I need your help.

[jnastynebr]

This is my dilemma:

I have a Fender DeVille 212 60 W combo amp that has been heavily modified. I replaced the crappy stock speakers with Celestion G12M 8 OHM speakers. I have truly reached tone heaven with this killer rig, but there is not enough room in the cabinet because the Celestions are larger than the the stock speakers. I am not going to buy another set of speakers, and I will not scrap the amp that I have put so much work into. I should mention that I have never constructed a speaker cabinet, and would rather buy one.

 

 

The cab is a tight fit for both of the new speakers, but they will squeeze in without the amp. My first thought was to put one of the speakers in the cabinet with the amplifier, and construct or buy a separate 1x12 cabinet for the other speaker.

 

 

The amplifier is designed like the old Fender models where the unit lays vertically in the back of the cabinet. If I was to build a box and use it as a separate head, the unit would be slender, but almost as tall as the original cabinet because the tubes poke out the bottom. I would also have to make room for the spring reverb assembly, which means to operate as a head, the cabinet would have to be almost as big as it was when it was a combo.

 

These are my options as I see it:

1) Use the original cabinet for the amplifier, reverb, and one speaker, and construct or purchase another cabinet for the second 12. The downfall is that I would need to buy a third cabinet if I ever wanted to run another pair of speakers.

2) Use the original cabinet for the speakers and use the amplifier as a separate head with the reverb unit. The downfall would be that I would have to build a cabinet, and it would be awkwardly tall, and possibly as large as the original combo cab.

3) Use the original cab for the amp and reverb and buy or build a 4X12 cab and run it separately with the 2 speakers. That way if I wanted to run another pair later, I would be ready to go.

4) Find a way to extend the back of the cabinet 3 inches and keep it as a combo amp (this is how I would prefer to do it, but searches have not turned up any design ideas).

 

If anyone has any ideas or experience in this dilemma, I would appreciate it.

[BigKahune]

Hmmm . . .

 

Is there enough room to mount the amp section to the cabinent so the controls face up along the back of the top where that contoured cut is?

 

Like below.

 

[damian]

I've done some cabinet modding and building years back...I don't know how much modding you've done to the head...Some ideas to start with and for others to 'build' upon; I'm not very familiar with fender amps. It seems to me that many reverb units are located in the speaker boxes anyways, so, could you keep the spring reverb unit inside the speaker cabinet ?? Isolate it from vibrations if need be ?? Since you like the open back sound, the cab as a speaker cab is fine....I will be corrected if I'm wrong; but, tube amps sometimes have the tubes facing up, and sometimes down....Tubes run VERY hot; I'm curious myself, but, IF tubes can operate horizontally, you should be able to build a case for the head with the controls in front and the tubes pointing horizontally out the back...This sounds like a good solution, but, I don't know if tubes can run this way...I'm going to research this a bit.....hmmmmm.............If this can be done, you should be able to have a 'normal' sized matching head for the cabinet. Hmmm.........

[Dub-T-123]

I'm thinking build a head and mount the amp horizontally and put the reverb in there too.

[Rocky4]

There used to be a Hot Rod Deluxe / DeVille site that had lots of info on mods, but it has gone by the wayside. There was a guy there who was doing this to 2-12 Deluxes

 

 

I can't for the life of me remember his name

[damian]

There used to be a Hot Rod Deluxe / DeVille site that had lots of info on mods, but it has gone by the wayside. There was a guy there who was doing this to 2-12 Deluxes

 

 

I can't for the life of me remember his name

 

Thanks Rocky, good post !! So, tubes can run horizontally then...is this correct ??? I'm asking a friend in Holland, but it'll take time for a response.

[Dub-T-123]

Of course they can. They're just tubes.

[jnastynebr]

There used to be a Hot Rod Deluxe / DeVille site that had lots of info on mods, but it has gone by the wayside. There was a guy there who was doing this to 2-12 Deluxes

 

 

I can't for the life of me remember his name

The tubes would be sticking horizontally out of the back of the head. Its not the tubes being on their side that I am worried about. I'm more concerned about the odd shape and balance issues in converting a vertical amp design into head that would sit on top of a cabinet.

[jnastynebr]

Hmmm . . .

 

Is there enough room to mount the amp section to the cabinent so the controls face up along the back of the top where that contoured cut is?

 

Like below.

 

This is actually how the combo is designed. The transformer makes contact with the metal bracket of the new speaker. With a good nudge to the back of the amp, I am concerned that the transformer or upper speaker could be damaged.

[Rocky4]

Here's the site I got the pic from. The link to the amp is dead. Looks like a guy named Doug from Vintone amps is the maker?

 

http://www.justinholton.com/hotrod/

[damian]

That guy who did the custom head on the DeVille did it, and it works fine..So....And remember, most tube heads are heavier on one side than the other anyways...From the photo of your 'naked' amp, it looks slender enough to build into a head to sit on top of the cabinet; if you extend out the space where the amp was....Depending on how good you are at wood working, or your friends are, re-build the cabinet taller to fit the amp in as it was meant to be....Re-covering takes a bit of skill but there's enough info on how to do it online; there must be video as well.....I like the seperate head idea because it looks sharp..IMO.

[Rocky4]

That guy who did the custom head on the DeVille did it, and it works fine..So....And remember, most tube heads are heavier on one side than the other anyways...From the photo of your 'naked' amp, it looks slender enough to build into a head to sit on top of the cabinet; if you extend out the space where the amp was....Depending on how good you are at wood working, or your friends are, re-build the cabinet taller to fit the amp in as it was meant to be....Re-covering takes a bit of skill but there's enough info on how to do it online; there must be video as well.....I like the seperate head idea because it looks sharp..IMO.

 

It looks like Doug Stalters did that. He separated some Dumbles to. He can't be found. It looks like there is some mystery to his disappearance.

[jnastynebr]

Thanks for the replies. I'm leaning toward buying a 112 extension cab. That's a killer set up with the converted hot rod head, but I'm not looking to spend a fortune, and that mod doesn't look cheap!

[damian]

It looks like Doug Stalters did that. He separated some Dumbles to. He can't be found. It looks like there is some mystery to his disappearance.

 

Um, perhaps DeVille show up again...Who knows...Could have been hurt in a Fender bender...

[Andy R]

A buddy of mine is a tube amp guru and builder here in Indianapolis. His name is kevin sylva here is a link to his site. He has created a ton of custom stuff and is brilliant and super nice. You might e-mail him the pics you have and see if he has any suggestions. Just tell him that Andy Rector sent you his way. Here is a link to his site. link He will also build a custom cabinet.

 

One thing he did that was pretty cool with a marshall was took a 4/12 cabinet and cut it out on the top like an older combo and inserted the head knobs up. so think of a 4/12 combo. not sure this would work for you but it looks like it might but looks like it might. Weber amps used to make a right angle tube adapter for their bias right product. If you call them they might still have some or be able to make you a couple that might provide more options as well.

 

Andy

[TommyK]

I am certain someone with the skill set to dis-assemble an existing amplifier/cabinet has the rudimentary skills required to build a box.

 

If it were me, I'd build a 5 sided box to fit it all. Cover it with scrap or new sheet vinyl.

 

Failing that, go up. Build an extension on top of the existing box to house the electronics. Be mindful of heat dissipation. Make plenty of opening for heat to escape and cooler air to get in. Screen in the front and make the opening for the electronics in the back big enough for a sizable gap above the control panel for air to move. If you find the controls on the back inconvenient, as I would, take this opportunity to move them to the front

 

Failing that, build a side box, like the top box to house the electronics.

 

One other way of going is to bust the bottom of the cabinet out, make an extension to allow the second speaker to be mounted lower, keeping the location of the electronics intact. This last one might be the simplest as it doesn't disrupt the current ventilation design. Designed by engineers who know what they are doing... or already know what doesn't work.