Is maple a good choice for a cab?

[Markusv]

Hi Cab builders

I would like your opinions on wood choices for cabs
I have a 2X12 I built for myself in q/sawn pine and it sounds terrific. (Used with L/pool mainly)

A friend wants me to build him the same cab to match his Liverpool but the Liverpool is housed in a stained Maple cab
Weight is not an issue as the amp will not travel much
Is Maple a reasonable option sound- wise though?

Markus V

[10thTx]

I think you will find it has a very bright tone. IF I were doing a cab, I'd be tempted to use a flame or quilt maple veneer over 9-11 ply birch plywood.

You can trim the front with just a solid piece of flamed maple for the edging.

With respect, 10thtx

[Zippy]

I'd be concerned with any monolithic wood - concerned that it is going to ring/resonate at some frequency. Plywood (w/ veneer if you like the look) is acoustically dead - and that's a good thing for most cabinets.

[xtian]

I'd be concerned with any monolithic wood - concerned that it is going to ring/resonate at some frequency.

Agree. Though you can find very nice sounding, all-hardwood cabs.

Plywood (w/ veneer if you like the look) is acoustically dead

Disagree. An acoustically dead box (think 4" thick lead) would sound a lot different than a nice birch ply box. Plywood resonates in a nice way.

[Cantplay]

You can make the same generalizations about tonewoonds in every application.

Pine is very warm sounding. Maple in a cab should be bright just like it is in a neck or fretboard.

John

[Structo]

I don't know what it sounds like but it sure is purdy.

[Markusv]

OOOOH that is just very pretty!

Thanks for the input folks

My Pine cab sounds amazing to me. It is oversized for a 2x12 - semi closed back, loosely based on a Dumble cab though higher and it has incredible balls

I think I will go the plywood route though

Thanks again!

Markus V

[Bob S]

Tom - there should be a law against posting such pornographic material.
Looks awesome.

[10thTx]

That maple head and cab is absolutely spectacular!!!! Incredibly beautiful job.

Maybe build something like that and IF too bright add some type of material like fiberglass or thin particle board sheets to cut down the brightness on the inside of the cab? Hopefully, it will sound OK without that?

I like combining maple and contrasting wood. This is flamed maple and sapele. The sapele was added to the head front panel to help tie the two together.

with respect, 10thtx

[Markusv]

10th

I think what I will do is this:

Use good plywood with maple exterior layer
As I normally combine lighter and darker woods, I may cap the front, back and joints with some walnut.
Then stain and lacquer
(I used solid maple and walnut on his head cab)

M

This is it
Semi- finished without a faceplate and needing some more love and polish
https://picasaweb.google.com/1117398754 ... gust162011

[selloutrr]

You can over come any frequency response with adapting the box volume you may need to do several attempts before you find what works but I see no reason why you can't make a solid wood cabinet sound great.

You should probably start with the data sheet of the speaker you are intending to use and based on it's box volume and frequency chart. I wouldn't be surprised if somewhere on the web they have posted a data sheet for hard wood reflections and absorbsion property.

If you build an open back cabinet all this is pointless make it pretty pick the proper speaker to be the voicing.

If you create a spealed box the trick will be the box volume and speaker recovery and response.

If you port the cabinet it's box volume, port size, speaker, and freq response.

Look for a car audio subwoofer box building program to get an idea of what you need to do.

Structurally as long as your joints, dove tails, or biscuits are solid it should stay together just fine. Keep in mind cabinets that are tolexed can use sub part jointing because the tolex acts as a second form of holding it together. Dove tails are probably the safest way to build a cabinet where weight would be a concern.

[Tone Lover]

Damn all this hot amp porn Im gonna be sportin a woody for days <G>

[Lonely Raven]

Those are some seriously beautiful cabs.

I agree with Sellout. I'd build it out of whatever you want...there are other things that make bigger changes than what hardwood is used in a speaker cabinet, and it can always be adjusted for.

I think the density/deadness of a material makes much more of a difference than the type of wood used. A good example is pine vs MDF. Pine (or plywood or other lively wood) almost always sounds better in a guitar cab vs. the deadness of MDF.

[surfsup]

You guys quit talking this stuff. You're freaking me out about my walnut 1x12 that is presently waiting to be sanded for finish!

[Structo]

I think that maybe Larry built that maple head cab and speaker cab for Moss.