Damage Control....

[cracker75]

Considering DIY cab(s).....

Ordered two cabs from a dis-reputable boutique manufacturer in S. Carolina.....Luckily, I received them, unfortunately, they sound terrible.

Contemplating DIY because I'm already $469 into these things, the drivers seem fine, and I have a well-tooled shop and plenty of cabinet grade ply. I cannot go spend a ton of dough to make these sound decent.

DIY is generally not cheaper, but since I have all the drivers and other misc hardware (handles, corners, jack-plates, and some stuffing from a previous project), plenty of wood, and time, I'm in search of a simple design.

Drivers are as follows:

Eminence delta 12LFA (12" 500W driver)
Eminence Alpha 8MR (8" mid driver)
Eminence BP102 (10" 200W driver)
Two tweeters:
QSL QS-70,
and Selenium (haven't checked yet)

I am not certain the x-overs are in good condition, and have no way (or understanding of how) to test them, and I'm using a GK 1001rb, so I can bi-amp the tweeters and woofers, but need some kind of network for the mid.

I do like the fEarful cabs, but they are clearly designed around drivers I do not have. Also the BFM cab designs are attractive from a sensitivity standpoint, but I am not sure I feel like undertaking the (what look to be ) complex designs.

In anticipation of receiving these cabs, I traded my existing rig to a friend for some work done on my house, and now only have these two crappy boxes, with nice drivers. Simplicity appeals to me from a time-saving point of view.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

[Growly Lytes]

BP102 Rocks my DIY 410`s !!

[David1234]

What's bad about the sound your already gives?

What cabs did you get, too?

[craig.p]

If anything, the Fitzmaurice designs may be easiest for you to build. You may be confusing time-to-build (tedium) with complexity. I can barely saw a straight line, but if I were going to attempt a DIY cab, I'd choose BFM in a heartbeat because of the hand-holding provided in the build instructions. And don't forget, there's the BFM forum, which is a HUGE resource.

Another thing about the BFM designs is that you're working with known quantities. You WILL get what a response graph shows if you follow the design. At this point in your Big Adventure, what's predictability worth to you? You've already been down a road where there turned out not to be any. Do you really want to go there again by band-aiding a design that may have been wrong from the get-go?

I don't know if your drivers would line up with any of his designs, but if they don't, you can always sell them on the used market and buy ones that are a better match to the boxes.

As for the boxes themselves, you might be able to use them to house horns for a PA or something, where box tuning wouldn't matter. Or sell the already-completed cabs as guitar cabs where, again, box tuning would be less of a concern than it is for a bass player. Cab disposition is the only part I'm stuck on at this point from a cost-recovery perspective.

Side note: I have no affiliation with BFM whatsoever.

[Mr. Foxen]

I'd start by figuring out what is wrong with them as they are. Might just be a duff crossover component.

[Jaco who?]

Yeah Growly, you likey BP102s. we get it.

[Growly Lytes]

Sorry my bad. Just cant help but open my mouth.
Thanks for the heads up Jaco.

[Petebass]

When you say they sound terrible, what specifically is wrong with them?

Am I correct to assume 1 cab is a 12" plus *8 mid plus tweeter, and the other is a 1x10 plus tweeter?

[mulchor]

I'm wondering if you could sell the Dr Bass for your cost.

My understanding is the part that made them disreputable was not being able to meet the demand. For most companies, having too many sales is what they dream of.

My point is, whereas the sound isn't meeting your expectation, apparently there's a multitude of people who're gassing for 'em. Sell to one of their fans and start over (either DIY with a good design or go ready-made with a diff' maker).