DIY kickback bass cab

Re: DIY kickback bass cab

Demanic said:
Why not sand it down and use some textured black spray paint over it?

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk
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yeah, it's down to metallic black or textured black. thanks! I don't mind rustoleum so both would work. I just need to watch my spray technique.
 
Re: DIY kickback bass cab

Last time I was in Home Depot looking for spray paint for a metal patio table, I saw quite the range of colors and textures. Just remember more thinner coats are better than one thick one, though that might be different for texture. It should say on the can.
 
Re: DIY kickback bass cab

cover is in pieces of Denim Jeans
any old jeans
the more Tattered & Frayed the better
in random swaths
not straight, certainly not straight

dwdjz0zbhs5tkbzq2dy8.jpg



DSC_0003_zps282a6935.jpg
 
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Re: DIY kickback bass cab

ehdwuld said:
cover is in pieces of Denim Jeans
any old jeans
the more Tattered & Frayed the better
in random swaths
not straight, certainly not straight

dwdjz0zbhs5tkbzq2dy8.jpg



DSC_0003_zps282a6935.jpg
Click to expand...

I shudder to think of what someone would pay for that.
 
Re: DIY kickback bass cab

Finally finished the bulk of it, just need to do the screen sometime.

I switched the color to metallic black night, which was a slight improvement over the gray, but it was a pain to try and cover in a uniform fashion. And I got the bonus of having metallic dust go all over my garage. I couldn't seem to get it on without it looking splotchy. So my brainstorm was to clear coat it, which was even a bigger pain and still looks splotchy (it's worse in person than the photos below). It basically looks like a 5 year old painted it. But I'm so done fooling with it that I had to move on today; even my family is commenting it's taking me forever. Maybe next summer I'll strip it and try tolex.

Here's the inner batting and speaker connection before sealing it up (the quick connects are soldered to the wires, I just covered them with tape for some reason). The baffle was a tad loose so I used weather stripping to make a tighter fit:



Here's the back:


And here's the front:


It's definitely functional - I tried it through one of my PA's and it sounded killer. For all the fuss with the kickback thing, I sort of like the sound better when it's standing up (*facepalm*). And of course my wife decided to take a nap right when I got it done so I can't crank it up too much.

All in all, not a horrible project, but the finishing sucked. I should have just sprayed it with flat black or painted on something with a brush. Rattle cans can suck it.
 
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Re: DIY kickback bass cab

I like it


its so much better than the "cat friendly" DuraTuff II on my Carvin Kickback
 
Re: DIY kickback bass cab

ehdwuld said:
I like it


its so much better than the "cat friendly" DuraTuff II on my Carvin Kickback
Click to expand...

thanks! I tried it again but a bit louder and I realized the speaker was sounding a bit weird (sorta buzzy), so I cranked down on the screws holding it in. Made a huge difference - the bass response was a lot bigger and it really tightened up. Now I like it in kickback mode too.
 
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Re: DIY kickback bass cab

ehdwuld said:
do you have a plan for a grill to protect the speaker?
Click to expand...

Simple frame with joann fabric's speaker cloth stapled to it. I was thinking about silk screening a punisher skull on it but probably not.
 
Re: DIY kickback bass cab

Yikes, it's like a money pit. Another $30 spent - I didn't dig the flimsy-ness of the joann fabric's grill material I got awhile back so I picked up a beefier one and some corners online. I figure gotta protect the lil' guy since I worked half the dang summer on it. I guess I was lucky the same place that sells tight corner protectors (non-radiused) also sells smaller sections of grill cloth.
 
Re: DIY kickback bass cab

SnakeAces said:
So in the end would you say it's cheaper to just buy a cab?
Click to expand...

I think a cheapest route in my size range would have been for me to pick up a used hartke a-25 combo I saw on CL for $80 and either use it as is, or try to modify it for use as an extension cab (it may have a plug in back ready for that I'm not sure).

As far as pure bass extension cabinets - I don't think there's anything in this size range that's kickback that'd be a cheaper option.

This would be a good option too, not a whole lot of money really:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...e=&network=g&gclid=CNXhieiXxccCFQxqfgodw1wH8Q
 
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Re: DIY kickback bass cab

I did up the grill cloth yesterday. I kinda pulled too hard in some areas, so the lines aren't perfectly straight, but it's pretty tight so I'll leave it for now. The frame fits over the baffle in a tight enough manner that I don't need to use any velcro but yet I can still take it out. Not sure how that all came together; I just guessed at how much room to leave around the frame.



Also, I got my test back from the library of a 135-degree angled 3D-printed corner protector. Fits like a glove! But it's a bit too chunky (too thick and overall too big). I think if I can do a version like this scaled down and thinner it will work fine.



The 90-degree metal corner protectors I ordered from speaker builder supply aren't true right angles - they still require the end of the cab to be rounded off. It would have been nice to know that before I placed the order. Sending them back for a refund but need to eat the shipping.
 
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Re: DIY kickback bass cab

print the 90's too

make em thicker to match the 135's

then they work as feet also
 
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