Building 1936 cab - Ready!

[BlueX]

I’m building a horizontal 2x12 cab, using the dimensions of the current 1936V from Marshall webpage: 740x600x305 mm (29.1” x 23.6” x 12”). To get the right proportions, I need help with some dimensions (see also pictures below). I don’t have a 1936 cab nearby, so I would be grateful if someone could share these dimensions:

• Thickness of the frame around the grill
• Depth from front face to grill cloth, top and bottom. As I understand the baffle is tilted slightly, and sits deeper at the top then at the bottom.
• Position of handles. My idea was to mount them at equal distance from front and back, and to use the same distance also from the top. These handles are 220x160 mm (8 11/16” x 6 3/8”).

I will round off outer edges and corners with a ¾” (19 mm) radius router bit (seems to be common on Marshall cabs). Using 18 mm (just shy of ¾”) birch plywood.

The inspiration to my chosen design comes from a Marshall cab that Thomann had for sale for a short period. It had Purple/Black Levant tolex, pinstripe grill cloth, and was loaded with greenbacks. Here's the link to that thread: Marshall MR1936 Greenback LTD

The only place where I could find Purple/Black Levant tolex was at etronic-parts.com, web shop based in Hungary. The other parts I bought from tube-town.de: Marshall 1974x grill cloth, silver piping, silver trim strip, black metal handles, round black metal jack ferrule, and detachable casters.

The speakers I had planned to use are currently unavailable. Have not yet decided how to handle that.

 

[fitz288]

I’m building a horizontal 2x12 cab, using the dimensions of the current 1936V from Marshall webpage: 740x600x305 mm (29.1” x 23.6” x 12”). To get the right proportions, I need help with some dimensions (see also pictures below). I don’t have a 1936 cab nearby, so I would be grateful if someone could share these dimensions:

• Thickness of the frame around the grill
• Depth from front face to grill cloth, top and bottom. As I understand the baffle is tilted slightly, and sits deeper at the top then at the bottom.
• Position of handles. My idea was to mount them at equal distance from front and back, and to use the same distance also from the top. These handles are 220x160 mm (8 11/16” x 6 3/8”).

I will round off outer edges and corners with a ¾” (19 mm) radius router bit (seems to be common on Marshall cabs). Using 18 mm (just shy of ¾”) birch plywood.

The inspiration to my chosen design comes from a Marshall cab that Thomann had for sale for a short period. It had Purple/Black Levant tolex, pinstripe grill cloth, and was loaded with greenbacks. Here's the link to that thread: Marshall MR1936 Greenback LTD

The only place where I could find Purple/Black Levant tolex was at etronic-parts.com, web shop based in Hungary. The other parts I bought from tube-town.de: Marshall 1974x grill cloth, silver piping, silver trim strip, black metal handles, round black metal jack ferrule, and detachable casters.

The speakers I had planned to use are currently unavailable. Have not yet decided how to handle that.

View attachment 105279 View attachment 105280 View attachment 105281 View attachment 105282

Looking nice.
I don't have a 1936, but here's some of the dims from an MX112 cab. - same as on my 6912.
(sticky note for clarity)
Frame width is just under 1-1/2" (33mm?)

Setback at bottom is just under 1" (25mm?)


Not sure about the setback at the top for the slant on the baffle
I've also used a 3/4" radius round over bit and it matches the corner guards well.

 

[pulsonicsound]

I dont have a 1936 to hand, but on all the marshall cabs I have the dimensions of the baton depth are the same, namely 2" at the top and 1" at the bottom.

the radius off the round over would be 1" on a 1936 cab not 3/4" like the earlier stuff.

making cabs is a lot of fun, speaker wise I'd recommend some g12-80's they are still relatively cheap second hand and they are a killer speaker!

 

[BlueX]

Thanks for your answers!

Seems like two layers of 18 mm plywood would be about right to frame in the grill (35-36 mm, or about 1 3/8", thick). Setback, or depth, of 1" at the bottom and 2" at the top would mean 2,7° tilt. Seems realistic.

You could be right about the 1" radius for the round over. When I look at pictures of the 1936V the edges looks "rounder", then e.g. 1960 cabs. I also found Marshall style corner guards with 25 mm (1") internal radius. However, I need to stick with 3/4". The 1" router bits I found do not fit my power router.

I haven't planned to use corner guards. Wanted a more "vintage" look. If I fail with my first tolex job I might reconsider, though.

Good idea to check for 2nd hand speakers. Could be a good opportunity to try some out, until I can get those I wanted (if they become available).

Thanks again!

 

[pulsonicsound]

Thanks for your answers!

Seems like two layers of 18 mm plywood would be about right to frame in the grill (35-36 mm, or about 1 3/8", thick). Setback, or depth, of 1" at the bottom and 2" at the top would mean 2,7° tilt. Seems realistic.

You could be right about the 1" radius for the round over. When I look at pictures of the 1936V the edges looks "rounder", then e.g. 1960 cabs. I also found Marshall style corner guards with 25 mm (1") internal radius. However, I need to stick with 3/4". The 1" router bits I found do not fit my power router.

I haven't planned to use corner guards. Wanted a more "vintage" look. If I fail with my first tolex job I might reconsider, though.

Good idea to check for 2nd hand speakers. Could be a good opportunity to try some out, until I can get those I wanted (if they become available).

Thanks again!

im sure you'll be fine on the thickness, marshall originally used pine batons that were 7/8" high, I have a stash of victorian floorboards for when I make cabs as the depth is the same!

yea ive not seen a 1" radius bit for a 1/4" router, tbh its not that hard to route it with the 3/4" router bit you have and just do the rest by hand with a surform.

A good tip for tolexing is to use a heat gun on the corners and edges, it softens the tolex so you can pull it firm and get a nice clean line/corner.

best of luck with the build!

 

[playloud]

I'll measure mine tonight and post the dimensions.

What speakers are you looking for?

 

[BlueX]

What speakers are you looking for?

Scumback H55 PVC 16 Ohm 25 W was my intention, since I save some money by building the cab myself. Wired in parallel, to get an 8 Ohm mono cab.

 

[playloud]

Scumback H55 PVC 16 Ohm 25 W was my intention, since I save some money by building the cab myself. Wired in parallel, to get an 8 Ohm mono cab.

Ouch, those sound hard to find! Just saw the message on Jim's website. Hope he is ok.

Here are the measurements. I've included some pics for reference (to check I am measuring the right things), but note that (a) I'm not good at taking a picture while holding a tape measure straight (b) the cheap ruler I have has an extra 6mm past the "0" point. Sorry about that.

Width and depth look right (740mm and 305mm, resp.), but height is closer to 595mm, and this is including the feet (which add around 5mm).

Thickness of the frame around the grill
35.5mm, on all sides


Depth from front face to grill cloth, top and bottom. As I understand the baffle is tilted slightly, and sits deeper at the top then at the bottom.
46mm on top, 24mm on bottom.



Position of handles. My idea was to mount them at equal distance from front and back, and to use the same distance also from the top. These handles are 220x160 mm (8 11/16” x 6 3/8”).
The handles I have are 270mm x 160mm.



Positions of handles are 70mm from back panel and 65mm from top.

 

[paul-e-mann]

I’m building a horizontal 2x12 cab, using the dimensions of the current 1936V from Marshall webpage: 740x600x305 mm (29.1” x 23.6” x 12”). To get the right proportions, I need help with some dimensions (see also pictures below). I don’t have a 1936 cab nearby, so I would be grateful if someone could share these dimensions:

• Thickness of the frame around the grill
• Depth from front face to grill cloth, top and bottom. As I understand the baffle is tilted slightly, and sits deeper at the top then at the bottom.
• Position of handles. My idea was to mount them at equal distance from front and back, and to use the same distance also from the top. These handles are 220x160 mm (8 11/16” x 6 3/8”).

I will round off outer edges and corners with a ¾” (19 mm) radius router bit (seems to be common on Marshall cabs). Using 18 mm (just shy of ¾”) birch plywood.

The inspiration to my chosen design comes from a Marshall cab that Thomann had for sale for a short period. It had Purple/Black Levant tolex, pinstripe grill cloth, and was loaded with greenbacks. Here's the link to that thread: Marshall MR1936 Greenback LTD

The only place where I could find Purple/Black Levant tolex was at etronic-parts.com, web shop based in Hungary. The other parts I bought from tube-town.de: Marshall 1974x grill cloth, silver piping, silver trim strip, black metal handles, round black metal jack ferrule, and detachable casters.

The speakers I had planned to use are currently unavailable. Have not yet decided how to handle that.

View attachment 105279 View attachment 105280 View attachment 105281 View attachment 105282

You have a solid plan, looking forward to the finished cab! Here's some inspiration from my 1936 home built cabs:

 

[franblanc]

If you are going 2 x 12 inch Marshall Amp speakers, may I recommend the EVM12L. I used one in in my Marshall 2150 and the sound is absolutely savage (good). Thay are a chunky speaker but worth the effort. The EVM12L is the one used by Mesa Boogie. I think it's a good complement to the Marshall amplifier and I can tell you it was way better than the Celestion G12H which was replaced.

 

[BlueX]

Thanks @playloud for the measurements, now I should have everything I need! Thanks also for the close up pictures, your cab looks great!

height is closer to 595mm, and this is including the feet

My first mistake. Already glued the box to 600 mm height. DIdn't think of the feet. Well, it's my version of 1936, so...

 

[BlueX]

Here's some inspiration from my 1936 home built cabs:

Thanks! DIY can be a deep rabbit hole. A cab with large check grill cloth would also be nice to have.

 

[BlueX]

Thanks @franblanc for this speaker recommendation! I actually have a 1x12 custom cab with an EVM12L Classic. You're absolutely right, it's a magnificent speaker. It can handle anything you throw at it. Seems to have a very flat frequency response and neutral sound. The cab has a three-piece back. With the back open I can get a very "airy" tone: great for e.g. rhythm guitar in "(Don't Fear) The Reaper". Closed back I get very tight and solid bass, great for high gain. And it does everything in between.

 

[Spooky88]

While I understand building a Marshall knockoff, you might consider using the Golden ratio and consider the resonant frequency of the speakers for a closed back 2x12. The cabinet itself will respond much better when the engineering is “right”. I’ve built a few, and they’re all superior to the manufactured ones. Good luck!

 

[BlueX]

While I understand building a Marshall knockoff, you might consider using the Golden ratio and consider the resonant frequency of the speakers for a closed back 2x12. The cabinet itself will respond much better when the engineering is “right”. I’ve built a few, and they’re all superior to the manufactured ones. Good luck!

Thanks for your post, and I don't question your comment. I have done some studies on the topic, like this short Celestion text (and others): https://celestion.com/blog/thinking...ameters-to-design-a-guitar-speaker-cab-think/

I will build my experience in this area.

 

[Geeze]

Looking forward to your build pics!

I wouldn't get too fussed about a few mm or inches in a guitar speaker cab. I remember the story I read maybe here or on the other website a Mesa employee told when they were building their version of the EV TL-806 1x12 cab and running OEM EVM12 speakers. One of the cab guys accidentally moved the baffle 3/4" further in [I think] than indicated on the prints. No matter which EVM they put in it that cab was the best sounding TL-806 they had in the factory.

Russ

 

[BlueX]

Looking forward to your build pics!

I wouldn't get too fussed about a few mm or inches in a guitar speaker cab. I remember the story I read maybe here or on the other website a Mesa employee told when they were building their version of the EV TL-806 1x12 cab and running OEM EVM12 speakers. One of the cab guys accidentally moved the baffle 3/4" further in [I think] than indicated on the prints. No matter which EVM they put in it that cab was the best sounding TL-806 they had in the factory.

Russ

Some really good results have come out from mistakes. Pictures will follow, rest assured.

 

[BlueX]

I have machined most wooden parts for the cab now, and made a dry-fit (and it does fit!). Cab is made from 18 mm (just shy of 3/4") birch plywood.

Made a template for positioning the handles. Easier to make a new template than to redo the cab if I make a mistake. Placed the handles at equal distance from front and back, and top. That way I could cut parallel pieces with same width on the table saw, to use as a frame for the handle while marking and drilling holes for the fastener holes. Then I added some spacers to rout the cut-out hole.

On the baffle I started with the holes for mounting the speakers. Made a simple radius jig using a drill bit as centre post and a drill bushing to get holes perpendicular. To mount the thread inserts I use a fairly long bolt to get the inserts straight along the hole. An extra nut to lock the insert to the bolt. It's recommended to countersink at least the entrance of the hole, to avoid wood splinter (if that's important).

Then I routed the speaker cut-outs. I clamp the work piece to some scrap wood, and screw the centre pieces to that scrap wood (the centre piece might damage the router bit if it comes loose). Using a drilling router bit to work my way through the baffle stepwise (4-5 turns).

For the three piece back I cut the "meeting edges" of the centre piece and the upper and lower pieces at 7,5° angle (also the side edges of the centre piece). I hope this will make it possible to remove the centre piece for "open back" mode without having to loosen the upper or lower part. This is a problem with the three piece back on my Zilla Fatbaby cab.

There are four gaps on the back panel. I folded a piece of tolex 2 x 4 = 8 layers, and also a thin piece of paper 8 layers to represent the glue (I think @Matthews Guitars mentioned this ), to determine the height of the back panels. For the width I folded tolex and paper to 4 layers.

Hopefully there is some useful info here, for someone. Today the last snow melted away in my garden, so it was quite nice to be outdoor.

 

[pulsonicsound]

That looks great!

fwiw when it comes to cutting back panels I leave 2mm to allow for the tolex(ie I minus 1mm off of each side) you can take off more but you may have a gap

you should also leave some space for the grill cloth on the baffle, (how much will depend on what grill material you use) it wraps around the baffle.

funnily enough I just finished a cab today that looks very similar to yours!

 

[BlueX]

That looks great!

fwiw when it comes to cutting back panels I leave 2mm to allow for the tolex(ie I minus 1mm off of each side) you can take off more but you may have a gap

you should also leave some space for the grill cloth on the baffle, (how much will depend on what grill material you use) it wraps around the baffle.

Thanks! The baffle is reduced for the cloth, and dry fitted. Hopefully it will also fit when everything is ready. I might have to adjust the back panel (or make new). Not a big deal since it's split into three smaller pieces.

This is my first cab build, and I'm trying to collect as much knowledge as I can in the process.