• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

speaker cab repair?

T

TimmyGT

May 19, 2008
120
0
42
#1
ok so I don't know if this is the right section for this but what I wanted to know is I got a used Marshall 4-12" AVT cabinet that wasn't in the best of shape when I picked it up and I wanted to know what type of stuff I can do to make it not look so beat up! but it still sounds great so I wanted to give her some TLC! plus the price was right for what I wanted to spend!


some of the problems that I'm looking at;

there isn't a back on the cab, there are some rips in the tilax (I don't think I spelled that right or not), and a small tare in the speaker cover (the cloth part). also it doesn't matter much to me but if it is a easy fix then my head has a gold trim on it where the cab has white!

let me know if pics will help but what should I look at fixing and what should I just live with?
 
#4
Aside from a new back (probably 1/2 or 3/4" plywood) all the stuff you need is available online. Do a couple of searches for "speaker cabinet parts" and you'll find outfits like this:
http://www.bltsound.com

You're probably looking for Tolex (and adhesive), grille cloth and other incidentals. You can have Home Depot cut the back for you if you come in with precise measurements. Remember that if you are going to put Tolex on the back and wrap it around the edges, it takes up room - so don't have them cut the back material too large to prevent wrapping the Tolex around the edges.

Trim color really doesn't matter...but there are metallic paint pens that can do touch-up.
 
#5
well I already picked up the plywood on the way home from work (as that was the thing that was bugging me the most). as for the finish I was thinking about just painting the back black for right now until I think about what type of finish I should put on my cab. the site you linked did sell the piping too that would make them match but the didn't have the grille cloth though. guess I'll google search that later!

I was going to put new speakers in this cab when I have more money to spend (the speakers I want are like $180 ea) so maybe I'll wait on refinishing the rest of it tell I get the new drivers and just do a restore on it at that time.
 
#6
A word of caution - if you paint the new back and then decide to cover it in tolex, you'll have to sand the paint nearly off to get the tolex to look and stick properly all the while you're prepaing the wood too. Of course, I'm an old perfectionist, and to some folks it doesn't really bother them that much if it's less than perfect. Enjoy your project. :cool:
 
#8
mrkreuzschlitz said:
For speakers, check out warehouseguitarspeakers.com


I've heard great things about them. I'd use a mix of their Vintage 30 knock offs and some Lead 80's or whatever they are.
Click to expand...

I already have my heart set on a set of Celestion speakers! thats whats already in the cab now and I just wanted to update them to switch from 8 ohm drivers to a 16 ohm so I can wire them differently.


and thanks for the info Oren Hudson! now I know that I'll need to do some good sanding because I already painted it for now. I still need to go pick up a jack for the back of the unit and I also wanted to pick up a set of casters for it because 2 of the feet where missing so I just took the other 2 off.
 
#10
very nice! a lot of the info I needed to know to get the job done but now the only thing is I would want to redo the head to match whatever I did to the cab! ha ha they match right now (but the cab is a LOT more beat then the head!) and I wouldn't want to change that! maybe I'll just do the back and casters then just leave it the way it is tell the head needs a little pick me up too! maybe even doing the speaker change I wanted to do first then I'll see what I want to do next.

do people ever patch the tolex so it doesn't rip more or stand out as much?
 
#11
I recently retolexed me SVT head and cab.
Much like painting a car the surface has to be real clean and level.
Fill all missing wood with plastic wood,sand the crap out of it. Make sure all old glue is removed.
Use a waterbased floor tile adheisive to glue it down. Use a rolling pin to ensure all air bubbles are out. TAKE YOUR TIME.
 
#15
Stumbo said:
How about reconing the original speakers? Might save some cash.
Click to expand...

I don't know how that would work for changing the ohms of the speakers. could I recone the ones I have to get them to 16 ohms and not the 8 ohms they are at now?

also thanks everyone for all the feed back, I was kinda worried about getting this unit because it is kinda beat up but now that I know it is a common thing to fix the cabs I'm excited because so far I have only spent $80 on buying the unit, $20 in gas to pick it up, and $10 for the new back painted black. the jack and casters shouldn't be more then $20-$30 so $120 or so for something that I'll be able to get a lot of use out of is still a good deal.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back