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What's On Your Workbench?

#4,401
Used to build speaker boxes back in the day. My favorite design was a pair of 18s in a push/pull arrangement iirc it was tuned for the mid 20s and with our 1800W amp we were never able to drive it to distortion (we tried) . The box was something like 20x20x36 (inches) and had 3 ports on the back.

Had a tube SVT and the combo made one hell of a bass rig. It also weighed so much that it wasn't fun to gig with. (Even though it was on casters. )
 
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#4,402
Videojunkie said:
Used to build speaker boxes back in the day. My favorite design was a pair of 18s in a push/pull arrangement iirc it was tuned for the mid 20s and with our 1800W amp we were never able to drive it to distortion (we tried) . The box was something like 20x20x36 (inches) and had 3 ports on the back.

Had a tube SVT and the combo made one hell of a bass rig. It also weighed so much that it wasn't fun to gig with. (Even though it was on casters. )
Click to expand...

Whoa, dual 18s is pretty serious! This one is one the other end of the size/weight spectrum. I currently have a TC BG250 2x10 as a practice amp and I just can't get along with the tone, plus it isn't tiny either. When I finish this it will replace it.

This all started as one of those dangerous thought experiments back when I was building my 12/6/1 cabinet: I wonder what I could do with one of those 10" kappalites? :rollno:
 
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#4,403
We called it "god in a box". It had ridiculous thump. I also used it as the sub for my home theater with the Mackie 1800w amp.

I was the guy with the 8000w stereo from the old Foxworthy joke. Neighbors too loud? Drop some Industry music. Neighbors trying to drop that beat? Drop some metal on that. Good times...

My bass amp is an old GK RB1000 in a 2x10 kickback. It is awesome. I love the features, the GK sound, and how absurdly portable it is.
 
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#4,404
2D35BECF-7E57-444F-A718-8FBE53A4462D.jpeg
I was in the process of building my daughter a violin. She has played for a long time, but always in an orchestra and off the paper. Recently she has been hanging out with a bass player and trying to learn improvisation, and Jazz, but mistakes on a violin scream loudly and she was messing around with a friend’s parlor guitar and said she really liked it and was thinking about buying one of those travel / backpacking guitars she saw …
Hmm, I hadn’t really made it too far in the violin build, and had this bit of walnut for a neck so, let’s try to turn this into a little travel arch-top violin-guitar.
It might work. Hopefully it’s at least as good as a Craigslist travel guitar. If nothing else it’s fun to make stuff. And it’s practice for building my own scroll-top acoustic bass that is probably next on my non honey do project list.
 
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#4,405
the baint said:
Keeping this route of fixes in mind, because I agree some subtle filling might not disrupt the plywood aesthetic, can people chime in with their best suggestions? What would be a good product to fill with?
Click to expand...
Bondo
Do the edge routing you want first. Cover the whole edge with bondo using a squeegee to work it into the gap and voids. Block sand the bondo back to the plywood.

Enjoy!
 
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#4,407
Slidlow said:
Just picked up this Sondar Martian Bass amp:wideyed:. Only 10 watts but has a 12" celestion speaker;). Really bright and articulate and works with the Carvin 5 string I rebuilt really well:thumbsup:. Cost me $15 and it needed a new input jack but now I have a great shop amp to test basses with:bassist::bassist::bassist:.View attachment 4608379
Click to expand...


I would buy that just for the name plate.
 
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#4,409
And again...
20220307_201122.jpg


But earlier I got some time with SigmaStudio and am impressed with what you can do with that ADAU1701. Specifically, I implemented all the audio stuff (crossover, HPF, differential inputs and outputs, per-amp limiters, remote digital gain and auto-EQ), which is nice, but I expected all that.

What I didn't expect was to be able to implement full digital speaker protection into the same DSP. I currently have it setup to monitor all the amp outputs for DC and also monitor the AC line for loss of power for a specified number of cycles. It shuts off the the speaker relays if things get out of shape. It also delays turn-on of the relays for a couple of seconds after the fault is corrected (or when the power comes on), and fades in the audio after the speakers are on. That should prevent any power-on/off pop. It all took a non-trivial amount of setup, as evidenced by this eye chart, but the prototype works better than I had hoped:
dsp.png


Of course, the DSP doesn't come with any hardware to hook up to the speaker outputs, or the AC line, so I needed to build it. Over the weekend I got that designed and laid out and sent off to fab so the boards should be back in the next couple of weeks:
aux_board.jpg


Fun!
 
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#4,410
A little more progress today. And the wood is set up for the “ matching” Bass.
matching like, wood for the necks came off the same board, tops from the same source, and I am building them both. Not much else will match.
And since neither will be loud, I’m gonna need to learn to build some cabs.
A bigger workbench might be cool but I actually like this stool, and I have a few of them if you drive the legs into the ground there is temporary stability
6AC463D9-C701-4063-821C-2ED555E2F4D9.jpeg
 
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#4,413
I really wish I knew what I was doing. butnit was really like, hmm this feels heavy. Let’s take some mass off so it doesn’t dive”. And then. Wait. “It has to be tough. Guys mess with her and then she hits people so I’ll leave it a little strong “.
too much hitting can cause warpage, so I put a truss rod in.
this little set of carving tools is really useful. I bought it at a woodcraft in Michigan in the 1980s.
I wonder if they still have any?
 
#4,414
Crawforde said:
I really wish I knew what I was doing. butnit was really like, hmm this feels heavy. Let’s take some mass off so it doesn’t dive”. And then. Wait. “It has to be tough. Guys mess with her and then she hits people so I’ll leave it a little strong “.
too much hitting can cause warpage, so I put a truss rod in.
this little set of carving tools is really useful. I bought it at a woodcraft in Michigan in the 1980s.
I wonder if they still have any?
Click to expand...


If someone is going to be clobbering people with that guitar may I suggest a steel reinforced headstock or even a lovely spike?
 
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#4,415
So I'm at my son's house and he's working on a solid walnut desk top. He got this product to fill the knot holes, it feeds through hot glue gun, and is sandable once cool.
20220319_190457.jpg

We pre-heated the wood with a hair dryer so the filler wouldn't cool too quickly, filled the knots then quickly pressed it flat with another board and wax paper in-between the two. Shaved it flush with a sharp chisel and gave it a quick sand and wala!
20220319_201125.jpg


Don't know if I'd use it on a guitar, but for a quick fill it was easier than mixing epoxy and waiting for it to cure.
 
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#4,416
postalflunkie said:
So I'm at my son's house and he's working on a solid walnut desk top. He got this product to fill the knot holes, it feeds through hot glue gun, and are is sandable once cool.
View attachment 4627626
We pre-heated the wood with a hair dryer so the filler wouldn't cool too quickly, filled the knots then quickly pressed it flat with another board and wax paper in-between the two. Shaved it flush with a sharp chisel and gave it a quick sand and wala!
View attachment 4627627

Don't know if I'd use it on a guitar, but for a quick fill it was easier than mixing epoxy and waiting for it to cure.
Click to expand...
Very cool, I'm curious to know if it will shrink back at all.
 

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