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Grille cloth [message #28422]

Fri, 28 January 2022 18:12

Baltimorejack
Messages: 4
Registered: January 2022

Junior Member

I don't yet know what year 2X15 bass cabinet is but I'd like to remove the grille cloth and clean it up. Does it come out or is it upholstered into the frame?

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Re: Grille cloth [message #28423 is a reply to message #28422]

Fri, 28 January 2022 20:34

stevem
Messages: 4773
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

It is stapled to the baffle board and the board comes out from the rear of the cabinet.

There may be a mid cross brace only held in on one end and Once you get that out the battle unbolts, yes unbolts!

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Re: Grille cloth [message #28424 is a reply to message #28423]

Sat, 29 January 2022 09:45

Baltimorejack
Messages: 4
Registered: January 2022

Junior Member

Excellent ! Thank you very much !

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Re: Grille cloth [message #28425 is a reply to message #28424]

Sat, 29 January 2022 10:30

stevem
Messages: 4773
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

Also note that if you do not have the back of the cabinet off yet that they can be a pain to pop out due to the sealer that the factory used.
If this happens just remove all the screws but for two that you leave half way in.

Then run a long length of wood into the ports to use a hammer to pop the back free.

Just note that the wire from the jack to the first speaker is not that long and if the back is allowed to just drop off you can damage the speaker terminal strip.

Also the sealer can be as messy as tar due to age so ware work gloves.

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Re: Grille cloth [message #28426 is a reply to message #28425]

Sat, 29 January 2022 13:38

Baltimorejack
Messages: 4
Registered: January 2022

Junior Member

Excellent advice and again, thank you. You are absolutely correct and I just found out before reading this. By taking the back off. That wire was indeed short and connected to the front by a plastic loop. I didn't break anything.

There was a ton of old sealant and that is a good idea to send a piece of wood through one of the ports. I didn't know that but was able to pry the back off. The amount of screws and staples that they used is insane. Their supplier did well back in the day.

Now that I am in here is there any way to determine the year of this? It's black tuck and roll with a slanted front. I have a serial # plate but it's beat up and hard to read. There are various markings on it and the speaker magnets as well.

The guy I got it from said he bought it in the 60's.

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Re: Grille cloth [message #28427 is a reply to message #28422]

Sat, 29 January 2022 14:23

stevem
Messages: 4773
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

Since it's a slant front cabinet it was most likely made between 1968 and 1971 when the cabinets changed to a non slant front.

The most common standard speakers back then where Jensen and CTS brand.

Both will have black frames.

Jensen drivers will have a code on the mounting lip of the driver starting with 220, the Jensen code.
The next three numbers will be the month followed by two for the year, so for example 220-369 would be March of 1969.

Of course there are up graded drivers that could be had in these cabinets like Altec Lansing and JB Lansing types.

CTS drivers follow the same 6 digit code, but there first three numbers are 137.

The speaker jack plate will say what drivers where originally fitted to the cabinet.

Once late 1969 hit speakers made by Eminence started to be used and these had silver frames.

Yes, all of those screws and sealer is why these cabinets don't leak and sound great for Bass!

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Re: Grille cloth [message #28428 is a reply to message #28427]

Sat, 29 January 2022 21:28

Baltimorejack
Messages: 4
Registered: January 2022

Junior Member

Dude that's awesome. I looked and yes,, the jack plate says CTS. I will have to go back to my garage and check the speaker frames. There are some numbers on the magnets: Under 16 Ohms, it says 137 7104. I know that's not what you mentioned but I left the garage for the day and that's the only pic I have on my phone. I didn't know to look at the mounting flange.

As an interesting back story, I am a Realtor and I have a client looking at homes. In a marketing photo of one of the homes I saw the Kustom cabinet and a Fender Bassman head in the basement. There was nothing else in the house. I scheduled a showing and out of frame was a 1976 Rhodes stage piano, a 2X15 Acoustic cabinet, a 370 Acoustic bass head, a Crumar keyboard I think from the early 80's and a cheap Crate combo bass amp. I bought everything for $400. I'm going to sell everything else to fund the restoration of the Bassman head and Kustom cabinet.

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Re: Grille cloth [message #28429 is a reply to message #28422]

Sun, 30 January 2022 06:07

stevem
Messages: 4773
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

Very nice price for all of that gear!

So that Kustom cab with its CTS drivers is a Bass cab.

It can be used for guitar if the amp your playing thru it has a brite switch otherwise it might sound on the dull side.

Is that Fender Bassman a black face model or silver face model, and if it's silver face does it have a master volume control?
The Kustom cab is wired to be 8 ohms so if you play the Fender head thru it you will get 1/3 rd less power since the Fender wants a 4 ohm load.

That Kustom cab with a Kustom head will only out put 50 watts of clean power since a K200 head wants a 4 ohm load also to reach its max RMS power output of 100
Watts.
The Acoustic head is a real power House when it's working right.

I would not power that amp on until a tech looks at it because I guarantee you it needs power supply filters!

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Re: Grille cloth [message #28430 is a reply to message #28422]

Sun, 30 January 2022 07:37

stevem
Messages: 4773
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY

Senior Member

Also note that the 370
Needs a 2 ohm load to produce all of its thundering 260 watts of clean power.

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Re: Grille cloth [message #28431 is a reply to message #28430]

Sun, 30 January 2022 12:14

pleat
Messages: 1454
Registered: June 2004
Location: Belding, Mi

Senior Member

Stevem always gives great advise. Regarding the cleaning of the grill cloth. I remove the baffle board, head to the car wash that has a power washer wand, power wash with soap, to remove all the dirt, then power rinse. I use the vacuum machine at the car wash to remove the excess water and let it dry in the sun for a few hours and re assemble. Doing it this way it removes all the dust from the bottom side of the speaker holes. Looks like it just left the factory when done. The tar like substance is actually the breakdown of the foam rubber gaskets over the years reacting to the naughahyde material. Nasty stuff after 50 years.

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