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La Scala side modification


Dave A

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On 7/28/2020 at 12:59 PM, RandyH000 said:

didn't you have  a build thread on the Forum for these  LSII Bass bins -----


Another member built both the speakers and the bass bin 

After purchasing them I finished them off with a tweak here and there and custom crossovers 

 

Bass bin thread 

 

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6 hours ago, MookieStl said:

Do your gentlemen hear this resonance at all volume levels? I am not sure I pick up on it even at high volume. My one pair are LSi splits with the fibreglass and aluminum trim so maybe they don't misbehave as much? My other pair are standard LS but have been duratexed and alum trim added which may help as well.

I may do the bracing to my regular pair to see if I hear the difference. I move both pair around often so dont want to add any more weight. It seems they get heavier every year without adding anything.

Not at all volume levels. I have never used a db meter to be able to give you an exact number. Fairly loud seems to start it up and it goes downhill quickly from there. Some tones will also really get those sides going too at lower volumes.

  Only set of fiberglass coated trimmed LSI's I had were singles and no resonance problems I can remember. You don't have to put a brace in there to tell. Just get a clamp that will span the mouth and put one piece of wood on each side where the clamp will go close to the front at the center top to bottom of the opening. Lightly clamp and see for yourself.

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5 hours ago, richieb said:


Dave I’ve come to understand there are variances in the doghouse to side wall dimension but with your skills I imagine you could crank out sidewall braces and sell bunches of them. Dave of Fastlane once did this but has dropped that product long ago. Be a great addition to your lovely machined horns?

I did a thread a while back on doing a mid brace and provided drawings for them. Talking to the guys that made these types of things there evidently is trouble associated with the idea. A number of people figure they are one size fits all and get a bit irate when they find out hand fitting has to be done often.  But yes I am thinking about it.

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18 hours ago, CECAA850 said:

Seems like a lot of work when a single brace in the center of the doghouse would net you the same results.

Normally I would agree with you and have done just that. This time though I wanted to use an LMAHL V2 on them which meant a bigger top section. I also wanted that old chipped paint gone and cleaning that mess up would have been impossible with sides on.

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I built La Scala  clones out of laminated 12 and 15 mm Baltic birch 10 years ago, they are very solid but no braces from the doghouse walls to the sides. They weigh about 160 pounds totally empty . Each side weighed about 35 pounds. They have never left the room I assembled them in.  

I got some Peavey FH-1 bass bins 8 years ago, these bins are pretty solid with the stock middle braces and I can move/lift them. There not pretty but sound good with the EVM15's I just installed and a pair of H700 sitting on top. I am still waiting for the Rustolium  enamel to harden (takes about a month to fully harden) before I sit them directly on top of the FH-1 bins

Last summer I picked up a pair of La Scala's with one  having its side knocked loose, the sides are stapled and glued so I pulled the staples and re-glued that side back together, I used 6d finish nails to mechanically fasten the one loose side of the La Scalla. I had not heard the resonance until a forum member came over with a frequency test disk. I sold them later that day to try and make some space.

I think that they all sounded good, wish I could keep them all...:biggrin2:

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On 7/28/2020 at 1:41 AM, Dave A said:

It's hard to tell but I think the top and bottom braces are just strips of wood and cosmetic.

 

The top & bottom pieces of wood aren't braces...they are just strips of wood for the grilles to attach to. .

 

The centre section is the actual brace. 

 

I built these.

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On 7/27/2020 at 11:39 PM, CECAA850 said:

Seems like a lot of work when a single brace in the center of the doghouse would net you the same results.

 

When I built these I installed the centre brace, but that didn't cure the resonance coming from the bass bin, so I doubled the side walls & also the rear panel & that completely eliminated any resonances coming form the bass bin. 

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On 7/28/2020 at 12:23 AM, Coytee said:

 

Are those reflectors back in the rear corners, helping to cut the 90 degree angle?  Or is it just the way I'm looking at the picture?

 

Yes, I put 45 deg reflectors in the rear corners to help smooth the air flow. 

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On 7/28/2020 at 11:20 AM, MookieStl said:

Do your gentlemen hear this resonance at all volume levels? I am not sure I pick up on it even at high volume. My one pair are LSi splits with the fibreglass and aluminum trim so maybe they don't misbehave as much? My other pair are standard LS but have been duratexed and alum trim added which may help as well.

I may do the bracing to my regular pair to see if I hear the difference. I move both pair around often so dont want to add any more weight. It seems they get heavier every year without adding anything.

 

You will hear the resonance at low, as well as high volumes. It changes the tone of the bass at all levels. With the added bracing & mass to remove the resonance, the bass is cleaner, has a purer tone. 

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7 minutes ago, sootshe said:

 

You will hear the resonance at low, as well as high volumes. It changes the tone of the bass at all levels. With the added bracing & mass to remove the resonance, the bass is cleaner, has a purer tone. 

Darn, guess I have to do it now! At least on my fake LSi

Going to try Dave A's suggestion on clamping the sides first.

post-60988-0-78480000-1463244384_thumb.jpg

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Well finished and fired them up today. One of my La Scala test songs is 2Cellos Thunderstruck. At fairly loud volume regular La Scalas just squall through this. Not a hint of squall tonight and the articulation is pretty amazing. I am thinking this is clearly better than mid braces which is way better than stock sides. I ended up missing supper because fiddling with a bunch of songs with a grin on my face was more fun.

DSC_0003.thumb.jpg.fc489cdc4518cf52d354c08ea5206d5a.jpg

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5 hours ago, Dave A said:

Well finished and fired them up today. One of my La Scala test songs is 2Cellos Thunderstruck. At fairly loud volume regular La Scalas just squall through this. Not a hint of squall tonight and the articulation is pretty amazing. I am thinking this is clearly better than mid braces which is way better than stock sides. I ended up missing supper because fiddling with a bunch of songs with a grin on my face was more fun.

DSC_0003.thumb.jpg.fc489cdc4518cf52d354c08ea5206d5a.jpg

 

Great job.....enjoy!

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Hey MOOKIE....I dont think you need to do all that work to stiffen sides up. I just put screws in the side panels I think it was 6 on each side then veneered the outside of the panel. Before I did this I could flex the panels easily with one hand on each side....I wish i would have video of it.... after I cant make them move even using my Knee and both hands on the other side. Seems lie a lot of work for the look of thicker sides to me but hey they do look pretty good. 

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On 7/28/2020 at 1:36 PM, Panelhead said:

BTW, Full Range, that is a really nice pair of La Scala’s. 

 

2 hours ago, Dave A said:

Forgot to mention that but yes they are.


You should be complementing  @sootshe for building them in the first place 

And complement me for having a good eye and the good sense to buy them 🤘

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Darn, guess I have to do it now! At least on my fake LSi
Going to try Dave A's suggestion on clamping the sides first.
post-60988-0-78480000-1463244384_thumb.jpg

I rebuilt my tops and repainted a few spots on the bass bins where the Duratex took a beating, the next logical thing to do is to add mid-braces. I have heard something strange going on at high volumes once, but lowering the volume then raising it again fixed it.

I have the plywood and the time for a small project, why not?

Maybe I’ll post photos in the LS Split thread of the project as I go.
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Hey MOOKIE....I dont think you need to do all that work to stiffen sides up. I just put screws in the side panels I think it was 6 on each side then veneered the outside of the panel. Before I did this I could flex the panels easily with one hand on each side....I wish i would have video of it.... after I cant make them move even using my Knee and both hands on the other side. Seems lie a lot of work for the look of thicker sides to me but hey they do look pretty good. 

Where did you put screws in the sides that would cause them to stiffen up?
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4 hours ago, codewritinfool said:

Where did you put screws in the sides that would cause them to stiffen up?

 

I think, to help attach another layer of ply, which he then veneered...

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