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custom bass rig

matt_mcgivney

matt_mcgivney

May 21, 2012
140
8
Kingston, pa
#1
ok all i want to make a rig for small shows.100w with a single 15. so i want the cabinet to be a fliptop. cash is a issue or i would have bought a portaflex. so that the cabinet im going to base it from. but the cabinet will be oak which i have alot laying around.now for electonics remember low buck. what do i have to choose from looking on the used end.and then a speaker choice. the rig is for me to a duo shows with my cigarbox. would like a line out on the amp.here is the bass
 
#9
matt_mcgivney said:
amp sorry
Click to expand...

no worries ;)

Lots of very good used choices out there, for homework I'd start looking at GC's website for used bass amp heads in the 100 to 200 dollar range. I'd personally spring for a used GK 400RB, can get those from 150 to 200 all day long.

As for cab designs and drawings take a look at the Stickies here in the AMPs section, lots of interesting DIY designs with a lot of detail including 1-15s.

Any particular reason you want a ported 1-15?
 
#11
matt_mcgivney said:
figure a more of a challange. and better sound
Click to expand...

challenge compared to what and how will it sound better and compared to what?

Not trying to be antagonistic but trying to understand your goals better, anyone building a cigar box bass deserves their due design process ;)

FWIW I'm a big 15s fan but that's because I'm generally using vintage drivers to get a more, well, vintage sound. But not all the time..........

Edit: when you say you have oak wood do you mean actual solid oak or oak plywood? Solid wood cabs for bass aren't going to be a great choice unless you want to go through the trouble of doing constrained layer construction, ie laminating some plywood (eg 1/4" to 3/8" thick or more) for dampening. You are in effect creating a large guitar or bass body otherwise, very resonant and heavy....
 
#15
matt_mcgivney said:
i have oak ply also i see what your saying it would be a resonanting vibrating cube on the floor. i dontt want to go through all the work and have issues. i would like a vintage tone and sound. what would you recomend
Click to expand...

Oak ply is heavy but sure makes for a nice looking and solid cab, just make sure you put casters and a couple of handles on it.

Take a look at the Greenboy fEARLESS website for bracing ideas, or you could go this route with dowels (thanks to Bill FitzMaurice):

BFM Cabinet Bracing Scheme.jpg


My favorite go-to for vintage (in a ported cab) tone is the Eminence CB158. In a ca. 3 cu ft cab you can't go wrong, just over $100 :cool:

Cheaper are the Eminence Beta and Delta 15s but they do better in sealed cabs.
 
#18
dhsierra1 said:
Cheaper are the Eminence Beta and Delta 15s but they do better in sealed cabs.
Click to expand...
I have Deltas in my B-15 repro cabs which are ported and they sound so much like the 66 CTS in my actual 64 cab that it's crazy. They're good for sealed cabs but they work well in ported cabs, too.

I think it's a very doable project if you can cut and glue wood, but that bracing scheme pictured above may need to go if you make a fliptop cab, as the dowels + fliptop lid = fail. There's some info about Portaflex dimensions and build in some of the many Portaflex club threads on here, but you'd have to dig through them to find the info you want. Or you can look for TL606 plans. That's a bigger cab than the PF cabs but it's a very solid design that more closely resembles the 70's Portaflex cabs. Or you can go a little bit more modern and check out some of the earlier fEarful plans.
 

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