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Custom DIY 2x15 cab build

#143
Looks great John. Great to see some 2x15 love, they have always been my favorite config.
Reminds me of my Acoustic 402. I still have it and hope to one day refurbish it and get it back on stage. It had JBL 140's (D's I believe) and sounded awesome.


Cheers!
 
#144
My personal curiosity would say use the Streamliner just because I've never heard one, heard plenty of SVT's. Selfish agenda there.;)

The SVT might be the better choice just because a lot of people are familiar with the sound, maybe a little easier to hear speaker differences.

You're the one doing all this, it's your call, man.
 
#145
johnk_10 said:
well, K140's are still my favorite sounding bass speaker. i think that the JBLS are smoother and 'prettier' sounding tha the 3015's, but the 3015's ain't no slouch. and rpsands is absolutely right, 3015's don't sound anything like 3102HO's. 3015's are way smoother, have way more low end and ar nowhere near are 'peaky' sounding in the mids.

as far as comparing it to an ampeg 810, it depends on what model/year of 810 you're referring to. my 810 was one of the dark sounding ones before i replaced four of the tens with Jensen mod50's (and it sounds great now), but even then, between my 810 and this 2x15, i actualy prefer the 2x15. it's way louder, smoother and has more low end.

while the grill was off, i did try the 2x15 again today with the ports blocked, and i actually like these 3015's a little more as a sealed cab (but also probably just cuz i'm used to playing thru sealed cabs). it definitely has less lows when sealed and feels 'tighter', but i think i'm going to run them unblocked on my next gig anyway, and control the lows with the eq on my amp.

i'll A/B some clips of this cab against to one of my 2x15 JBL K140 cabs in a day or two and you guys can decide which one you like better.

rather than do the clips with a bunch of heads, would you rather i use the STM900 or my SVT for the clips?
Click to expand...

thank you, very much appreciated :hyper:

Hate to say it, but from a purely selfish and personal perspective I'd like to hear both heads as I'm in the midst of mixing and (mis?)matching new amps w/old speakers and vice versa so some professional experience in the matter would be very helpful here :hiding:
 
#149
i was thinking of just using an SVT since there are more people that have them and are familiar with their tone.
i don't think i can (or even want to) make clips with a bunch of different heads (IMO it would make it more confusing anyway), so if i do use two heads, it will be four clips. i'd use the SVT and the STM900, so it would be the STM900 JBL & 3015 and the SVT JBL & 3015. rather than it being a head comparison demo, it would be a speaker comparison demo.
 
#150
johnk_10 said:
i was thinking of just using an SVT since there are more people that have them and are familiar with their tone.
i don't think i can (or even want to) make clips with a bunch of different heads (IMO it would make it more confusing anyway), so if i do use two heads, it will be four clips. i'd use the SVT and the STM900, so it would be the STM900 JBL & 3015 and the SVT JBL & 3015. rather than it being a head comparison demo, it would be a speaker comparison demo.
Click to expand...


excellent choice from my perspective, thanks! :cool:
 
#151
John, thanks for sharing your cab project, I've been thinking about having something similar built. I've got two 3015-loaded cabs (basically TL606 variants) and each cab weighs about 50 lbs. I'd love to shed the extra weight by going with lighter wood.

If I go with a 5.3 cf enclosure, I'd like to get the drivers just a bit closer to ear level - outer dimensions will be closer to 40" high, 18.5" wide and 14" deep. Ports will be below the bottom driver and will not be covered by the grill.

Aside from the obvious benefit of protection, how does the 51% open area of your aluminum grill compare to the grill cloths used in some classic bass amps?

johnk_10 said:
the 3015's are much less complex and a bit 'stiffer' sounding, but can go much, much louder before they break up. keep in mind that i haven't broken in this pair yet and i'm actually thinking of replacing the paper dust caps on them with some aluminum JBL ones to give them a little more sparkle up top (which i did on my 2512 II's and i love them). if i were to compare the 3015's to a vintage speaker, i'd say that they're closer to sounding like an EV15B but with an EV15L's top end.
Click to expand...

I own some EVM15L's and don't find the top end of the 3015's at all similar. I hear (and like) a pronounced rise in the EVM15L's upper mids and highs, but overall I prefer the 3015's muscular lows and power handling. If you go with aluminum dust caps, let us know if you hear much difference in tone.
 
#152
koobie said:
John, thanks for sharing your cab project, I've been thinking about having something similar built. I've got two 3015-loaded cabs (basically TL606 variants) and each cab weighs about 50 lbs. I'd love to shed the extra weight by going with lighter wood.

If I go with a 5.3 cf enclosure, I'd like to get the drivers just a bit closer to ear level - outer dimensions will be closer to 40" high, 18.5" wide and 14" deep. Ports will be below the bottom driver and will not be covered by the grill.

Aside from the obvious benefit of protection, how does the 51% open area of your aluminum grill compare to the grill cloths used in some classic bass amps?
Click to expand...

i think that would be a nice cab. getting them closer to ear-shot. i just went with symmetry on this one, and also made it wide enough so that if i used it with my SVT, it wouldn't hang over the sides. the 51% grill doesn't seem to have much effect, since it sounds basically the same with or without having the grill. IMO, vintage ampeg or fender grill cloth is pretty 'acoustically transparent'. IME, it's only the tight marshall basket weave types that actually dull down a cab.

koobie said:
I own some EVM15L's and don't find the top end of the 3015's at all similar. I hear (and like) a pronounced rise in the EVM15L's upper mids and highs, but overall I prefer the 3015's muscular lows and power handling. If you go with aluminum dust caps, let us know if you hear much difference in tone.
Click to expand...

i think you're right, the 3015 is probably closer to a 15B than it is a 15L. 15L's have a really nice mid and high end character that not nearly as pronounced in a 3015.

i do think that aluminum dust caps add a bit of top end sparkle, since they noticeably opened up the highs on my 2512 II's, so i probably will install a pair on the 3015's.
 
#158
Joe Louvar said:
John, not counting labor and drivers - how much did the new “JohnK Starliner 215” cabinet cost to build?
Click to expand...

approx:

four: 2'x4"x.5" sheets= $60
one: 2'x4"x.75" sheet= $17
16- SS 10-24threaded inserts= $10
16-SS 10-24 X 1.25"screws= $8
black corner mounting screws= $5
Glue= $6
8 corners= $8
8 feet= $12
Neutrik= $6
1/4" facing strip=$10
3/4" standoff strip= $10
aluminum grill= $57
SS grill mounting screws and washers= $10
silicone standoff cushions (x6) $7
Herculiner covering: $40
SEM vinyl spray paint (x2) $20

so without the speakers. roughly $286
 
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