Nicer Tolex alternatives

[Toros]

I’m wanting to try my first bass cab build soon and I’m looking to better understand some alternatives to Tolex for the finish.  I did a fair bit of searching online and most of the results suggested were practical but not very aesthetically appealing.  I know carpet, truck bed liner spray and regular spray paint are common options for cheaper Tolex alternatives, but this build will primarily be used at home or in the studio, and if I am going to look at it all the time, I’d rather not have it be an eye sore.  I do think this thread could be a useful resource for amateur builders who want to try something different though.  With all that in mind, here are my questions:

Fabric alternatives:

1. Has anyone used lacquered fabric in place of Tolex? (I know Benson Amps have the Night Moves finish, which is a treated linen and McNeal Amps do combos covered in untreated Harris Tweed, both of which are quite attractive).

 

2. What level of protection am I giving up going vs using Tolex if I apply multiple coats of lacquer?

 

3. What would I need to know about edges to prevent unsightly fraying (would one double over the edges, or attach and then try and cut off the excess?)

 

4. Can I apply it with lacquer as the glue and finish, or do I need spray adhesive and then lacquer to finish?  What works better? (Or even just mod podge?)

 

5. what weight of fabric would you recommend? (Or is it more about Thread count to prevent seepage)?

 

6. Does one type of fabric adhere more easily (ie. wool vs cotton vs polyblend etc.)

 

7. do you recommend a paint undercoat, or a layer of base lacquer, or directly on the wood? 
 

Paint alternatives: 

What are the best methods to paint and seal a cab so it can be pleasing to the eye, but also able to withstand a reasonable amount of wear?

 

Finally, in also know clear coating is an alternative, but I would rather explore paints and other coverings as I’m not a massive fan of exposed grain finishes. 

 

If there are other alternatives I haven’t considered, please include them here and if this has been discussed already and I simply failed to find the thread, please redirect.

 

thanks very much for your advice and I really look forward to seeing what this group has to share.

[SpondonBassed]

Welcome Toros.

[bertbass]

This is what you want, comes in many colours too.

 

https://www.djsupplies.co.uk/products/tuffcabblackspeakerpaint5kg

[Toros]

1 hour ago, bertbass said:

This is what you want, comes in many colours too.

 

https://www.djsupplies.co.uk/products/tuffcabblackspeakerpaint5kg

Interesting.  Thanks for sharing that; it seems like it would work well for getting a texture similar to Tolex as opposed to other paints that would give more of a smooth, furniture-like finish. 

[stereoplayer]

Welcome to basschat!

I used DuraTex 

https://www.parts-express.com/Acry-Tech-DuraTex-Black-1-Quart-Roller-Grade-Cabinet-Texture-260-111

I’m very happy with  the results. The rack boxes and the Acoustic head.

Edited May 26, 2022 by stereoplayer

[Happy Jack]

Insufficiently rock'n'roll.

 

Use https://www.zoro.co.uk/shop/adhesives-and-sealants/cloth-tapes/1900-utility-silver-polyethylene-duct-tape-50mm-x-50m/p/ZT1013432X?utm_source=google&utm_campaign=pla%2B|%2BAdhesives %26 Sealants&utm_term=ZT1013432X&utm_medium=pla_css_2&targetid=pla-397909953972&loc_physical_ms=9045963&dev=c&gclid=CjwKCAjwyryUBhBSEiwAGN5OCD66EvkUkHIUZldh-tqb6htSiJXJDC_K_KTlPo6EirEXLCyq1gYmsBoCg2UQAvD_BwE

[Toros]

1 hour ago, stereoplayer said:

Welcome to basschat!

I used DuraTex 

https://www.parts-express.com/Acry-Tech-DuraTex-Black-1-Quart-Roller-Grade-Cabinet-Texture-260-111

I’m very happy with  the results. The rack boxes and the Acoustic head.

That turned out great; did you use the special textured roller as well or a standard roller?

[Toros]

18 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

Insufficiently rock'n'roll.

 

 

i grew up around construction so duct tape never seemed all that rock and roll to me ha ha. 
 

now if we could distill cheap beer into a resin/clear coat, now that would be rock and roll.  
 

or maybe tile it with used bass pics…and bass strings instead of piping. okay, I’m getting carried away now, but that would actually be cool.

Edited May 26, 2022 by Toros

[stereoplayer]

10 minutes ago, Toros said:

That turned out great; did you use the special textured roller as well or a standard roller?

The can of Duratex comes with a special roller/applicator.

It’s  very easy to apply.

I really didn’t want to glue on a covering.  

Edited May 26, 2022 by stereoplayer

[PaulThePlug]

Denim... cut up pairs of jeans from a charidy shop!

[fleabag]

If you're building a cab that's for studio or home, why not use veneered ply ?  It can be stained to your liking, easily laqcuered if required and nice to look at, depending on the veneer.

[Toros]

I’d say denim isn’t all that different from Tweed in terms of density; how would you adhere it to the cab? 

[Toros]

One thing I am particularly interested in trying to recreate is some of the finishes and textures of old Harmony, Airline, selmer, elpico type amps.  Seems like a lot of those were made from veneered pressboard but I think it would be an interesting challenge to try and recreate the effect with wood and fabric or heavy wallpaper 

[SpondonBassed]

2 hours ago, Toros said:

heavy wallpaper

 

Maybe a nice Paisley flock?

 

[bertbass]

I used these with Tuff Cab.  Great finish  and very hardwearing.  Duratex seems to only be available in the US.

 

https://www.bluearan.co.uk/index.php?id=TUFFROLL01C

Edited May 27, 2022 by bertbass

[Toros]

9 hours ago, SpondonBassed said:

 

Maybe a nice Paisley flock?

 

I like it; would you just use wallpaper glue or contact cement?

[SpondonBassed]

40 minutes ago, Toros said:

I like it; would you just use wallpaper glue or contact cement?

 

I think a contact adhesive would be best but very difficult to apply without wrinkles.

 

@Andyjr1515 applies veneer to guitar bodies by applying PVA adhesive to both surfaces, allowing them to become touch dry then ironing the veneer in place to activate the PVA.  If this method could be used with heavy wallpaper it would allow for adjustment sufficient to eliminate all wrinkles.

[stereoplayer]

13 hours ago, bertbass said:

I used these with Tuff Cab.  Great finish  and very hardwearing.  Duratex seems to only be available in the US.

 

https://www.bluearan.co.uk/index.php?id=TUFFROLL01C

How about through  Amazon?

[bertbass]

 

On 28/05/2022 at 01:13, stereoplayer said:

How about through  Amazon?

I don't know.  Once I found out how good Tuff Cab is I stopped looking.

[Toros]

I plan to do some experiments over the next week or so.  I’ll be picking up some mod podge, some spray lacquer, and some liquid lacquer. I might also get some contact cement.  I’ll try out some various combinations of adhesive against different fabric weights and materials.  I’ll try to document it and share the results here once done. 

[nekomatic]

Don't let me stop you trying out the fabric options if you're brave enough (I would be terrified of messing it up), but I used Tuff Cab on my recent cabinet refurb project and was very happy with the results. I used the Black Brown colour rather than plain black and although it's a very dark brown, I really think it helps the cab look a bit less like a big ugly black box in the house. Blue Aran will send you small samples of Tuff Cab painted board for a nominal price, although if you're outside the UK then the postage might knock the price up a bit.

 

If you do go with Tuff Cab then do read the Blue Aran blog post and the advice from various people on my cab thread, as both were helpful to me.

[Phil Starr]

Duratex and Tuff-Cab seem to be the same thing. Great to use and you can get anything from a linen like finish to a heavy stipple by changing the rollers. It's unbelievably easy to use and stays open for a long time so if you don't like the effect you can flatten it and have a second go. It's really tough and easy to repair if you do manage to wear it down. 

 

I've use all sorts of cloth coverings back when I had no money. Natural fibres seem to soak up glues and varnishes better as they are more absorbent, They are easier to work with than Tolex as they are more pliable. They'll also take stains well. I did a lot of cabs in Hessian which is cheap and strong. If the cuts are well glued to the cab then they shouldn't fray. If you use corner protectors the joints are mostly covered anyway. 

[Toros]

Thanks for that advice; it is very helpful.  It’s also good to know they have rollers with the linen effect as my favorite Tolex is Faun slub.

 

I will still do that experiment just because I have invested so much mental energy into it already ha ha, but I suspect I will ultimately do the tuff cab option in the future.  I am currently located in Berlin so I’ll need to look for a German version but it sounds like it shouldn’t be too difficult to find.  

[Pea Turgh]

https://www.thomann.de/gb/warnex_strukturlack_1kg.htm

[GlamBass74]

😁