My first build

The Jack of All Trades pro-sound cabs.
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Buzzboy60
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Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 6:49 pm

My first build

#1 Post by Buzzboy60 »

I'm finally getting around to building one of the BFM cabinets. I decided on a single Jack 10 for electric bass and maybe a second one depending on how it turns out. I'm a guitar player but often fill in on basss for jams and wanted a compact rig for that purpose. I'm planning on using the Eminence Deltalite II 2510 and four of the front mounted Goldwood 1016 piezos. My question is: do I need a crossover for the driver? The instructions say one isn't needed for the piezos but they perform better with a crossover but didn't know if this were true when using the cab for bass guitar. I also have and Ashley crossover https://ashly.com/wp-content/uploads/20 ... r-1001.pdf that I've had for years. I'm planning on using a rack mount power amp and bass preamp so it would fit in a small rack. Please advise and thanks in advance for any comments. Steve

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Strange Kevin
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Re: My first build

#2 Post by Strange Kevin »

Hi Buzz, Welcome to the forum!

I'd say if your were going woofer only you could skip the crossover, but anytime you want to add tweeters, the crossover is the way to go.

While the Ashley is great and would work, it would unnecessarily add complexity to the finished cab. Having an external active crossover means "Bi-Amping" your cab. - using a stereo amp -one side powers the woofer, the other powers the tweeters.

With the passive, internal Crossover, the cab is much more "Plug and Play" with any old bass amp you or a friend may want to try.
Just grab an amp, plug it in and enjoy. No worrying about what side of the amp goes to what input on your cab and if anyone messed with the settings on the crossover. (A lot of extra hassle for little to no gain.)

If your are concerned about wiring your own crossover just ask around here and we would be happy help walk you through it.

Also, because that's one of the last parts of the build, you could test it out woofer only. If you like it? - your done! If your are missing the high end a little, you can go ahead and add them in at that point.

Enjoy!
Kevin.
Authorized Builder - Phoenix AZ.
Main Rig - 6 DR200s - 6 T48s (30")
SLA Pros for the smaller stuff.

Buzzboy60
Posts: 20
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 6:49 pm

Re: My first build

#3 Post by Buzzboy60 »

Good point about trying just the woofer first. The reason I mentioned the Ashley is that it's been laying around unused for a long time. If I think I need tweeters/peizos I'll need some assistance on what I need. Thanks again.

Bruce Weldy
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Location: New Braunfels, TX

Re: My first build

#4 Post by Bruce Weldy »

Buzzboy60 wrote: Sat Aug 01, 2020 2:55 pm Good point about trying just the woofer first. The reason I mentioned the Ashley is that it's been laying around unused for a long time. If I think I need tweeters/peizos I'll need some assistance on what I need. Thanks again.
Unless you are doing a lot of slapping, etc, that needs the high-end content, I wouldn't worry about the tweeters. I built a Jack 15 with no tweeters and it sounds great. I did use the filter from the plans as that increases the mid-range of the woofer if I remember correctly.

6 - T39 3012LF
4 - OT12 2512
1 - T24
1 - SLA Pro
2 - XF210


"A system with a few knobs set up by someone who knows what they are doing is always better than one with a lot of knobs set up by someone who doesn't."

Buzzboy60
Posts: 20
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 6:49 pm

Re: My first build

#5 Post by Buzzboy60 »

Filter and crossover are terms that confuse me. I do guitar electronics stuff (rewiring pickups, pots, etc. and do some pedal mods but with kits that have the schematic with items to upgrade/replace. If I use the piezos and the filter suggested in the plans should I still use a crossover for the woofer......kinda sounds from the plans that I wouldn't, just the filter for the piezos and wire them up with the woofer. I looked on the Speaker Hardware site and they have three high pass "filters", a 2k high pass, a high pass 3.5k and a 2k 8 ohm and they seem to be less expensive than the crossovers. Building the cabinet seems way easier that this part.....getting a headache. Maybe I'm overthinking it.

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Bill Fitzmaurice
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Re: My first build

#6 Post by Bill Fitzmaurice »

A filter is frequency specific. A crossover uses two or more filters. This is all spelled out in the plans, which show not only the filter schematics and pictures of completed filters, and the Sketchup model shows them in place and wired in the cabinets.

Bruce Weldy
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Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:37 am
Location: New Braunfels, TX

Re: My first build

#7 Post by Bruce Weldy »

Buzzboy60 wrote: Sun Aug 02, 2020 2:08 pm Filter and crossover are terms that confuse me. I do guitar electronics stuff (rewiring pickups, pots, etc. and do some pedal mods but with kits that have the schematic with items to upgrade/replace. If I use the piezos and the filter suggested in the plans should I still use a crossover for the woofer......kinda sounds from the plans that I wouldn't, just the filter for the piezos and wire them up with the woofer. I looked on the Speaker Hardware site and they have three high pass "filters", a 2k high pass, a high pass 3.5k and a 2k 8 ohm and they seem to be less expensive than the crossovers. Building the cabinet seems way easier that this part.....getting a headache. Maybe I'm overthinking it.
Well, let's start with this - what kind of music do you plan to play through it?

6 - T39 3012LF
4 - OT12 2512
1 - T24
1 - SLA Pro
2 - XF210


"A system with a few knobs set up by someone who knows what they are doing is always better than one with a lot of knobs set up by someone who doesn't."

Buzzboy60
Posts: 20
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 6:49 pm

Re: My first build

#8 Post by Buzzboy60 »

Classic rock, blues, country mix. Pretty basic clean.

Bruce Weldy
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Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:37 am
Location: New Braunfels, TX

Re: My first build

#9 Post by Bruce Weldy »

Buzzboy60 wrote: Mon Aug 03, 2020 8:54 am Classic rock, blues, country mix. Pretty basic clean.
Leave off the tweeters....you won't miss 'em.

But, use the Woofer Low-pass filter in the plans. That gives you higher sensitivity from 1-2khz.

6 - T39 3012LF
4 - OT12 2512
1 - T24
1 - SLA Pro
2 - XF210


"A system with a few knobs set up by someone who knows what they are doing is always better than one with a lot of knobs set up by someone who doesn't."

Buzzboy60
Posts: 20
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 6:49 pm

Re: My first build

#10 Post by Buzzboy60 »

I'm about done with the cabinet. Don't have the woofer yet but will try as soon as it arrives. I did get the crossover/filter idea straight in my thick scull....duh. They have the 2k 8 ohm low pass kit on the Speaker Hardware site.

Buzzboy60
Posts: 20
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 6:49 pm

Re: My first build

#11 Post by Buzzboy60 »

Haven't been able to find urethane foam for the throat filler but did find 1" polystyrene at Lowes. Will that work? I read somewhere where the shape is more important than the material as long as it holds up. Also wondered if anyone used the PL to fill any voids/cracks. I have wood filler but don't know if it would eventually vibrate out. Thanks again, Buzzboy.

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Seth
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Re: My first build

#12 Post by Seth »

Buzzboy60 wrote: Thu Aug 06, 2020 7:01 pm Haven't been able to find urethane foam for the throat filler but did find 1" polystyrene at Lowes. Will that work? I read somewhere where the shape is more important than the material as long as it holds up. Also wondered if anyone used the PL to fill any voids/cracks. I have wood filler but don't know if it would eventually vibrate out. Thanks again, Buzzboy.
I don't know about the throat filler, but using adhesive to fill voids, screw holes, and cracks is recommended many times in the plans. Good to go there :thumbsup:
Build in process - 2 WH6, one Alpha 6a loaded, one PRV Audio 6MB250-NDY loaded

Two 2x6 shorty SLA Pro's
One T39, 16", 3012LF loaded
Tall AutoTuba, 20" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421
TruckTuba, 8½" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421

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Bill Fitzmaurice
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Re: My first build

#13 Post by Bill Fitzmaurice »

Most polystyrene foam breaks up into small beads when you cut it and it doesn't sand easily. Lowes carries urethane foam, it's sheathed with aluminum foil. You can find sandable foam at hobby and fabric stores,

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Seth
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Re: My first build

#14 Post by Seth »

Bill Fitzmaurice wrote: Thu Aug 06, 2020 8:40 pm Most polystyrene foam breaks up into small beads when you cut it and it doesn't sand easily. Lowes carries urethane foam, it's sheathed with aluminum foil. You can find sandable foam at hobby and fabric stores,
I'm curious whether he's talking about XPS (Extruded Polystyrene) or the white crumbly foam cooler polystyrene we're all familiar with. I know I've seen both kinds there. If it's XPS, I'd think it may work okay... possibly maybe perhaps
Build in process - 2 WH6, one Alpha 6a loaded, one PRV Audio 6MB250-NDY loaded

Two 2x6 shorty SLA Pro's
One T39, 16", 3012LF loaded
Tall AutoTuba, 20" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421
TruckTuba, 8½" wide, 2x 8" MCM 55-2421

Buzzboy60
Posts: 20
Joined: Wed Oct 21, 2009 6:49 pm

Re: My first build

#15 Post by Buzzboy60 »

This is not the crumbly type (styrofoam). It's the extruded type: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kingspan-Insul ... 1000236635 but it might break down sooner. I searched the Lowes site and it only shows "expanded polystyrene", "polystyrene", and "polyisocyanurate", even the aluminum foil coated. Menards and Home Depot carry similar items but no urethane...maybe a thing of the past? I'll try using PL Premium to fill cracks/voids.

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