Who has built their own cabinets?
- Thread starter gripweed
- Start date
Re: Who has built their own cabinets?
Grip- As long as you can do basic woordworking and have the correct deminsions, just about anyone with a decent shop set up can crank these out- We made a bunch of these for one of my first bands in the 70s and covered them with blue fur that you could buy for $1 at the textile store and covered up mistakes
Of course, Toltex, or whatever they are using to cover would be prefered today
Also, if it's closed and non-ported it usually needs to be airtight- Caulk woks fine-
Cheers
Grip- As long as you can do basic woordworking and have the correct deminsions, just about anyone with a decent shop set up can crank these out- We made a bunch of these for one of my first bands in the 70s and covered them with blue fur that you could buy for $1 at the textile store and covered up mistakes
Of course, Toltex, or whatever they are using to cover would be prefered today
Also, if it's closed and non-ported it usually needs to be airtight- Caulk woks fine-
Cheers
joelap
Red&Goldologist
Re: Who has built their own cabinets?
you might be interested in this site:
http://www.londonpower.com/books.htm
Scroll down, they have a book for sale that is $17 that talks all about cabinet choices. I paid for that as well as 2 others on February 8th I believe and paid by international money order, but still havent received the books yet... starting to get worried another money order got "lost in transit".
you might be interested in this site:
http://www.londonpower.com/books.htm
Scroll down, they have a book for sale that is $17 that talks all about cabinet choices. I paid for that as well as 2 others on February 8th I believe and paid by international money order, but still havent received the books yet... starting to get worried another money order got "lost in transit".
Davey
Goliath of Tone
Re: Who has built their own cabinets?
i had the cab built, but the carpenter disregarded my demands and the front baffle is all cracked up, cos its made of multiple pieces and the glue joint sucked.
i did all the wireint and installing .. i just have to get my ass up and kick the front baffle out and get another one made.
apart of that its pretty simple.. natural finish.. after i replace the baffle, i'm going to put a black metal grill on it.. which reminds me. it needs some handles lol
i had the cab built, but the carpenter disregarded my demands and the front baffle is all cracked up, cos its made of multiple pieces and the glue joint sucked.
i did all the wireint and installing .. i just have to get my ass up and kick the front baffle out and get another one made.
apart of that its pretty simple.. natural finish.. after i replace the baffle, i'm going to put a black metal grill on it.. which reminds me. it needs some handles lol
RiffRaff
New member
Re: Who has built their own cabinets?
Open back cabs are very easy to build, don't rely too much on the type of wood used or the size of the baffle board. I've built quite a few cabs using a butt joint, good pine and 1/2 baltic plywood (or a good hardwood ply - nothing cheap, the stuff will rattle). Lots of people will say don't butt joint the cabinet but all of marhsalls early cabs were butt jointed and they're considered the holy grail of speaker cabs. Have fun!
Open back cabs are very easy to build, don't rely too much on the type of wood used or the size of the baffle board. I've built quite a few cabs using a butt joint, good pine and 1/2 baltic plywood (or a good hardwood ply - nothing cheap, the stuff will rattle). Lots of people will say don't butt joint the cabinet but all of marhsalls early cabs were butt jointed and they're considered the holy grail of speaker cabs. Have fun!
Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: Who has built their own cabinets?
I'll be honest. I think it's a waste of money, energy, and time, and it'll most likely cost about the same and be inferior to what you could buy on the used market. I've done it before, and while it turned out OK, I realized that I didn't save any money, and the cab wasn't as good as most good ones.
Avatar is the best for cheapest, and even better if you're lucky and find one used. Other than them, spend more on good cabs like Bogner, VHT, Mesa, Marshall, Splawn, Mojo etc.
I'll be honest. I think it's a waste of money, energy, and time, and it'll most likely cost about the same and be inferior to what you could buy on the used market. I've done it before, and while it turned out OK, I realized that I didn't save any money, and the cab wasn't as good as most good ones.
Avatar is the best for cheapest, and even better if you're lucky and find one used. Other than them, spend more on good cabs like Bogner, VHT, Mesa, Marshall, Splawn, Mojo etc.
ErikH
Well-known member
Re: Who has built their own cabinets?
Or if you need to go the extreme inexpensive route, there's unloaded cabs on eBay for a little over $100. http://stores.ebay.com/SS-Cabs
Not sure how good they are. I just came across them because I'm going to be needing a 2x12 at some point.
Or if you need to go the extreme inexpensive route, there's unloaded cabs on eBay for a little over $100. http://stores.ebay.com/SS-Cabs
Not sure how good they are. I just came across them because I'm going to be needing a 2x12 at some point.
Davey
Goliath of Tone
Re: Who has built their own cabinets?
i do somewhat agree with jonesy. you wont be saving much. 50$ at most. if thats worth the hassle, then go for it.
i wanted to build mine myself because it's diferent from what you can get at the store.
though, if given the choice again, i'd go for a framus 2x12
i do somewhat agree with jonesy. you wont be saving much. 50$ at most. if thats worth the hassle, then go for it.
i wanted to build mine myself because it's diferent from what you can get at the store.
though, if given the choice again, i'd go for a framus 2x12
Gearjoneser
Gear Ho
Re: Who has built their own cabinets?
To make a cab as good as 'store bought', you've got to build them exactly the same. Most good ones are finger jointed birch ply, using the right glue to attach the tolex, and adding in the cost of the speakers and small parts.
By the time you're done, you might have a decent cab, but it still ads up to a significant amount of money. However, if you don't like it, it's worth nothing on the used marked. If you put $300 into it, the only money you'll get out of it is the price of the speakers you installed. The cab is worth $20.
To make a cab as good as 'store bought', you've got to build them exactly the same. Most good ones are finger jointed birch ply, using the right glue to attach the tolex, and adding in the cost of the speakers and small parts.
By the time you're done, you might have a decent cab, but it still ads up to a significant amount of money. However, if you don't like it, it's worth nothing on the used marked. If you put $300 into it, the only money you'll get out of it is the price of the speakers you installed. The cab is worth $20.
Re: Who has built their own cabinets?
I tried to make my own cabs.... i wasted about $160 Canadian on wood... i tried 2 different types of materials.... I have a bunch of speaker boxes in the basement that i am going to turn into shelfing.... Once i found out how expensive replacement speakers can be, the cost of making a speaker cab is not worth the effort to me..... Only if i was making something that no one else offered would i ever try to make more cabs.... I am thinking of making some real wood finely finnished cabs for my living room in the future! Something that looks like furniture but has guitar speakers in it....
I'm also going to build an extra strong bookshelf type thing for all my amp heads..... The bottom will house my 1x12 speaker cabs and my 65 Deluxe.... and the upper part will house my 5150, JCM 800, Classic 50head, and my Fender head..... Plus i have a switching system already so can hook up a few heads into a single cab.... it will be a monster tone case!
I tried to make my own cabs.... i wasted about $160 Canadian on wood... i tried 2 different types of materials.... I have a bunch of speaker boxes in the basement that i am going to turn into shelfing.... Once i found out how expensive replacement speakers can be, the cost of making a speaker cab is not worth the effort to me..... Only if i was making something that no one else offered would i ever try to make more cabs.... I am thinking of making some real wood finely finnished cabs for my living room in the future! Something that looks like furniture but has guitar speakers in it....
I'm also going to build an extra strong bookshelf type thing for all my amp heads..... The bottom will house my 1x12 speaker cabs and my 65 Deluxe.... and the upper part will house my 5150, JCM 800, Classic 50head, and my Fender head..... Plus i have a switching system already so can hook up a few heads into a single cab.... it will be a monster tone case!
Re: Who has built their own cabinets?
From way back in my bass playing days I've always built my own cabinets. Granted, I don't have the tooling for the finger joints and I've never even attempted tolex covering. But they're made with straight, tight cuts on the outer wood as well as the supports, rattle-free and built to outlast me! Sometimes I leave them bare, sometimes I'll slap a coat or two of flat black paint on them. I'm not a pro wood worker either, I just take my time. Like they say, "measure twice, cut once." Corner clamps also come in very handy when you're putting them together too. I'll admit they don't look top-notch store bought and I could care less but I've yet to hear a complaint about how they peform AND I saved myself MAJOR bucks too!
From way back in my bass playing days I've always built my own cabinets. Granted, I don't have the tooling for the finger joints and I've never even attempted tolex covering. But they're made with straight, tight cuts on the outer wood as well as the supports, rattle-free and built to outlast me! Sometimes I leave them bare, sometimes I'll slap a coat or two of flat black paint on them. I'm not a pro wood worker either, I just take my time. Like they say, "measure twice, cut once." Corner clamps also come in very handy when you're putting them together too. I'll admit they don't look top-notch store bought and I could care less but I've yet to hear a complaint about how they peform AND I saved myself MAJOR bucks too!
Re: Who has built their own cabinets?
My whole idea behind me making a cab was to extend my guitar making... i wanted to build myself my own guitar and maybe have a rig that was in-part made by myself too.... maybe oneday i'll get to it but who knows...
At onepoint i was thinking of using bare plywood for that EVH look of the first Album 1978 tour... My JCM 800 has no covering on it anyways.... someone stripped it.. that's why i got it so cheap....
My whole idea behind me making a cab was to extend my guitar making... i wanted to build myself my own guitar and maybe have a rig that was in-part made by myself too.... maybe oneday i'll get to it but who knows...
At onepoint i was thinking of using bare plywood for that EVH look of the first Album 1978 tour... My JCM 800 has no covering on it anyways.... someone stripped it.. that's why i got it so cheap....
D
DLT
Guest
Re: Who has built their own cabinets?
Grip,
I do not know if you guys put it together, but I was the one who was selling the HOLY GRAIL - Music Man HD-150 at eBay recently. I love this amp. I had much positive emails about it, but no bites. Anyway...I built the cabs and amp shell.
I like oak wood for cabinets because it is a beautiful hardwood. If you put your mind to it, you can build a cabinet.
You can buy 12 inch wide oak at Menard's now, as when I built mine, I had to glue the wood together for the sides of the amp cabs. 12 inch wide oak was not available at that time.
The back of the cab you will have to glue, clamp, cut to size and plain...if you want a solid wood back. Otherwise, use oak 5 plywood for the front baffle board and back. (I prefer a solid wood back myself)
Use Titebond woodworker's glue and Fastite screws to assemble the cabs. Buy a speaker mounting kit, that offsets the holes so you can use T-nuts and bolts to mount the speakers. Hardware for the handles, corners and rubber feet is your choice. I like the mesh type grill in the picture provided below.
Do not skimp on the sanding. I stained my cabs and shell with MINIWAX - Walnut stain. It penetrates best of all I have used. If you are not experienced in finishing...I suggest for you to get some tips first and practice on a small project.
You can spray or brush your finish. If you brush, buy the best brush that is available for spreading polyurethane. Poly- is what I recommend for the finish.
The cabs I built was to EV's exact recommendations. At the time I bought EV seriesII 12S speakers. They are awesome!
Good luck with your project!
gripweed said:
Grip,
I do not know if you guys put it together, but I was the one who was selling the HOLY GRAIL - Music Man HD-150 at eBay recently. I love this amp. I had much positive emails about it, but no bites. Anyway...I built the cabs and amp shell.
I like oak wood for cabinets because it is a beautiful hardwood. If you put your mind to it, you can build a cabinet.
You can buy 12 inch wide oak at Menard's now, as when I built mine, I had to glue the wood together for the sides of the amp cabs. 12 inch wide oak was not available at that time.
The back of the cab you will have to glue, clamp, cut to size and plain...if you want a solid wood back. Otherwise, use oak 5 plywood for the front baffle board and back. (I prefer a solid wood back myself)
Use Titebond woodworker's glue and Fastite screws to assemble the cabs. Buy a speaker mounting kit, that offsets the holes so you can use T-nuts and bolts to mount the speakers. Hardware for the handles, corners and rubber feet is your choice. I like the mesh type grill in the picture provided below.
Do not skimp on the sanding. I stained my cabs and shell with MINIWAX - Walnut stain. It penetrates best of all I have used. If you are not experienced in finishing...I suggest for you to get some tips first and practice on a small project.
You can spray or brush your finish. If you brush, buy the best brush that is available for spreading polyurethane. Poly- is what I recommend for the finish.
The cabs I built was to EV's exact recommendations. At the time I bought EV seriesII 12S speakers. They are awesome!
Good luck with your project!
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