advice needed on DIY 1x15 Weber for 50w tubeamp

GHI · #1 03-23-2011, 05:18 PM

Hello,
I have been looking for a cab to pair up with this Sound City 50 Plus I got, but haven't come over anything particulary interesting. And since gear is very pricy where I'm at, and I happen to have some MDF lying around; I was thinking of putting it in good use and going DIY. Get a cabinet and a pedalboard out of it..

So I'm thinking a 1x15, but also considering 1x12 or 2x12, or even a 2x15. And Weber speakers. Either Bass Series Ceramic Bass 15 (or 12) which is rated at 175 watts and available in 8 and 16 ohms, or High Power Series Ceramic Michigan 15 (or 12) which is rated at 100 watts and available in 4, 8 and 16 ohms.

I am a little afraid of underpowering the speaker. I know that it won't damage it but I would rather want it to sound like the speaker is overpowered when I dime the amp.

So.. Any recommendations on speaker choice? Am I maybe a little over conserned here? Could it maybe even work out fine with two of those bass series 8 ohm 15's at a 4ohm load? ofc 2x 16 at a 8 ohm load would be a better choice.

I tune down to a low C, but I'm not too hung up with the low end on this one as I am with mids and clarity. I just don't want the low notes to fart out.. and the louder it gets, the better!

So.. What about the box then? Anybody know of any plans that would work out? yellowcabamplifications come to mind. Their 1x15 is 28"x 28"x 20. Another is the X-cabs Weber sell from their site. Their 1x15 is 26" x 26" x 13". I would love to build it to the dimensions Emperor uses on their cabs. Don't know what size they come in other then that they can be had either 15" or 18" deep.

The MDF I got is 22mm or 0,87" but the boards I got are only about a little over 24" in width so that limits the size abit if I don't buy another board for the front and back. I could also maybe do a 1x12. I would do a 2x12 if I weren't so scared of the underpowering. But I guess that wouldn't be much of a problem with two of those michigans. Heck, since they are specced so similar and the Sunn 200s cab is 24" wide I might as well go 2x15..!!

What do you guys think? Any input will be appreciated.

billfitzmaurice · #2 03-23-2011, 05:35 PM

Weber doesn't post T/S specs for their drivers so there's no way to design a cab to work with them except by trial and error. MDF is not a good material for pro-sound cabs. It's too heavy and not durable.
And there's no such thing as 'underpowering'.

GHI · #3 03-23-2011, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

Weber doesn't post T/S specs for their drivers so there's no way to design a cab to work with them except by trial and error. MDF is not a good material for pro-sound cabs. It's too heavy and not durable.
And there's no such thing as 'underpowering'.

Thank you very much for you response Bill.

Ah, I see. Wasn't to sure about the MDF. I guess DIY will be kinda out of the question for me then since material is really expensive here aswell. It probably won't cost much more to have something delivered overseas or made in the UK.

Really? No such thing as underpowering?
I had a chat with a manufacturer about ordering a 2x12 (I guess with much more powerful speakers then Webers) and this guy wouldn't recommend pairing it up with the SC50+ because the cab would be underpowered and not sound good.

And I actually tried the amp for a short while with a fairly high rated modern 2x15 that usually pairs up with a 200w tube amp, and it kinda sounded like the SC50+ had trouble driving the speakers properly. Could be I got it confused and it was the sound of the amps poor bass response I heard.

billfitzmaurice · #4 03-23-2011, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GHI

Really? No such thing as underpowering?

Absolutely not.

Quote:

I had a chat with a manufacturer about ordering a 2x12 (I guess with much more powerful speakers then Webers) and this guy wouldn't recommend pairing it up with the SC50+ because the cab would be underpowered and not sound good.

What he might have been saying, or at any rate should have been saying, is that low power amps work best with higher Q drivers, as higher Q drivers have a midbass response bump that will allow them to be heard well despite not having much power behind them. That's obtained at the expense of deep lows, but you can't have it all. Most high power drivers are medium Q, which will handle more power and go lower, but they don't have that midbass bump that a low power amp needs.

Stumbo · #5 03-23-2011, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

MDF is not a good material for pro-sound cabs. It's too heavy and not durable.

Hi Bill,
What if he puts casters on it, coats it with Duratex, puts a cover on it? Or maybe he won't be moving it much? Or if it's a home practice cab, might be okay, especially for 50 watts.

billfitzmaurice · #6 03-23-2011, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stumbo

Hi Bill,
What if he puts casters on it, coats it with Duratex, puts a cover on it? Or maybe he won't be moving it much? Or if it's a home practice cab, might be okay, especially for 50 watts.

Not only is it MDF, it's 22mm, which is like 7/8". The thing would weigh a ton. Or tonne. Bloody tonne at that.

GHI · #7 03-24-2011, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stumbo

Hi Bill,
What if he puts casters on it, coats it with Duratex, puts a cover on it? Or maybe he won't be moving it much? Or if it's a home practice cab, might be okay, especially for 50 watts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

Not only is it MDF, it's 22mm, which is like 7/8". The thing would weigh a ton. Or tonne. Bloody tonne at that.

haha, and coming in I actually thought that the thickness would be a plus..

Thank you for joining in Stumbo.

I was hoping for it to serve as my 'treble' cab in a dual amp ric-o-sound setup as well, if I were to go 2x15. But it's main purpose would be as a home practice rig.
Considering the durability of the mdf, and the weight, if I decide to build something out of it I can't see it being anything other then a 1x12 or 1x15 for home.

I would love some recommendations on a driver that it is easier and safer building a box for, like a eminence or something. Now I'm thinking I won't be needing it to get very loud anymore. I would rather have stronger lows.

Stumbo · #8 03-24-2011, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GHI

I would love some recommendations on a driver that it is easier and safer building a box for, like a eminence or something. Now I'm thinking I won't be needing it to get very loud anymore. I would rather have stronger lows.

Take a look here: greenboy's fEARful downloads or here: http://www.billfitzmaurice.com/

GHI · #9 03-25-2011, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stumbo

Take a look here: greenboy's fEARful downloads or here: http://www.billfitzmaurice.com/

Actually, I have. I just kinda ruled it out because I use alot of fuzz, and if I'm not allready there I usually ride on the edge of distortion. Even my "clean" tones are pretty overdriven. So I'm prone to big drivers and not too keen on tweeters.

How do you reckon a Jack 112 or 115 would work out without the tweeter array?

greenboy · #10 03-25-2011, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GHI

Actually, I have. I just kinda ruled it out because I use alot of fuzz, and if I'm not allready there I usually ride on the edge of distortion. Even my "clean" tones are pretty overdriven. So I'm prone to big drivers and not too keen on tweeters.

He also mentioned fEARfuls. I designed 'em. I use overdrive and distortion a lot. The default fEARful config is a big woofer and a dedicated midrange driver, no tweeter. If you have questions about fEARfuls and those kinds of tones just read or ask in the fEARful threads.