cutting a 4x12 cabinet

[uluulu]

Would it be possible to cut a 4x12 cabinet in half to make a pair of 2x12 cabinets (some additional woodworking required)? If not, why not?
Would like to buy a couple 2x12 cabinets but cost for each is as much as for a 4x12.
Thanks

[Paul86]

If you have the time and the skills, why not? On the other hand, you cold sell what you have and buy two 2X12's on the cheap. I can guarantee that will save you A LOT of time and effort.

[pila]

I believe Paul has the right answer. Lot more work slicing a big cab and making new ends or whatever, recovering etc, than the other option.

[uluulu]

Thanks for the responses. Are you familiar with lopo, or avatar cabinets? Considering buying a 2x12 from them, but haven't heard one played live.

[Steve Conner]

Everyone seems to like Avatar cabinets. It's hard to go wrong, at the end of the day, it's just a box, and what has more effect on the tone is the speakers you put inside it, and if you order from Avatar, they'll load it with whatever you want.

But do make sure you get plywood and not MDF, which some of the low-end Marshalls are made out of.

If you cut a 4x12, it's always going to look like exactly that: a 4x12 chopped in half. You'd need to do a lot of work afterwards on the spot where you cut through the Tolex, grill cloth and piping, to make it invisible. To get a neat join, you actually need more tolex, cloth and piping than what you have left after you've cut it.

So, I guess personally I'd rather buy plywood and make it myself from scratch, than cut something existing in half. My local Home-Depot-alike cuts plywood to the sizes you want, and yours probably does too. This makes it easier, as the edges are guaranteed to be straight and square.

Of course, the 4x12 was invented by Jim Marshall when he chopped an 8x12 in half after The Who found it too heavy to carry. So YMMV

[Guitarist]

I've had the same idea. It would look like those angled ADA cabs which were rather unattractive with the carpet.

For the new sides - which we'd have to cut up - The tolex could be sourced from the back of the 4x12. I just measured mine and there is enough to go around. Buy some Marshall grill cloth or leave off for now and you're ready to rock.

It's nice to have a few extra cabs to strew about: jam space, teaching studio, home, cathedral...

[Moby]

Everyone seems to like Avatar cabinets. It's hard to go wrong, at the end of the day, it's just a box, and what has more effect on the tone is the speakers you put inside it, and if you order from Avatar, they'll load it with whatever you want.

But do make sure you get plywood and not MDF, which some of the low-end Marshalls are made out of.

If you cut a 4x12, it's always going to look like exactly that: a 4x12 chopped in half. You'd need to do a lot of work afterwards on the spot where you cut through the Tolex, grill cloth and piping, to make it invisible. To get a neat join, you actually need more tolex, cloth and piping than what you have left after you've cut it.

So, I guess personally I'd rather buy plywood and make it myself from scratch, than cut something existing in half. My local Home-Depot-alike cuts plywood to the sizes you want, and yours probably does too. This makes it easier, as the edges are guaranteed to be straight and square.

Of course, the 4x12 was invented by Jim Marshall when he chopped an 8x12 in half after The Who found it too heavy to carry. So YMMV

Just curious. What's wrong with MDF?

[defaced]

Get it wet and it falls apart. Break it and there's no way to repair it. There's no grain so it's not nearly as strong as plywood. Along those same lines, I'd be willing to bet if flexes more which means poorer bass response.

[Moby]

Get it wet and it falls apart. Break it and there's no way to repair it. There's no grain so it's not nearly as strong as plywood. Along those same lines, I'd be willing to bet if flexes more which means poorer bass response.

Wouldn't you have to seriously soak it to make it fall apart? Especially with a proper seal and paint.

I agree with respect to it breaking but what would it take to break it...assuming it's not wet.

Couldn't comment on the bass response. You may be right.

[Jim Darr]

Definitely go with a quality plywood.

Jim

[black_labb]

mdf is actually stiffer than ply, meaning better bass response. however its issues with water, the way it breaks more easily (it kind of flakes/chips and breaks instead of flexing a bit) and being quite a bit heavier makes it less suitable for gear that is regularly transported to and from gigs and the like. it works very well for hifi equipment that stays in someone's living room though.