Hi from Oxfordshire

[Oxonjohn]

Hi everyone,

I'm John from Oxfordshire in the UK. I've been lurking round here for a while but have just started making sawdust on my first build, so I thought I'd better sign up to share my experiences (and pick people's brains).

My main interest is in speakers for live band use. I play in two bands, bass guitar in a classic rock covers band and guitar and vocals in a side project blues rock trio.

I started looking at BFM designs with a view to building some PA kit for the trio as so far we have borrowed kit or used non ideal stuff we already owned individually. The classic rock band has amassed a fair selection of kit over the past 28 years, but much of it is big and heavy (such as Peavey HiSys 2 XT, EV Eliminators, etc) which although it hasn't bothered us too much as a six piece band with a trailer + soundman / roadie / driver, we may look at replacing it as we get older and our backs get crankier.

I first bought the DR200 and Wedgehorn 8 plans earlier in the year, soon followed by the XF210 plans as I was in the middle of building a new guitar amp head and needed a cab to go with it, but before the month's offer ended I decided to invest in the complete set of plans.

Having studied most of the them and read lots of info on here I think I've now decided that Jack 10 lites and Wedgehorn 6s would be best for the trio, as I may also try the Jacks for my bass rig in the other band. However my first build is the XF210 which I've just started. This seems a much easier build and so it will be good to see if my novice woodworking skills are up to scratch and to find some of the pitfalls and difficulties in making these things before trying a more complicated design.

I'm looking forward to joining in discussions and learning a lot more over next few months.

John

[Grant Bunter]

Hi John and welcome to the forum

You're a busy lad then, and will be from now on lol...

[Charles Jenkinson]

Hello John,

I'm glad you're here. Welcome!

I think you are to be commended for having such a good handle on the plans and uses of the plethora of cabs. Well done.

Regards,

Charles

[Oxonjohn]

Thanks Grant.

It doesn't look like the XF210 is going to take me too long, but I imagine others might!

John

[Oxonjohn]

Thanks Charles.

I followed your J12L build thread with great interest. Glad you have got them finished.

I'm from Darwen originally and still have family in Lancashire so I'm up your way from time to time. If I do eventually
decide to build the J10Ls, I'd love to come and have a listen to yours and a chat about the ins and outs of building them.

John

[Tom Smit]

Welcome to the forum, John!

[Charles Jenkinson]

I live in Ramsbottom, John. You'd be more than welcome to drop round for a listen and chat.

I'm hoping to be making an XF for a mate, so I'll be watching your thread. I almost want to get an electric to have a go through one myself, but with an acoustic violin, electric violin, mandolin, acoustic guitar, bass guitar and an RD 700 sx keyboard to my name, then my wifes upright piano and the kids instruments, I feel it might be a bit much. Jack indeed.

[Oxonjohn]

Thanks for the welcome Tom.

There's always room for one more instrument, Charles. Your house sounds like mine. I must admit, my upright piano had to go a few years ago and much of my band stuff stays in our rehearsal room now, but the living room walls are still festooned with guitars, bass, mandolin and fiddle, with a keyboard and a few other bits and pieces under the stairs for good measure!

It would be good to get together at some stage. You're just o'er t'moors from where I'm going to be next weekend (I may even have an errand to do in Haslingden, as it happens). I'm unlikely to be starting any Jacks until next year though so I'm in no rush - if we wait a bit I could bring round the XF210 when I've finished it if you are thinking of making one.

John

[HugoMack]

I'm also from Oxford, and just joined. I'll post an introduction in the main section (I seem to be introducing myself in all the wrong places.... )

[Oxonjohn]

Hi Hugh,

I'm in Bampton, not too far away. I'm afraid I've not built any BFM PA cabs that you can hear yet (just an XF210 guitar cab which I'm still to use in anger), although I've heard Charles' Jack 12 lites and they sound great. I'm planning some Jack 10 lites for pub gigs for a side project blues trio I play in, but I'm unlikely to get started for a while yet. In my main band we currently use a pair of Peavey Hisys which have served us well, but they are big and heavy compared to the Jacks, and we're not getting any younger! I'm not planning any subs as we generally use house PA at bigger gigs (we're playing Fat Lil's in Witney on Saturday if you are at a loose end), and we have some EV Eliminator tops and subs for the odd occasion when we need them.

There is a registered builder somewhere around Oxford (Tom Caswell) who I think uses DR250s in his band so it may be worth looking him up. It's definitely worth getting the full set of plans (Bill will send these by email rather than CD if you ask).

You've probably realised by now that this is a great forum with lots of advice and a good atmosphere.

Look forward to seeing your progress.

John

[HugoMack]

Hi John. Sorry I missed you post - thanks for it.

It's a wonderful forum, and as result I now have 2 Jack 12 Lites which are tremendous- and light! Their lightness also extends to the amp required, which is 1 u and 3 kg. Next up two T39s with 3012's.

What's your band's name, and I'll come and see you.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

I live in Ramsbottom

That's just so wrong in so many ways.

[Rune Bivrin]

I live in Ramsbottom

That's just so wrong in so many ways.

[HugoMack]

It's from the Old English "Ramm" and "Botm" meaning 'valley of the ram'. When a country retains the original inhabitants names for places, they evolve into modern equivalents. There's a surname that you also have in the USA - Ramsbotham, meaning people who come from that valley.

So what were the incoming settlers in the following places thinking of when they re-named them?

French Lick Indiana, Smackover Arkansas, Tightwad Missouri, Climax Minnesota, Big Bone Lick State Park Kentucky, Horneytown NOrth Carolina, Hooker Oklahoma, Cumming Georgia and Yankton County's own Gayville South Dakota. I'm sure there are hundreds more.

[bjm362]

Welcome aboard!