Ampeg cabs grill cloth is distorting the sound

[tjh]

I have never cared for the Ampeg (blue) color of grill cloth, the two cabs I have I changed it to black pet screen … I made a new frame for the screen as well so I could just leave the original intact ...

 

[JGbassman]

GRILL FLAP! YOU GET A LOT OF THAT ON TALK TELEVISION!

Especially listening to politicians!

 

[SactoBass]

I used to own some cabs that the grills fell off during the show. It was kinda cool.

Rock n roll!

 

[lookah]

Had this exact issue with a 67 Ampeg SB-12 (black tolex/gold trim). Super loose grill cloth.

Heat gun set to low/medium worked like a charm in just a few minutes. Tightened the whole thing up like new. Turns out it's also the suggested method on the SB-12's original manual from 1967. The full manual can be downloaded from Ampeg's website.

In my case I used this heatgun. No nozzle attachments were used. Set it to the lower of the two power switch settings and to "5" on the variable red heat wheel. It happens very quickly if you hover over it about 1" to 1 1/2" away. I did not remove the speaker or the baffle. Start on the edges to get a feel for how close and how fast to move on...

 

[agedhorse]

Be very careful doing it this way, it's possible to ruin the grille beyond repair if you are not careful.

 

[lookah]

Be very careful doing it this way, it's possible to ruin the grille beyond repair if you are not careful.

Agreed and I should've been more explicit. Indeed because others had warned about this, I started off very carefully at the lowest possible setting and at farther distances - up to 6" - and gradually increasing heat and moving closer until I started seeing some results. My settings above are what ultimately worked, but I would recommend getting a feel for it. That said, even with the learning curve, it took under 5 minutes

 

[Johnny Fingers]

I used a heat gun to strip the peeling paint from the facia board around the house. When held stationary for a few seconds it would burn the wood. I’m sure it could melt grill cloth, Tolex or even synthetic rat dander quite easily.

 

[lookah]

I used a heat gun to strip the peeling paint from the facia board around the house. When held stationary for a few seconds it would burn the wood. I’m sure it could melt grill cloth, Tolex or even synthetic rat dander quite easily.

Sure. And the heat gun setting I arrived at felt no hotter than a hair dryer set to high. I could hold my hand a few inches away no problem. So again, use common sense, start low and go up gradually or use a hair dryer. I'm just here to report that the method suggested originally in the 1967 Ampeg manual for my amp indeed worked.

 

[lookah]

Before (pic with mic) and after pics