Author Topic: Speaker facade? (Read 236 times)

Bradley Young · « **on:** February 11, 2008, 07:29:42 PM »

So, I traded away my s15-xd for an acme low b-2. It sounds killer.

However, black carpeted speaker boxes are an eyesore (MHO, YMMV, HAND), and I'm looking to disguise them. I've thought about getting something like a Hammond tone cabinet (not a Leslie), gutting it, and stacking my cabs inside. I suspect that I'd need to mount the fronts in some sort of baffle, and I'd leave the rear open. (both cabs are rear-ported)

So basically it would be like this: speaker cabinets mounted in a baffle with grill cloth over it. Sides and top would likely be solid, with an open back.

What do y'all think? Will it alter the sound? I'm concerned that it will, and looking to mitigate that.

Bradley

dadabass2001 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 12, 2008, 05:13:52 AM »

Would you want the Acme to be removable or permanently mounted inside the baffle? I'd be concerned about mechanical coupling causing vibration (think a bar glaas dancing on top of your cab) and audible buzz.
Also, my goal over the last 5 years has been to reduce my load in at gigs. Of course I'm playing bar gigs where visual aesthetics (sic) are less important than stage floorspace economics.

Mike

adriaan · « **Reply #2 on:** February 12, 2008, 05:31:55 AM »

Are you sure aesthetics are that important? Anything added around the speaker box can only get in the way of projecting your sound.

Replacing or covering the carpeting or replacing the grill cloth should not make a huge difference, so that would be the preferred option.

One final thought: black is about the easiest colour to put next to any other colour - it never clashes.

(Message edited by adriaan on February 12, 2008)

dela217 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 12, 2008, 05:39:31 AM »

Well I really cant stand the carpeted enclosures either. When I spoke with the maker of the Acme cabs, I enquired about an alternative covering. He was dead set against it. He told me that the covering on the cab is actually used to dampen the cabinet. Maybe he was just telling me that to keep from doing a custom job.

Michael

flaxattack · « **Reply #4 on:** February 12, 2008, 06:47:39 AM »

i wouldnt worry about the look
just the sound
i love my b-2 also

2400wattman · « **Reply #5 on:** February 12, 2008, 11:14:58 AM »

Hey Bradley, why don't you get a facade made like your sweater? hehehehe
All jokes aside, you could strip the carpet off the cab remove all speakers and xover and have it sprayed with truck bed liner material. It'sdurable and will last longer than the rug that's on it.

tbrannon · « **Reply #6 on:** February 12, 2008, 11:31:31 AM »

Bradley-

How about building yourself a nice birch ply box to match the dimensions of what's currently used on the rat fur one? It works for Bag End...

I did the same thing with a Carvin PA cab I had a few years back. It got dropped on a corner and went all wonky on me. I built a cab to match. All I had to do was cut the 'box' (I used the internal bracing and structural supports out of the busted cab). I rubbed a couple coats of Danish Oil on it and had a beautiful looking cab.

bassjigga · « **Reply #7 on:** February 12, 2008, 11:50:20 AM »

I wish everyone would use epoxy type coatings like Glockenklang. I was upset to find that they even used carpet on the US models (which I have). Not happy about that.

Bradley Young · « **Reply #8 on:** February 12, 2008, 12:03:17 PM »

For those of you worrying about my back, this is a (semi-)permanent installation.

As for aesthetics, it currently looks terrible (again, MHO), and I'd rather have something that looks less like a speaker box and more like a piece of furniture. I realize that not everyone identifies with that, but it *is* what I want.

So, the question is: can I mount the cab in a baffle? I'd be willing to weather-strip it or something to damp it. I'd be willing to Dyna-mat it and poly-fill it, for that matter.

I'm more worried about the technical end, the aesthetics are already well in hand .

Thoughts?

flaxattack · « **Reply #9 on:** February 12, 2008, 12:52:52 PM »

here you go
find a tall building.....
bring cab to top of tall building
drop cab from top of tall building
find tree...
cut down tree,,,
make new wood cabinet....
all fixed now....

bigredbass · « **Reply #10 on:** February 12, 2008, 01:33:49 PM »

I don't know what it would do to the tone, but I understand the feeling. So many black boxes . . . it's just somehow not right that something as colorful as music always comes from black carpeted boxes.

I've always wished some maker could work with some first-class industrial designer to make some unique looking amps and cabs. Canon and Beretta have used Italian designers (NEVER a bad idea!). Yamaha even keeps an in-house design studio, like the car makers. In the old days, designers lent their touch to lots of 'everyday' products, from radios to locomotives to appliances. Still do today. Hard to see how the best the industry can do is black carpet and blackface reissues.

J o e y

J o e y

wideload · « **Reply #11 on:** February 12, 2008, 04:10:48 PM »

Let's get B&W to start making instrument speakers! That should cure to boring right out of you!

Bradley Young · « **Reply #12 on:** February 12, 2008, 05:00:46 PM »

Joey,

I don't even think you have to go all italian design... Even something old school like the Hammond Tone Cabinets and Leslies are great looking.

But I get black carpet. Boo!

hieronymous · « **Reply #13 on:** February 12, 2008, 05:26:45 PM »

A little off topic, but how about these guys?

ear candy cabs

lbpesq · « **Reply #14 on:** February 12, 2008, 06:16:07 PM »

Here's the cab Earcandy did for me. Took a LONG time, but the work is very nice.

Bill, tgo