Mikeg Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 i fancy somthing to keep me busy in the summer, so im thinking about making my own bass cab to match the head im going to buy. (Hartke HA3500 or Mag 300) Celestion speakers seem to be the ones to go for and the cab will be made out of plywood. How do you guys think it will compare to the real thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clauster Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 If you do your homework (find some decent plans or use something like winISD to give you the right parameters for your chosen drivers) then you could end up with something better than the "real thing" for the same price Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musky Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 Take a look through the [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=380"]DIY cabs sticky[/url]. There's plenty of links to plans for cabs in there, as well as other cabs that people have built themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AttitudeCastle Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 [quote name='Mikeg' post='1126472' date='Feb 13 2011, 09:38 PM']i fancy somthing to keep me busy in the summer, so im thinking about making my own bass cab to match the head im going to buy. [b](Hartke HA3500 or Mag 300)[/b] Celestion speakers seem to be the ones to go for and the cab will be made out of plywood. How do you guys think it will compare to the real thing?[/quote] I'd say Hartke but depends what your after, And Celestions are a good choice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Starr Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 (edited) I'd say go for it. It makes a lot of sense if you don't go for bargain basement. You can't really compete with the cheapest speakers on the market but they use the cheapest materials and speakers to produce fantastic value for money with inevitable limitations imposed by the need to keep the cost down. If you go to the mid=range products then spending a little more on the drive units and a little more time on construction will give you real benefits in sound and if you get it right you can outdo commercial products at the same price. At the top end design becomes a serious issue and you wouldn't expect to beat someone who has spent a lifetime studying and working in the area, though this expertise comes at a serious price. Think about what your needs are. You could simply buy drive unit(s) use one of the excellent computer programs to design an optimum cab for your units. Someone here may even run the program for you. If you are less confident then you can buy plans and have someone guide you through the process or copy the plans that someone else on here has used. Either way you are going to learn loads and so long as you don't do anything too stupid you should end up with something which works, and may work well. Celestion isn't a bad choice but it is a particular one. The Celestions are designed to give your instrument a 'sound' they tend to have mid-range peaks (neither bad nor good, just a question of taste) they are not the most efficient speakers and excursion tends to be low even allowing for the fact that they do use the strictest methods in measuring this. Some of their dedicated bass speakers have quite high resonant frequencies meaning they cut the bass from a higher point than many others. All of this depends upon the particular model you choose though so do double check what you are getting before you buy. Fane, Eminence and Celestion have the mid price range covered and i wouldn't go for anything cheaper, ignore the cheap Chinese stuff and anything not designed for instruments or PA. B&C, Precision Devices, Beyma, Ciare do more exotic high end stuff. Good luck Edited February 14, 2011 by Phil Starr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pentode Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 I can highly recommend Bills' designs and plans - [url="http://www.billfitzmaurice.com/"]http://www.billfitzmaurice.com/[/url] The 'Jack' series are fairly straightforward builds and sound great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 If you've got the woodworking skills, tools and the time and somewhere to build it, I'd make a BFM cab. Otherwise just buy the Hartke! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 [quote name='BigRedX' post='1126854' date='Feb 14 2011, 11:38 AM']If you've got the woodworking skills, tools and the time and somewhere to build it, I'd make a BFM cab.[/quote] I agree. Some of the efforts on here from the pics I've seen can put some cab makers to shame, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPJ Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 +1 to Bill's plans. Look at the [url="http://greenboy.us/fEARful/"]Fearful[/url] on Talkbass as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtcat Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 [quote name='Pentode' post='1126849' date='Feb 14 2011, 11:36 AM']I can highly recommend Bills' designs and plans - [url="http://www.billfitzmaurice.com/"]http://www.billfitzmaurice.com/[/url] The 'Jack' series are fairly straightforward builds and sound great. [/quote] [quote name='BigRedX' post='1126854' date='Feb 14 2011, 11:38 AM']If you've got the woodworking skills, tools and the time and somewhere to build it, I'd make a BFM cab. Otherwise just buy the Hartke![/quote] [quote name='JTUK' post='1127202' date='Feb 14 2011, 03:57 PM']I agree. Some of the efforts on here from the pics I've seen can put some cab makers to shame,[/quote] [quote name='TPJ' post='1127248' date='Feb 14 2011, 04:28 PM']+1 to Bill's plans. Look at the [url="http://greenboy.us/fEARful/"]Fearful[/url] on Talkbass as well.[/quote] +1000 to all of these. Bill's designs are fantastic and it's really satisfying. I think Discreet has a brilliant build thread that ended with one of the best looking cabs I've ever seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 [quote name='mrtcat' post='1128469' date='Feb 15 2011, 03:41 PM']+1000 to all of these. Bill's designs are fantastic and it's really satisfying. I think Discreet has a brilliant build thread that ended with one of the best looking cabs I've ever seen.[/quote] Discreet's build looks fantastic, here it is [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=105476&hl=first+build"]Jack 12[/url] I tried making a Jack 10 but wasn't happy with it so binned the project. Others said it was fine but I'm a bit of an obsessive and decided to move on. I must be honest although I've done a fair bit of woodwork in the past, bookcases, cupboards and the like, I didn't find the Jack particularly easy due to the angled cuts. I like the look of those fEARFUL cabs. Might have a crack at one of those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyonbass Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I built a pair of BFM Omni 10.5s, and found it a very rewarding experience, plus they sound great! Build diary [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=28447"]HERE[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy_G Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Loads of lows and very flat, i went for a [url="http://www.talkbass.com/wiki/index.php/Dizzy_G"]fearful 12/6[/url] myself and would recommend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pentode Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 [quote name='Marvin' post='1128651' date='Feb 15 2011, 05:57 PM']Discreet's build looks fantastic, here it is [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=105476&hl=first+build"]Jack 12[/url][/quote] I'd also like to point out that this build diary has got to be one of the funniest ever written! Also have to agree, [u]very[/u] professionally finished cab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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