I just don't know what to do.... How to finish DIY Speakers.. (1 Viewer)

As many may know I was interested in John Janowitz's Line
Arrays from the start and they will be shipping to me soon.

So I have been racking my brain on how I want to finish a
speaker that deserves something spectacular. My problem is
that I am not much of a "Wood" guy.. All of the types of
wood that I appreciate are far too costly and hard to work
with. An example of the types of wood I like: Corinthian
Burled Elm....

I have never worked with veneer before and to try and lay
down an exotic wood veneer is a recipe for disaster!

From day one I wanted to incorperate something "high tech"
into the finishing process. I decided on using real Carbon
Fiber somewhere in the finish of the enclosures.

So I was sitting here thinking.. The midrange drivers look
like "kevlar" (they are woven fiberglass) and I am using
twill Carbon Fiber on the speaker's baffles which will be
finished in a super high gloss resin.. Since the drivers
are yellow woven fiber and the baffles will be real carbon
fiber why not paint the top and bottom, sides and back in
Ferrari Red? Red,yellow,Carbon and Black Granite for the
bases oozes of Ferrari's color scheme.. But is it "too much"??

I can finish the cabinets in any auto finish (base coat /
clear coat and buffed to perfection). Advant Garde has
numerous colors which look gorgeous on thier horns..

So I could go with the scheme above or I could do a very
pure white or metallic silver or maybe even a bright
metallic green?

I would like to hear what everyone has to say... I realize
it may be "too much" no matter what color I go with.. I
know some guys here are die hard wood fanatics but wood
just doesn't cut it for me.. Also bear in mind I have no
W... so I have no WAF! It only has to please me.. And only
ME...

I'm thinking that a carbon fibre baffle would look SO COOL contrasted with sides and top painted in gloss Ferari red!!
If you do that, Brett, there will definitely be a cool award for you. Also, if you do it, either your're not married, or you have a very unique/understanding wife.

Hank,

I am SOnot married! And never will be (fingers crossed)....


Happily Single!

See my logic was that the Ferrari scheme is in most cases
Ferrari Red, Yellow Kevlar, Black Carbon Fiber and adding
the black Granite Bases would fit in with the scheme.

And we are talking a show paint job.. If I go that route
I am going to have them professionaly sprayed and will have
numerous thick coats of chemical hardening 2 stage auto
primer shot over the base coat. I figure I can have both
the cabinets prepped and shot for $200/$300 which is on par
with what an exotic veneer would run me.

I just want to make sure I choose the right color.. I could
go with white or silver or green or heck anything.. These
are not going to match anything. Rather they are going to
be a huge focal point! (As they should be!) And with my
Tube Amps sitting beside each Array it can be like...
"High Tech meets Old Tech"

I think it sounds like a cool ass idea! I say go for it! It may clash with your pink carpet, but what the hell!

You should also at least consider Hank's snow leopard fabric.

Carbon fiber, gloss red and black granite...sounds like an excellent choice.

I think it'll look like a million bucks.

Damn you Brian... I am going to rip my damn carpet out just
to quit getting beaten up by the likes of you!


So the consensus is that Gloss Red/CF and Black Granite
is a good combo.... okie dokie

There is no guarentee I won't change my mind another million
times but that combo is at the top of my list!

I am just imagining the red and yellow of the ferarri and the auto finish and begin to drool. I think it would be a fantastic look... you should get goin on that now because I want to see it!

Hey, if you're gonna make it look like a Ferrari, then do it all up!

Slap a couple of these on there and you can call'em your Modena!

Chris,

I thought about it... But what model should they be...

Modena, Barachetta, Enzo, Maranello ????

I say line them with matching carpet. I cant imagine anything cooler than pink fuzzy speakers

PS Brett, how much do you know about tube amps? I just received 2 Bogen Model# MO100 mono tube amps. one just hums, and the other dont do a thing. Im waiting on the manuals but Im not an electrical engineer so the manual probably wont help at all. If you know a quick fix, drop me a line

Mike,

I am no electronics expert either.. The hum could be caused
by a loose or non existant chasis ground or possibly a
dying capacitor. How old are these? Most vintage tube amps
need all the capacitors replaced since capacitors by nature
self destruct (electrolytic corrosion).

How about the tubes themselves? Maybe a tube could be toast
in the amp that's non functional.

Funny about the Ferari thing. We just had Pininfarina, the company that's designed Ferari for 40+ years, to do our new line of digital projectors:
http://www.3m.com/meetings/product_c...dp/index.jhtml
Maybe I should get some red and yellow spray paint and do a couple of the S10's

Go old school Rosso Corsa and call them 166 Barchettas.

No go 550 Maranello's..... they just sound intimidating!!

Maranello or Modena, how can you lose?

You might have to use nickel or titanium five-way binding posts to emulate exhaust pipes on the exotics!
See Parts Express part 091-1246

Chris,

Good idea

And if I decide to build the ported version I could use a
pair of Monza chrome slash cut exhaust tips as the Ports


Would it be cheesy to put a Pininfarina badge on the bases?
I found sweet Pininfarina badges on ebay cheap

Definitely go with the Pininfarina tags, unless you can hook up some vintage Vignale logos.

By the by, you have excellent taste, Mr. DiMichele.

Brett, I have to say... I'm a little disappointed you didn't model and render these already! Lets see em!

Also, I think if you're going to go that route, I might spray em yellow and keep the black/yellow scheme. I think that would look fantastic. Or if you wanted something a little less ostentatious, do them in black (sort of piano gloss black) or gun metal/graphite, with some silver in it to make them shimmer in the right light. Wait... Yep, thats the one. Thats what I'd do.

Chris,

I wouldn't say I have that great of taste.. I am honestly
not a real big Tifosi.. Raging Bulls are my cup of tea but
Lamborghini doesn't have a particular "color scheme" like
Ferrari does

Owen,

I have been working on a 3D model but I just can't seem to
get the "glossy red" material right.. I maxed out the specularity
and it's still not shiny enough to look real..

I'm workin on it!