Jack 12's

[raytsmith]

Thought I'd share my new Jacks. Hopefully the pic will load OK.

Anyway...they are loaded with 3012HO's and sound great. Very clean sound, cuts through the mix like crazy. They should take whatever the CA6 throws at them, but I've never gotten it above halfway in the basement due to the house rattling like crazy.

I've driven them with the F1-X and an Eden Navigator and both sound great. I've also used a Mesa Buster 200 on them and could never get the sound I wanted. The Buster is pretty clean and mid heavy for a tube amp and just doesn't match up well with the Jacks to my ear - it seems to need the distortion of a reflex cabinet to sound right.

Next to the Jacks is a Bag End 410BX-d and a BE 212 (no I don't use them at the same time, they are just stacked like that for space saving). The Jacks get loud a lot quicker than either Bag End and have a lot cleaner sound. The Bags sound somewhat 'fuller' in the low end due to the dr distortion, but that usually gets lost in a live mix anyway. Different animals, but I'm really liking the light weight and clean sound of the Jacks.

[rjohs]

They look great..... what did you use for finish material, it looks orange?

Rich

[raytsmith]

It's an oil based enamel from Sherwin Williams, custom tinted to the 'Yam' color with the grit added on the 2nd coat, then 2 more coats on top.

I was going for a tweed look, but the first color looked way too yellow so I had them darken it up and it came out looking like an Orange cabinet. Not what I was really going for, but they do look pretty good so thats where I stopped.

Its hard to judge color by those little sample swatches, and I didn't want to splurge for a gallon of Duratex not knowing what the color would look like on the cab.

[Tom Smit]

Looks sharp!

[cboogie1]

What did you use for the grill screening? It almost doesn't show up in the pix. Also, what did you do for input jacks and so on? 1/4" or speakon? How do you have the speakers wired, both out of the amp, or out of one into the other (Idon't know what that's called, parallel or series?) I'm building a Jack 12 for a bass speaker,with the same driver, and am thinking I need 2.

[raytsmith]

The grill is the 5/32 material from Reliable Hardware, custom cut to order. A bit expensive, but it looks good - from a side angle you can definitely see the grill in place.

Connectors are 2 combination Speakon / 1/4 inch on each cabinet (from MCM - Leland doesn't carry the combo jacks, but told me who did). Each cabinet is 8 ohm, and right now I run one off each side of the amp, but it could easily run two off each side.

I must say I'm a bit disappointed that no one has commented on my new bass, dammit,...which I also made myself - Bocote neck, curly quartersawn Shedua body with curly maple core and Nordstrand pickups, and Thomastik flatwounds. Oh well - no love here for homemade basses, that's OK... the combination of bass and Jacks sound killer anyway...

[Tom O'Shea]

I love the shedua. It's hard to see from the photo--is the fretboard INSET or is it very wide binding? Looks very nice, however you did it.

Tom O'Shea

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

Oh well - no love here for homemade basses, that's OK...

I made mine, all rosewood.

[tdogg]

more pics? (jacks and bass please!)

[Drey Chennells]

I must say I'm a bit disappointed that no one has commented on my new bass, dammit,...which I also made myself - Bocote neck, curly quartersawn Shedua body with curly maple core and Nordstrand pickups, and Thomastik flatwounds. Oh well - no love here for homemade basses, that's OK... the combination of bass and Jacks sound killer anyway...

I was sure as hell thinking how beautiful it is. Awesome work all around man..

[Gregory East]

I must say I'm a bit disappointed that no one has commented on my new bass, dammit,...which I also made myself - Bocote neck, curly quartersawn Shedua body with curly maple core and Nordstrand pickups, and Thomastik flatwounds. Oh well - no love here for homemade basses, that's OK... the combination of bass and Jacks sound killer anyway...

I was sure as hell thinking how beautiful it is. Awesome work all around man..

+1, just had no idea it was homemade.

[raytsmith]

The fretboard has a relatively wide bloodwood binding. This might show it a little better.

I've since replaced the ebony knobs with amber speed knobs, they look much nicer, color-wise.

[wounded horse]

Was the bass styling influenced by one of those crazy looking Ritter basses? Prince used to use one of their guitars. I like it BTW. Too many generic looking basses around.

[tdogg]

very cool bass. what kind of bridge is that?

[cabedgehead]

Really cool ax mate! Nice boner on it too!