Jack 110 build from a first-timer

[ian]

Excuse: A Jack should be red and black.

Real story. The plan was yellow, but the yellow didn't come out very well.

[Tom Smit]

Gotcha'!

[dcodym]

Going awesome so far! Can't wait to see how it turns out.

[ian]

Another short update. I redid some of the wiring on the melded array (thanks to Leland for a very clear photograph of the back of a fully wired array!). Response playing audio over my Mac still seemed a little harsh, but I really didn't want to put more soldering iron heat on the piezo lugs.

So I connected up my jack plate, and ran my bass and amp through the woofer and tweeters on the bench. It sounded just fine, even playing high harmonics and playing loudly. So now we proceed to the next step - painting and final assembly!

[ian]

Painting! The temperature outside is around 45-50F, so I moved inside to my furnace/workroom (which is too cluttered to do actual work in... usually!). Got the first coat of Duratex on five sides of the cab and the rear panel. I got the front sections with Duratex as well, even though I'm planning a petscreen grille, because the Duratex hides a lot more of my sloppy joinery than spraypaint does.

In fact, I'm thinking of Duratex'ing the car. This stuff is great to work with.

[ian]

Started putting it all together yesterday. Here's the woofer, crossover, and padding installed:



... an appropriately out of focus shot of the installed melded array:



... and the jack plate:



Then I went to install the handle. Oh, look, hurricane nuts. (Cue Arlo) I look at the cab. I look at the nuts. I look at BFM's instructions, which say that the balanced mounting point for a handle is in line with the baffle. I look at the fully assembled cab. And I came to the realization this was a typical case of first-time BFM builder, and that those hurricane nuts were not going to be installed in line with the baffle, because the baffle was already glued to the top.

I tried putting the nuts in from the topside with glue to hold them in... after it's all set, we'll see how it holds.

Hooked it up for testing, no sound. Undoubtedly a wire came loose while I was busy learning that the handle needed more time to set.

[ian]

Just read a post from Zack Brock on placing the handle on the side rather than on the top... http://billfitzmaurice.info/forum/viewt ... le#p137492. That method looks like a real winner... I can get the H-nuts in that way very easily, and it will make carrying a Jack through a doorway easier.

[jswingchun]

+1 to the Jack handle on the side of the cab, not the top. It is much easier to carry that way. More like a suitcase.

[ian]

Very nearly finished. The glue is holding the handle on top very well, so I'm going to (sorry) stick with that. Fixed a bad solder connection on the jack plate and did a bit of touch-up painting. Then it was past time... hook it all up and see how it sounds!



The amp is a GK MB200, eq set flat and volume is around 1 because the kids were sleeping. It just sounds terrific. The clarity really shines, I can hear the subtle aspects of every bad fingering I make. Which are a lot. Here are two clips... one has some noodling at the low end, and some slapping to compare it to. The other has a few lines up higher on the neck. The bass is an SX Jazz with a maple fretboard with both PUs all the way up.
This was recorded with my iPhone's Voice Memo app, phone about 2 feet in front of the cab.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/635475/Memo%282%29.mp3
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/635475/Memo.mp3

[ripNdeb]

That's pretty amazing; I might have to look into an iPhone after all

[Harley]

That's pretty amazing; I might have to look into an iPhone after all

I have one provided by the company. It's been nothing but trouble and I would never but one for myself.

Mind you, I use it for the original purpose that a phone is made for, ie making phone calls - perhaps that's where I am going wrong

[CoronaOperator]

Mind you, I use it for the original purpose that a phone is made for, ie making phone calls - perhaps that's where I am going wrong

You make phone calls on your phone? Sounds like a pretty prehistoric thing to do. I'll have to check to see if there is an app to do that on mine.

[Dave Non-Zero]

Could you email or text me the instruction on how to do that? I never make calls on mine, but I do post on this forum. like this....

[LelandCrooks]

That's pretty amazing; I might have to look into an iPhone after all

I have one provided by the company. It's been nothing but trouble and I would never but one for myself.

Mind you, I use it for the original purpose that a phone is made for, ie making phone calls - perhaps that's where I am going wrong

Don't feel left out. I have a Torch, which my kids covet. I love bb's for the email capabilities, and the fact that they're good "phones". The rest of the stuff it can do I haven't a clue. I downloaded 3 or 4 apps, opened them once. Except the browser, it's okay.

[spongebob1981]

I've got an ipod touch, wich is almost the same without the theft telco's want to steal from me on a monthly basis.
And yeah, its awesome if you are a tinkerer as I am.

And I'm so craving for that GK to go with my jacks now