Reloading a Marshall slope cab... advice requested...

[Highlander]

Part three of three...
Hmm... the original speakers... 30 watt 12 ohm original greenback Celestion's, date and coded identically as 1969... the Marshall serial number indcates 1970...


The odd rust mark on two of the speakers was something I talked about nearly a year back - Marshall's are "water-tight" - the water that had leaked through the old shed roof and rotted the original front cloth (but, miraculously, didn't destroy the speakers) was level with the edge of the speakers when I opend the cab up, after I heard a "slosh"...

DON'T DO THIS AT HOME KIDDIES...

The "dark" colour you can see in the base of the cab (Jan 2009) is the water I had yet to tip out - the Hiwatt IS on and the Hohner WAS connected and IN TUNE after 10 years in the case...  

[Psycho Bass Guy]

Those have whizzer cones! You have PA speakers.

[Highlander]

Please explain further, oh Lord of the Amplifier... this cab had four of them when I got her together with my SG Special, and my Hiwatt...

These have been good to me...

[Psycho Bass Guy]

Please explain further, oh Lord of the Amplifier...

Don't start talking to me like I'm Willie Whitaker, aka "Lord Valve." My ego doesn't need the help.

Whizzer cones are separate drivers wired in parallel internally to the voice coil mounted on the same magnet structure and woofer cone; that's why your speakers are 12 and not 8 or 16 ohms. Their primary use is in PA since the smaller driver reproduces upper mids and highs while the "main" driver acts as a pseudo-subwoofer. Finding them in a "guitar" cabinet is extremely rare, and undoubtedly why yours sounds so good for bass. Marshall did lots of oddball stuff like that. It would be well worth it to get them reconed.

[Highlander]

Your wish is my command, oh Lo... 

Sorry PBG... all in the best possible taste...

The fourth speaker was junked over 20 years back... oh well...

Not a perfect scenario, but I'm planning to put two back in, with the Eminence's, but wiring up so I can run one pair, or the other, or both together... this could be an interesting mix...

Are these Celestions worth searching for... do they generally make good "bass" speakers...?

Forgot to add at the end of the pics... "Now comes the hard work..."

[Psycho Bass Guy]

Are these Celestions worth searching for... do they generally make good "bass" speakers...?

...typical Celestions: no. They're usually terrible for bass (a big reason the 8x12 bass cab Jim Marshall made in the 60's never took off with bass players,) but I suspect the whizzers gave the drivers just enough additional power-handling and fidelity to make them a good bass cab. It's ironic; the drivers meant to add highs for PA work actually gave it a better bottom, too.

[Highlander]

Well, I'm intending to post some stuff (probably you-tube) when I get the Cookie back together, so you (et al) can get a better idea of the sound I got with the three of them... the cab, the Hiwatt, and the PC 'Bird... and post rebuild...

I'll post more when I start the clean-up... another thing I forgot to add (although probably obvious), most of the fixings will require to be replaced, too...

[Highlander]

One of two...
Bought some spray paint on Friday (rustoleum) and had one of my moments... when presented with a selection of colours and styles... err... bought some "black granite" - looks like a speckled finish... (stop laughing... please...?)

Anyway, put on a first coat and waited for it to dry for a second coat, and it didn't, so I waited overnight, and it was still wet... turned out to be a bad batch... (that'll teach me) some of it dried, some didn't - so cleaned it off, went to get some replacement paint (satin black) and off I went...


the cabinet in its stripped state... the sprayed base really shows how badly worn it got without the wheels (before I got it)... and the first full coat presently drying off in the shed...

I'll fit the wheels when I've put a 2nd coat on the base prior to finishing off the rest - the base is too badly worn to worry about any finesse...

[Highlander]

TECHNICAL INTERLUDE...

Buzz mentioned an interest in planes, and I said I'd post my 2 oldies when I dug them out, so...


Don't honestly know how old they are, but the base of the 412 gives an idea of scale - the blade and wedge is missing from the smaller one, which also has a split to the lhs of the blade-slot - Reputedly belonged to my maternal grandfather who was a master-carpenter and shipwright - born 1879 and died 1963 - the name on the blade is the only ID which is "Alexander Mathieson and Sons" with a star and crescent moon logo

They could both do with a serious clean and oil...

[Highlander]

Two of two...
So, as part of my fun and games today, and as I'd managed to find my staple-gun, and bought some staples, got on with the front...


I started at the top and went overkill on the staples - I marked up the edge (lower rh corner) but every time I tried to get it in line (on the side) it would "bulge" - don't know why, so just got on with it... pulled the cloth tight and stapled at the other end, then started the sides...


Jackie took some pics of me "hard at work" and her "art-shot" in the middle (as she called it )... I used a pin hammer to ensure all the staples were properly bedded in...


the finished article prior to cutting away the excess... and the last three as ready for refitting once the painting is complete and dried out...

It was a pig to remove from the cab, so as this is new and crisp it will be an utter and totally uncompromising pig to get back in...

[Lightyear]

TECHNICAL INTERLUDE...

Buzz mentioned an interest in planes, and I said I'd post my 2 oldies when I dug the out, so...


Don't honestly know how old they are, but the base of the 412 gives an idea of scale - the blade and wedge is missing from the smaller one, which also has a split to the lhs of the blade-slot - Reputedly belonged to my maternal grandfather who was a master-carpenter and shipwright - born 1879 and died 1963 - the name on the blade is the only ID which is "Alexander Mathieson and Sons" with a star and crescent moon logo

They could both do with a serious clean and oil...

Nice Kenny!  Those look to be of all wood construction - my guess would be beech or maple.  The larger looks to be a jack plane or jointer and the smaller looks to be a smoother.  The complete plane can most likely be returned to life the smaller probably not.


I would be tempted to carefully clean them up with some "white spirits" and 0000 steel wool.  Once cleaned I would flood them with linseed oil and display them.  My grandfather was a cabinet maker and nothing of his survived - I would really like to have something of his

[Highlander]

Cheers for the info, Buzz... I agree re the smaller one and I certainly will look after them...

There was some furniture of his up on the Island but it was dispersed around the family after his death, his wife's, and his wife's twin... I distinctly remember a big glass display case, with doors at the front... I only have a box he made with heart marquetry... not perfect, but kept safely - no room to display at present... I keep a few of his tools wrapped up and oiled - quite a selection of augor bits are my faves, plus some odd things I have never quite worked out what they are for - they could do with a refurb...

[godofthunder]

Looking Good Kenny ! Bummer about the bad batch of paint what a pain that must have been, I like the black better anyhow. It is going to look nice with that grill !

[Highlander]

It made a nice undercoat, sort of... 

Forgot to mention... there is a slight runout on the pattern (to the left) on the lower pair... sort of mentioned above... I can live with it... another coat will be going on on Sunday...

[Highlander]

Fixings came in today...


... I was quite surprised how easily the front went in... the bigger-than-average wheels were next...


... the Celestion's and the Eminence's went in and I tested the circuitry...


... and with the Celestions in parallel and the Eminences in series, I ended up with quite a nice value... 



I decided not to fit the white beading... blacker, that way... I've still got to fit the handles back in (presently hanging from the shed roof after a second coat of black) and now it's time to decide how I'm wiring the beastie...