gigging WITHOUT cabinet grill cloth

[five7]

All those empty Marshall cabs wouldn't look the same without grill cloth.

 

[Ostie]

A grille cloth can act as a highly focused filter. Long waves can pass through whereas short waves are attenuated. it's called a cloth because it scrubs the combined waves emanating from the speakers, filtering them into separate time aligned signals. The grille cloth also reduces reflected waves into the speakers, attenuating back EMF in them.

Believe this, you read it on the interweb.

Nobody can hear the difference. Their ears are all damaged.

 

[ardgedee]

the who probably have THE most energetic guitarist, front man and drummer, yet john entwistle is perhaps histories most non-energetic bass player. i bet by the end of every show there's a little dimple in the stage where he was standing. not related to anything at all, but that's just sort of funny.

He was protecting his gear from the other guys.

That's not even a joke.

 

[logdrum]

I am the opposite - I prefer grill cloth or fine metal grille - something that doesn't look like an animal cage. I do not like those driver only protectors, they look really cheap - like something you would put on an oversized car stereo.

Studio monitors definitely off

 

[Zoffy]

haha was it a fall, your headstock, or a drunk patron/bandmate?

Actually, none of the above. We were setting up in a rehearsal studio and the drummer was not paying attention as he was bringing in his gear; the back of a boom cymbal stand ended up through a driver. I patched it with white glue and a coffee filter and it lasted for a while, but these days drivers are too expensive to risk damage

Great job, looks awesome.

Thank you. I'm going to finish it up with some white/black pinstriping when I have time.

 

[feterpatch]

I have to admit, when I used to tour with 2 SVT cabs I would take the grill cloth off because I thought 16 10's looked cool.

 

[buldog5151bass]

It's fun watching the speakers move, until they get hit an damaged.

 

[Johnny Fingers]

Gotta have something the thrown beer bottles will bounce off of.

 

[Ggaa]

Saw a singer drop a mic through a monitor speaker with no cover.....

 

[WillyW]

I find that using a directional instrument cable protects my drivers from damage, so into the dumpster the covers went.

 

[vvvmmm]

... I think they like to look at the speaker tech they've paid such money for.

FWIW, some take the cloth off mixing monitors to observe the woofers. It is not unheard of to actually touch the woofers, also, apparently to gauge excursion.

Me, I like the metal on my GK 2x12 Neo cab, and my Bag End 1x12.

 

[Michedelic]

this made me think of keith moon stabbing holes into john entwistles amps (which has never happened), and then it made me realize… the who probably have THE most energetic guitarist, front man and drummer, yet john entwistle is perhaps histories most non-energetic bass player. i bet by the end of every show there's a little dimple in the stage where he was standing. not related to anything at all, but that's just sort of funny.

That was the whole point, the other three were bouncing around like, uh, pinballs, and he remained in one spot to tether down all the kineticism. In that way , he ironically stood out more.

 

[Michedelic]

I don't mind full baffle metal grills, but those pie plate things look cheap and horrible. They remind me of all that garbage gear you see in pawn shops.

 

[vvvmmm]

That was the whole point, the other three were bouncing around like, uh, pinballs, and he remained in one spot to tether down all the kineticism. In that way , he ironically stood out more.

I was always impressed by how Daltrey could swing a mic, which reminds me of the time I saw Iggy do a slamming mic drop and hit a monitor, the mic ricocheting back into his face (that guy knows more ways to bleed on stage than anyone.)

 

[funkinbottom]

Like others, I like the metal grill for each individual driver.

 

[dave64o]

All of my cabinets have metal grills. Sure, they're probably not perfect, complete protection. But I figure that any impact severe enough to damage the drivers in spite of the metal grills in front of them would likely damage the speaker cabinets whether or not the metal grills were strong enough to protect them.

 

[fdeck]

Before I caved and started using pre-made grills (they're so cheap), I made a grill using regular grill cloth, but with heavy duty fiberglass bug screen hidden behind it. It looked nice, but was also quite protective.

 

[2cooltoolz]

I am the opposite - I prefer grill cloth or fine metal grille - something that doesn't look like an animal cage. I do not like those driver only protectors, they look really cheap - like something you would put on an oversized car stereo.

I don't mind full baffle metal grills, but those pie plate things look cheap and horrible. They remind me of all that garbage gear you see in pawn shops.

Yup

 

[spantini]

In the mid 70's, I had an Earth head and 215 cab. One night at practice the grille fell out and I couldn't get it to stay in without attaching it somehow - which I never did, so I left it off. I kinda regretted leaving it off as 7 years later, while jamming at another drummer's house, one of his sticks took off and shot straight into my top speaker. That made for some sweet distortion but..

I gifted him the amp and cap, then bought a new setup.

 

[Gothic]

I also like the look of a cab without a grill cloth covering, but (as I have learned from experience ) want something covering and protecting the drivers. I reworked this Ampeg unit with new Legend BP102-4 drivers and decided to go with metal grill covers rather than replacing the stock cloth. For me, it's not worth having a drumstick or other projectile damage an already fragile component.

View attachment 4401882

That looks so metal I'd actually consider completely wrecking my spine lugging it onto a stage.