Solid/Joined wood for cabs?

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RunTheOtherWay
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Jan 06, 2020 10:51 pm

Solid/Joined wood for cabs?

#1 Post by RunTheOtherWay »

I have a line on some reclaimed wood that for the sake of discussion I can get cut down to 3/4" x 8" x 24" and I might want to cut those down further to 3/4" x 2" x 24" and join them to make whatever depth I want. I've made an XF210 out of 3/4" plywood and am very happy with it; the split baffle is 1/2" solid joined pine that I already had on hand and had had it for so long that I knew it would be as dried out as it could be and it was still dead flat.

I keep reading in audiophile forums that solid wood is to be avoided for speaker cabinets because it's more resonant than plywood. My question is, is it a bad idea to use solid/joined wood in the XF guitar cabs or the Fitzmaurice-design fullrange or sub cabs? If not, would it help to bond bitumen or other heavy and stable material around the inside?

Thanks!

DaveMacKay
Posts: 95
Joined: Tue Aug 03, 2021 3:10 pm

Re: Solid/Joined wood for cabs?

#2 Post by DaveMacKay »

Avoid solid wood. Go with baltic birch, which is superior. Even MDF (shudder) would be preferable to solid wood.

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Bill Fitzmaurice
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Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 5:59 pm

Re: Solid/Joined wood for cabs?

#3 Post by Bill Fitzmaurice »

!. Stop reading audiophile forums.
2. Solid wood isn't more resonant than plywood.
3. Solid wood is OK so long as the maximum width used is eight inches, with no jointing.
4. There's no use for bitumen in speakers, no matter what audiophile forums say. :conf:

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