I had a notion to use the bass guitar case itself as a “box” to mount the speaker portion of a bass guitar amplifier, and have it serve dual purposes.
For reference, this theoretical bass case would run 48”x16”x4-6” ish in size, and be made of chipboard or thin plywood. At least normally, it’s being designed and built to purpose so can be thicker, etc. the speaker can top mount, or bumped out some.
At first I was just thinking of mounting a shallow woofer or mid-bass speaker somewhere in one of the unused “cavities” created by putting a very non-square electric bass in a very square box, lol.
Then I ran into the whole flat panel speaker/exciter thing and started thinking…… what if the whole case was the speaker?
Bass guitars start in the 30hz range but while it’s nice for those frequencies to be there for some fun-thump, most of the real work happens maybe 150hz to 4k. I may still try to squeeze in some kind of sub, to fill the bottom end out. Usually most combo amps are using full range or mid-bass drivers, so they also roll off the low-lows too.
Might it really be as simple throwing in an amp and securing exciters on the inside of the box? I guess it’s cheap enough to try.
Would moderately stiff panels like that still radiate anything? I could also anchor the exciters to the case and use a “floating panel” of balsa or thin ply, then add external protection of some kind?
I’m excited (-
to give it a whirl. I figure I’d ask anyone with experience if I just totally am barking up the wrong tree?
For reference, this theoretical bass case would run 48”x16”x4-6” ish in size, and be made of chipboard or thin plywood. At least normally, it’s being designed and built to purpose so can be thicker, etc. the speaker can top mount, or bumped out some.
At first I was just thinking of mounting a shallow woofer or mid-bass speaker somewhere in one of the unused “cavities” created by putting a very non-square electric bass in a very square box, lol.
Then I ran into the whole flat panel speaker/exciter thing and started thinking…… what if the whole case was the speaker?
Bass guitars start in the 30hz range but while it’s nice for those frequencies to be there for some fun-thump, most of the real work happens maybe 150hz to 4k. I may still try to squeeze in some kind of sub, to fill the bottom end out. Usually most combo amps are using full range or mid-bass drivers, so they also roll off the low-lows too.
Might it really be as simple throwing in an amp and securing exciters on the inside of the box? I guess it’s cheap enough to try.
Would moderately stiff panels like that still radiate anything? I could also anchor the exciters to the case and use a “floating panel” of balsa or thin ply, then add external protection of some kind?
I’m excited (-
to give it a whirl. I figure I’d ask anyone with experience if I just totally am barking up the wrong tree?
Interesting, will watch progress. You might be able to wrap a bass guitar case in cling wrap and do a layup using 4mm PVC foam with 200gsm biax on either side. Then cut out a face and reattach it with fabric. Just a random thought that might result in a usable “box and cone”
Although I don’t really see the point of listening to only the upper echoes of the lower notes. The type of sound that you are describing seems more like a baritone amp/device than actual solid bass
We couldn’t understand why the amps in the shops didn’t sound anything like the bass guitar lines in reggae and dub so just made our own using a THX rated sub and FR drivers. Now the bass guitar sounds exactly like the ones in recordings and we can create the whole range of tones present in dub and reggae using just a simple preamp my BEAD setup and my daughters 4 string jazz
Although I don’t really see the point of listening to only the upper echoes of the lower notes. The type of sound that you are describing seems more like a baritone amp/device than actual solid bass
We couldn’t understand why the amps in the shops didn’t sound anything like the bass guitar lines in reggae and dub so just made our own using a THX rated sub and FR drivers. Now the bass guitar sounds exactly like the ones in recordings and we can create the whole range of tones present in dub and reggae using just a simple preamp my BEAD setup and my daughters 4 string jazz
I’m not saying I’d refuse the low-lows, lol. I’m just not sure it’s realistic in this kind of setup…. But hey, maybe it is. It’s certainly better when those frequencies are present, but the harmonics are more of what punches through and actually gets heard.
I wonder if I threw this on the back panel and fed it 100hz and down
https://a.co/d/7JwEChE
And a couple of these on the front panel:
https://a.co/d/1FT9Cv7
Hah, or use a 2.1 backwards, 2x sub and 1x full range.
I’d need fold out feet, so it could radiate both panels.
I wonder if I threw this on the back panel and fed it 100hz and down
https://a.co/d/7JwEChE
And a couple of these on the front panel:
https://a.co/d/1FT9Cv7
Hah, or use a 2.1 backwards, 2x sub and 1x full range.
I’d need fold out feet, so it could radiate both panels.
Looking forward to seeing how those go
How would you go with the case body as a driver volume and case neck as port? could you make enough depth to use a pancake 8" on the face together with a small FR? I have been looking at the DS18 SRW8.4 with interest to use in my car door pods to cover from around 40hz to 300hz. These will really be able to make good use of that small space and give you a real solid output......just a thought if you wanted to explore full extent of output possible from using the case as a cab
How would you go with the case body as a driver volume and case neck as port? could you make enough depth to use a pancake 8" on the face together with a small FR? I have been looking at the DS18 SRW8.4 with interest to use in my car door pods to cover from around 40hz to 300hz. These will really be able to make good use of that small space and give you a real solid output......just a thought if you wanted to explore full extent of output possible from using the case as a cab
I was kind of thinking I could fit either a 6x9 or 6.5 sub on either side of the neck, or bump out a “pod” on the back and rest the neck on the magnet of a shallow 10. (With some padding). Kind of share that space.
The case will be built to suit so there’s a lot of potential ways to skin that cat. I’ll probably go square box overall because there’s more available nooks and crannies to shove stuff in.
It’s not something you’d record or gig with, more of a drag to your buddies house and jam with drums and a guitar.
Just mind-theater at this point, step one is to grab a some exciters and a a couple hundred watts of cheap Class D and start testing. Funny, all the sound test videos on YouTube sound…. Exactly like the iPhone I was listening to them on. ;-)
I like the foam/glass layup idea, it would be light and stiff. I was thinking a bungie suspension system, but a cloth surround could work. Almost just a giant flat speaker. 760 sq inches is equivalent to what, 3x18” subs?
The case will be built to suit so there’s a lot of potential ways to skin that cat. I’ll probably go square box overall because there’s more available nooks and crannies to shove stuff in.
It’s not something you’d record or gig with, more of a drag to your buddies house and jam with drums and a guitar.
Just mind-theater at this point, step one is to grab a some exciters and a a couple hundred watts of cheap Class D and start testing. Funny, all the sound test videos on YouTube sound…. Exactly like the iPhone I was listening to them on. ;-)
I like the foam/glass layup idea, it would be light and stiff. I was thinking a bungie suspension system, but a cloth surround could work. Almost just a giant flat speaker. 760 sq inches is equivalent to what, 3x18” subs?
Man, if you are going a flat rectangular case, so much fun potential. How about a DML lid for the overtones and a sub or two for the fundamentals? Lay it flat and open the lid up like /
With maybe dual opposed subs at the ends. A pair of 7" Wavecors would easily beat THX spec bass with about 15L each ported to 43Hz
Anyway, apologies if it sounds like taking over your project! Just something close to the heart
With maybe dual opposed subs at the ends. A pair of 7" Wavecors would easily beat THX spec bass with about 15L each ported to 43Hz
Anyway, apologies if it sounds like taking over your project! Just something close to the heart
I’m all in for ideas… I thought DML speakers were what you got by attaching the exciters to a flat panel?
That is basically the idea, a DML “full range” on one side and a “punchy bass” sub speaker for the back to fill where the DML is weak. I was thinking of the case, with bass guitar removed and closed back up as the “enclosure” for the sub/woofer/midbass or whatever ends up living there. I’d actually be using the 1.7-2.0 CFT interior volume of the case as the “box” for the sub. Well, minus pockets and padding and supports and such.
All while trying to keep it luggable, lol
That is basically the idea, a DML “full range” on one side and a “punchy bass” sub speaker for the back to fill where the DML is weak. I was thinking of the case, with bass guitar removed and closed back up as the “enclosure” for the sub/woofer/midbass or whatever ends up living there. I’d actually be using the 1.7-2.0 CFT interior volume of the case as the “box” for the sub. Well, minus pockets and padding and supports and such.
All while trying to keep it luggable, lol