my new J112!

[tdogg]

let me start by listing the pre-conceived ideas i had before this build:
1. a DIY cab was going to be hard, and probably not turn out very good.
2. a single 12" could never compete with my 4x10
3. not using the piezos would make the cab sound "vintage" (read: muffled)

the cab build went surprisingly fast, i had the box done in 3 days, only working on it for an hour or two at a time. unfortunately the beta12 that i bought on ebay got damaged in shipping, alas the box sat empty.
not long ago i finally had some cash and ordered the "right" speaker from leland, along with handles/hardware.
i didnt want to spend more than i needed to at the moment, so i passed on the piezos and crossover and grille for now.

first impression: WOW! i A/Bed the new cab with my old peavey 4x10 (rear ported with tweeter), and the 4x10 doesnt stand a chance. when given the same amount of power, the jack112 is definitely louder, lower and clearer. also i really expected the jack (no tweets) to sound muffled next to the 4x10(with tweeter).... not the case. the old 4x10 sounds like it has a thick blanket over it. my girlfriend (who couldnt give a rat's ass less about speakers) was surprised at the difference.
unfortunately my camera battery died after one pic, so ill have to post more pics ASAP. now if you'll excuse me, i need to go put my old cab on craigslist.... thanks Bill!!!

[Zack Brock]

Awesome! Glad to hear it worked out well for you. It looks nice! Moar pics plz!


1. Which driver did you end up selecting if not the Beta 12?
2. What bass (four or fiver, active or passive)?
3. I see that Mackie amp and that Behringer (compressor?) - what preamp is that?
4. Did you install foam throat fillers?
5. What about low pass filter for the woofer? (typically not required for bass used, curious if you optioned it)

[SeisTres]

And remember, if you add tweeters, you can use it as a PA cab, or even add "Leland's legs" for monitoring purposes

That's why I built them over any of the other tops here: versatility!

PS, dont know about bass, but for full range PA duty, you WILL at least the low pass, make night and day difference.

[tdogg]

Awesome! Glad to hear it worked out well for you. It looks nice! Moar pics plz!


1. Which driver did you end up selecting if not the Beta 12?
2. What bass (four or fiver, active or passive)?
3. I see that Mackie amp and that Behringer (compressor?) - what preamp is that?
4. Did you install foam throat fillers?
5. What about low pass filter for the woofer? (typically not required for bass used, curious if you optioned it)

i used the deltalite II 2512
5 string warwick corvette, active. and a harmony P with passive batolini MM's
- my signal chain is:
-bass
-Demeter HBP-1 tube pre
-behringer compressor
-mackie 1400i amp
-J112
-i used the throat fillers from leland
- right now there are no filters, i will be adding piezos and filters in the near future. i was just shocked at how clear the upper registers were with just one full range woofer
BTW that warwick B string sounded really good in this cab, cant wait to try it at band practice!

[Zack Brock]

Thanks for the additional details, nice build!

I too was impressed by how much high end I could get out of a Jack before I added the piezos. Horn loading and throat fillers help to improve that upper midrange response that typically is lost with direct radiators.

[mikell128]

I'm about to start my Jack 112, I hope I find all the things you found true also!

If you could post some clips or videos it would we awesome I wanna hear this thing in action.

[tdogg]

I'm about to start my Jack 112, I hope I find all the things you found true also!

If you could post some clips or videos it would we awesome I wanna hear this thing in action.

i can try, sound/video clips are tough because the clips only sound as good as the equipment the recording is done through. maybe i can record an A/B test. good luck on your build! ill be starting my 2nd and 3rd J112's soon (as soon as i sell my other cabs to fund it)

[mikell128]

That would be awesome. Your post just got me excited again I love when people compare this cab to others and then go on about how awesome it is.... makes me pumped for building mine! Thats awesome your building more too. I was thinking as long as this one works out well for me I might build another over the summer. I wanna hear how it went at band practice so I can imagine myself in a month at band practice with mine

[tdogg]

FYI: high resolution pics make sloppy glue jobs painfully apparent. next time i will be using ALOT less PL. also note that this cab will be getting duratex and a grille in the near future. it doesn't look perfect, but it sounds great!

[Zack Brock]

Very nice!

Your glue job ain't half bad! If you are really worried about it you can clean up the corners where the glue bulged/squeezed out with a nice sharp chisel. I picked up a three size variety pack at Harbor Freight for $4 a while back just for that purpose. Just go under each end a little and it should pull up in one big piece. Then when you Duratex it, it'll look fantastic.

[tdogg]

Very nice!

Your glue job ain't half bad! If you are really worried about it you can clean up the corners where the glue bulged/squeezed out with a nice sharp chisel. I picked up a three size variety pack at Harbor Freight for $4 a while back just for that purpose. Just go under each end a little and it should pull up in one big piece. Then when you Duratex it, it'll look fantastic.

most of the sloppy glue job is in the throat, so i think once the grill is on i should be good. i got alot out with a chisel, but its hard to work in that throat (too tight for my hands). thanks for the kind words!

[tdogg]

GIG REPORT

just played a couple sets and about 5 rehearsals at a local community college music fest. last night i played 4 songs with a jazz/funk/Latin ensemble with another bass player (i played the 4th trombone and tuba parts), a full brass section and a piano, guitar, drums and percussionist. the main performance was in a room for about 3-400 people.
this cab is PERFECT for this setting. more volume than i needed, and plenty of midrange punch to cut through with the trombones. i actually had to back off the bass EQ a bit (again, two bass players), but the sound was great. the conductor and the other bass player kind of raised and eyebrow when they saw my cab, but both were impressed when they heard it. then i cranked the volume and really blew everyone away.
the other bass player had an SWR 300watt 1x15 combo, we were both about the same in low end volume, but i had him beat in the mids. cant wait to add the filters and piezos to really open it up.

long story short, i sold my "traditional" cab today to fund another j112 build. i was thinking about a 3-jack-stack, but im pretty sure 2 will do everything i need it to. thanks again bill!

[Tom Smit]

Right on!

[WB]

first impression: WOW!

Nice review, but now you've got me really hyped. Hoping to start my J12 soon.

(i played the 4th trombone and tuba parts)

Also nice gig report, sounds like a lot of fun. Familiar with those parts as well.

[tdogg]

[/quote]

(i played the 4th trombone and tuba parts)

Also nice gig report, sounds like a lot of fun. Familiar with those parts as well.[/quote]

LOL yeah but i played it on a bass guitar