alexclaber Posted July 7, 2008 Author Share Posted July 7, 2008 Almost got the first of The Compacts finished. I'm really pleased that I've been able to not only brace all the panels with plywood ribs but also have run tensioned braces between each panel which further increases the rigidity. I suspect this cab is now stiffer and has less bad resonances than the vast majority of heavyweight cabs let alone the current lightweight ones available. Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 [quote name='alexclaber' post='233057' date='Jul 5 2008, 10:04 AM']....I will see how the tuffcab performs before making a final decision....[/quote] I don't know what tuffcab is but I have the painted Bergantino AE cabs and, while the sound is great, the finish is not up to the job. It chips if you just look at it and my experience seems to be being reported by the US guys on TB. I like to keep my gear in very good condition and I'm not happy that a premium priced product wears so badly. Carpet probably is a pain to fit but, in my opinion, it is the only satisfactory covering for the life of the cab. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilmour Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 [quote name='david_l_perry' post='232933' date='Jul 4 2008, 10:32 PM']Alex, please take this as a purposeful comment:- If you want to start making these cabs to supply them to punters and sell them for a profit, the finish is [i]the most important part of the finished product[/i]. [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=9833"]cab photo[/url] I want you to succeed with this, but unless you get the finish looking spot on then they will always look like a 'homemade box' Ditch the top handles, revert to side mounted flip handles or steel bar handles, work on the carpet skills or invest some time and money in a painted finish other than the tuffcab, as it scratches far to easily. Perhaps sending the cabs off to places that do the truck liner stuff (line x coatings for example) Dave[/quote] yup +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted July 9, 2008 Author Share Posted July 9, 2008 Is that a +1 to everything or do you understand what I'm saying about the handles? I have a number of ideas to ensure the paint keys very solidly. If that still isn't sufficient then I may take the approach of using edging strip to protect the vulnerable parts which would also make a carpet covering easy. Part of me suspects that as ever it's those that disagree that are speaking up and those that agree are staying quiet - the amount of derogatory comments towards 'ratfur' across bass forums over the last five years is too much for me to believe that a majority still want carpet. Of course the real upside of carpet is the lower weight - I still prefer how a textured paint can be easily touched up or repainted to take the cab back to looking brand new. Am also wondering about a 2x3015LF plus 6ND410 as a way louder than an 8x10" but lighter than a 4x10" beast. But maybe I shouldn't encourage such silly stage volumes! Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clauster Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 Personally I prefer a painted finish - it doesn't suffer fag burns the way carpet does, gets clogged with mud or pick up stink. Alex, I know you're producing some cabs for sale, but do you plan to sell plans at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilmour Posted July 9, 2008 Share Posted July 9, 2008 (edited) Hi Alex, I agree with Dave's sentiment but I completeley understand what you mean about the handles, I imagine the plasic recessed ones will mess up the internal bracing, and the metal surface mounted ones can be quite heavy. If you're concerned about carpet (I know there are a fair few people who dislike it) what about going for a tolex or bufffalo type finish? I'd imagine that this won't add much to the weight, and I have an old Trace Elliot that's covered in some kind of plastic/tolex type finish and it's really tough. Although it's meant to be a bitch to put on I suppoe with some Tolex and Stap handles you could add some grill cloth and they'd look all niche and retro, yet the sound (and weight) would be very modern, that would be cool, but it would mean giving it a really top finish. Edited July 9, 2008 by gilmour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted July 11, 2008 Author Share Posted July 11, 2008 [quote name='clauster' post='236068' date='Jul 9 2008, 09:03 PM']Alex, I know you're producing some cabs for sale, but do you plan to sell plans at all?[/quote] I don't think so. One of the key elements to these designs is the particularly thin plywood and getting that to perform well takes really precise jointing and however detailed the plans were I forsee numerous disasters for anyone building one of these for the first time! Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clauster Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 Coolio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 [quote name='clauster' post='237281' date='Jul 11 2008, 01:17 PM']Coolio[/quote] Not really. He just said he didn't think you were good enough to build his cabs!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clauster Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 Ahhh, I thought he meant he couldn't produce acurate enough plans (only joking Alex). I can appreciate where Alex is coming from entirely - it's his design, it's a complicated one at that. Making plans available opens him up for criticism, demands for revisions, questions about alternative drivers etc etc. No harm in asking, I just wondered if I could buid something lighter and smaller than a BFM O15 (but still with great bass before someone says O10). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 [quote name='clauster' post='237295' date='Jul 11 2008, 01:30 PM']....I can appreciate where Alex is coming from entirely - it's his design, it's a complicated one at that. Making plans available opens him up for criticism, demands for revisions, questions about alternative drivers etc etc....[/quote] Very true, but then I'd have just said NO to the original question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted July 11, 2008 Author Share Posted July 11, 2008 [quote name='chris_b' post='237305' date='Jul 11 2008, 01:40 PM']Very true, but then I'd have just said NO to the original question.[/quote] I'm not intending to offend anyone, I'm just saying that 9mm ply is really rather difficult to work with. The designs will work and be a much easier build in 12.5mm ply but I don't want to have to redo all the measurements! I'm sure Clauster is good enough to build these cabs but I bet he'll have to make a few before he gets one he's happy with, just as I did. If you want to build a similar cab seek out Greenboy's fEarful plans on talkbass and work out a crossover for yourself (if you dare ) or biamp. Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted July 12, 2008 Author Share Posted July 12, 2008 Gigged The Compact last night and it was awesome! As we didn't have PA support except for vocals/sax I used preshape 1 on the Avalon to add a wodge of bottom. Very clean fat sound, warm yet clear and tight etc etc. Amazing what a really nice 15" can do on its own. Used one side of the PLX 3002 into it, which is 550W real watts. Looking forward to getting the finish on and then starting on the first of The Big Ones. Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted July 12, 2008 Author Share Posted July 12, 2008 And here it is in action! Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-soar Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 Alex, where did you get the rack ears for your U5? That gig looks like the Albion in Brighton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MythSte Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 I imagined you to be a wittering old man in real life Alex! I do look forward to hearing one of your cabs sometime soon. Id have to agree on a tolex cover as my covering of choice, with painted being my least favorite. although thats purely based on aesthetics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted July 13, 2008 Author Share Posted July 13, 2008 [quote name='steve-soar' post='238112' date='Jul 12 2008, 06:33 PM']Alex, where did you get the rack ears for your U5? That gig looks like the Albion in Brighton. [/quote] I got them from the US supplier when I bought the U5. Not cheap but kind of essential! The gig was the Hare & Hounds which looks similar on the outside too to the Albion - it's a cool place to play, good vibe and with our big Vistalite kit it's nice to run relatively acoustic, just vocals and sax through PA. [quote name='ste_m3' post='238289' date='Jul 13 2008, 01:06 AM']I imagined you to be a wittering old man in real life Alex! I do look forward to hearing one of your cabs sometime soon. Id have to agree on a tolex cover as my covering of choice, with painted being my least favorite. although thats purely based on aesthetics[/quote] Well I'm entering my 4th decade in a few weeks... My guitarist is the relative old man of the band - he'd just got back from his son's first gig so we hadn't even had time for a soundcheck! I know I can be prone to wittering in person but I thought I was a lot blunter online. Obviously I'm still too tolerant... From 10 feet away I wonder if you can tell the difference between textured paint and tolex? Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-soar Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 Hi Alex the cheapest I can find them for is £70, so it spends its time in a Gigskinz bag. I played the Albion and the Zap Club, I loved the Zap, all the punters were nuts. Can you send me the details of where you got them from? Cheers Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MythSte Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 [quote name='alexclaber' post='238541' date='Jul 13 2008, 02:24 PM']Well I'm entering my 4th decade in a few weeks... My guitarist is the relative old man of the band - he'd just got back from his son's first gig so we hadn't even had time for a soundcheck! I know I can be prone to wittering in person but I thought I was a lot blunter online. Obviously I'm still too tolerant... From 10 feet away I wonder if you can tell the difference between textured paint and tolex? Alex[/quote] Well you dont look as if your pushing 40! And thats an incredibly good point about the textured finish. Hope alls going well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted July 14, 2008 Author Share Posted July 14, 2008 (edited) [quote name='ste_m3' post='239303' date='Jul 14 2008, 04:56 PM']Well you dont look as if your pushing 40! And thats an incredibly good point about the textured finish. Hope alls going well![/quote] No, 30! First decade is 0-10, etc. [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=447622&page=2"]http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.p...7622&page=2[/url] Check out post #24, 34 & 36 - bodes well... Alex Edited July 14, 2008 by alexclaber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted July 15, 2008 Author Share Posted July 15, 2008 First coat of finish is on. Very nice! Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowhand_mike Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 come on alex lets see some hot close ups then do i buy or build my own?? hmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted July 22, 2008 Author Share Posted July 22, 2008 Been rather busy of late! Will get some more coats on this ASAP and final photos up. Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6stringbassist Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I dread to think what it would look like if I built my own cab, I have the DIY skills of a disabled snail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Funk Posted July 22, 2008 Share Posted July 22, 2008 I have to say I hate side handles (especially the recessed ones) and I hate the ratfur carpets. The cabs look interesting. I'd like to hear one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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