Ghettolex

[PapaSquash]

I had been wanting a 2X12 cab to run my old Champ through, because the stock 8" Oxford sounds so, well, little.

I'm on a tight budget, since I have small children that need to eat and all, so I'm bargain hunting. I find a gutted Crate Flexwave 120 extra cheap on Craigslist; now I have box to start with.

Of course having it's solid-state guts ripped out means there's a big gap where the control panel would be. I consider a piece of wood, but I need something thin enough, so that my panel-mount jack will fit.

I have some rigid corrugated plastic, cut and fit:



But the real dilemna is what to cover it with so it doesn't look like total crap. I hit upon the 3M brand tread-grip that I have leftover from fixing the basement stairs. It's the stuff they sell that you can put on ladder treads and places you want to add traction. Flat black pebbly surface.



Super-durable (I walk on it daily) and very sticky. Looks like tolex. So I try it:


Doesn't look too bad.

Screw in a couple of (Eminence) Fender speakers from a dead '88 red-knob Twin. Wire 'em up:



Box, speakers, and couple of radio-shack bits (jack and wire) I have a sub-$100 cab. Sounds big and open. I'm happy.

[bad261]

That's really neat.

[hipofutura]

Nice work and very creative with the 3M tread-grip! If you throw some insulation in and close up the back, I bet you'll be even happier with the tone. The cab is under sized for a sealed enclosure, but thick insulation will help. As well, the Champ is only 5/7 watts so it won't drive the speakers very hard. Would be a fun experiment and I bet it will tighten up the speakers.

[zeppelin101]

Lets hear it man!

[Deftone]

Nice work, bud. Looks great!

[PapaSquash]

Originally Posted by hipofutura

Nice work and very creative with the 3M tread-grip! If you throw some insulation in and close up the back, I bet you'll be even happier with the tone. The cab is under sized for a sealed enclosure, but thick insulation will help. As well, the Champ is only 5/7 watts so it won't drive the speakers very hard. Would be a fun experiment and I bet it will tighten up the speakers.

No kiddin' it don't drive 'em hard. It's a bunch cleaner than it used to be. Bunch louder too. Those things must have a pretty high SPL number - maybe that 's part of why Evil Twins are so ungodly loud.

I would have thought it was WAY too small to close up, but OK, I'll try it. Fab up a way to put a panel back there that won't vibrate, and see how I like it. Best thing about cheap experiments - nothin' to lose really.

[hipofutura]

The trick will be to use lots of insulation. With a bit of research you could probably find the specs on those speakers and maybe tune the cab (a bit) with a port out the back panel.

[PapaSquash]

Do you suggest plain old fiberglass? or what?

[TeleDog]

Thanks for the post! Ideas, ideas, ideas!

I build a little, microscopic cab for an 8" test speaker I got here, and used old denim I got from recycled jeans along with some dye and lacquer. lol... Not a tweed but it looks neat.

I love to see this kind of stuff, inspirational.

[hipofutura]

Ideally you would use acoustic foam, but it would cost more than your entire project. I would use pink home insulation. You can use the backing to attach the insulation to your cab. Be careful handling the stuff!

[PapaSquash]

yeah, the pink stuff is evil itchy. But with gloves it'd be harmless once it's boxed up.

I saw somebody selling leftover egg-crate acoustic foam on Craigslist a while back.

Regular foam gets flaky and brittle. Bad flammable (and toxic fumes on ignition to boot)