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Official Ampeg Portaflex Club

#8,065
So after having a wonderful experience using a 1" thick polyfill inside my little BA110 practice amp, I'm pretty well convinced I'm going to convert all my B-15 cabs but my 64 cab to polyfill pretty soon. It's super easy to work with, doesn't make you itch if your arm accidentally touches it, doesn't tear, and works great. I'll leave the 64 alone since Jess redid it, but for the other cabs, this is one break with tradition that I'll be happy to make!
 
#8,066
Jimmy - let me know how things turn out after you pull the fiberglass out of the VB cabinet. I've always used double-sided tape to hold it in, thinking that it would be easier to clean up if someone ever removed the fiberglass. I've never tried it out though so I'm curious to hear how it does.
 
#8,067
Vintage-Blue said:
Jimmy - let me know how things turn out after you pull the fiberglass out of the VB cabinet. I've always used double-sided tape to hold it in, thinking that it would be easier to clean up if someone ever removed the fiberglass. I've never tried it out though so I'm curious to hear how it does.
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I've already had to replace some tape in your cab. When I first got it, I had the bright idea of tying the cables up with a velcro tab, and of course I didn't think it would stick to fiberglass but it does. It tore it off all over the place and wouldn't hold like it once did after that. But the old tape did clean up easily and the new tape is holding up well. The fiberglass is pretty shredded, though, and tufts of it keep coming off. And as much use as your cab gets, it would probably be a good idea to replace it. Always seem to end up having to touch it.

Definitely going to do an AB between polyfill and fiberglass but I'm not predicting any sonic differences. This particular stuff I got for the BA110 is about as dense as the fiberglass, though spongier. And it didn't really make the BA110 sound any different but it cleaned up a sympathetic rattle I couldn't get rid of to save my life.

Hope you don't mind me modding your cab just a bit, but it's getting to the point where I'd have to replace the old fiberglass anyway.
 
#8,068
JimmyM said:
Hope you don't mind me modding your cab just a bit, but it's getting to the point where I'd have to replace the old fiberglass anyway.
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Nope, I don't mind. I was never real crazy about that fiberglass anyway. That's why I've now switched over to doing mine like the Heritage B15s.
 
#8,069
Well I did it when I got home from my gig. The cleanup was super easy and all the old tape came off with no gummy residue. The nice thing about the poly-fill is I could use probably half the tape because it doesn't droop. Probably could have gotten away with less than I used, too, but oh well.

Doing a quick AB of the two cabs at 1 am in my garage, I couldn't hear any difference. I thought it might make a difference because this new stuff I got seemed denser than the stuff I put in my BA110, and it's considerably denser than the fiberglass, but they sound the same to me. Best part was it was on sale for almost half price at JoAnn Fabrics! Nu-Foam in 1" thickness, reg. $14 a yard and I got it for $8 a yard. Nice! Has to be cheaper than the stuff the Heritage B-15 uses ;)
 
#8,070
I'm really trying to figure out why I didn't join this club years ago... sorry... I'm kinda slow. I mean... look at my screen name? Number please. :)

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#8,071
JimmyM said:
Well I did it when I got home from my gig. The cleanup was super easy and all the old tape came off with no gummy residue. The nice thing about the poly-fill is I could use probably half the tape because it doesn't droop. Probably could have gotten away with less than I used, too, but oh well.

Doing a quick AB of the two cabs at 1 am in my garage, I couldn't hear any difference. I thought it might make a difference because this new stuff I got seemed denser than the stuff I put in my BA110, and it's considerably denser than the fiberglass, but they sound the same to me. Best part was it was on sale for almost half price at JoAnn Fabrics! Nu-Foam in 1" thickness, reg. $14 a yard and I got it for $8 a yard. Nice! Has to be cheaper than the stuff the Heritage B-15 uses ;)
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I've been using some yellowish 1" foam in my '63 since I got it, and prefer it over the insulation in my '66 cab. I think just like Marks updated latches or using felt on the baffle board, using an alternative to insulation is a good idea.

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#8,074
I oversize the lining a bit which helps keep it snug. The felt material that I use is stiff enough that it doesn't need any tape to affix it. It looks like Clint's acts the same way. The bottom and sides are lined the same way. I keep an extra piece that I arc over the top when playing. Not sure how much of a difference the extra lining makes but I figure that it doesn't hurt.

Like the B-15, the old Leslie organ cabinets were only lined on the surface opposite the speaker. The reflected waves tend to predominantly move backwards. They used a multilayered paper with air between the layers. Very green for their time.
 
#8,075
Amazon has some good deals on Ampeg equipment at this time of year. They have a couple of HB-15's going for around $5K. Nothing special although nice to see that they are available.

Good deal on a Heritage 810E for $794 with free shipping. I wonder if they are demo units.
 
#8,080
Had I used foam and done more than the back wall, I probably could have gotten away without tape. But this Nu-Foam looks like it will fold up or come loose even if you cut it oversized. Could be wrong, but I already had the tape so I used it.
 

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