stevie

Did someone mention Northern Ireland?🙂

Interesting question, and the answer is simple. With the MkIII specifically, the front baffle size and shape was dictated by the parts I wanted to use. I was toying at the time with using an RCF H100 horn and made sure the cab would be tall enough for it to fit. It was then just a matter of calculating the front-to-back dimension based on the total volume I wanted. And then making sure the vent would fit without coming too close to the back of the cab or needing a bend. It worked out well and resulted in a relatively slim cabinet that is easy to carry with a single handle. There are some theoretical differences between a tall, slim cab and a squat, deep one, but the taller one scores IMO by having the tweeter further from the ground and nearer to your ears.

You're not wrong, Luke.

Thanks, Jon. That's very useful. The cab drawings are of the very early prototypes and were revised later. The spruce ply I used for that first prototype was quite resonant and needed a lot of bracing. Later ones were better, allowing me to remove some of the bracing. I can't recall for sure now, but chances are that the crossover for the MkII with compression driver is the first one I did and published. The circuit I gave to Chienmortbb is likely to be a simplified version (using fewer components). Both will work.

I'll have a look and let you know what I can find. I'm currently under pressure with work deadlines, but somebody else might have the circuit.

The specs for the Genz Benz custom PR300 are available online for anyone interested in seeing what the difference is. Faital Pro is a quality brand and any bass cab fitted with their drivers is likely to be very good.

Yes, it would be interesting to know what the "design goals" were, how the driver was altered and why it was considered beneficial.

The PR300 is/was used in a number of well regarded bass cabs. Of the top of my head, I can think of the Bergantino CN 1x12 and 2x12 (which won the Essex bass cab shootout against serious competition some years ago), the Vanderkley EXT112 and the Genz-Benz Neox. As Phil says, the main difference between the PR300 and the PR320 is the length of the voice coil, which is one of the key factors in determining the driver's excursion capability, or xmax. This point alone makes the PR320 a much better choice for bass guitar. I've been working with much more expensive 12" drivers recently, using the PR320 as my reference point, and I have to admit that spending more money does not always buy you a better-sounding driver. I'd go so far as to say it's the best-bang-for-your-buck 12" bass guitar driver right now.

Please run that by me again, as I'm currently doing some routing work (as a complete novice) and am very attached to my fingers. Do you really need to keep tightening the router bit while you are working? It's a bit awkward with my particular router, as you lose the depth setting when you go in with a spanner.

You can't always compare manufacturers' power ratings directly. Some are more generous with their figures than others. The Ashdown is a sealed cab, which is a disadvantage in the "how loud will it go" stakes but often an advantage in the "lack of boom" stakes.

If I still lived in Edinburgh, I'd definitely be there. Love the band. It's a bit of a long drive nowadays though.

It's a while since I've been involved with pickups, but I do remember that the most common fault with those is a broken wire at the output. There are two output wires (obviously) - one is taken from the inside of the coil and the other from the outside. If the outside one is broken (it's not too difficult to check visually), it can be fixed without having to rewind the pickup: you just unwind one turn and re-solder. I've done it lots of times. Soldering those very thin wires takes a bit of practice, but it's not hard. If the break is at the beginning or inside of the coil, you will need a rewind. It might be worth inspecting the pickup before you send it off.

@Phil Starr built a small cab with a very cheap 6" driver and put the information here on the forum. A quick search should find it. That would be ideal. It sounded really nice when he demonstrated it to me. You're never going to be able to play Wembley with it, but for home use, it's ideal - and tiny.

Shame on you! 😄

Everybody knows where Airdrie is, don't they? I used to play the Airdrie Town Hall back in the day. And went to watch Airdrieonians every once in a while, even though they were rubbish.

I can maybe bring some prototypes for you to try.

Lots. 😃 Remember, PU glue is your friend - as is fibreglass filler. I speak from experience. They both cover a multitude of bodges. Finish with Tuffcab and nobody will know.

I've been working on a few ideas during lockdown. As I design first and foremost for my own use, I've been trying to push the boundaries of what's possible while still keeping the cabinets compact and relatively affordable - and trying to make them look great. Basically, I deserve the best (!) and that's what these will be. That's it for the moment. As I have a full-time job and a family to keep me busy, they'll be ready when they're ready. And I promise you lot will be the first to know.

That's often the problem with these self-build projects. The Beyma 12" driver originally recommended for our 12" cabinet is now out of production. The horn for the BC112 MkIII is more or less only available from Blue Aran and has been out of stock for months - and now this. For this 10" cab, I deliberately specified components that would be readily available anywhere because it's not always possible to use alternative parts with these custom designs. I haven't checked, but I wouldn't expect Celestion to be out of stock for long.

As long as you can handle the woodworking, it sounds like a good idea to me.

No, it uses all neo drivers. It won't be available as a self-build, I'm afraid.

I'd say so. It's certainly more frfr than many (more expensive) cabs on the market that claim to be so - and the only one, apart from the RCF PA cabs, that proves it with a frequency response graph. Plus, it will handle a lot more bass than frfr cabs designed for guitar. It wasn't designed specifically as an frfr cab, but my experience experimenting with bass guitar cabs over the past few years has taught me that a flat frequency response is desirable even if you're not going to use a modeller. The proof of the frfr pudding is playing music through the cab, and this one sounds convincing, with no nasties. So you can use it with guitar and a modeller or also as a keyboard cab if you want. As soon as I finished the design, I started working on a more advanced version and sent the parts to @Phil Starr to build up. Phil has tested it and gigged with it and will no doubt be along shortly to give you his opinion.

This chap agrees with you, @Woodinblack

As the grille has a wooden frame, it's certainly fixable with a bit of care if you feel like it.