PeteJ Posted January 20, 2021 Posted January 20, 2021 Has anyone attempted to make a cabinet/box for their lightweight amp head? I'm guessing you just need to screw four bits of wood together, cover it in tolex or similar, add some feet, corner protectors and maybe a handle, then fix the amp inside it with some screws... however, I have no idea how you apply the tolex - is it a liquid that you apply? Or sheet material? That sounds like the tricky part. I suppose the wood could just be painted black. Pete 1 Quote
BassAdder60 Posted January 20, 2021 Posted January 20, 2021 It’s possible as long as the fan and air vents are clear etc Tolex is like a cloth covering that is glued on to the wood and can be tricky making a neat job but with practice it’s not too bad Ive made cabs before and painted them matte black and they look ok but never as good as company made Quote
RichardH Posted January 20, 2021 Posted January 20, 2021 The alternative to Tolex is TuffCab paint - you can apply it with a small foam roller and get a nice textured tough finish - it is easy to touch up if you do get scrapes as well. The good thing is that Blue Aran who supply tuff cab also do all the cabinet hardware you are likely to need as well. 1 Quote
RichardH Posted January 20, 2021 Posted January 20, 2021 One other thing - be careful of where any cooling vents are and make sure they are still given access to free air! Quote
JapanAxe Posted January 20, 2021 Posted January 20, 2021 @PeteJ just wondering why you would want to do this rather than just transport the lightweight head in a suitable case and take it out to use. 1 Quote
Matt P Posted January 20, 2021 Posted January 20, 2021 I have considered this a few times, was thinking something akin to a mini marshall Plexi case with the amp along the bottom and an easily replaceable front panel, leaving the back open for ventilation. then if i change my amp in the future i can just make a new front panel to suit. my main thinking was to match my speaker cabs (Barefaced Midgets with vintage grilles) to give it a mini-rig vibe for looks mainly, and i would get a Roqsolid cover made to match the ones for the cabs. I haven't got round to this yet, maybe if i get access to a table saw i will get it made (my accuracy with a hand saw leaves something to be desired) My best friend has been hinting at a table saw purchase for a while. Matt Quote
JapanAxe Posted January 20, 2021 Posted January 20, 2021 1 hour ago, Matt P said: I have considered this a few times, was thinking something akin to a mini marshall Plexi case with the amp along the bottom and an easily replaceable front panel, leaving the back open for ventilation. then if i change my amp in the future i can just make a new front panel to suit. my main thinking was to match my speaker cabs (Barefaced Midgets with vintage grilles) to give it a mini-rig vibe for looks mainly, and i would get a Roqsolid cover made to match the ones for the cabs. I haven't got round to this yet, maybe if i get access to a table saw i will get it made (my accuracy with a hand saw leaves something to be desired) My best friend has been hinting at a table saw purchase for a while. Matt A bit like this then: 2 Quote
Matt P Posted January 20, 2021 Posted January 20, 2021 35 minutes ago, JapanAxe said: A bit like this then: yes, exactly like that! i have looked at those so many times but never had the money! what i do have is a pile of plywood offcuts and some random hardware from an amp that failed, so the only thing i would have to buy is the tolex. I think that Mesa Boogie offered a mini cab for one of their amps as well, but again well out of my price range. Matt Quote
Matt P Posted January 20, 2021 Posted January 20, 2021 In fact the Mesa ones are very close to what i would build, they don't seem to offer this anymore though, and i would make the front panel easily removable in case i swap to a different amp. I have done some calculations and the added weight wouldn't be too bad, i was going to cut out some of the ply inside to keep the weight down (or make it from a couple of layers of 6mm ply with the inner ones cut out to reduce weight.) Walkabout Head | MESA/Boogie® Matt Quote
JapanAxe Posted January 20, 2021 Posted January 20, 2021 I’m planning to build a B15-type amp in a similar cabinet. That will challenge my woodwork ‘skills’! 1 Quote
Mottlefeeder Posted January 20, 2021 Posted January 20, 2021 I made a U-shaped sleeve for my Ashdown MiBass Mk1, and added kitchen-cupboard kick-panel brackets to a speaker cab top and to a sleeve bottom so that I could clip it together to make a combo or a stand alone. This one is finished in TuffCab. David 3 Quote
Matt P Posted January 20, 2021 Posted January 20, 2021 I think I'm going to have to finally have a go at building my amp case this year, just need it to warm up a bit so my workshop is a bit more habitable. Matt Quote
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