BFM Jack 10

[ian_s]

I just completed my first cab build, a BFM Jack 10. There is a lengthy build thread with photos over on Bill's forum, BillFitzmaurice.info - View topic - Jack 110 build from a first-timer.

I found that as a first-time woodworker, I could build this in 20 minute or 1 hour spurts as time allowed. So if there are builder newbie wannabes out there, you can do this and still have all ten fingers at the end.

Costs for this cab:
$250 deluxe driver kit from speakerhardware.com (DL-II 2510, 12 piezos, 500W crossover components)
$30 for a precut baffle and driver spacer ring from speakerhardware.com
$40 for a sheet of 1/2" birch ply

Costs that are more amortizable:
$30 circular saw (Harbor Freight)
$30 trim router (HF)
$20 random orbital sander (HF)
$30 in router bits (Home Depot)
$15 Diablo circular saw blade (HD)
$50 gallon of Duratex (lots left over, might paint the car)
$10 for spray paint primer and the paint for the piezo array
probably $70 in bar and spring clamps (HF)
$20 pet screen roll (HD)
$20 framing clamp (Rockler)

Already had a drill, a shop-vac, and a nice folding table for a workbench. I borrowed a friend's compound miter saw; otherwise, HF has a well-reviewed one for around $120 I would have bought.

The cab sounds very clear, paired with a GK MB200 and my SX Jazz bass. Haven't taken the chance to shake the whole house much but it'll do the job if cranked. When time and wife allows I will probably build a piezo-less companion to make a 210, 4 ohm stack.

Here are a couple clips, from which you can hear that I should practice bass more and cut wood less. These were recorded on an iPhone about two feet in front of the cab on the floor.

clip one
clip two

And two pictures...

[My name is Mudd]

That's a nice looking, and sounding, cab!

[bassjam]

Nice job!Sounds good-though hard to tell through my small computer speakers.Look forward to a gig review.

[WingKL]

Could you tell us how much it weighs? I'm trying to decide between a Jack 10 and 12.

[PaulNYC]

Your cab looks good! I like the tweeter array.

(my cab)

[bassjam]

If you get around to it,more sound clips would be great-like some big open notes down on an open A and E.

I actually found a pair(actually 4 if I want them) to try on a gig this weekend.Should be interesting.

[ian_s]

Try em and enjoy. They work best stacked, tweets (if any) on top. I'll see what I can do about more clips.

[PunkRocker33133]

What type of gigs do you play/bands are you guys in that you can get away with single speaker cabs, especially tens?

[Justin Tuskey]

Originally Posted by PunkRocker33133

What type of gigs do you play/bands are you guys in that you can get away with single speaker cabs, especially tens?

dont be fooled, these suckers are LOUD. its the horn design. I have an Omni 10 (2x10s) and it was louder than my 800 watt 8x8. Bill is a genius

[PunkRocker33133]

Originally Posted by Justin Tuskey

dont be fooled, these suckers are LOUD. its the horn design. I have an Omni 10 (2x10s) and it was louder than my 800 watt 8x8. Bill is a genius

I can see how it works based on the designs, but there just doesn't seem to be enough speaker area to really be loud

[Justin Tuskey]

Originally Posted by PunkRocker33133

I can see how it works based on the designs, but there just doesn't seem to be enough speaker area to really be loud

I know what youre saying, you just gotta believe. sure, its not fridge, and its not going to move air, its meant to project good solid volume. maybe he is just using it as a monitor? my 2x10 has and will fill rooms if needed, although we have a BFM PA for that now

[My name is Mudd]

Sheer size does not always equal loud.

[bassjam]

Originally Posted by PunkRocker33133

What type of gigs do you play/bands are you guys in that you can get away with single speaker cabs, especially tens?

I could not get by with a 110 cab on a gig, no matter if it's a BFM or not.I'm looking into a pair of Jack 12's,I just happen to find someone that has some 10's to try.Not the same,but hopefully I'll get a taste of what the Jacks are a about.

[ErnieD]

Come back and let us know how you liked those 10's cabs when you're done. I had headphones on just now when I heard those clips and I can see how they might be loud but what about LOW? Not necessarily HLF410 lows but good clean, solid lows.

I get no PA support in my bands so least I can bring to a club gig is my Neox 212T and I only play 5 stringers, one's a P5 w/flats. Otherwise I use a 410's or two 210's stacked vert, even two 212's stacked vert. I'm thinking some brand of 15/6 @ 4 ohms cab for my club gigs would work.

Just wondering how your experience with them turns out so pls post back later and let us know, thanks.

[bassjam]

Originally Posted by ErnieD

Come back and let us know how you liked those 10's cabs when you're done. I had headphones on just now when I heard those clips and I can see how they might be loud but what about LOW? Not necessarily HLF410 lows but good clean, solid lows.

I get no PA support in my bands so least I can bring to a club gig is my Neox 212T and I only play 5 stringers, one's a P5 w/flats. Otherwise I use a 410's or two 210's stacked vert, even two 212's stacked vert. I'm thinking some brand of 15/6 @ 4 ohms cab for my club gigs would work.

Just wondering how your experience with them turns out so pls post back later and let us know, thanks.

You bet,Id be happy to.As a note here-I play 5'ers too,and have used mostly 410's and 212's over the last several years.So for me, I doubt a 210 or 2 110's would work for me.Like you-I see how these will get loud,I need to hear how the bottom end plays in here.Again if I do it,Ill be going with a pair of Jack 12's so it may be hard to tell from the test this weekend.


Also the 10's Ill be using are loaded with some different drivers than the recommended ones.The 3012HO's Im looking at are said to carry more bottom end so again possibly hard to tell.

But Ive been dying to try the Jacks.Im using a Mesa M9,so my thought is it may be a great match.The Mesa is a pretty wide sounding amp and my play well with the Jack.

BTW-Ian I think you did a really nice job on this build,not to mention it being your first.Looks great.

[BobaFret]

I built a Jack 10 ( sans tweeter ) and will agree it's plenty loud. A stack of two will obviously be a little better but these things kick on their own.

If it wasn't for those fearful designs I'd already have another one built. Can't decide where to go from here.

Most likely another Jack 10.

[ian_s]

From what I've heard of others' experiences, Jacks can get plenty loud. There are 210/212 models, but most folks build pairs of 110 or 112s and stack them. A pair of 110s stacked will be louder, and have better clarity, than a 410 with the same amp.

Cone area, amp watts, speaker quantity, none of these alone dictate how loud a rig can get. It is all in the total design. 410s and 810s made some sense given 60s/70s speakers, but do have issues with comb filtering.

My clips were taken in my living room at relatively low volume. I don't really think clips like mine can tell you anything about performance in a studio or on a gig. Anyone in the DC area who is curious and wants to try it out, PM me and you're welcome to come by with your amp and bass. Not trying to sell anything or convert people, just offering experience for informing opinions.

(I can't go to the GTG in the area, but if someone here is and is willing to offer reasonable assurances (or insurances), I'm willing to let the Jack make the trip.)

[5StringPocket]

Very nice builds on both the 110 and 210 Jacks! The quasi-horn loading of these Jack designs provides better acoustic coupling and larger effective radiating area than traditional bass reflex cabs. The BFM website has all the specifics but I think this provides about a 3dB efficiency advantage which gives a Jack 210 about as much output as a typical 410. It's a clever design which squeezes about as much as you can from two 10's.

From the BFM forum the Jack 210 seems to hit a tonal sweet spot for bass guitar with the midrange voicing and enough bottom for good support. There are a couple players who run a Jack 210/110 stack with a 2-ohm stable amp and find that it's plenty for any gig. I'd imagine a Mesa M6 or Shuttle 12.0 Max would sound great with this.

[rpsands]

I would hesitate to run an M6 with the piezos. It sounds really distorty to me, that amp. Worth trying out of course but I wouldn't bank on it sounding good.

The Jacks work great if you don't need your bottom end to be as loud as the mids. That's typically aggressively toned music where you want a lot of clarity and mids and low mids, but not a lot of real lows. They sound great dirty too if you shut the piezos off.

However, if you're playing a type of music where you need a tone profile with more bottom than top, there is no point at all to the jacks. they're twice as big as they need to be for that application. The size gives them more mids starting around 120-150hz...great. But if you scoop those mids out it's pointless.

[bassjam]

Originally Posted by rpsands

I would hesitate to run an M6 with the piezos. It sounds really distorty to me, that amp. Worth trying out of course but I wouldn't bank on it sounding good.

The Jacks work great if you don't need your bottom end to be as loud as the mids. That's typically aggressively toned music where you want a lot of clarity and mids and low mids, but not a lot of real lows. They sound great dirty too if you shut the piezos off.

However, if you're playing a type of music where you need a tone profile with more bottom than top, there is no point at all to the jacks. they're twice as big as they need to be for that application. The size gives them more mids starting around 120-150hz...great. But if you scoop those mids out it's pointless.

In my case I dont need tons of low end-we normally have PA support and I dont like too much low end anyway.I do like my tone in the low mids,but I sure dont want it to sound thin in the bottom end.Overall Id say I favor a warm but articulate tone.

Now was yours the older design-smaller ports?Just wonder if the larger ports help this.I cant find any clips of the Jack 12's really.