Help for an amp!

[Girl_Rock]

Hi there,
I want to make a strange amp/project… but I need some information which I don’t find easily.
Thinking at the idea I have into my mind, it will be very small and the problem is the space behind the woofer, how many centimeters should I leave if I "close" the amp, like some small ones (for example Blackstar id core stereo 20, which I own one)? And how many centimeters should I leave behind it if I put a grate?
I probably use woofer with 10 cm of diameter.

I know that it won't sound as good as a real amp and to make one you need to know lots of technical things... but I want to try.

Thank you.

 

[Six Stringed Demon]

Being from a car customizing back ground, I’d research free air speakers. Meaning you don’t need an enclosure. These were just coming out around the time I sold my car shop. Not sure if the Guitar world has these or not.

There is a place that offers support for amp builds https://www.mojotone.com/kits
I did a build your own amp a few years ago but didn’t dig into the speaker air flow requirements.

I’d be interested to hear what you find!!

 

[Girl_Rock]

Wow, thanks, you can get lost there, it's a very big website which sells everything in the real sense of the word!

I think the speakers you mentioned are too big for the amp I want to create. I've just searched on the Internet and those are 8, 10, 12 or more inch speakers, which are 20-25 cm, and I need 10 cm (about 4 inch)... too big... I mean, I said I probably use woofers with 10 cm of diameter because I opened my Blackstar and I thought its are big enought for the space I have. The woofers have a depth of about 6,5 cm, which is quite good, but if I use speakers with a larger diameter and a depth for example of 4-5 cm, is a problem. I don't want to tell you what my project consists of, because you will say me:"It's impossible, don't do it", because I want to instal the amp "into" another thing. So I can only explain something about the new amp and its problem... Don't be afraid!

I found some .pdf files about woofers, in particular about the air they need to move to sound good, but I don't understand how many cm can I leave behind them. I mean: if I have 5 mm, will they sound good? Or it needs 4 cm, for example? My amp has some cm (4 or 5 cm, I can't remember), but can I put the wood, a grate or else, 5 mm / 1cm from the woofers? If I have little space behind, will I have problems with the sound? Don't think about the area around them because I have enough space, I have only problems with the depth.

I know it's difficult to understand. I just need the answer to my question. Has the website of that link an area where they say you the dimension (ideal) of the amp for the specific woofer/speaker you use?

If the project have good results, I will tell you and I will post something...

 

[Layne Matz]

If I'm reading all that corrctly my answer would be that it is largly irrelevant how close it is to the back as long as they arent making contact it shouldnt resteict anything. Hope that answers your question. Also, ive known guys who religously remove the back panel of their amplifiers because they insist that "it sounds better"... These are same people who usually insist on their amps being tipped slightly backwards as it would be on a stand. Much like arguments for tonewoods on electric guitars i dont buy into it but to each his own. Whatever you gotta do to make it sound right for you

Be very careful when tinkering with things like amplification, someone more in the know could tell you how explosive it can be if done incorrectly... Ive heard horror stories, but someone more tech savvy will have to clarify whats safe and whats disastrous. Please be careful, you wouldnt want to lose any appendages. I reccomned reading about Owsley Stanley if youre interested in this stuff.

 

[Layne Matz]

One thing i will note, my amp is open back and on numerous occasions I've accidentally left one of my metal slides in there and gotten some aweful feedback. I wouldnt put a metal grate on an amp. That being said I dont know much abput this subject, just offerign what advice i can. I'd love to hear how this turns out. Good luck!

 

[Girl_Rock]

Thank you Layne Mats. So in your opinion it's quite irrilevant the space behind the amp...

Well, I can say I use electronic parts and boards which you can find inside an amp, I hope I won't have a horror story like the ones you've heard... If you meant those people tried to make themselves the electronic circuits and other things (in this case I can tell you it too, it's dangerous).

Yes ok, no metal grate, but I can use braided materials, such as the front part of the amps.

Thank you guys again for your answers. If there's someone else who can give me an advice, I'm glad to receive it.

 

[Matt K]

I wasn't quite certain of all this when I put my amp project together, it was fashioned from some pine that was lying around from an old wardrobe, a Fender Frontman 15G amp chasis, and a Yamaha Ja 3055 speaker and braided type grill that I salvaged from a scrapped and broken up Yamaha CSY-1 Synth, but even my guitar teacher really likes the sounds it produces, so I say just go for it and see how it ends up In the end it'll be a learning curve either way, but would have some sentimental value, and I'm not certain on if a metal grill affects it, I've never tested on an amp, but my speaker box has a metal grill on, currently.

 

[Layne Matz]

If you meant those people tried to make themselves the electronic circuits and other things (in this case I can tell you it too, it's dangerous).

It may be tube amps that are explozively dangerous... Eirhter way I agree, anykidnt od DIY circuitry could be hazardous.

Best of luck, I hope to hear some good results!

 

[cerebral gasket]

Magic smoke is what makes an electronic circuit work by facilitating the flow of electrons. If the smoke is let out of a circuit, it will no longer work.

 

[Musekatcher]

If I'm reading all that corrctly my answer would be that it is largly irrelevant how close it is to the back as long as they arent making contact it shouldnt resteict anything.

Concur. Select the speakers so they can handle the power, and there's little to no risk to the speaker, regardless of enclosure. I've still got some [now vintage] Radio Shack 100W 4" full range satellite speakers, in tiny bookshelf cabs. They took what my [also now vintage] Yamaha CR 2020 dished out - 100W real watts of clean hifi power. I forgot about them till I read this thread. Think I'll pull them out, and see what they do with a Twin..

 

[Girl_Rock]

Select the speakers so they can handle the power, and there's little to no risk to the speaker, regardless of enclosure.

Have speakers got good basses? I've thought about them lots of times... My dad insists that woofers are better, but I'm not sure he understands what I want to do...
The speakers are thinnier, which is good to me, but I should buy a pre-amp, hope the speakers have an electronic board (because I don't know how to program one)... Probably the rightest thing for me is to buy an amp that already has everything.

Concur.

Ok, so another one says it's irrilevant. Thank you.