Build a Barefaced 2X12 style cab for the HDRX 20

[chrisdb]

I'm playing my HDRX20 through a second hand ported cube cab loaded with an EVM 12L speaker. It looks like sh*t but sounds great.
Recently I was getting fizzy distortion on a different "bespoke" 5e3 style combo amp at a couple different frequencies and jumped to the conclusion that the speaker was damaged. I was shopping for an EVM 12L as replacement and found a pre-owned but unused speaker at a very good price and snagged it right away.
Turns out the the "fizzy" noise turned out to be a microphonic power tube. I put a few silicon rings on the offending tube and it cleared right up.

Now I have two EVM 12L 8 Ohm speakers so what do I need to do? Well, I guess I have to build a 2x12 cabinet for the HDRX20.
I'm leaning toward building a "Barefaced" style rear "V" ported cabinet. The question I have for the experienced builders is ... should I wire the two speakers in series or parallel? The amp has speaker inputs for 4, 8, or 16 OHM so i could configure it to either 4 or 16 Ohm. Is there any different tone or efficiency attributes for one versus the other?
thanks for looking

 

[Lewguitar]

Would build a cabinet EXACTLY the size of a Vox AC30.

That's my favorite speaker cab.

I wouldn't build a ported cabinet because the port needs to be sized and "tuned" to the speaker itself.

If you fo for 16 ohms you will use all of the output transformer windings and it should sound better.

 

[chrisdb]

VOX AC30....I've never played through one but I'd sure like to have one ... they are iconic.
AFAIK the AC30 is a combo amp and I'm looking to build a speaker cabinet only to compliment the HDRX20. I have the dimensions for the Barefaced "Uprising" 2x12 and it should fit quite well under the HDRX20. My description of the cab may not be but if your curious you should check out the website
https://barefacedaudio.com/products/uprising-212v

 

[jak3af3r]

I've always read to wire them in parallel so if one speaker blows, the connection isn't broken and transformers don't die from the absence of load.

 

[Lewguitar]

VOX AC30....I've never played through one but I'd sure like to have one ... they are iconic.
AFAIK the AC30 is a combo amp and I'm looking to build a speaker cabinet only to compliment the HDRX20. I have the dimensions for the Barefaced "Uprising" 2x12 and it should fit quite well under the HDRX20. My description of the cab may not be but if your curious you should check out the website
https://barefacedaudio.com/products/uprising-212v

Right. My Matchless 2 x 12 speaker cab is the same size as an AC30 amp. Just no amp inside.

27.64"W x 10.43"D x 21.89"H.

https://imgur.com/Gl7OpEe

 

[Greywolf]

The DG 30 cab is magic for me . I'm a fan of ported cabs and built them for years prior to becoming a luthier.

With 2 x 8 ohms you can run each one of the 8 ohm outs you have . This is the way my Blue Sierra cab was wired ( option) Option 2 wire them together so the amp runs the single 4 ohm / 16 ohm depending on series or parallel.

You can only push a single 16 ohm load. I doubt many would run 2 2x12 's with 20w but it is possible with 4 or 8 ohm cab loads.

Remember : DON"T MIX i.e. whatever you decide , never prudent ( per amp mfg's ) to have different resistance cabs plugged into the same amp.

gross example 25 w @ 8 ohm 50w @ 4 ohm , this is NOT always true depending on amp design.

In terms of sound , the less resistance the amp pushes the more relative power it typically has . This typically shows up on the spec sheet.

 

[László]

Like Greywolf, I love the DG30 cab, too. Sure, my DG30 sounds great with it, but so do my Mesas. The ported cab sounds great with most amps, and the pine construction gives it a more mellow sound than a birch ply cab.

However, my DG30 cab wouldn't be my first choice for the HXDA, which is more of a Marshall style amp like the HDRX.

My HXDA sounds best to me with a closed back, birch ply 2x12. Speaking only for myself, I would guess I'd like the HDRX best with that type of cab, too.

The caveat, of course, is that we're all different, we play different things, we have different tones and different tastes. What works for me may not work for anyone else.

I'm simply sharing this as food for thought.

 

[chrisdb]

Being an "older" guy I don't play fast or loud anymore - even my small single 12" combo amps rarely get over 3 or 4 on the volume knob. That being said I do enjoy the way a 6x10 fills a room even at a comfortable volume. I found the posts very helpful, in particular the series/ parallel wiring decision. The efficiency of the 4 Ohm load versus a 16 Ohm load with this small amp makes wiring Parallel for a 4 Ohm load the winner. Another benefit to parallel wiring would be the possibility of adding an LFO pot to a the top speaker in a vertical cabinet.
Many thanks to all for the advice and input... MUCH appreciated!

 

[DreamTheaterRules]

Throwing this in FYI. The Dr. Z Z-Best cab is a 2x12 Thiele cab. Exact Thiele 1x cab specs, doubled. Two EV's in that thing (I have one) would kill! It would also weigh more than a 4x! LOL

I currently have an Eminence EM12 and a Warehouse 12L. The Emi works great in my Mesa Thiele cab, and the Warehouse is supposed to be even better, so it's going in there soon.

 

[chrisdb]

ElectroVoice published plans for a Thiele cabinet for a single 12" EVM-12L cabinet decades ago. It's a front ported cab and plans. are still available with a google search. I was originally planning to build that cabinet for a single speaker but now that I got two EVM 12L I thought I'd try something a little out of the ordinary.
My Momma always told me not to play with my food, but never said nothing about building guitar speaker in the basement.
BTW, I'm hearing good things about Warehouse lately... I'd be interested to hear your impression of it when it's done.

 

[Lewguitar]

ElectroVoice published plans for a Thiele cabinet for a single 12" EVM-12L cabinet decades ago. It's a front ported cab and plans. are still available with a google search. I was originally planning to build that cabinet for a single speaker but now that I got two EVM 12L I thought I'd try something a little out of the ordinary.
My Momma always told me not to play with my food, but never said nothing about building guitar speaker in the basement.
BTW, I'm hearing good things about Warehouse lately... I'd be interested to hear your impression of it when it's done.

I just sold a pair of Warehouse Veteran 30's for cheap.

They were bragged up as being better than the Celestion Vintage 30's Eric Johnson uses.

They weren't. No crunch and not as efficient.

Not IMO anyway.

 

[DreamTheaterRules]

I have a Warehouse ET-90 and ET65 both in cabs now and both are really good! In fact, I've considered putting the ET-90 in the Mesa Thiele cab, for a more brit flavored high power 1x12.

 

[Lewguitar]

You can save yourself a lot of work and and time by buying a nice baltic birch VHT 2 x 12 cabs for cheap. I sold mine for $300 on Reverb and it was loaded with Warehouse Veteran 30's. You can buy them without speakers for even less and they look nice.

https://imgur.com/lmrcsvf

 

[jak3af3r]

I have a Warehouse ET-90 and ET65 both in cabs now and both are really good! In fact, I've considered putting the ET-90 in the Mesa Thiele cab, for a more brit flavored high power 1x12.

I bought a silver face twin that had et90s in it and used one in a combo I built to put a 20w dumble clone in until I got an et65. Both of those are great speakers and now the et90s live in a dumble-stlye 212 I built for the 100w head that came in yesterday.

I thought about doing a single EV type thing for the sake of space and portability.

 

[DreamTheaterRules]

I thought about doing a single EV type thing for the sake of space and portability.

The 1x Thiele obviously doesn't take up much space. I have the EM12 in it now (works very well!) and the Warehouse 12L on deck, so all EV "flavored" so far. But I'm tempted to drop the ET-90 in just to see how it works. Per sound so far and specs, it should be great in the Thiele cab, and a bit more brit flavored the the EV style speakers.

 

[Lewguitar]

The 1x Thiele obviously doesn't take up much space. I have the EM12 in it now (works very well!) and the Warehouse 12L on deck, so all EV "flavored" so far. But I'm tempted to drop the ET-90 in just to see how it works. Per sound so far and specs, it should be great in the Thiele cab, and a bit more brit flavored the the EV style speakers.

So the Thiele cabinet is NOT tuned to sound best with a speaker with a particular resonant frequency?

 

[DreamTheaterRules]

So the Thiele cabinet is NOT tuned to sound best with a speaker with a particular resonant frequency?

Yes, or course it is. But that doesn't mean other speakers don't work or sound good in it.

A) this is guitar so we're not going for "flat" anyway., so that lack of "tuning" may or may not be an issue. B) other speakers have a "close" resonant frequency, so the port tuning is not that far off, and. C) the Mesa offering is not true to the real "Thiele" specs anyway, as with the real specs the center of the side port is closed. In the Mesa, the whole side is open port. Easy to change and I've toyed with it...