JCM600 Cab Builds

fitz

fitz

Ambassador of DIY
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Not sure if I tortured you guys yet with my junk wood cab builds, so here goes...
Using up the last of these beat up old plywood frames that were used as forms to bend plastic around.
Nice 3/4" plywood that I just cut in half and already have a face frame for a Marshall style speaker cab.

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Rip to 11" wide for the cab depth - repeat.

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Cut to length for the top & bottom & sides.

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Shoulder cut the sides to lap the face frames - repeat.

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Run the drops from the unused corner through the saw to make cleats for the back panel.
While I had the saw out, I also cut a 1/2" scrap to make a logo plate for the head.

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Parts ready for assembly...
 
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Now, put the pieces together.

Corner frame clamps to line up and square the 4 sides.

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Dowl jig to drill holes for alignment pegs - repeat.

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Cut dowl rod for pegs - repeat.

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Glue, peg, clamp.

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Repeat.

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Gotta let the glue set for a while.
Then I can belt sand the pegs and run the corners through the 3/4" round over bit on the router table.
 
Got a few more steps out of the way.
Sanded down the pegs and trimmed the corners so there's a little less work for the big 3/4" router bit.
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Just that little 45 cut is about 1/2 the wood that the router removes, and reduces tear out of the plywood layers.
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Here's a close up of the round overs after routing.
Still some hand sanding and filler - but probably done with the big tools.
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Pic of the full stack with the logo plate mounted in the head shell.
Not exactly a Chippendale armoire, but good enough for tolex.
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And a pic of the chassis in the head shell.
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That's all for today.
I hosed off the man glitter, and it's time for a steak...
 
syscokid said:
Awesome skills and cool tools… :cheers:
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Thanks, I didn't acquire my tools for the purpose of building speaker cabs, but having them makes the prices I see on even used gear seem outrageous.
Got most of my tools (and justified the cost) by doing DIY projects around the house, and for building furniture for the kids to destroy.

Component parts like wood, tolex, grill, piping, corners, feet, handles and a logo run about $175-200 for a 1x12.
Salvage wood and doing multiples save a little - I'd need 2 yards of tolex to do one cab, but I'll get both from 3 yards.
If I didn't have those old ply box things, I'd have used chipboard.
I'll need to get some wood for the baffles, and I'll probably use 5/8" chipboard 2'x2' craft sheets from Lowe's.
I'm looking at about $300 for this pair of cabs and head shell.
Plus speakers...

Just a few years ago, speaker cabs were way more reasonably priced.
I got a used MX112 for $220 and a new one for $250 (with Seventy/80's stock) - those things are $480 now new.
Used to be about a wash to build you own when you add in the cost of speakers.

But I don't just do this to save money, I have fun just doing it.
If I had to buy the tools just for this, the budget would be blown.
I also rationalize this as somewhat of a hobby expense.
Some people I know blow $100 on a round of golf - and what do they have when they're done? - a 3" pencil.
I wind up with some cool gear...
 
Amp Mad Scientist said:
I will advise you to use purple snakeskin tolex, the sustain is much better.
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Already got purple on the Haze15, because, well...

Since you brought it up, here's the decorating plan.

Black Cherry Bronco tolex.
I think it's actually kinda close to what Marshall used on the JTM30/60.

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Generic T&M Black & Tan.

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White piping and 6" script logos.
Standard black corners w/ rivets, and I like the cup handles on 1x12's.
 
LiveeviL2000 said:
Excellent work so far.
You could turn that little hobby into a side gig easily.
Hypothetically, if you did this as a side gig (which I totally think you should) and you were to sell one of those cabs fully loaded. What would you charge? Remember, your time is worth something.
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I have had multiple inquiries.

7 hours yesterday on the build so far.
Probably got at least that, and then some to go.
So, materials at $300 (probably $400 with new wood) + let's just say 20 hours @ $30/hr, um, that's $1,000 for 2 cabs and a head shell.
Plus amp & speakers...
Add some overhead for administrative expenses.
That's the difference between retail & DIY.
The thought has crossed my mind, but I'd have trouble competing with the pricing from Sourmash & Mojotone cabs.

(Edit: I'm a cost accountant in the real world, by the way)
 
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fitz said:
I have had multiple inquiries.

7 hours yesterday on the build so far.
Probably got at least that, and then some to go.
So, materials at $300 (probably $400 with new wood) + let's just say 20 hours @ $30/hr, um, that's $1,000 for 2 cabs and a head shell.
Plus amp & speakers...
Add some overhead for administrative expenses.
That's the difference between retail & DIY.
The thought has crossed my mind, but I'd have trouble competing with the pricing from Sourmash & Mojotone cabs.

(Edit: I'm a cost accountant in the real world, by the way)
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Ok so for a full stack, with hardware and electronics included. You are talking what?

Let’s call it a Fitz Mark II 100w Custom.
 
67plexi said:
I build my cabinets you may want to use 1/2" for the speaker baffle if your using stock speaker mounting
hardware that way if you ever use a cast frame speaker like JBL or EV it will fit.

View attachment 88698
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Cabs are 11" deep - plenty of room for a cast frame speaker.
I had some of those S303 Celestion Marshall Gold speakers with my 6101/6912 - didn't really like them. (made by EV based on the EVM-12L, I'm told)
Might be overkill for a 60w.
 
LiveeviL2000 said:
Ok so for a full stack, with hardware and electronics included. You are talking what?

Let’s call it a Fitz Mark II 100w Custom.
Click to expand...
Probably about the same as retail with labor and speakers.
Like I said, I think I'd have trouble selling an empty cab for less than the usual after-market cab makers if I tried to make a living at it.
Bigger cabs (2x12, 4x12) don't add magnitudes of materials in relation to the number of speakers, but the speakers themselves drive the price.
1 yard of grill cloth will do a 412, can't buy a smaller size for a 112.
A little more tolex to wrap a 412, but the width of a roll will do multiple cabs.
Corners are the same, incremental costs of bigger handles and logo.
 
Amp Mad Scientist said:
If you would just pour beer on it for proper seasoning, we wouldn't need to argue anymore.
Where do you think vintage tone comes from? The tooth fairy? get real
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You forgot stash your weed inside it for say off and on 4 years and chop a litttle booger sugar on the head shell. Shaken not stirred well with high volume and voila vintage tone.
( a friend told me about it )
:wink:
 
A couple things today:

Glued in the back panel cleats.
Deep dive into the clamp stash...
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Also cut the back panels from about the last of my usable scraps.
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Test fit.
I did some tolex calculometry, and I'll have enough to do the back panels, so I don't need pretty.
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Yes, I have a handle hole layout jig.
Originally made for 1x10 micro-cabs, but I glued on some scraps for where I want the holes on these 112's
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Consistent location without measuring.
Drill 4 holes and a jig saw - hole for cup handle.
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Gotta go get my birthday lasagna dinner at the X's, and bring my son home to drop off at school tomorrow.
 
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