What do you like your amp/cab covered in?

[Steve Dallman]

I used bedliner on my current cabinets. I'll use Duratex next time. I've used carpet on a few.

Tears in tolex get glued back down and filled, along with dings with Mars Black acrylic artis's paint. It is liquid vinyl and dries to the same look and sheen as tolex. One tube lasts for years of repairs.

On older cabinets I used oil based, black floor paint. It was tough and easily touched up with spray paint. A gallon did several cabinets with plenty left for other cabinets.

 

[Jeff K]

I don't really care, as long as it sounds good. But unlike most of you, I DO like rat fur for one main reason. It's great for sticking the velcro cable ties to. I never have to look around for the ties after a gig or practice. But looks-wise, not so much...

 

[96tbird]

Chocolate or bacon. But I'm digging the new/old diamond tolex on my Ampeg PF gear.

 

[Chef]

The Bergantino version isn't very durable, yup. They sell touch up kits, but, with that finish you really should have a good cover.

 

[gjbassist]

The Line-X/bed liner type covering is my favorite. I had a Dr. Bass cabinet for a while that was covered with it and it was so durable!

Tolex would be my second favorite. Not as durable but I like the way it looks.

I hate rat fur! Don't like the look of it or the way it attracts lint, dirt, smoke and cats!

 

[Russell L]

I prefer Tolex or that bed liner kind of stuff, but alas, mine are rat fur. At least the ones I gig with now are. It's plenty durable, and I can stick cord ties and other stuff to it, but oh, the dog and cat hair, not to mention pine needles and other trash that gets on them. Ugh.

 

[grey area]

sorry guys, i got the girls first, but you can take the cheerleaders, i prefer gals that can cook breakfast.

 

[astack]

I think the rat fur-covered cabs I've had held up well (no cats).

For my DIY builds, I can't get away from tolex though. Just a classic look and with the right stuff wears well.

I want to do a natural / epoxy covered cab, though. I've seen a few really cool ones here.

I'd think if your panels are vibrating enough for the covering to have an effect, there are larger problems.

 

[4-stringB]

I would love to have a fearful cab covered in charcoal mettalic tuck and roll....

I didn't do the Greenboy 15subs, just the head. That was costly enough.

 

[jokerdean]

I didn't do the Greenboy 15subs, just the head. That was costly enough.

Looks quite snazzy 😀

I'm currently doing my old Marshall cab up and have been torn between finishes, but I think I'm gonna go with some Marshall black elephant grain tolex. Will get some pics up when I can ;-)

 

[lossfizzle]

I have not tried this on an amp, certainly haven't tried doing tuck and roll with it a la 4-stringB (that looks AWESOME, by the by), but I bought several yards of [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] as a drum wrap substitute, saving about $300 over "proper" wrap in the process.

It's about the thickness of tolex and seems like it should be at least as durable if applied right (look at old / original Kustoms on average, I guess?)... not a big cost savings over tolex overall, though. So many awesome color choices - there are maybe four shades of "standard" tolex I can personally stand, but it's actually really hard to pick a color when you see all the swatches of this.

The stuff looks so cool on drums that I've been planning to build a 12-string console steel guitar with two colors of this as a "finish" for about a year now.

Speaking of colors - dumb question maybe, but is Duratex / Line-X color-able? I've never seen a cab done in that and I've never seen a truck bedliner done in any color other than black.

 

[MrLenny1]

Rat fur.
The Bag End has held up rather well for 15 years.

 

[Jazzdogg]

The Line-X/bed liner type covering is my favorite. I had a Dr. Bass cabinet for a while that was covered with it and it was so durable!

Tolex would be my second favorite. Not as durable but I like the way it looks.

I hate rat fur! Don't like the look of it or the way it attracts lint, dirt, smoke and cats!

+1

The coating on my old Dr. Bass cabs was bulletproof, and looked great.

Tolex looks great, but it's easily damaged.

Just say no to rat fur!

 

[BassmanPaul]

$100 bills

Money was my first thought!!


It means I'me gettin' paid for the gig.

 

[Nvr2old]

I wanna try stripping it, sanding, taking a torch to it to scorch it, and then using the pourable polyurethane..

Like this?

 

[Primakurtz]

I'm kind of old fashioned. I like tolex, covered in whiskey and groupies.

Rat fur is seriously practical, as is Duratex. At the end of the night, I don't really care.

 

[HolmeBass]

Funny, I agree with everything everyone has said about rat fur- the good and the bad. It does end up looking and smelling like hell, but it is the toughest covering and the hooking velcro cable ties to it- very, very handy. It's not that great in the rain as it doesn't shed water.

 

[Mousekillaz]

I have a Carvin Brx 2.10 neo that's covered with Duratex. I now find anything else to be unsatisfactory.

 

[Just George]

Tolex.... It's IMO beautiful, comes in many varieties and since I'm pretty careful with my gear and use covers, the durability factor is not much of an issue for me.

 

[Downunderwonder]

The correct answer is cheerleaders.