4x12 Cab Construction

[fearhk213]

Curious what you all's thoughts/experience is with floating vs. fixed baffles. How much of a difference does a fixed baffle make in terms of low end tightness and controlling cab resonance?

 

[sg guy]

-FUCKIN- -UGE!!!!- DIFFERENCE!!!-

-if you want to feel the bass, even with low wattage greenbacks, with out Mudd, or falling apart, where you can hear the individual notes in a chord or just make everything sound bigger, fuller, -TIGHTER- & just better in every aspect of ROCK to -(THE BLACK PLAQUE METAL)-

-(floating baffles are a Fender, tan-pants, telecaster thing, if you want to make a 4x12 or 2x12 sound like a open back combo, vibrating across the floor like electric football, then a floating baffle made of the thinnest plywood you can find, add only 2 or 4 screws to mount the baffle, if that's what your thing, there ya go..

-the cab construction must be over built, solidly constructed at every joint & brace.
-100%-(everything!!!, top,bottom,sides,baffle & back panel--3/4"-(not 5/8")-cabinet grade Baltic Birch plywood,





-(NOTE)- solid board cabs are a different beast all together, they add something to the sound, something very musical, even magical!!! Only issue, in general, they lack "BASS" but there are trick's to getting all the bass you want out of these cabs,

 

[stephen sawall]

Cab construction is as important as the speakers. There is a lot of options.

 

[sg guy]

Cab construction is as important as the speakers. There is a lot of options.

-(AMEN BRUTHA SPOCK)-

-If I new this from the beginning, it would've $aved me from the Bleakness of the Abyss,.... The never ending, then you start collecting,... -(The SPEAKER CHASE)-
actually that's a lie. -(Amp's & Speaker's)- are my drug's of choice,

 

[Racerxrated]

Cab construction is as important as the speakers. There is a lot of options.

-(AMEN BRUTHA SPOCK)-

-If I new this from the beginning, it would've $aved me from the Bleakness of the Abyss,.... The never ending, then you start collecting,... -(The SPEAKER CHASE)-
actually that's a lie. -(Amp's & Speaker's)- are my drug's of choice,

Yes yes. As much as you might love your rig, if you are playing through a cheap cab OR one that has a floating baffle, you won't truly hear your rigs true potential until you get a fixed baffle QUALITY cab. For hard rock and beyond at least.
Mesa, older Marshalls, Bogner, Diezel, Friedman etc will all give you a pro cab to get the most out of your rig. You can also add batting to the back panel to make the cab more focused, a cheap way to experiment that works for some.

 

[thegame]

Must I solve all your speaker cabinet woes ?

Floating baffle : leaks air, looser spongy bottom, vintage feel. This is not necessarily a bad thing. The air leakage gives a more touch sensitive feel and sounds "airier", like a delicate soft sparkle in the high end. I actually favor this design for higher wattage speakers as it provides more give in the stiffer feel of those speakers.

Fixed baffle : no air leakage (from the baffle), tighter, stiffer. These cabs usually sound chunkier, darker & more modern. I also feel they push more air in front as its not leaking around the perimeter of the baffle.

These aspects do affect low end tightness and cab resonance but cabinet bracing is also an important factor. I drilled holes in each of my Bogners back panels to install a screw to stiffen and couple the thick internal brace to the back panel. Result was less rumble, more punch and immediacy. Lost a little bloom but the trade off was worth it.

 

[stephen sawall]

Living in a area where it rains I always wondered why no one makes a 4x12 with a removable cover for the speakers. That and cover the entire cab in something that is more durable for travel. Basically something you could throw in the back of a open truck in the rain.

I've thought about building a few 4x12. Anyone do it ?

 

[SpiderWars]

What 4x12 cabs have floating baffles? I guess I thought they were all fixed. I associated floating baffles with Fender combos.

 

[thegame]

What 4x12 cabs have floating baffles? I guess I thought they were all fixed. I associated floating baffles with Fender combos.

99.99% of Marshalls.

 

[fearhk213]

What 4x12 cabs have floating baffles? I guess I thought they were all fixed. I associated floating baffles with Fender combos.

As far as I know, current and vintage Marshalls have a floating baffle. Most vintage Marshall replicas I've seen do too. I'm sure there are others that have them as well.

 

[fearhk213]

What 4x12 cabs have floating baffles? I guess I thought they were all fixed. I associated floating baffles with Fender combos.

99.99% of Marshalls.

^ What he said.

 

[CrazyNutz]

The more solid/rigid the baffle the tighter the bass, and more punchy. You would be hard pressed to have a thick tight high gain sound with a floppy baffle.

As for cab materials, for the most part there is only one way to go, 15mm (or thicker) baltic birch. Only exception I prefer is a particle board back, marshall has been building this way since the 70's. A lot people will fight me on this because they say it was a cost cutting move, I personally don't think so.

 

[Crunchtime]

Regarding floating baffle:

I have a VHT D412 cab and wanted the low end to be tighter. I know, it's VHT so it must be uber-tight. Kinda tight but, not tight enough for me anyway.

Looking inside I see there is no center post for baffle. I always heard the Fat Bottom was tighter. I suspect this is why.

I ended up adding a center post and secured it with wood screws through front baffle and back board.

Cab is way tighter now. ymmv.

 

[CrazyNutz]

Regarding floating baffle:

I have a VHT D412 cab and wanted the low end to be tighter. I know, it's VHT so it must be uber-tight. Kinda tight but, not tight enough for me anyway.

Looking inside I see there is no center post for baffle. I always heard the Fat Bottom was tighter. I suspect this is why.

I ended up adding a center post and secured it with wood screws through front baffle and back board.

Cab is way tighter now. ymmv.

Yeah I had a D412, and you are correct. A little loose. It has that v-brace in the front that is supposed to replace the post, but I didn't like it so traded it off.
Would have fixed it like you did, however I could not jive with the p50e speakers.

 

[psychodave]

Larry Rodgers: A floating baffle is attached at 2 points either top and bottom or side and side.The 1959 Fender Bassman is a good example of a top and bottom floating baffle. The Super Reverb is also a good example of a side to side floating baffle. The Bandmaster 2×12″ speaker cabinet does not have a floating baffle. It is attached on all 4 sides to be very rigid and tight.

http://www.300guitars.com/spotlight/spo ... mplifiers/

That said, Marshall's have multiple screws on all sides. I never really considered them to be "floating". If people consider them floating, take it off, add glue to all sides and screw back down. lol.

 

[sg guy]

-the -(CENTER BRACE)- was used to fix "too much baffle & back panel flex" -(I prefer zero flex)- -(this is the epitome of woofy)-a center brace is usually a sign of a thinner, and cheaper, back panel & baffle, I have seen old cabs & front loaded cab's that don't need a center brace but do anyways, if everything is100%, 3/4", cabinet grade Baltic Birch plywood, you won't need a center brace.

-I build my own, thou a pain in the ass it is, i follow the -(BIG CAB = BIG TONE)-theory, put the casters on the side and take advantage of that mass & use a rubber coupling mat under it, well,... unless one of the special ones falls from the sky-(SUNN 6x12 infinite baffle)-(70's AMPEG V-4)-(our very own STEVE has at least one, 100%, 3/4" , Baltic Birch ply cab for sale, actually he's giving it awy for the cost of the speakers)-

 

[Racerxrated]

Larry Rodgers: A floating baffle is attached at 2 points either top and bottom or side and side.The 1959 Fender Bassman is a good example of a top and bottom floating baffle. The Super Reverb is also a good example of a side to side floating baffle. The Bandmaster 2×12″ speaker cabinet does not have a floating baffle. It is attached on all 4 sides to be very rigid and tight.

http://www.300guitars.com/spotlight/spo ... mplifiers/

That said, Marshall's have multiple screws on all sides. I never really considered them to be "floating". If people consider them floating, take it off, add glue to all sides and screw back down. lol.

This. Not sure that Marshalls would be floating, not with 12-16 screws to re-tighten when I buy a used one lol....

 

[Rex Rocker]

As for cab materials, for the most part there is only one way to go, 15mm (or thicker) baltic birch. Only exception I prefer is a particle board back, marshall has been building this way since the 70's. A lot people will fight me on this because they say it was a cost cutting move, I personally don't think so.

As of 2013 or 2014, Marshall have been using plywood backs. My 1960A's back is plywood.

 

[CrazyNutz]

As for cab materials, for the most part there is only one way to go, 15mm (or thicker) baltic birch. Only exception I prefer is a particle board back, marshall has been building this way since the 70's. A lot people will fight me on this because they say it was a cost cutting move, I personally don't think so.

As of 2013 or 2014, Marshall have been using plywood backs. My 1960A's back is plywood.

Interesting

 

[sg guy]

As for cab materials, for the most part there is only one way to go, 15mm (or thicker) baltic birch. Only exception I prefer is a particle board back, marshall has been building this way since the 70's. A lot people will fight me on this because they say it was a cost cutting move, I personally don't think so.

As of 2013 or 2014, Marshall have been using plywood backs. My 1960A's back is plywood.

Interesting

-I believe they're-(back panel & baffel)-are thinner & lower quality, if some one has one take some pics ex