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First DIY Bass Cabinet Attempt

Midak

Midak

Sep 4, 2011
1,608
1,766
Athens, Greece
#1
Hello to everyone. :)

I am interested in building a smallish bass cabinet - I want something reliable, able to fill a small studio adequately. I am considering two designs, the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] or the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]. Things that matter:
  1. I would like to spend 200€ (max) for the drivers.
  2. I live in Greece, so the cost of everything is higher than what you may be familiar with in the USA.
  3. I am looking for a nice, warm, fat bass tone, being able to record rock basslines, but not boomy or anemic.
I would have gone with the proposed drivers, but they exceed my budget (the Kappalite 3012/15LF alone costs more). So, I am open to suggestions - an option for the main driver is the Eminence Delta 12/15LFA, but I want to make sure that the total drivers-and-cabinet combination will meet my needs.

I am all EARs. :laugh:
 
#2
You could easily build a nice cabinet with either of those drivers to be quite honest, but it wouldn't be a fearful. Your best bet would be to figure something out that fits Eminence's recommended speaker designs. They might do well in those boxes, but I'm not too sure, stuff as I'm in class.
 
#3
Midak said:
Hello to everyone. :)

I am interested in building a smallish bass cabinet - I want something reliable, able to fill a small studio adequately. I am considering two designs, the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] or the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]. Things that matter:
  1. I would like to spend 200€ (max) for the drivers.
  2. I live in Greece, so the cost of everything is higher than what you may be familiar with in the USA.
  3. I am looking for a nice, warm, fat bass tone, being able to record rock basslines, but not boomy or anemic.
I would have gone with the proposed drivers, but they exceed my budget (the Kappalite 3012/15LF alone costs more). So, I am open to suggestions - an option for the main driver is the Eminence Delta 12/15LFA, but I want to make sure that the total drivers-and-cabinet combination will meet my needs.

I am all EARs. :laugh:
Click to expand...

Basically, if you can't afford/don't want to use the recommended drivers, choose another design. Check out Bill Fitzmaurice's site, his plans offer some alternatives in drivers.
 
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#5
Midak said:
Hello to everyone. :)

I am interested in building a smallish bass cabinet - I want something reliable, able to fill a small studio adequately. I am considering two designs, the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] or the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]. Things that matter:
  1. I would like to spend 200€ (max) for the drivers.
  2. I live in Greece, so the cost of everything is higher than what you may be familiar with in the USA.
  3. I am looking for a nice, warm, fat bass tone, being able to record rock basslines, but not boomy or anemic.
I would have gone with the proposed drivers, but they exceed my budget (the Kappalite 3012/15LF alone costs more). So, I am open to suggestions - an option for the main driver is the Eminence Delta 12/15LFA, but I want to make sure that the total drivers-and-cabinet combination will meet my needs.

I am all EARs. :laugh:
Click to expand...

If those are the drivers that fit your budget, I encourage you to build around them. I dont recommend using the fEARful plans though, if you are using those drivers.
 
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#6
eukatheude said:
Basically, if you can't afford/don't want to use the recommended drivers, choose another design. Check out Bill Fitzmaurice's site, his plans offer some alternatives in drivers.
Click to expand...
CL400Peavey said:
If those are the drivers that fit your budget, I encourage you to build around them. I dont recommend using the fEARful plans though, if you are using those drivers.
Click to expand...
I completely understand this, do you have any specific cabinet in mind?

JoeVictim said:
You need a TL606.

http://mypicsonline.net/archive/archives.telex.com/archives/EV/Builders Plans/TL606 Builders Plans.pdf
Click to expand...
Is there no need for mid/high frequency reinforcement with it? Just a plain 15''?
 
#15
Bill Fitzmaurice Simplexx line - two way so cheaper than the fearful designs, and with a range of drivers from the cheap to the not so cheap. I think they are all Eminence though so which aren't as cheap in the EU as other options..... just all the designs you see seem to be American based where Eminence are one of the best options.
I do wonder if there is a German version of Bill Fitzmaurice or Greenboy sat somewhere with a load of plans up using EU made drivers (if there is please tell us!)
 
#16
CL400Peavey said:
I have no idea what those drivers cost you. I if the 15 interest you, the EVM 15B Proline is the driver I would look at.

Since you are not too far away are Faital pro speakers expensive?
Click to expand...

I have been meaning to build a 606 for a while, and would be very tempted to try a Faital! I'd build the cab with 1/2" ply and bracing, rather than the 3/4" in the original plans. I have a like new rebuilt/reconed EV 15B Pro sitting in the closet, which is a great speaker for sure, but heavy as heck. My old back doesn't like heavy any more.

:cool:
 
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#19
"Warm and fat" with your budget, and only needing to fill a studio, says an Eminence Delta12LF in a fairly simple ported box of roughly 2-2.5 cu.ft. in size. (55-70 liters).

I'd look at Eminences cab design pdf's for that driver and find one that comes close to that, adjusting as necessary.

For a "bigger/louder/more" warm and fat cab, consider Emi.'s CB158, again in a ported box somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 liters, again consulting eminences cab design pdf's. Likely be the "medium vented box" design for either driver.

Either of those will get you a full, classic tone, with good power handling, not too expensive, and likely to get a good result from a first design/build.

Get that under your belt and enjoy playing it. Then get into higher performance stuff, 2 or 3 way designs, crossovers, etc.

The Fearful is a good design, but out of your budget, and is designed as more of a Fullrange/Flat response cab...more along the lines of a small personal PA system for your bass. Won't automatically give you "warm and fat" by default. Likely to midrangey and clear for you without more knob twisting/signal processing upstream.
 

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