I'm nearing the point of covering my Magnatone 260A guitar amp cabinet rebuild, found some leatherette that is a really good match for the original.
Now I got to figure out how much I need to order. The material is 54" wide and sold by the yard.
The amp is 26x21x9. Open front and back, other than a couple of access panels, 7 inches tall, 4 inches tall and 7/8" tall by the 24/5" inside width.
I think the smart way is to cut the long cabinet dimensions (26 and 21) from the short dimension (36) of the leatherette fabric. That would leave < 10" of trim from the longest (top and bottom) cutoffs, and < 15" from the left and right sides. At 9" of cabinet depth plus the wrap around of about an inch front and back and some extra, I'd guess ~ 15" would be plenty.
So the first cuts off the 54"x36 cloth would be:
36x15 (covers 26x9 top)
36x15 (covers 26x9 bottom)
36x15 (covers 21x9 left side)
36x15 (covers 21x9 right side)
So about 60" along the fabric's 54" width, and you can't count on the width being usable. So need more than a yard, I'd have to buy 2 yards, for 54" width and 72" long roll. Then maybe I cut it from the other direction.
Been a long time since I covered a cabinet.
What am I missing here?
Estimating covering yardage for an amp cabinet
Moderators: pompeiisneaks, Colossal
Re: Estimating covering yardage for an amp cabinet
If I were doing this, I'd want to wrap the two sides and top with one single piece. Assuming 26 is the width (top) you need 21+26+21 = 69". The material is standard 54" wide, so you will need to buy two yards to get that one big cut. Use the full 72". You'll need the extra 3" so you can fully wrap the bottom corners. (Remember to keep it wide enough to wrap inside from the front and back.) I wouldn't try to get this done from one yard. You run the risk of failing with one yard and then buying two more yards. Besides, with one yard, you will have too many seams at places that don't work very well. With one long piece to cover three sides, you can fit a smaller bottom so the seems are not at the corners. Seams at the corners will open up.
Re: Estimating covering yardage for an amp cabinet
Ahh, good point.
I have the original cabinet, but it is in many pieces due to water damage, as it seems to have sat on a damp floor for an extended period of time. The original covering is really thin leatherette and it is kind of hard to tell where the cuts and seams were.
To make it worse, the corners are sharp and the joinery is groove and dado, not finger jointed like Fender style cabinets were.
I see what you mean, one long piece for the top and two sides, with the bottom being a separate piece. That would make sense. The bottom end has a 7/8" tall panel in front to block in the floating baffle board and a 4-inch tall back fence that's permanently attached. (where Fender would have a detachable lower panel). It makes sense to wrap the bottom separately.
The baffle is fully-floating. The baffle goes in after assembly and covering, is held in from the rear by cleats in the bottom, and screwed to a cross rail under the top panel from behind, then the metal "Magnatone" emblem is screwed in.
The top is not as deep as the rest of the cabinet, as the chassis face rearward and has an angled control panel. A little more tricky to trim and cut to fit.
Here's a link to a really good example of what this one should look like:
https://trcrandall.com/products/1950s-m ... -amplifier
The corners are just 3/4" plywood butted together, and I think the splits happened with age, not intentional cuts. I could be wrong. Also, no "overlap" in the covering, as one would see on a Fender amp.
I have the original cabinet, but it is in many pieces due to water damage, as it seems to have sat on a damp floor for an extended period of time. The original covering is really thin leatherette and it is kind of hard to tell where the cuts and seams were.
To make it worse, the corners are sharp and the joinery is groove and dado, not finger jointed like Fender style cabinets were.
I see what you mean, one long piece for the top and two sides, with the bottom being a separate piece. That would make sense. The bottom end has a 7/8" tall panel in front to block in the floating baffle board and a 4-inch tall back fence that's permanently attached. (where Fender would have a detachable lower panel). It makes sense to wrap the bottom separately.
The baffle is fully-floating. The baffle goes in after assembly and covering, is held in from the rear by cleats in the bottom, and screwed to a cross rail under the top panel from behind, then the metal "Magnatone" emblem is screwed in.
The top is not as deep as the rest of the cabinet, as the chassis face rearward and has an angled control panel. A little more tricky to trim and cut to fit.
Here's a link to a really good example of what this one should look like:
https://trcrandall.com/products/1950s-m ... -amplifier
The corners are just 3/4" plywood butted together, and I think the splits happened with age, not intentional cuts. I could be wrong. Also, no "overlap" in the covering, as one would see on a Fender amp.
Re: Estimating covering yardage for an amp cabinet
Picture is worth... I think I should retract the 3 sides 1 piece approach. I was thinking Fender/Marshall style where you can wrap around continuously. If your cab looks like that when assembled and problems fixed, it is a 4 piece cover job and you'll want to start with oversized pieces. The only thing going for it is that it looks like all the cuts are at right angles. No 45 degree corners, which are a real PITA. I'd still buy 2 yards. When (not if) you make a mistake, you'll be very glad to have spare material. Good luck with that one.