Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum

Other Stuff => Cabinets-Speakers => Topic started by: Terry on February 27, 2009, 09:00:08 pm

Title: Cheap fake tolex and easy
Post by: Terry on February 27, 2009, 09:00:08 pm
Can it be done?  I'd like to do my cab to go with my Sunn Head
Title: Re: Cheap fake tolex and easy
Post by: tubesornothing on February 28, 2009, 10:57:27 am
cheap, fake and easy - tolex?  black truck bed liner spray paint.  Doesn't look like tolex, but thats what you get for cheap, fake and easy.
Title: Re: Cheap fake tolex and easy
Post by: Frankenamp on March 06, 2009, 11:39:15 pm
Not the cheapest, but the best. Duratex*. It's more or less immune to all un-American influences. You can save a bit by undercoating with a same-color primer. AcryTech ships out of Florida, or if you're in Ks http://www.speakerhardware.com/duratex_roller_grade-DuratexRG.php carries it also. Leland (from another website) carries it in KS. I was yakking with Acrytech's propriator and learned a new trick- seems Leland came up with a new technique. After rolling on the duratex, lay on a sheet of plastic, smoothe it out, and then remove the sheet of plastic... makes a texture just like leather! it's around 50 a gallon, but that gallon goes a long way. Only thing that might be tougher is Rhinoliner (plastic coating sprayed on a 300* F, and NOT cheap) They mix colors- I sent 'em a sample and got it matched exactly (I use it on my molding room walls, the material carts destroy everything else)

*it's the stuff that a lot of high end PA speaker manufacturers use ie. EAW, JBL, Danley, E, etc...
Title: Re: Cheap fake tolex and easy
Post by: Dynaflow on March 07, 2009, 05:20:04 am
 I been wanting to experiment with like that cotton drop cloth material. Gluing it on then a light coat of shellac and then tint it sort of like tweed thats tinted (except not checkered :D ). Probably rip or get weird with the contact cement on it I donno. I thought also of denim that was lacquered which you can buy by the yard at most craft/cloth places.

Regards,

Dyna
Title: Re: Cheap fake tolex and easy
Post by: Terry on March 07, 2009, 08:05:15 am
Very interesting
Title: Re: Cheap fake tolex and easy
Post by: bluesbear on March 07, 2009, 11:13:11 am
Parts Express has black tolex-like stuff for $14.50 per yard, 54" wide, in smooth or knobby.

http://www.parts-express.com/wizards/searchResults.cfm?srchExt=CAT&srchCat=833&CFID=7026021&CFTOKEN=85387689

Dave
Title: Re: Cheap fake tolex and easy
Post by: PRR on March 07, 2009, 10:15:18 pm
> I thought also of denim

Black denim work-jeans could be sliced to cover a small "tweed" cab.

Sears has a Welder-grade black denim shirt. I wear them, they don't wear-out.
Title: Re: Cheap fake tolex and easy
Post by: Dynaflow on March 07, 2009, 10:38:37 pm
 Thats a good idea, black denim would be cool, heck if you used Dickey's it'd never wear out...

Regards,

Dyna
Title: Re: Cheap fake tolex and easy
Post by: Frankenamp on March 09, 2009, 03:24:22 pm
Naaaw, I want to see a western style cabinet with 'points' across the back!  ;)
Title: Re: Cheap fake tolex and easy
Post by: Megachunk on April 09, 2009, 09:01:50 am
Just build a torso-shaped cab and buy it new shirt once in a while to keep it happy. For New Years gigs, you could hit the tux rental shop.

OR...

Build the female version, and you could have a dual-speaker cab.

...The 80's weren't kind to me, as you can see.
Title: Re: Cheap fake tolex and easy
Post by: Dynaflow on April 09, 2009, 09:42:49 am
 ; ;D ;D That made me slop my coffee, funny stuff, hmmm, I used to do some fiberglass work occassionally, carve a body out of foam and cover it, put the shirt on, speaker in the belly underneath.... I like it.. :D


Regards,

Dyna

Ps: The 70's were to good to me, so I feel your pain (or lack there of?)
Title: Re: Cheap fake tolex and easy
Post by: Platefire on April 09, 2009, 01:22:57 pm
You can get tolex like type material from wall marts from fabric dept for $3.77 a yard. The material on the backplate of this 1482 is that material.
Title: Re: Cheap fake tolex and easy
Post by: AZJimC on April 10, 2009, 01:49:55 pm
Build the female version, and you could have a dual-speaker cab.  ;D ;D

Wait, then you could have fashion errors, with your cabinets?

Do I look ok in this? or, Does this make my magnets look big? (no right answer here)   :'(

You could end up fighting with your equipment about what to wear!

(The 00's are not being too good to me, also as you can see!)  ;D ;D

JimC
Title: Re: Cheap fake tolex and easy
Post by: Dynaflow on April 10, 2009, 02:04:02 pm
 I thought about this some more, maybe find a manikin and mount the speaker in the stomach and dress normally. How funny would that be it sitting up on stage with your amp hooked up to it.

Regards,

Dyna
Title: Re: Cheap fake tolex and easy
Post by: AZJimC on April 10, 2009, 02:22:31 pm
I thought about this some more, maybe find a manikin and mount the speaker in the stomach and dress normally. How funny would that be it sitting up on stage with your amp hooked up to it.

Especially if you have a proper "head" sitting on top, twist the nose for vol, poke turn an eye for treb, the other for bass, tweak an ear if the sound is not just right, a real Amp Head!

Wow, how the heck did we get here from "cheap tolex"?  HAHA, goes to show the real talent here I guess!

JimC
Title: Re: Cheap fake tolex and easy
Post by: Megachunk on April 10, 2009, 07:12:44 pm
Dialing in your amp would look more like something Moe would do to Curly!

...Why I oughta!
Title: Re: Cheap fake tolex and easy
Post by: bbirling on April 17, 2009, 08:42:22 am
Here is a double neck bass I did for a guy. 3D carved. Anything is possible. Next project is the mudflap girl done up as a WWII pinup.
Title: Re: Cheap fake tolex and easy
Post by: Dynaflow on April 17, 2009, 09:17:23 am
 Dude, thats cool as all get out. Really neat!


Regards,

Dyna
Title: Re: Cheap fake tolex and easy
Post by: bbirling on April 17, 2009, 11:18:29 am
Thanks. It turned out well and sounds better than some if his higher end production Basses.
I really like the manikin amp idea. I will be persuing it. This guy initially wanted his guitar out of one.

Bruce
Title: Re: Cheap fake tolex and easy
Post by: tubenit on April 19, 2009, 06:14:35 am
Gary's Upholstery has some reasonably inexpensive vinyls, etc....     I would say they have a good deal on some unique
materials. Just hit the products link to see the entire selection.

http://www.garysupholstery.com/Relcrocvinyl.html

http://www.garysupholstery.com/naugahyde/ngzodiac.html

http://www.garysupholstery.com/Diamond-tufted-vinyl.html

http://www.garysupholstery.com/barkcloth.html

http://www.garysupholstery.com/basketvinyl.html

I've done business with them before to find some nice burgundy vinyl.

Tubenit
Title: Re: Cheap fake tolex and easy
Post by: bluesbear on April 19, 2009, 07:26:24 am
Be careful buying from an upholstery place. I bought a couple of orders from Gary's. They were nice enough but the stuff I got gives off an oily residue. It's not meant for gluing. It goes on fine but as it exudes oil, it comes right off. I'm not saying all their stuff is like that, just what I bought!
Dave
Title: Re: Cheap fake tolex and easy
Post by: jerryjg on April 22, 2009, 04:38:21 pm
Sharkskin. No, I mean REAL sharkskin. Get out the fishing gear and get started.

But seriously, I hatre vynil- that stuff tears so easy.  Want cheap and durable? Carpet. Should be able to get it covbered for about a hundred bones.
Title: Re: Cheap fake tolex and easy
Post by: Frankenamp on April 22, 2009, 04:59:59 pm
Carpet? it's not so cheap if you figure out the man-hours to lay it out and glue it... It tears just as much as vinyl, cats love to sharpen their claws on it, and it is the best known way to slowly release any noxious odoure' that it has absorbed (works especially well with nicotine, stale beer, and rat urine) ??? Duratex is immune to those things and most other unAmerican influences. Take it out in the back yard and hose it off! Can't do that with carpet. (seriously) I've seen guys take their cabs out in the desert and do unmentionable things involving sandstorms and flash floods then take the cabs home and hose 'em off (they did have to replace the plexiglas panels that got sand scoured).