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Double Bass DIY 12 inch sealed speaker cab

J

jon courtenay

May 15, 2017
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#1
I thought I would share my experience of making a DIY speaker cab for my double bass. I wonder if anyone else has similar experience.

I was, and still am, pretty happy with my GK MB500 and GK Neo 112 cabinet, I can get a great big sound for the double bass with this set up. Then I thought, 'How small and light can I get a 12 inch cabinet to be?' 'Will it sound any good?'

So, for an experiment, I put a 12 inch Eminence neodymium driver (Deltalite II 2512) into a sealed plywood box, about 1 cubic foot, just to see what would come out. I guessed the bass extension would be limited, but I also thought it might have a nice tight punchy sound.

The results are really nice for my double bass. I need to EQ a little extra in the bass, and the overall volume is not as much as the GK Neo 112, but the sound is really clear and musical, I can hear every note, and the articulation is so clear and punchy. If I want to play reggae bass lines, then I would opt for the ported cabinet, but for clear amplification of the double bass, then this DIY speaker cabinet is great.

It's light, cheap, and sounds like a double bass, just a bit louder! All I needed was the driver, some stuffing, plywood, a speaker grille, and a router for making the baffles and rounding the edges, add a handle and some corners.

I suppose that there is a temptation to get the most out of a speaker by making a bigger cabinet or adding reflex ports to extend the volume and bass frequency, but this is also at the expense of clarity, and portability!
 
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#2
Been thinking about a setup like this myself... thanks for posting your experience. In these days of high power Class D amps we can sacrifice a little efficiency for weight and size, I'm thinking. :)

A picture or two would be fantastic, and any other details you can share in terms of material choice, dimensions you used to get to one cubic foot, etc, would be also be great. What would you say it weighs?
 
#3
Sure, picture should appear ...
It's about 9kg compared to 15kg for the Neo 112-II.
I used the standard plywood available here in Taiwan, think it's about 12 mm. The inside is well braced with plywood cutouts. I referenced a couple of sites to look at calculations:
Speaker Box Enclosure Designer / Calculator
Invalid Link Removed
Then I built it to fit a carry case I have available, so the outside dimensions were set to 35cm x 35cm x 35cm.
I added a monacor grille, GK corners, and a spring handle on top. Speakon socket at the back. Spray painted black to hide the rough bits!
I perch it on a chair behind the drummer, so we can both hear it.
I think I like the idea of sealed cabinets for clarity, and
IMG_0713.JPG
so far it is working for my acoustic band setup.
 
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#9
The weight is according to my rough scales here, so not sure how accurate. It is just standard plywood, about 12 mm thick. You might get away with thinner ply, but I wasn't sure about any strange resonances which may appear, especially as plywood sometimes has air gaps in the middle, so I went for the 12 mm. The front is double thickness, and the cabinet includes a lot of bracing to keep it stiff. So possibly it is over-engineered. Plus a metal handle! It doesn't feel too heavy to carry, and the main concern was not too bulky for transport.

I was also concerned whether the high frequency response would be enough for this speaker, but the top end sounds very good to my ears, on my bass.

I haven't pushed it to the limit, but it is definitely not quite as loud as the GK Neo 112.
 
#10
jon courtenay said:
especially as plywood sometimes has air gaps in the middle,
Click to expand...
If you use "cabinet grade plywood", there are usually NO voids or gaps.
I built a small cabinet (for a 15" EVM speaker, rear-ported) out of 1/2" - actually 12mm. - (Russian?) Baltic Birch Cabinet Grade Plywood - beautiful $tuff, but Not Cheap. (Measure twice.....)
Thanks.
IMG_2984.JPG
IMG_2994.JPG
 
#11
Just as a note about plywood: I've used 1/2 inch "BC sanded" plywood from the home improvement store, which is definitely a lower grade than is typically recommended, and it's worked just fine. I don't have any gripe with "baltic birch," except it may be a name that anybody can stamp on anything, and also, I can only get it locally in 4 x 8 sheets, which is a bit much for a 1x12. ;)
 
#12
fdeck said:
Just as a note about plywood: I've used 1/2 inch "BC sanded" plywood from the home improvement store, which is definitely a lower grade than is typically recommended, and it's worked just fine. I don't have any gripe with "baltic birch," except it may be a name that anybody can stamp on anything, and also, I can only get it locally in 4 x 8 sheets, which is a bit much for a 1x12. ;)
Click to expand...
OK. Understood.
I think the most important aspects of cabinet-grade and/or "baltic birch" plywoods is that they are void-free and don't require "Rat Fur" (or any other material) as a cosmetic covering.
I like the clean look of finished wood for cabinets, though I have built and still use my Rat Fur and Upholstery-Material covered cabinets.
Thanks.
 
#13
Don Kasper said:
OK. Understood.
I think the most important aspects of cabinet-grade and/or "baltic birch" plywoods is that they are void-free and don't require "Rat Fur" (or any other material) as a cosmetic covering.
I like the clean look of finished wood for cabinets, though I have built and still use my Rat Fur and Upholstery-Material covered cabinets.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Indeed, the "BC Sanded" plywood isn't much to look at. I'm still trying to use up my gallon of Duratex. :)
 
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#15
Vince Waldon said:
Ha ha... I resemble that statement, and that stuff is expensive for us Canucks. :) :)
Click to expand...
www.speakerhardware.com has it in smaller containers, including quarts and pints. But it's gotten really expensive. Wow. Unfortunately, I haven't found another kind of paint that dries to such a hard finish. Most paints end up somewhat soft and gummy.
 

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