• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Building my first cab

Sort by date Sort by votes
#6
1. IMHO you really should consider a pair of 215s.
2. The cab and drivers work as a system. You need to do more than dropping a random set of 15s into and random box. FYI, Eminence has cab design docs for most of the pro drivers and some of the bass specific drivers. Otherwise there are computer programs/apps that can be used to do the necessary modeling.

Here is the cab design doc for the Eminence Kappalite 3015: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0270/8665/1462/files/Kappalite_3015_cab.pdf

These cab designs tell you the internal volume of the box, number of ports, and dimensions of the ports. The assumption is you can design and build a box to conforms to the design parameters.

@bassboysam had some 215s built a while back. My memory is he loved them, but wound up moving on after a few years do to the portability issue.

A 215 can actually be made fairly light and transportable. I have a Greenboy Dually loaded with a pair of Faital 15PR400. This is a tilt back design that balances and rolls very easily. Also it's light enough that I can lift it with one hand over obstacles like a curb or a few stairs. Not sure if anyone is still building Greenboy designs. cab details - Dually
 
  • Like
Reactions: 12bass
Upvote 0 Downvote
#7
Masonc said:
I thought it would be a really fun project to build a massive cab no real reason.
Click to expand...
I have some experience with that :bag:.

I built a pair of EV TL405. Each cab is 13 cu ft. Way to big to gig. I have moved them around my house by myself by rolling each cab end to end. I have also stacked them by myself, by essentially rolling one cab on top of the other. I built these in pursuit of extended LF response. They play down into the mid 20hz range.

If I had it to do again, I would probably build TL505s which are 7.1 cu ft each...still too big.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TheDuff, Deloofs and rodl2005
Upvote 0 Downvote
#8
Masonc said:
I thought about a 2x15 for a bit. I thought it would be a really fun project to build a massive cab no real reason.
Click to expand...
Back in the "rolled and pleated" days of Kustom, they offered a 3-15 cab. I had one and it was killer. You could use three 8 ohm speakers in parallel which will give you 2.67 ohm load and that allows you to use some of the newer Class D amps (Mesa, Bergantino, etc).
Either that or perhaps you could locate one of those cabs. Here are some photos.

IMG_0703.jpeg
IMG_0704.jpeg
IMG_0705.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: rodl2005, Kindness, DannyW and 6 others
Upvote 0 Downvote
#11
Wasnex said:
1. IMHO you really should consider a pair of 215s.
2. The cab and drivers work as a system. You need to do more than dropping a random set of 15s into and random box. FYI, Eminence has cab design docs for most of the pro drivers and some of the bass specific drivers. Otherwise there are computer programs/apps that can be used to do the necessary modeling.

Here is the cab design doc for the Eminence Kappalite 3015: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0270/8665/1462/files/Kappalite_3015_cab.pdf

These cab designs tell you the internal volume of the box, number of ports, and dimensions of the ports. The assumption is you can design and build a box to conforms to the design parameters.

@bassboysam had some 215s built a while back. My memory is he loved them, but wound up moving on after a few years do to the portability issue.

A 215 can actually be made fairly light and transportable. I have a Greenboy Dually loaded with a pair of Faital 15PR400. This is a tilt back design that balances and rolls very easily. Also it's light enough that I can lift it with one hand over obstacles like a curb or a few stairs. Not sure if anyone is still building Greenboy designs. cab details - Dually
Click to expand...
Scabbey Road (Paul Tollini) is still building the Greenboy cabs but he's the only one. If someone wants to build their own Greenboy fEARful cab, Speaker Hardware (Leland Crooks) is still selling "flat packs" and all the components.
Either way you get a phenomenal cab. Here's my current set-up: a Greenboy fEARless F112 and a matching sub. It's really more than I need but is kicks hard and sounds great. Imagine what the same set-up would be with 15s.

IMG_4661.jpeg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: rok51, Blues Bass 2, edwinhurwitz and 4 others
Upvote 0 Downvote
#13
Pep said:
If someone wants to build their own Greenboy fEARful cab, Speaker Hardware (Leland Crooks) is still selling "flat packs" and all the components.
Click to expand...
That's the route I took , the results were fantastic. I would never have imagined that my (lack of) skills could produce a cab superiors to any of my purchased cabs, but the components and design of GreenBoy's fEarful cabs is hard to beat.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Deloofs, M-Mittlesteadt, edwinhurwitz and 2 others
Upvote 0 Downvote
#14
Masonc said:
Hey, I'm planning on building my first cab. A 4x15 to be specific. Anyone have any tips? And any recommendations for speakers?
Click to expand...
Sounds awesome!

Do you understand what Thiele/Small parameters are, and how to use them?
 
  • Like
Reactions: agedhorse and 6thplanet
Upvote 0 Downvote
#15
Pep said:
Back in the "rolled and pleated" days of Kustom, they offered a 3-15 cab. I had one and it was killer. You could use three 8 ohm speakers in parallel which will give you 2.67 ohm load and that allows you to use some of the newer Class D amps (Mesa, Bergantino, etc).
Either that or perhaps you could locate one of those cabs. Here are some photos.

View attachment 7396459View attachment 7396460View attachment 7396461
Click to expand...
Careful you don't blow it up using those 800-watt Class D amps. They'll put out all 800-watts into 2.67Ω and those old Kustom cabs weren't designed to handle anywhere near that amount of power. Typical power back then was 200-watts in a high-powered amp back in the 60's and 70's.
 
  • Like
Reactions: agedhorse
Upvote 0 Downvote
#18
My first bass cab was a 4x12 Sound Musical Instruments cab. It was approx 48" high by 36" wide by 16" or 18" deep. I have no idea if it was designed for the drivers. In those days I think the rule was "bigger is better". It was loud but OMG was it a pain to transport.

In the nineties I bought a second-hand Peavey 1820 cab. It was a smaller package but just as heavy, if not heavier. I sold it to a young guy who was into doom metal. He was glad to get it and I was glad to see it go. Now I'm an old man with a Rumble, but at least I can still carry it myself.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
#19
If you're determined to build a monster cab, then I suggest you

1: build a separate compartment for each driver
2: design it so you can readily convert it to 2x or 1x without too much work. Mark where youbwould need to cut for instance.
3: to facilitate 2 use paint of some kind not tolex or rat fur.
4: consider wiring each compartment separately.

Then, should you decide its too unwieldy, it won't be to big a deal.

But, were it my project, i think I'd build 4 identical 1x15s that lock together with butterfly fasteners.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ninjatanzen
Upvote 0 Downvote
#20
I'll add my voice to the chorus of folks recommending against building a 415 cab -- if you build it large enough to be an efficient, effective cab, it's going to be just too dang big. It doesn't matter if you have transportation for it, you're just bound to encounter situations where you can't use it for one logistical reason or another. Not to mention how big a PITA it would be to schlep around, even in the best of circumstances. And not to mention the difficulty of handling a large cab like that during construction.

My vote is for two 215 cabs if you're determined to go this direction. Also, select your drivers before you get too far along on the design process -- the cab(s) need to be designed for the drivers, rather than designing the enclosure and then finding drivers to fit it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ninjatanzen, DJ Bebop and retslock
Upvote 0 Downvote

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back