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The Homemade/Converted Amp/Cab Club

The Owl

The Owl

Aug 14, 2005
5,398
14,882
GA
talktobears.hearnow.com
#1
Come on in and join folks, post your homebuilt/handbuilt or converted/modified amps and/or cabs here and tell us why you dig them so much and how they came to be.

TheOwlsMiniRigofDoom3.jpg


This is mine, the head is definitely NOT handbuilt but the cab was built specially for me by a pianist/songwriter (and professional carpenter) I used to gig with. It's loaded with a single 12" Carvin driver, ported and it sounds just beautiful with a cool upper-mid bark. I have another one too just like this, currently at my buddy's place in upstate NY.

Your turn
 
#2
I've done one or two over the years.:cool:

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DIY tube line driver w/2-6SN7 tubes, Jensen input and output transformers.

DIY preamp w/Fender style tone stack, racked with DSP'ed plate amp.

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Innards of line driver.

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Innards of preamp. It now has a Jensen output transformer installed as well.

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SpeakerPower 1000 watt plate amp w/DSP. The whole preamp/amp/rack combo weighs 18 pounds and I've been gigging it very happily for a couple of years now.

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I've posted these on TB a zillion times. Details in my profile. EUB and fretless bass always seem to eventually lead to disappointment of one sort or another with commercial cabs, so I guess rolling my own is just inevitable.

I also modify nearly everything commercial that lends itself to doing that at all. Been doing that for something like 40+ years at this point...;)
 
#4
The Owl said:
Come on in and join folks, post your homebuilt/handbuilt or converted/modified amps and/or cabs here and tell us why you dig them so much and how they came to be.

TheOwlsMiniRigofDoom3.jpg


This is mine, the head is definitely NOT handbuilt but the cab was built specially for me by a pianist/songwriter (and professional carpenter) I used to gig with. It's loaded with a single 12" Carvin driver, ported and it sounds just beautiful with a cool upper-mid bark. I have another one too just like this, currently at my buddy's place in upstate NY.

Your turn
Click to expand...

I have seen you post that pic before, and every time I think wow that looks nice.

I have yet to build my own cab, but it is next on my to do list. I'm going to build one of the horn loaded cabs when I get around to it.

I have always enjoyed looking at homemade better, it adds that personal touch rather than seeing the same ol' same ol'.

Definately will be check this thread often. Nice work guys.
 
#5
Per The Owl's recommendation, here is a 210 I built. The ZL210.

IMG_1150.gif


I've got more details than you'd ever want to know about it here.

To sum it up you've got a super lightweight 23lbs 210 built using composite sandwich construction. This thing rocks. I've been using it for a while now and couldn't ask for more from it. For small to medium gigs it is perfect.
 
#8
And a classic, which is entitled: "If Wishbass made an amp." It's a roughly 150-Watt Class-D power amp, and my two channel blender preamp, on top of my DIY speaker.
 

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#14
Passinwind said:
I've done one or two over the years.:cool:

Link Removed

DIY tube line driver w/2-6SN7 tubes, Jensen input and output transformers.

DIY preamp w/Fender style tone stack, racked with DSP'ed plate amp.

Link Removed

Innards of line driver.

Link Removed

Innards of preamp. It now has a Jensen output transformer installed as well.

Link Removed

SpeakerPower 1000 watt plate amp w/DSP. The whole preamp/amp/rack combo weighs 18 pounds and I've been gigging it very happily for a couple of years now.

Link Removed

I've posted these on TB a zillion times. Details in my profile. EUB and fretless bass always seem to eventually lead to disappointment of one sort or another with commercial cabs, so I guess rolling my own is just inevitable.

I also modify nearly everything commercial that lends itself to doing that at all. Been doing that for something like 40+ years at this point...;)
Click to expand...

:bassist:
 
#17
Well basically i needed a stack for my regular gig, one that i could actually afford....

I had a lot of scrap lumber from an old Cage building project, and found a place that was clearing out Eminence Drivers so...

bonecrushrig.jpg


just ignore that fugly guy on the left...lol

I basically took measurments of a few other well known cab designs, and then used the measurments to help me construct these..

the 4 x 10 is loaded with Eminence Legend BP102's which for some odd reason are slightly different colors than one another (different production runs is all i can figure) sealed cab

the 15 on bottom is an Eminence Neo Basslite C2515 cab is ported in the back

Carpet came from scraps from the local car stereo shop, and the grate is painted hardware cloth the i sandwiched between moulding trim...

I used rubber stoppers under the grate to help absorb any vibration...

corners handles etc. came from parts express

so for less than what i would have spent on one cab i built two....!

somebody told me my handles were upside down but ok whatever they work...lol

oh and i had enough wood left over to make a pedal board as well!
 
#20
Here are some pics of my newly finished bass preamp. I've spent about a year designing and building it in my free time.

3193278121_f4c7766ee8.jpg


3194123824_c84458f5f2.jpg


Features:
Left to right

On the Front:
-Passive and Active input jacks
-Gain Knob
-Volume Knob
-Mute Switch
-Mid Cut Switch
-Low
-Low Mid
-High MId
-High
-Power Switch
-Superbright blue LED

On the Rear:
-Send/Tuner (buffered)
-Return
-Mainout Un-balanced
-Balanced TRS output with level control and ground lift.

22dB output perfect for driving my QSC to the max.
 

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