Reconfiguring Ashdown into custom case. HELP

[SIDEWAYZAC]

Hey Guys,
I have an Ashdown Electric blue 180 combo, but as some of you may know this is a crazy heavy amp. i want to reconstruct the head unit into a custom made case and then use the speaker to make my own cab just to cut down the weight, and as im starting to gig a bit more i want something more portable.
My idea was to take the electronics out of the head and just move it into the new case. but as i opened it up the whole front panel is one circuit board, so i cant do that, there are some controls and input/outputs i dont use or want, so my question is, does anyone know how to take these unwanted sections off the circuit board and is it possible to make the circuit board shorter/smaller to make the finished product more compact.

Ive attached some pictures that will proabably explain/show you what im talking about a bit better.
The ones i dont use so want to get rid of are the effects send and return, the sub harmonic button and pot and i would prefer the DI on the back, the input lights the inputs and the input gain i would like moved in to make it more compact.

Yes it would probably be easier to buy a head and cab but i am completely broke so am trying to do the best with what i have. i have friends experienced in metal/plastic work so can help me with a case that looks finished and not amateur, but my electronics skills leave very much to be desired so i need your help.

Thanks in Advance

Zac

[icastle]

Not impossible to do but it would involve cutting the front PCB into two pieces and then extensive soldering to join the two pieces back together and move sockets into your preferred locations.

I'd say the time spent trying to get the thing to work afterwards would far outweigh the benefits of actually doing it.

[Matt P]

welcome to basschat Zac, you've picked a pretty difficult project there, as icastle said you're going to have to cut that front board into sections and then re-connect all the joints, i doubt that you can just disconnect the features that you don't want unless you have a [i]very[/i] advanced knowledge of the circuitry, i'd also say that having (accidentally) snapped a board myself it was a nightmare to repair and that was a very simple board with just a handfull of connections. judging by the pictures i'd guess that the big board would need to be cut into 3 to re-configure it better and this would give you loads of connections to make.

i'd also have a think about heat, there's already a fan and some vents on the back, if you put this into a smaller box there's a chance that it could suffer from overheating due to bad airflow. (i imagine that Ashdown modelled up the airflow around the components when they designed it to prevent overheating.)

have you priced up how much the materials are going to cost for the new cabinets? from a quick check on the for sale forum here this amp would be worth about 140 quid, if you add in what the materials are going to cost i'd say you could pick up a 2x10 and a head from the classifieds for the same amount.


Matt

[size=2](Edited for spelling)[/size]

Edited December 9, 2011 by Matt P

[SIDEWAYZAC]

Thank you very much, yeah i never thought it would be easy, i dont know electronics too well, just from these 2 comments and thinking it through i think it is quite a difficult task, i will definitely look into selling it and checking the classifieds though, thanks for the advice guys

[Mr. Foxen]

Much better off sticking the whole assembly into a new sleeve. There is arcane science to the layout so no bit picks up hum and interference from the other bit, reason why the transformer is away from the rest and such.