JackLondon Posted July 1, 2010 Share Posted July 1, 2010 Hi Guys, Do you have any recommendations on building a DIY guitar cab ? It has to be small and lightweight a preferably just 2 speakers like 15'' and 6'' or 12'' and 6''. I know it's completely different kettle of fish when it comes to guitar cabs but any pointer will be greatly appreciated. For the record I did have a look at BFM design but it's too bulky so something smaller will be desirable. Cheers Jack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted July 1, 2010 Share Posted July 1, 2010 I'm probably going to get flamed here, but I think guitar cabs (as opposed to bass cabs) are less about the design of the cab and more about your choice of driver. Just my experience/opinion. Ask yourself what you're going to use it for, what amp you're going to use it with, how much you want to spend, and then you should get a pretty good idea about what you need to do. Personally for guitar I'd stick with 12" drivers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
escholl Posted July 1, 2010 Share Posted July 1, 2010 A single 12" in an open back cab? Unless it's acoustic guitar amp, I wouldn't worry about having a two way driver system or anything like that. Pick a driver, build a cab, barely has to be larger than the driver itself even, and job done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Protium Posted July 1, 2010 Share Posted July 1, 2010 [quote name='Dubs' post='883431' date='Jul 1 2010, 09:27 PM']I'm probably going to get flamed here, but I think guitar cabs (as opposed to bass cabs) are less about the design of the cab and more about your choice of driver. Just my experience/opinion. Ask yourself what you're going to use it for, what amp you're going to use it with, how much you want to spend, and then you should get a pretty good idea about what you need to do. Personally for guitar I'd stick with 12" drivers.[/quote] This tbh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackLondon Posted July 2, 2010 Author Share Posted July 2, 2010 [quote name='escholl' post='883493' date='Jul 1 2010, 10:21 PM']A single 12" in an open back cab? Unless it's acoustic guitar amp, I wouldn't worry about having a two way driver system or anything like that. Pick a driver, build a cab, barely has to be larger than the driver itself even, and job done.[/quote] What would be the difference between open back and closed? Is it really just that simple? Cheers Jack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thinman Posted July 2, 2010 Share Posted July 2, 2010 [quote name='JackLondon' post='884292' date='Jul 2 2010, 08:09 PM']What would be the difference between open back and closed? Is it really just that simple? Cheers Jack[/quote] What you should do might depend upon what amp/preamp/effects unit you intend to use. A basic guitar combo with an open cabinet gets its tone from the driver and amp, i.e. has its own sound created by its design. However, there are quite a few "modelling" amps plus preamps like the Line 6 pod thingy that model, i.e. mimic, classic designs etc. To get the best from that arrangement the guitar amp needs to be a bit more neutral - a few modelling combos that I've seen have sealed enclosures and have probably been tuned to have a flatter response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted July 2, 2010 Share Posted July 2, 2010 Unless you are making something fancy, like one of those BFM crossfired jobs, probably only worth the making time if you wanna be playing into a home made. Guitar cabs come up so cheap if you know what to spot. Especially unloaded ones. ChiSeerkind score a Hiwatt 4x12 for £30 or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
escholl Posted July 3, 2010 Share Posted July 3, 2010 [quote name='JackLondon' post='884292' date='Jul 2 2010, 08:09 PM']What would be the difference between open back and closed? Is it really just that simple? Cheers Jack[/quote] Open back will give you a different tone to closed, has less bass, and also acts as a bit different kind of sound source to sealed or reflex cabs. But for guitar, it sounds good with a decent driver, and there is basically no real cab to design -- just a bit of wood to hold the driver, really. For just a small, light, simple guitar cab, I would definitely go for a 12" open back design. For what it's worth, I've always generally preferred the tone from open-backed cabs over closed, but that's just a personal preference I suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colledge Posted July 3, 2010 Share Posted July 3, 2010 i too prefer open backed as i think i've played with too many players who have a really bassy tone who take up too much of my frequency real estate causing me to have trouble getting through the mix. open backed imo gives a better vintage style sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackLondon Posted July 3, 2010 Author Share Posted July 3, 2010 So what sort of driver can I get? I had a look at the Eminence website and they only do 10", bear in mind I'm looking for lightweight stuff only! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted July 3, 2010 Share Posted July 3, 2010 [quote name='JackLondon' post='884728' date='Jul 3 2010, 12:38 PM']So what sort of driver can I get? I had a look at the Eminence website and they only do 10", bear in mind I'm looking for lightweight stuff only![/quote] Are you looking at guitar or bass drivers? You can spend a lot of money on a 12" guitar driver - there are so many to choose from. I'd say start with the Celestion range and decide how much you have to spend. These sound very nice - [url="http://www.lean-business.co.uk/eshop/celestion-alnico-blue-12-guitar-speaker-8ohm-special-offer-p-235.html"]http://www.lean-business.co.uk/eshop/celes...ffer-p-235.html[/url] - but are £170 each! That website sells a lot of 12" guitar drivers from a few different manufacturers including Eminence and Celestion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umph Posted July 3, 2010 Share Posted July 3, 2010 [quote name='JackLondon' post='884728' date='Jul 3 2010, 12:38 PM']So what sort of driver can I get? I had a look at the Eminence website and they only do 10", bear in mind I'm looking for lightweight stuff only![/quote] have a look on the eminence site they've got clips of all their guitar speakers, my personal favorites are the mountain and swamp thang! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackLondon Posted July 3, 2010 Author Share Posted July 3, 2010 Right, had a look at the eminence website and I think I'll go for these : [url="http://www.lean-business.co.uk/eshop/eminence-tonkerlite-8ohm-12-125watt-redcoat-neo-guitar-speaker-p-889.html"]http://www.lean-business.co.uk/eshop/emine...aker-p-889.html[/url] + [url="http://www.lean-business.co.uk/eshop/eminence-apt-80-1-8ohm-45watt-80-degree-supertweeter-p-966.html"]http://www.lean-business.co.uk/eshop/emine...eter-p-966.html[/url] + [url="http://www.lean-business.co.uk/eshop/eminence-pxb-5k0-high-pass-5khz-crossover-p-834.html"]http://www.lean-business.co.uk/eshop/emine...over-p-834.html[/url] All of it for about £110 which isn't bad. Few questions, where on earth can I find some nice material to cover the cab ? I'm after some funky bright colours and also where can I buy the speaker grills, I want the sort of wire mesh that covers the whole front, preferably in Funky colours as well, I could paint probably so this is an option Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted July 3, 2010 Share Posted July 3, 2010 (edited) Jack. It's always difficult to spec gear for other people because personal taste, amp type, musical genre and task-specificity all has a part to play. And I'm not sure what your ultimate aim is for this cab. And I don't want to labour a point others have made... But! In 99% of conventional electric guitar set-ups your combination is probably going to sound [i]incredibly[/i] horrible. And for £110 you could buy a lovely Weber that would kick the arse off most speakers for tone and output, so it's relatively cost-inefficient too. Unless it's for an acoustic instrument, or your intention is to provide a 'hi-fi' style platform for a modeller through a clean power amp, you [i]really, really[/i] don't need a tweeter / crossover. The whole point about guitar speakers is their relative [i]inefficiency[/i] and mid-biased coloration. For a proj like this I'd go for 1 or 2 basic little eminence 12" patriot or redcoat types (or cheap celestion at circa £30 ea.) in an open-backed plywood box screwed and glued from B&Q offcuts. Bellwire for the cable and a £2.00 speaker jack. Maybe even splash out on a handle! OTOH, if spkr & tweeter is what you really want to do and you've got a specific purpose in mind, then best of luck with the project Coverings (tolex in all colours, camo) are easily available off the web - check out Tube Amp Doctor as a starting point. Glueing tolex is a bastard - involves softening the material with heatgun / hairdryer for tight corners - but done carefully can look great. Grilles / grille cloth likewise check TAD - frankly I'd use cloth over a simple wood frame as it's easier to work and doesn't rattle! Circular steel speaker covers and other hardware - handles, rubber feet etc - are available at Maplins. Edited July 3, 2010 by skankdelvar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
escholl Posted July 3, 2010 Share Posted July 3, 2010 [quote name='JackLondon' post='885037' date='Jul 3 2010, 08:24 PM']Right, had a look at the eminence website and I think I'll go for these : [url="http://www.lean-business.co.uk/eshop/eminence-tonkerlite-8ohm-12-125watt-redcoat-neo-guitar-speaker-p-889.html"]http://www.lean-business.co.uk/eshop/emine...aker-p-889.html[/url] + [url="http://www.lean-business.co.uk/eshop/eminence-apt-80-1-8ohm-45watt-80-degree-supertweeter-p-966.html"]http://www.lean-business.co.uk/eshop/emine...eter-p-966.html[/url] + [url="http://www.lean-business.co.uk/eshop/eminence-pxb-5k0-high-pass-5khz-crossover-p-834.html"]http://www.lean-business.co.uk/eshop/emine...over-p-834.html[/url][/quote] Just out of curiosity, is this for an acoustic guitar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackLondon Posted July 3, 2010 Author Share Posted July 3, 2010 No it isn't for acoustic, basically I like the sound of this speaker, the tweeter is probably overkill but I just thought why not? Guitars are really not my thing so the only thing I have for this cab is to be small and lightweight...rest is in the process of looking for the right thing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackLondon Posted July 3, 2010 Author Share Posted July 3, 2010 Also if it's of any use the guitar is Gibson Les Paul so quite bassy sounding from outset, the amp is Crate Powerblock plus some effects like fuzz, octave, phaser, chorus, delay, wah and auto wah! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
escholl Posted July 3, 2010 Share Posted July 3, 2010 Ok, it's just, the tweeter is going to sound terrible! There is a reason why guitar cabs don't use them -- the natural roll off of the speakers prevents any distortion/fuzz/OD from sounding harsh. You can do what you like obviously but I would really, really advise against having a tweeter in that cab. My recommendation would be to stick a Celestion Seventy-80 in there and be done with it, no need for a crossover or anything. This driver is only 3.1 kg and about 40 quid too, hence my recommending it -- light, cheap, and still sounds very good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted July 4, 2010 Share Posted July 4, 2010 [quote name='JackLondon' post='885127' date='Jul 3 2010, 10:57 PM']... the amp is Crate Powerblock ...[/quote] Very useful little amp, that, and quite capable of delivering a relatively clean signal, IIRC. Y'know, you could always make the tweeter switchable. That way, you could use the cab: 1) 'Tweeter off' for electrics with distortion, etc. 2) 'Tweeter on' if you ever want to run a clean electro-acoustic instrument. The 12 incher won't be ideally voiced for this application, but useful enough at a pinch. Sorry if I'm harping on a bit about this - it's [i]your[/i] project and it's great that you're giving it a go. Post some images when you're done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackLondon Posted July 4, 2010 Author Share Posted July 4, 2010 (edited) Right, thanks for the input peeps, I think I finally have it nailed as to what I want 2x12'' cab with those speakers [url="http://www.lean-business.co.uk/eshop/pair-pack-x2-eminence-man-o-war-8ohm-12-120w-guitar-speaker-p-1069.html"]http://www.lean-business.co.uk/eshop/pair-...ker-p-1069.html[/url] Size of the cab : 75 x 40 x 35 cm - almost identical to Barefaced SuperTwelve Covered in red tolex Now things I still have problems with : 1. Still can't find the grill, I want the big one that will cover the whole cab as opposed to the round one just for the speakers, if anyone can point me in the right direction I would greatly apreciate it. 2. I would like to put the cab on wheels so my question is : Does it matter if the main orientation of the speakers is horizontal or vertical ? I would ideally like to have it vertical, it just looks cool that way. 3. I will do a open back so do I use any sort of foam lining inside the cab or is it pointless ? Also is it a good idea to attach the grill to the back where the gap is to protect the speakers from possible damage etc ? 4. Birch Ply is apparently the best but what thickness ? Is 12mm enough or should I go for 15mm? 5. Is it possible to wire some sort of a switch into the cab to swap between the speakers being wired in series or parrallel ? To have the option of either 4 or 8 Ohm ? I'm sure I'll have loads more questions on the way so I'll post them as I go along and once again thanks to everyone who contributed so far to my attempt at building a cab with complete lack of any knowledge Cheers Jack Edited July 4, 2010 by JackLondon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardH Posted July 4, 2010 Share Posted July 4, 2010 To be perfectly honest I'd be very tempted to buy one of these [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_g212_vintage.htm"][/url] A 2x12 cab made from 16mm ply, loaded with a pair of Celestion Vintage 30s. The two speakers on their own are going to set you back £158, and [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_g212_vintage.htm"]Thomann sell the whole thing for £152[/url]. Back to the DIY route, I built a 2x12 open back cab with Eminence Private Jack (aka Greenback) and Govenor (aka V30). Our guitarist uses it with a Crate Powerblock - works very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted July 4, 2010 Share Posted July 4, 2010 [quote name='RichardH' post='885431' date='Jul 4 2010, 01:09 PM']The two speakers on their own are going to set you back £158, and [url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_g212_vintage.htm"]Thomann sell the whole thing for £152[/url].[/quote] bargain! How can the speakers cost more than the complete cab?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackLondon Posted July 4, 2010 Author Share Posted July 4, 2010 Does this make sense ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackLondon Posted July 4, 2010 Author Share Posted July 4, 2010 (edited) Anyone know where I can get these in UK > [url="http://www.reliablehardware.com/mediumrecessedtiltcasterhousingblack.aspx"]http://www.reliablehardware.com/mediumrece...usingblack.aspx[/url] And also this is the sort of wire mesh I'm looking for but can't find anywhere Edited July 4, 2010 by JackLondon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted July 4, 2010 Share Posted July 4, 2010 eBay for all things random. Have you considered using grill cloth rather than a metal grill? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.