pix of Custom built guitar amps/cabs

[rossp6304]

Here's a custom rehouse that I posted in the pictures thread a few weeks ago, with the custom cabinet to go with it.

[Earthscum]

NERD ALERT!!!!!

Actually, I had to go tell my girlfriend about that... That's pretty sweet. I have a Mac blue monitor I'm considering doing something similar with. 

[a soBer Newt]

I AM SO DOING THIS!

[DougH]

Dragonfly:

[Govmnt_Lacky]

Dragonfly:

Absolutely STUNNING Doug 

If only I had the patience to do something like this. I detest painting effects enclosures let alone something like this!!!

[DougH]

Thanks!

[Taylor]

Fantastic Doug, can you tell us about the wood and finish you used?

I love the look of pretty wood that's not insanely over-the-top. Most guys doing this kind of thing go nuts with obscenely figured woods and finishes that make the wood look unreal. That can be cool in a way, but I prefer a more natural look, which you've achieved here.

[DougH]

Thanks, Taylor.

The wood is aspen that I picked up at Lowe's. It's the same wood I used in the cabinet for my Cirrus (underneath the Dragonfly) that I did a natural finish of. It's a nice light and strong white wood. I assembled it using a dowel drilling jig and wood pegs along with glue, after rounding off the edges with a router. I haven't jumped on the finger joint bandwagon and probably won't. Butt joints with pegs are extremely strong and much simpler to work with, as long as you're happy with the look- which I am.

I used Watco Danish Oil to stain it (I think the color was "mahogany" maybe? I can't remember). I just followed the directions on the can (IIRC you hit it with two coats). After that dried I followed roughly the same procedure I did on the Cirrus cabinet. John Lyons outlined it for me a few years ago. The finish is one part each polyurethane, linseed oil, and thinner. You basically rub it on with a rag, wet sand it, let it dry- repeating 3 or 4 times with finer grit sandpaper each time. You have to let it dry overnight and being in Florida I kept a fan on it too, which helped a lot. Takes a week or so for the whole finish process. After that I applied a thin coat of paste wax and buffed it out. IMO that really gives it the consistent finished "shine" look. I thank John for talking me into that.

It's far from perfect. I learned you really don't need to wet sand the edges, as you can see the results of that on the right edge. Also, the stain doesn't take where there are glue beads, and comes out darker on the edges. Someone on another forum mentioned that a sanding sealer could be used to keep it from getting dark like that. But in all honesty I think it would be a lot easier just to use a darker piece of wood and finish it natural. So I'll probably forego using stain in the future. But I wanted to give it a try and overall am pretty pleased.

[Earthscum]

Doug, don't be afraid to grab a wet sponge and wipe down the glued edges while you have it clamped up for drying. Wipe that sucker down good, like it's your table top before the glue dries. It won't hurt anything, unless your sponge is so wet that it's washing the glue out of the joint, lol.

Another trick, in case you're interested, is roughening up the surfaces with the intent of sanding after gluing. Obviously it gives bite, fibers that can grab on to each other, but a good feathering also can help hide the seams so you don't have a solid line of glue. If you wipe after with a damp sponge, the sanding will take the seam down to wood and no funky stain lines unless you sand into a imperfection.

Digging on the Aspen. I would've loved to have seen it wiped down with oil, but the stain pulled out the grains beautifully.

[DougH]

Thanks for the tips, David.

Here's one I did that was the same dimensions with a natural finish on the Aspen (same thing without the stain):



Here's both together:

[Earthscum]

I love those... they look like so much of the aspen furniture I grew up with as a kid. Together, the stained one  actually just looks aged.

[TimWaldvogel]

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150815690105057&set=a.10150205629885057.432980.889640056&type=1&theater

this is on my facebook, its a picture of an amp my tube amp guy just built and traded to me. 2-12ax7s and 4-6aq5's\6005's
currently 6005's

it SCREAMS, its loud and has perfect tube screamer esc balanced breakup.

[jtn0xvirus]

Any body tried making randall rg 100es??? ...If anyOne intrested in Helping me out .. because i am planning to make one of these!! Plese visit my thread ------->http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=94178.new;topicseen#new

[Ben N]

Very nice, Doug, a real Trainwreck vibe there. I'm also digging the intensely mojo-ish CC resistors. (Didn't imagine you went for that sort of thing.) Along the same lines, what tonal differences are there between the stained and unstained Aspen? 

[tasos]

Hey everybody...
I was always wondering!
How do you make the wooden panel stick together with the metal chassis?

[egasimus]

^ MAGNETS!

[tasos]

^ MAGNETS!

Troll?!?

[ugly_guitar_guy]

Hey everybody...
I was always wondering!
How do you make the wooden panel stick together with the metal chassis?

Here's a good tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ5TajZYW6Y

[rossp6304]

Here's a good tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ5TajZYW6Y
[/quote]

ha

[tasos]

Those trolls are reproducing!
Here's one good for you
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5gNYVia2rg

(Last oftopic comment!Stop now! )