After some deliberation I went with the T39. My subs were the weak point in my setup, so that is why I decided to build one. I was using the Yamaha CW118V's with QSC HPR153's on top. The HPRs are great sounding while the CW's just get by.
I finished the T39 (3012LF loaded, 20" wide) in about a week and a half, with some help of forum members I got a few kinks worked out and fired it up at my church (I didnt feel like setting up all my stuff when I could just set a crossover and plug it in there
) The church holds about 120 people comfortably, and that one T39 had the walls shaking. Being a building built in the 50's or 60's there were tons of rattles coming from everywhere. Needless to say I was impressed. I was able to give it a better test when a band came in the following week and played. Their bassist couldnt believe the sound. After hearing what one T39 sounded like I knew I needed some more of them. I ordered more parts and had another built in less than 2 weeks. I took them both to an outdoor gig that my band was playing. I didnt V-plate, just had them standing on end, side by side. They sounded great. It was hard for me to even believe that I built them.
By this time, after hearing what Bill's cabs sounded like, I decided to build some tops for my T39's. I told my band members this and the looked at me like I was crazy. HPR153's are awesome sounding speakers, just not very loud. I originally was going to build some DR250's. After looking at the plans I thought that might be a little bit out of my league. I know that I could build them, I just knew that it would take forever. So I ordered some OT12 plans. This was more my style. Very easy to build.
I ordered parts for 4 OT12's (2512 loaded with a melded array) from Leland (very helpful guy), and had the first one built in a few days. After a few hours of troubleshooting my melded array, and help from forum members again I got it working. (hint read the plans carefully, I had a wire backwards
) After getting it working and throwing a T39 under it to hear them together, I was again suprised by the sound. I could believe how these sounded. And how LOUD they get. IMO an OT12 with a T39 sounds MUCH better than a HPR153, costs less, weighs less, and takes up about the same space. My guitarist came in and heard the combo and was blown away. Then he reminded me of a parade gig we had coming up. I needed to finish the other 3 OT12's and 2 more T39's in 2 weeks. After many late nights, sometimes until 2am I finished mounting the last of the hardware on the final T39's about 20min before we were to start setting up the float. We set up in a warehouse that is used to work on motor homes and semi trucks. It was about the size of a football field (maybe a little wider, it was huge) and the ceilings were about 30 feet high. I got everything assembled after crafting a few more cables (good thing I had some extra ends!) and fired it up. My bassist complained that stuff was falling in his hair when the kick drum was hit. It sounded great. And how loud it was. And that I built these things (4 OT12's and 4 T39's) for about $2000 total price.
The OT's outrun the T39's by a good bit. I need at least 2 more to keep up. Thanks Bill for your designs. And for your help to builders on these forums. Hopefully I can get more people to see that DIY is a way to go, that is just as good as the big names in the game.
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