Is it really Tolex? Does it matter?

According to Wikipedia (with no substantiating sources),

My guess is, if Sunn used the term "Tolex" then either they were infringing on a trademarked name, or they were using a different product that was also manufactured by Textileather Corp.

 

It's General Tire and Rubber now, and has been since the 1980s at the very least. They probably bought up the "Textileather" company.

As for does it matter?

YES.

We used BOTH "Tolex" and another fairly widely-used brand, for Crate and Ampeg both. The Tolex stuck better with the glues, the backing cloth was heavier and much better bonded to the plastic material. The competitor backing was like loose cheesecloth, the Tolex like t-shirt material.

We used the competitor only because they had some patterns that Tolex did not.

I really annoyed the competitor with the "hammer test". We covered a piece of board with Tolex, and an identical piece with the "other brand".

I then took a hammer, and hit each one several times at an angle, so that the hammer 'glanced off" the surface, but hit reasonably hard. About like thunking into a doorpost when you are loading in or out.

The Tolex was slightly scuffed, as you would expect. The competitor "brand X" material was scuffed also, but it also de-bonded, so that area was bagging out and no longer glued on. the backing had released from the plastic.

If you or your roadies ever bang things against doorposts, etc, you want Tolex, IMO........ Unless you know the secrets that our cabinet folks knew..... they got the "brand X to stick well, but I don't know what they did.

 

Jerrold,

I think the Tolex/vinyl production was spun off as a new company (Omnova) in 1999.

Back in late 2006/early 2007 I was trying to track down the producer of the Diamond Blue Tolex since, at the time, it had gotten almost impossible to come by. I had been told that Gene Kornblum had gone to General Rubber in the 80's (?) and had a new die made to start producing the checked Tolex again (for the Deja Blue amps). I was never able to confirm if General Rubber/Omnova were still making the Diamond Blue around 2005/2006. Ultimately, it didn't matter, since it eventually became available again, once production had shifted overseas.

I definitely preferred the pre-Loud Diamond Blue Tolex. It seemed tougher and it had a good, strong, DARK backing. The new stuff has a white backing that can be separated from the vinyl. I'll never understand why somebody thought using a white backing on a navy blue vinyl was a good idea! You have to keep a black marker nearby to touch up the edges.

 

yeah, that separation is what I was talking about above......

I don't know about the supplier..... the diamond blue may have been made by the "brand-X" people....... their calendering rollers (the thing that puts in the pattern) were usually cheaper, and they had finally figured out how to make the backing stick.

Or, we might have actually used GTR. I don't have access to the vendor list crossed-over by part number. if teh backing was like a t-shirt it likely was GTR.

 

I read that Tolex was alsoused as the vinyl roofing on automobiles. I don't have the original article in front of me. Any one know if this is true? That stuff was pretty tough.

 

It was used to make the roof on the '76 Thunderbird I had. Ungodly tough.

 

Line X mo bettah?

 

Hmm, well my 70s Sunn sure looks f-ed up. But, maybe it had a rough life.

 

It matters to those who want tolex and lot bed liner.

 

I'm pretty sure I've read that too. For what it's worth, here's a photo of Jess Oliver's car after he had the roof recovered with Ampeg Diamond Blue Tolex:

 

I can't say, but it was certainly used for more than just amps and speakers, as that was far too small a market to sustain production of the product. Besides, Leo Fender almost never used any proprietary parts, as that would have made them more expensive. Fender used Tolex back to at least 1960.
http://www.ampwares.com/amp.asp?id=11

 

Fender advertised Tolex to be from General Tire company as far back as the early 70's - maybe even the 60's but definitely in the early 70's.
Not all amp coverings were Tolex and the old Fenders hold up extremely well. Those old tube amps are tanks.