rebuilding a combo into a cab/amp modular?

Chapter11 · #1 05-05-2010, 09:57 PM

Greetings all,

First of all, let me be up front that I'm not sure if this is a serious question or a theoretical one.

Background:
I've been playing through an SWR 115 workingman combo (circa 2002), ~ 70lbs. It's been ok. Not bad for what it is, but overall it lacks punch and volume. I just added an SWR 210 cabinet and I'm much happier with the sound.

I'm pondering how nice it would be to have the amp separate from the 15" so I could travel with the various parts as a modular system. I'd love to be able to use the amp with just the 210 and travel light(er), or to just bring the 115, or bring both.

If I were to pull the combo apart and then build a new cabinet for the 115 and tweeter, could I build something that would actually sound good (as in - the same as the combo sounds now), or am I taking a big risk that after a lot of effort I'd have a 115 cab that would sound like crap?

Thanks for your thoughts on this,

Chapter11

will33 · #2 05-06-2010, 02:01 PM

Might be easier to leave the combo's speaker cab together and just saw the ampcase part off the top of it. Then it would still be the exact same, just needing a patch of covering on the top and the ampcase just needing a bottom put on. Disconnect and remove the amp first of course and note, a lot of those amps don't have an actual metal top on the chassis and maybe not sides either, likely just bottom, front and back with the case making up the top and maybe the sides. That's why it'd be easier to re-use as much of the case as possible and hopefully just screw a bottom on it.

BassmanPaul · #3 05-06-2010, 02:10 PM

The result of this effort would be an amp and speaker cabinet that would be worthless if you wish to sell it. Better to sell the combo and buy something that suits you better.

Paul

K-Frog · #4 05-06-2010, 02:18 PM

i built a head case (easiest part) and then built a new cabinet for the existing speakers, duplicating the internal volume of the combo cabinet for the speaker. Keep the original combo cab intact incase you want to reload it to sell.

No reason you can't do this if you want to.