Speaker cab diagram for DIY (Mesa)

[the_drip]

I was pretty interested In building a guitar cab after i saw a few posts around here about it, and decided i would try and make a plan up, so i went to our practice space opened up my Mesa Oversized (which in my opinion is the best sounding cab made) and took a bunch of measurments and photos. Went home, watched some google sketchup tutorials and then tried to draw it up for anyone who was interested. I fucked up somewhere and some of the measurments are a 16th of an inch off but I think It can get the idea across. Mesa Uses both 5/8" plywood and 3/4" in construction, with 3/4" as the main body and 5/8" the support peices. the Plan isnt perfect as Im not that great with sketchup as you can see with my roundovers, I just cant figuire out how to round over a 3D object on all sides. and the tutorials about rounded cubes blow nuts. Also my handle spots are not accurate, I completely forgot about measuring them while i was out there. Besides all that shit hope it still helps some people.

 

[Lazzari]

dude looks awesome !! i have only one question.. Could you tell me which parts are 3/4" and 5/8" since i didn't understand on the OP..

 

[Genius Gone Insane]

Ahh very nice, I couldn't find this anywhere on the Web!

Curious to see how close this sounds to the real thing. I think they use Marine Birch or some expensive wood or other, I doubt you want to use standard plywood on this puppy!

 

[Executioner213]

Shane, if you started making these...that'd be cool as fuck! I'd grab a couple and just throw whatever speakers in afterwards...the contruction of em though, thats killer. If I could actually build something like that, I would.

 

[the_drip]

dude looks awesome !! i have only one question.. Could you tell me which parts are 3/4" and 5/8" since i didn't understand on the OP..

Withought Deconstructing the actual cab, Im pretty sure the support beam in between the two baffles is 3/4" and the baffle is 5/8" thats what i did on the plan anyways and thats how it looks inside, but it might not be, its really Hard to tell. but now that i look at the picture again it seems Larger.. and it would make sence to have the Baffle 3/4" Im going out there again tonight so i can check it again....Its very strange, Im not exactly sure of what its purpose is besides added rigidity, but it seems like it would be stronger with just a continuous piece of woodd and some support peice glued on to it.
I Want to redo my plan anyways since the measurments got fucked up somewhere in the process. I left out the support bar and figured it was more important to have the routing cut out for it instead since its a pretty unique to all cabs.

The Outside pieces of the cab is 3/4" and the Inside edge of the front is 5/8"

The Plan is still a work in progress, Im thinking of adding my own touches to it as well, Like replacing the exterior joints with large Dovetails, and also adding something like Mills acustics zero Phase baffle thingy they have in there cabs as well. For the ultimate Cab!!!

If anyone can post a picture of the mills acustics Guts That would be excellent.

 

[the_drip]

Ahh very nice, I couldn't find this anywhere on the Web!

Curious to see how close this sounds to the real thing. I think they use Marine Birch or some expensive wood or other, I doubt you want to use standard plywood on this puppy!

Definatley, Some High quality cabinet grade baltic birch with 13 plys or so would be the way to go. They sell it in a weird size around here though 4' by 5' for around $60 a sheet.

 

[::XeS::]

1 Question: Where is attached the front baffle of the Mesa? From front to rear in an inner frame or from rear to front to a front frame?

 

[the_drip]

1 Question: Where is attached the front baffle of the Mesa? From front to rear in an inner frame or from rear to front to a front frame?

Well i believe the baffle is connecting in from the back of the cab to the inside support frame on the front of the cab. Does that make sence at all... Kinda hard to word it without sounding like a tard. Like i said though Im not possitive if thats the order that they would assemble it but that seems to make the most sence to me.

 

[::XeS::]

Yeah it's hard to explain. Anyway it's deduceable because the front contour thickness is the double of the thickness of the 4 sides...so under the tolex there is also a frame where is fixed the baffle. Also Engl cabs are built in this way.

 

[Wolfeman]

Are you sure the baffle is 5/8"? I'm pretty sure to keep everything simple and cheap for manufacturing, they just use 3/4" ply all around. Wouldn't make much sense for them to have to order 2 different thickness of wood.

 

[Wolfeman]

Definatley, Some High quality cabinet grade baltic birch with 13 plys or so would be the way to go. They sell it in a weird size around here though 4' by 5' for around $60 a sheet.

That's too much for Baltic Birch... There is a place on the west coast that sells it cheaper, even with freight charges.

 

[::XeS::]

Are you sure the baffle is 5/8"? I'm pretty sure to keep everything simple and cheap for manufacturing, they just use 3/4" ply all around. Wouldn't make much sense for them to have to order 2 different thickness of wood.

Yeah, same thikness all around, apart the reinforcements maybe

 

[the_drip]

Are you sure the baffle is 5/8"? I'm pretty sure to keep everything simple and cheap for manufacturing, they just use 3/4" ply all around. Wouldn't make much sense for them to have to order 2 different thickness of wood.

I know it doesnt make sense for the baffle to be 5/8" It has to be 3/4" now that i look back. But the Thickness of the front of the cab all the way around is 1 3/8" not 1 1/2" so it has to be 3/4"+ 5/8" and all the support sections On the inside of the cab holding the baffle are all 5/8" thickness Im. The only thing that throws me off is the 2 1/4" x 28 1/2" x ?" section that seperates the two baffles sticks out away from the baffle so i assumed it was one hunk of wood. I cant tell if its just a strip of plywood glued and brad nailed on or if its a completely different peice of wood. There are screws and brads going in both directions so its hard to tell whats what, along with with it being spray painted black and extremely well Cut and assemebled. wish i could remove the front grill and get a better look at it. I will re-take some pictures tonight, mabey you can help me figure out whats going on inside the cab.

 

[everybody's x]

I think maybe if you were building this cab for studio use only (didnt need to lug it around) you could use MDF. It'd cost like $20 and be solid, void-free and tight as fuck. It would just weigh 600 lbs.

 

[006]

...you could use MDF. It'd cost like $20 and be solid, void-free and tight as fuck. It would just weigh 600 lbs.

Not even a joke haha.

 

[colonel kurtz]

I think maybe if you were building this cab for studio use only (didnt need to lug it around) you could use MDF. It'd cost like $20 and be solid, void-free and tight as fuck. It would just weigh 600 lbs.

fuck MDF

 

[Wolfeman]

Solid hardwood is the way to go guys. It really doesn't cost much more than ply. Just use the ply for the baffle and rear.

 

[MarcusGHedwig]

Solid hardwood is the way to go guys. It really doesn't cost much more than ply. Just use the ply for the baffle and rear.

I dunno, it doesn't necessarily seem like cost savings is the reason so many cab manufacturers go for plywood; I mean, Krank uses solid poplar for their cabs, but there are tons of really high-end cab manufacturers for whom cost clearly isn't an issue but who still use plywood; maybe it's just for durability, but I have to wonder if there are tonal advantages too...

 

[Wolfeman]

Well Mesa uses ply all around, because it is cheaper for them. Fender, Marshall, same reason. There process is all automated, so they kinda have to use ply. If you go the hardwood route, you need an actually human to do the work. You have to join multiple boards to make a board the size you want, which takes some time. Krank has someone assemble all those parts. Mesa has a CNC machine that can just cut ply to exact lengths. Saves them money.

And I do find it funny that Krank uses poplar. They claim it's better wood, yet in reality they are just using it because it's cheaper than oak or birch hardwood. So that's how they save money.

Bottom line is, it's cheaper and easier to use plywood. Look at all the small boutique companies that put out 1 amp a month. They all use hard wood. If they had to build 200 a month, they would probably use plywood. It's just the way it goes.

 

[Soundlurker]

Bottom line is, it's cheaper and easier to use plywood. Look at all the small boutique companies that put out 1 amp a month. They all use hard wood. If they had to build 200 a month, they would probably use plywood. It's just the way it goes.

I'm still not convinced. Those companies you're talking about are probably not building cabs for metal or any other brutal music. I'm pretty sure plywood and hardwood sound or react to sound differently. I have no experience or samples to back this up but I'd imagine hardwood adds warmth to a clean or crunchy sound that would be inappropriate for high-gain stuff. Again, I'm not sure, it's all guesswork until we have some scientific tests and those won't come cheap so we might never know.