Speaker cab with Eminence-style speaker - Should I put in recessed handles?

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itsgiusto
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Speaker cab with Eminence-style speaker - Should I put in recessed handles?

Post by itsgiusto »

I'm tolexing and finishing a speaker cab that I plan to put a WGS12L (EVM12L clone) into, for use with a Dumble ODS clone I built. I'm pretty proud so far of my work!

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I'm attempting to try to figure out if I should use recessed handles on the side, which require cutting holes into the sides of the cabinet, or if I should simply screw in 3 strap handles on the top. For carryability, I'd prefer the recessed handles, but not if it could impact the tone of the amp negatively.

Do people have experience with this? Does putting in recessed handles have the potential to alter the tone of a EVM12L-style speaker? Or am I just overthinking this?
rootz
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Re: Speaker cab with Eminence-style speaker - Should I put in recessed handles?

Post by rootz »

Nice cab!

Looks like a 2z12, so probably pretty heavy with dual EVM12L like speakers. A good single rubber/plastic will take the load though: those are secured by 2 screws and two bolts with t-nuts on the inside. The handle itself is also mostly plastic covered metal.
Will handles in the side impact te sound? Probably, but also not by a big amount. The defining factor is more the size of the opening in the back, depth of the cab, etc. Now in a closed box or bass reflex (ported) cab it would make more difference as the volume of the box alters.
About those handles: do they actually fit in the side? It seems to me the magnets and/or speaker basket are rather close to a recessed handle bar.
sluckey
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Re: Speaker cab with Eminence-style speaker - Should I put in recessed handles?

Post by sluckey »

You could use some of these tacky looking tool chest side handles... :)

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itsgiusto
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Re: Speaker cab with Eminence-style speaker - Should I put in recessed handles?

Post by itsgiusto »

rootz wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 5:14 pm Nice cab!

Looks like a 2z12, so probably pretty heavy with dual EVM12L like speakers. A good single rubber/plastic will take the load though: those are secured by 2 screws and two bolts with t-nuts on the inside. The handle itself is also mostly plastic covered metal.
Will handles in the side impact te sound? Probably, but also not by a big amount. The defining factor is more the size of the opening in the back, depth of the cab, etc. Now in a closed box or bass reflex (ported) cab it would make more difference as the volume of the box alters.
About those handles: do they actually fit in the side? It seems to me the magnets and/or speaker basket are rather close to a recessed handle bar.
Thanks!

It is a 2x12, but I'm only going to be using one speaker. For the other, I'll likely be putting in a celestion vintage 30 as a dummy, not hooked up.

I'm less concerned with losing volume by adding the handles, if the volume drop is even across the frequency spectrum. I'm more concerned about whether doing such a thing would have an EQ-like impact on the frequency content - if it would lose midrange, or bass or something, negatively impact the tone in some way. Do you know if it might?

I've checked, there's room for the handles on the side, I've placed the speakers and handles inside the box to check.
Last edited by itsgiusto on Wed Sep 22, 2021 6:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
itsgiusto
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Re: Speaker cab with Eminence-style speaker - Should I put in recessed handles?

Post by itsgiusto »

sluckey wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 5:50 pm You could use some of these tacky looking tool chest side handles... :)
Yeah, I could, I've considered it! But I am also concerned about how this would look. I've done so much work to tolex this thing, I don't want to detract from its looks.
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norburybrook
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Re: Speaker cab with Eminence-style speaker - Should I put in recessed handles?

Post by norburybrook »

I have a 2x12 and I use a standard handle on the top . It's what HAD wanted :) I think the recessed handles are wrong for a Dumble cab IMHO...YMMV


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Colossal
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Re: Speaker cab with Eminence-style speaker - Should I put in recessed handles?

Post by Colossal »

Great job! Love the purple and Vox combo. Is it a closed back cab? If so, try your EV with and without the dummy speaker. You might like the "detuned" sound of just loading and running the one EV. It gives a very full and clear sound, very wide, but not harsh in the highs or too tubby in the lows (unless your amp is like that, in which case, it will translate!).
itsgiusto
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Re: Speaker cab with Eminence-style speaker - Should I put in recessed handles?

Post by itsgiusto »

Colossal wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 6:52 pm Great job! Love the purple and Vox combo. Is it a closed back cab? If so, try your EV with and without the dummy speaker. You might like the "detuned" sound of just loading and running the one EV. It gives a very full and clear sound, very wide, but not harsh in the highs or too tubby in the lows (unless your amp is like that, in which case, it will translate!).
Thanks! It actually has panels on the back and the bottom of the front that you can screw in for a fully-closed cab, or remove in order to allow you to either front-port or rear-port the cab. I intend to try each, since I know that sometimes EV speakers are supposed to sound very good front-ported, and also that a lot of Dumble cabs have that oval back-port.
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