a 4x10. It's the poster child for how a speaker cabinet should not be built. Do a pair of 2x10, stack them with the drivers in a vertical line.[/quote] which 2x10 plans would you recommend? i'm using a 1400watt crown power amp with a peavey alpha tube pre and would like a combination that is light but makes the most of the power? i like the reviews i've heard of the bn10 300x. seems to offer a decent bass response for a 10" driver. thanks to everyone who has replied, there really is an amazing wealth of knowledge out there! cheers, rich

I have a bad back and a peavey stack so i'm hoping to make my own lightweight 4x10. here's what i'm thinking so far: celestion bn10-300x speakers in a lightweight (birch ply?) cab. questions: 1.has anyone made a cab like this themselves (using these speakers) for more focused brain-picking? 2.does the weight of the cabinet affect the sound?i'm a little dubious about the abilities of a lightweight cab to throw air as convincingly as a heavy cab?which leads to my next question... 3.does the thickness and weight of the ply used make much difference? what ply to use? where is a good place to buy a suitably light/stiff ply as opposed to the ultra heavy peavey ply? 4. is there much merit in a half-ported/half-sealed 4x10 cab? i've heard sealed=punchier and ported=potentially more low end? 5. are there any specific light-weight cab plans out there? if not which plans are going to suit me best? Phew! i apologise in advance as i am sure that these bits of information are buried in various threads, but forums are about chatting and i'm getting really really confused searching through ancient threads of "not quite what i'm after". i'm sure someone has already attempted this idea as it works out about £250 for the materials which make up most super-light, super-expensive which cost 4 times as much! any help/links/pics/knowledge much appreciated! sound wise, i want to be between juan nelsons sound (ben harper) and waterfalls (TLC) if that is in any way relevant.... Thankyou, Rich