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The first and last custom cab


alexclaber
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So today I have filled all the screw holes, tested the port tuning, glued the port in, fitted the Speakon, glued in all the insulation, done some of the sanding, fitted the grill, sussed out the balance and thus fitted the handles, and given it a whirl. Sounding good, no extraneous noises. I wish I had some scales here because it is insanely light!

Am gigging it tomorrow and will report back duely. Then will do the final sanding, painting and carpeting (this is a one off cab for Mr Russ, which matches the dimensions of his Markbass 2x10", and uses a 3015 woofer).

Then onto building the first of The Compact cabs. I'm pleased to say that I've sussed out an optional tweeter with two different crossovers (quite cunning ones!) which should work well on both cabs, which gives a line-up thus:

The Compact (15" standalone with tight bottom, strong mids and decent highs, <35lbs, 25"x19"x13.5")
The Bright Compact (As The Compact plus tweeter)
The Big One (15"+6.5" with deep bottom, very clear and punchy mids and good highs, <45lbs, 29"x20.5"x16")
The Big Bright One (as The Big One plus tweeter)
The Big Deep One (as The Big One minus midrange to add bottom to a rig or for reggae/dub players)

Alex

Edited by alexclaber
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Played a gig with this one-off 3015 cab last night. Remarkably clean, clear, punchy sound and goes loud. My amp hit the limiters a few times and the cab didn't even flinch, no signs of distortion or farting with 550W hitting it. No extraneous rattles and it is SO light, really need to get it on some scales for a definitive answer.

Alex

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Sanded the rest of the cab down yesterday, it's looking nice and professional. Will give it a quick once over at lunch time with a finer grit, then a bit of filler plus primer on the baffle and I'll get it sprayed later. And assuming that dries quickly enough, carpeting joy later...

Alex

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Amidst the carpeting joy, fun, fun, fun...

Ordered the parts for my new crossover design for The Big One. Also ordered some parts to make a 200Hz highpass filter for my 6ND410 so I can put it in a tiny cab as a monitor for gigs with zero monitoring supplied.

Alex

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Well done Alex, it looks like just another speaker cab, but how it sounds and how much it weighs are the main things.
I look forward to having a go sometime, meanwhile I've decided to chop my TE combo into 2 pieces for short term weight saving reasons.
Check out my latest ideas here -
[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=20911&pid=222571&st=40&#entry222571"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...mp;#entry222571[/url]
I expect you're kicking back with a cold beer now - think I'll join you........ :)

Red Steve.

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Well done Alex, looks pretty compact.

On the next one try and get the carpet joins so that you only have a single one on the btm of the box running front to back.
When making a cut, If you overlap the carpet and then cut through both layers, you can peal off both bits and are left with a perfect join.

To remove excess bits of spray adhesive, use some WD40 on a rag and wipe over the carpet.

If you make the carpet wide enough you can go round the whole box in one go, wrap the excess over the back panel.

I am trying to find a fantastic video tutorial that showed exactly how its done, its very easy when you see it, but a little hard to describe..It opened my eyes to how its done....

Dave

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[quote name='david_l_perry' post='222657' date='Jun 20 2008, 09:16 AM']On the next one...[/quote]

Am not doing carpet again - I spent so long getting the woodwork nice that it's almost a waste to cover it up with furry stuff. :) Tuffcab paint on all future ones!

Shall try the WD40 tip later...

Alex

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Finished at last, well done Alex, nice and compact I'm interested to know that the 3015LF sounds good on it's own.

[quote name='david_l_perry' post='222657' date='Jun 20 2008, 09:16 AM']On the next one try and get the carpet joins so that you only have a single one on the btm of the box running front to back.
When making a cut, If you overlap the carpet and then cut through both layers, you can peal off both bits and are left with a perfect join.[/quote]

Dave's right, I actually found carpetting a real joy and it took next to no time, it's actually easier to do it with one big piece of carpet, almost like one of those Cube Shap nets from when you were a kid at school...

Only obviously you don't need the front!

I quite like a carpetted or Tolex type finish for backline, not sure why, I'd probably go with painted for PA though ?!? :)

Also I can't see any cab corners, or it just the photo, I'd have thought with 9mm they'd be important?

Edited by gilmour
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[quote name='david_l_perry' post='222657' date='Jun 20 2008, 09:16 AM']I am trying to find a fantastic video tutorial that showed exactly how its done, its very easy when you see it, but a little hard to describe..It opened my eyes to how its done....

Dave[/quote]

Would [url="http://www.icixsound.com/iv/view_video.php?viewkey=5a2e075a1a4a6e1b9770"]THIS[/url] be the one?

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It's a bit late now! :)

I suspect those of you that enjoy carpeting also enjoying wallpapering. I don't. But I am very happy to fuss endless over getting stupidly thin pieces of ply to line up neatly and then fill and sand any imperfections until it all looks very pro.

Btw, that's the 3015 not the 3015LF. The LF sounds nice on its own but too treble-shy for most. The 3015 is very punchy and clear - seems very low distortion compared to the usual 10" cabs.

Alex

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[quote name='alexclaber' post='222918' date='Jun 20 2008, 01:45 PM']I suspect those of you that enjoy carpeting also enjoying wallpapering. I don't. But I am very happy to fuss endless over getting stupidly thin pieces of ply to line up neatly and then fill and sand any imperfections until it all looks very pro.

Btw, that's the 3015 not the 3015LF. The LF sounds nice on its own but too treble-shy for most. The 3015 is very punchy and clear - seems very low distortion compared to the usual 10" cabs.[/quote]

I've never done wallpapering, but I do enjoy doing the decorating!

My bad on the speaker, I had thought I read somewhere that the 3015LF needs some help in the top end. Still good to know about the 3015 though, cheers.

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[quote name='andyonbass' post='222884' date='Jun 20 2008, 01:18 PM']Would [url="http://www.icixsound.com/iv/view_video.php?viewkey=5a2e075a1a4a6e1b9770"]THIS[/url] be the one?[/quote]

Thats it...!! Cheers fella

And I [b]HATE[/b] wallpapering.....I am seriously crap at it.....bubbles here, and Here, and here, and some there....After watching that video the carpeting was made very simple...

The tuffcab/Aldcroft speaker paint does not hold up too well to life on the road, but it is very simple to get a good finish straight off.

Dave

Edited by david_l_perry
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[quote name='david_l_perry' post='223002' date='Jun 20 2008, 03:22 PM']The tuffcab/Aldcroft speaker paint does not hold up too well to life on the road, but it is very simple to get a good finish straight off.[/quote]

Ah but with cabs this compact and light they definitely get bashed about less than big heavy ones - I'm having plastic corners too - and the paint doesn't pick up smells, hair or fluff and can be touched up or repainted easily.

Alex

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I have done lots of cabs with the Aldcrofts Paint and baby each and every one of them beyond words....I only have a tiny Wedgehorn done in the Aldcrofts now, its not so much impact damage, just that it rubs easily and scrapes against other things in the van / car.

I would give the carpet another go following the tutorial. If you want to try and sell them they need to look Pro. Paint looks great for while but then starts to look worn very quickly. Just an amp moved about ontop of the cab will start to mark it very quickly. Its nothing like as good as the sprayed on stuff used by the pro cab manufacturers. It also does not take to car body filler well (bondo), I called in to see Julie at Aldcrofts who suggested to me to try coating the filler with some PVA first. I have not tried it yet, but it could be worth while trying that out.

Dave

Edited by david_l_perry
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[quote name='david_l_perry' post='223029' date='Jun 20 2008, 03:47 PM']I have done lots of cabs with the Aldcrofts Paint and baby each and every one of them beyond words....I only have a tiny Wedgehorn done in the Aldcrofts now, its not so much impact damage, just that it rubs easily and scrapes against other things in the van / car.

I would give the carpet another go following the tutorial. If you want to try and sell them they need to look Pro. Paint looks great for while but then starts to look worn very quickly. Just an amp moved about ontop of the cab will start to mark it very quickly. Its nothing like as good as the sprayed on stuff used by the pro cab manufacturers. It also does not take to car body filler well (bondo), I called in to see Julie at Aldcrofts who suggested to me to try coating the filler with some PVA first. I have not tried it yet, but it could be worth while trying that out.

Dave[/quote]
Our function bad PA is black paint and we have a special PA repair kit at all gigs coz they get knocked and scraped all the time.

The kit?

A black felt marker pen :)

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[quote name='Merton' post='223035' date='Jun 20 2008, 03:54 PM']The kit?

A black felt marker pen :)[/quote]
And has double use that you can write the songs on the floor if you can't remember the chords :huh:

[quote name='Merton' post='223048' date='Jun 20 2008, 04:07 PM']Can yours fix torn drivers? We haven't figured out how to do that yet... :huh:[/quote]

Gaffa?? :huh:

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[quote name='Merton' post='223048' date='Jun 20 2008, 04:07 PM']Can yours fix torn drivers? We haven't figured out how to do that yet... :)[/quote]

I read somewhere or other about a repair involving the material from a pair of tights and something like nail polish. Or maybe superglue. Never had to try it myself though.

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[quote name='Musky' post='224635' date='Jun 23 2008, 12:06 AM']I read somewhere or other about a repair involving the material from a pair of tights and something like nail polish. Or maybe superglue. Never had to try it myself though.[/quote]

Sooner buy a new one than be caught dressed up like that again :)

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