| Author | Message | ||
| byoung
Senior Member Username: byoung Post Number: 969 Registered: 12-2004 |
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
Senior Member Username: dadabass2001 Post Number: 841 Registered: 6-2002 |
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
Senior Member Username: adriaan Post Number: 1796 Registered: 6-2002 |
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
Senior Member Username: dela217 Post Number: 879 Registered: 6-2002 |
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
Senior Member Username: flaxattack Post Number: 1894 Registered: 4-2004 |
i wouldnt worry about the look just the sound i love my b-2 also | ||
| 2400wattman
Senior Member Username: 2400wattman Post Number: 507 Registered: 11-2005 |
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
Senior Member Username: tbrannon Post Number: 647 Registered: 11-2004 |
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
Advanced Member Username: bassjigga Post Number: 302 Registered: 8-2005 |
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. | ||
| byoung
Senior Member Username: byoung Post Number: 970 Registered: 12-2004 |
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
Senior Member Username: flaxattack Post Number: 1895 Registered: 4-2004 |
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
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 1282 Registered: 9-2002 |
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
Intermediate Member Username: wideload Post Number: 120 Registered: 6-2003 |
Let's get B&W to start making instrument speakers! That should cure to boring right out of you! | ||
| byoung
Senior Member Username: byoung Post Number: 973 Registered: 12-2004 |
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
Advanced Member Username: hieronymous Post Number: 260 Registered: 1-2005 |
A little off topic, but how about these guys? ear candy cabs | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 2944 Registered: 7-2004 |
Here's the cab Earcandy did for me. Took a LONG time, but the work is very nice. Bill, tgo | ||
| byoung
Senior Member Username: byoung Post Number: 974 Registered: 12-2004 |
Those are some nice looking cabinets, definitely. However, it doesn't look like he makes anything but single and dual driver cabinets. I really like my three- way Acme. I did find something on the interwebs from genelec about flush mounting, I'll update as I think about it some more. | ||
| matthew90046
Junior Username: matthew90046 Post Number: 38 Registered: 1-2005 |
Have you considered simply tearing off the carpet and giving the cabs a nice finish? | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 6212 Registered: 5-2002 |
Slightly on topic; here is one of my favorite rigs owned by a fellow club member. Apparently, the cabs were built by one company, and the speakers wiring, amp, etc. all done by another. I think it looks really nice. | ||
| byoung
Senior Member Username: byoung Post Number: 975 Registered: 12-2004 |
Dave, That's nice looking, but not the vibe I'm after. Matthew, I don't think that the Acme would lend itself to that. I'm still hoping against hope that there's someone here with the knowledge to guide me through the process of mounting in a baffle. I guess I could just try it. Bradley | ||
| tbrannon
Senior Member Username: tbrannon Post Number: 648 Registered: 11-2004 |
Bradley- I'm not an engineer (though I did stay at a Holiday Inn)..... If all you want to do is mount the Acme inside a nicer looking box, I can't see why it would affect the sound of your cab. Seems like as long as you dampen things sufficiently (to eliminate vibration) then you should be golden. I understand what you're shooting for- I hate the black carpet too. |
