Pine Vs Birch for Cabinet

[moltenmetalburn]

Ive been looking at custom cab makers to have a design I came up with made for me. I have found someone I like that builds with pine. I have never had a pine cabinet and wonder if it will fare well with the drop tuned metal I play.

Anyone got any input?

 

[droptrd]

Who makes a pine box?

 

[glpg80]

ive handled some pretty serious pieces of pine before, but it depends on how long the pieces have curred - as pine is very dependent on moisture environments - much more than birch which once birch cures its hard as a rock.

pine is also normally a softer wood...where birch will tear through saw blades like its nothing.

for thicker ply's, closed back cabinets, i would stick with high quality birch.

open back cabinets sound great with pine - most light duty 2x12's or 1x12s open backed can be made with pine and have excellent tonal manners - and i know some that still do.

 

[Klark]

Any solid wood will sound better than any plywood, and that's not just another internet theory. A local guy here is known for his hand built '59 Bassman's. The first one he built, his personal one, was what the original specs called for, which is a pine box. Since building the first, he's built a number of them where the customer requested birch boxes because they wanted a stronger box. Yes, birch is definitely stronger, but they don't sound anywhere as good as the original pine box model. I've heard them both many times, and I wouldn't do it any other way, pine box is the only way to go.

However, if you're playing metal, I don't think it's going to matter..

 

[moltenmetalburn]

Thanks guys i guess ill be going with a different builder then.

 

[steve_k]

If the back goes on with the standard sheet rock screws, then that Diezel of yours will probably blow the back door off the pine cabinet.

Steve

 

[sg guy]

is it pine board??...or pine ply??...big difference,...i absolutley love using pine board in a 2x12 cab,...the cab becomes part of your instrument,..it becomes alive!,..i found pine board to be my fav, for any music,...i am making a pine board 2x12 with celestion golds as we speak!!.........if its ply,...to be honest my ears could hear no difference between baltic birch & pine,...i think the birch is more durable thou,..i guess its hard to hear the resonance of a wood when it's sandwiched between a few layers of glue....

 

[glpg80]

birch is much more durable - not even close. it also wont dent as easy, or hold moisture once cured.

anything ply is stronger than without it/ sheets are put with the grain patterns alternating until you get the thickness you desire.

plywood is strong as fuck as well - the glue does not hinder the tone any more than the screws or the nails you use to hold it together. if anything the glue makes it that much stronger - therefore better projection for low end rhythm and high volume applications.

like i said though i have handled some heavy chunks of pine - but unless its specifically an open back or partially open back boutique cabinet i wouldnt bother. birch all the way.

i will say either design is better than what ENGL uses in their cabinets.... they use particle board for the cabinet and siberian birch for the baffle board and then charge you an arm and a leg for it

 

[OldSkoolNJ]

I have been wondering how 3/4" Mahogany would sound with a cabinet, I have access to 7 sheets of it so it wouldn't even cost me anything..

 

[RIFF]

I built an open back 1x12 from 1/2" pine, & it is pretty resonant.
Ive been wanting to experiment with building some more 2x12's using pine.

 

[moltenmetalburn]

I have been wondering how 3/4" Mahogany would sound with a cabinet, I have access to 7 sheets of it so it wouldn't even cost me anything..

use it for the back panel like earcandy.

 

[stephen sawall]

I have been wondering how 3/4" Mahogany would sound with a cabinet, I have access to 7 sheets of it so it wouldn't even cost me anything..

I imagine it would be very heavy. Dark resonance, just like the guitars made of it.

2x12's is what I want for easy mix of speakers and moving them around. Removable panel on the back to make it open back and a front cover to protect speakers well traveling.

Me and my brother built him a 4x12 made out of pine a long time ago. It had so much resonance it is hard to describe. If this would be better for drop tune stuff I have no idea. Pine is definably part of the magic of some of the old Fenders.