should i buy or build?

T

tannerridgeway

New member
i am looking for a relatively cheap or used bass cabinet..possibly 4x12
i came across a few sites that shows how to build your own cab
it didn't seem hard until i saw all the complicated tuning charts etc.
i know building my own would save me money,
but is it worth it to go thru all the trouble?
im a 17 year old high school student and i don't want things to be too complicated.
i have access to wood and i was looking at buying speakers online that were kinda cheap.
if i decided to build my own cab...
-what speakers should i buy (difference b/t subwoofers, car speakers)
will any speakers work?
-were would i get the 1/4 cable input?

and mainly...is it really that complicated to build a box to hold speakers?

thanks
 
Only if you have previous wood working experience is it worth it. Building a square box might sound easy, but having the thing actually come out square is not something I would bet the farm on for the first try....and being that you are 17 and probably low on funds, I would consider it a fairly risky endeavour.
 
If you have the experience, tools, and design, I'd say go for it. If you're unsure about any of the three, I'd just buy one. Also, there are other costs to be be figured in besides wood.
 
Hey, it's worth a shot. Just dont go into it with super high expectations, and you'll be fine. If nothing more, it'll be a learning experience... and learning is never "not worth it" by any means. OTOH, try not to spend a lot of $, just incase.

I say go for it, but dont spend as much on supplies as a store-bought cab costs, because chances are the store-bought one will be better... at least on your first try :cool:
 
tannerridgeway said:
i know building my own would save me money,
but is it worth it to go thru all the trouble?
Click to expand...



9 times out of 10 it will cost you much MORE money to build it yourself. With modern manufacturing, very few things are cheaper to build yourself.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
tannerridgeway said:
if i decided to build my own cab...
-what speakers should i buy (difference b/t subwoofers, car speakers)
will any speakers work?
-were would i get the 1/4 cable input?

and mainly...is it really that complicated to build a box to hold speakers?

thanks
Click to expand...

If you build, selecting the right speaker is cruciual. For bass, certian heavy duty car subwoofers may handle the abuse power wise and could work, but still wont be ideal for musical instrument apps because of thier lower sensitivity (Volume output per watt fed), and sometimes limited frequncy range that wont give you the extended mid range a musical instrument speaker would have in comparison.

Calculating porting isnt hard, just google "free speaker port calculator" and have your speaker specs and box deminsions handy. As for the speakers themselves, try to look for something designed for thier intended purpose. Building the box will be only as difficult as the tools you have and your ability to use them properly.These two websites offer musical instrument speakers as well as all the parts needed to build them if you want to price some things out.

www.partsexpress.com
www.mcmelectronics.com

If you think you'd enjoy the experience it can be very rewarding when executed properly, but I'd agree, it may not be as cost effective as you might have hoped even if you have access to wood. Shopping used might get you the same.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top