BillFitzmaurice.info

...or The build thread i wasn't going to do.

So, I wasn't going to do this build thread, as the XF's are straightforward. But i came across a few things, so will put them here, to help others, should they wish to heed it, ...ok charles.

First pic: I found the gap round the removable back door to be generous when equispaced, so in the second picture, you can see 3 blocks, which are set in position to maintain the top and bottom gaps on the back door. The point is that the butterfly catches, that secure the back door, would close up the gap at the top otherwise, when they are tightened. Note, butterfly catches not set in yet.

The 3rd picture is a little bit of hardwood from a scrap conservatory frame, to make the frame for the acoustic cloth front on the cab. This wood is far far straighter and stiffer than inch and a half wide strips of plywood. Although softwood would also do better than ply here.

Edit: its going to be harsh, painting the hardwood frame black, rather than letting the wood shine through the open black mesh i have, but, all the hardware is going to be black, so black it shall be.

Realised when I was lying in bed last night that the gap, or any gap in fact isn't going to help with the butterfly catches, which butt up to each other when fastened - they have to be set in place to meet across the top gap, which may look slightly odd. I either live with this now, or modify or re-make the back door.

Well painting the hardwood black might be harsh, but if you were a piece of hardwood and the choice was 'look, you either get painted black and get a good blast of guitar everynight, or go on this scrap pile over here..."

Ok. Well, I've moved the cab on a bit.

Firstly, I stuck the 3 blocks on the back door in the wrong place - I didn't knock off the gap distance when I positioned them(from the edge) so they didn't locate the door and maintain the gap distance, which was the intent. So, this being the case, and realising that the butterfly catches wouldn't look right meeting across a gap, I stuck a ¼” hard wood strip I had lying around onto the bottom of the back door to get rid of the gap, and also a bit of 3mm ply to the far narrow side to remove that gap also. This neatened it up a lot, but also showed the bottom piece of the back of the cab that it meets with was bent outwards, so that got planed down. The moral of the story is to cut the back door main piece after sticking the box together or anticipate/calculate the size more accurately and cut it correctly.

I made and used 4 templates to cut the flange profiles and cut-outs required (using router) for the sprung handles and butterfly catches. Then rounded over the edges, and made a 2-3mm recess where the back door flanges interface, for the foam gasket strip. I cut the recess using the router with 16mm diameter router guide plate and ½” cutter, so a 2-3mm uncut land exists, which means that the back door can be put in place and the small lands of un-recessed material still touch one another. This means that the (3mm thick) gasket strip is only compressed about 1mm, enough to do its job, but no more. I figure there are quite a few potential leak paths, in the closed back configuration, incorporating butterfly catches and jack plugs and all that – I’m banking on 95% sealing (plus the internal damping) being enough to get the closed back effect.

The paint is 'Funky Purple' (Blue Aran tuff cab) – my black woolly hat with obligatory PL streak is on the corner of the bench, for a colour reference. I sprayed the back of the baffles with a matt black – the other internal surfaces will have acoustic foam on.

I haven't put the 2" square corner pieces in yet for locating the front frame, BUT I have masking taped where they are going to be PL'd in - I figure it's easier to paint the cab and corner pieces separately to get a neater finish, with a little bit of tidying after gluing them in. After making the frame, I'm intending to stick velcro onto the corner support pieces and back of the frame corners (once the grill cloth is stapled on) using PL - I hope it will work - the research I've done says it should.

The other cab you can see on its end is also an XF212 - it will have some vintage Goodmans drivers in.

Mmmm. Purple.

It looks like you sanded that cab from a solid block of wood!

I agree on the yummy purple!

I also see some psychedelic designs being stenciled on that cab for eye-appeal!

Thanks Chris. There are still some joint lines showing through the now 3 coats of paint. I figure its the different nature/density of the PL adhesive compared to BB. It still looks DIY.

Thanks DJ. Now you mention pop art, I get a big 'Yes!' about that. Great idea.

Anyhow, some more pics.

Fixing corner front frame mount blocks.
front blocks at bottom, chamfers trimmed back a bit, since overhang the inside edges of cloth support frame.
Swish penn sprung handles.
Snug fitting back door.
Front cloth frame resting in position. The black frame is grieving me, since I'm going to use semi-open mesh, the frame will show through, and its a bit industrial at the moment. Maybe a frame paint scheme will help a bit.

That is one beautiful cabinet.

Nice. I wish the XF got more love. It's a great guitar cabinet.

Are there any decent 8" guitar speakers? I might make our band's guitar player a 2x8 version for his birthday. The 2x10 and 2x12 might be too heavy for him, due to health issues.

Dual 8's or 10's are the future! I remember getting a 4x12 Marshall cab in and out the back of a hatchback - I wish I had those years back, the number of things I would do differently. Isn't hindsight awesome!

Great cab though. Personally, I would just build the XF with a solid back.

For my curiosity, is the lower down chunk not missing with 8 and 10 inch?

I've always preferred one 12"....that is, when I use a cab.

The real future is in running direct. More and more recordings are being made utilizing modeled and software-generated tones.....won't be long until the purists give up or get run over.

It's just so danged much easier....

Charles Jenkinson wrote:For my curiosity, is the lower down chunk not missing with 8 and 10 inch?

Not in the least with tens. You might not want to use eights for metal.