UD, here's a little trick I found a few years back while trying to cut a grill cloth. Both razor knife and scissors were very unsatisfactory tools due to the threads simply wanting to unravel. A very cheap soldering iron with a hot knife attachment did the trick. I simply sliced across with the aid of a straightedge. Gives you a nice straight cut AND seals (melts) the threads together. Try it next time you use a woven grill cloth, you might thank me as much as I Thank You for these fantastic videos!
I'm so glad youtube seems to never get old! I'm doing my first cabinet build and I've been following UD's instructions, which we all know are very helpful. Just getting to the grille cloth part and noticing what valvenator said about the cloth unravelling. I've just been trying various glues to try and solve the problem and came across this idea. Wonderful! I've used heat to seal a number of these kinds of materials but never thought of it for the corner details on this plastic-type cloth. Just doing some trial heat-cutting...perfect! Thanks for the tip.
So I'm about to try applying grille cloth for the first time and imagine my relief to see an Uncle Doug video on that very topic come up. Thank you for making this.
@@UncleDoug It was! Successful on the first attempt. My cab was a 2x10" so I was working with a frame that was about 24"x13" - the only thing I might have done differently was that I might have started attaching the short sides first instead of the long sides so that my first stretch was along the longest dimension, but I was real careful about applying tension as I went and it turned out great. The biggest three things I got from your video, though, were 1) clamp things down from the get-go 2) make 90-degree cutouts with the corner right at the corner of the baffle or frame 3) warm up the grille cloth - I clamped a heat gun into a bicycle repair stand and kept the cloth nicely warm the whole time. Thanks again!
Rusty’s unflinching uncompromizing standards are well tempered with his fairness and superior leadership skills. All toward a well made product of the highest order.
Thanks Doug! Helped me out tremendously and I very much appreciate your excellent video style-nothing extraneous, and everything clearly and concisely explained. Top notch!
Thank you so much for this video. I had no idea before how to deal with this stiff material. Your instructions were simple, clear and comprehensive. My antique radio is going to look great now.
@@UncleDoug Today I get my old console back from the engineer who restored the radio chassis and installed a better turntable. The new, improved grill cloth that you taught me to install will be the icing on the cake. About 60 years ago, my 3-year-old brother poked a hole in the original grill cloth trying to see the little man who was talking inside.
Another thank you Doug. I was very worried about mucking up my speaker baffle but thanks to your expert advice I've got a nice straight, tort fender grill. As you said, deceptively simple
Thanks, Uncle Doug! I'm doing the front of a set of pine cabs I built this weekend. I had a plan of action, but thought I might check the wisdom of youtube before starting. I'm glad I did because I saved some money on glue! This demo is perfect. Thanks!
Very good video. You didn't mention it, but I always start stapling in the center of each side and staple from middle towards each end rather than go from one end to the other. This assures that you do not stretch the fabric and get the pattern out of alignment. Going from one end to the other can also warp the backboard. If this is all clear as mud, I'll elaborate. If you consider the cloth as a clock face, put in 1st staple at 3:00 o'clock position, then one below that one and above it, all the way to ends of that side. Then do other side, putting next staple at the 9:00 o'clock position and so on. Hope this helps someone.
Uncle Doug thanks so much for all of your videos! You illustrate simply what others make complex! Also your videos provide a fundamental understanding of the original analog guitar effects, that the digital generation is anesthetized from understanding. You are informative without being arrogant, a great teacher! Thank you Again...Cheers and Excelsior!
Wow, what nice compliments. I really appreciate your kind words and am very glad to hear that the videos are both clear and informative. Please stay tuned.....there are more on the way :))
Genius, I have looked at a lot of grill clothes and this is almost indistinguishable, for a tube radio I'm restoring. I'll be looking on the web for lawn / lattice grade furniture fabric Thank you very much Uncle Doug !
Uncle Doug youve inspired me to build from scratch a Princeton Reverb amp. I thank you for making some great and helpful videos. I'm putting the grill cloth on my speaker front today...after I had it all stapled down I went to put a cool Fender logo on it...only to realize there needs to be some supporting wood behind it so it can be screwed in with the tiny screws...oh well maybe it will go on another amp in the future. Thanks again.
Dear Doug I love you and Rusty, I've just finished my first amp, a fender champ, a watkins dominator comes next, because I've watched most of your videos I know what I'm doing and I understand what everything does. I can't wait for your next uploads.
Thanks Uncle Doug. I used your mitered corner method on some thick Marshall "Salt and Pepper" grill cloth on some square cornered grills for my loudspeakers.
Thanks for this video, Uncle Doug and Rusty ! This was very useful information. And thanks for not making us listen to the hair dryer (or even the snap of the staple gun!) And I must agree, Rusty did some exceptional camera work on this one!
You're welcome, RD. I try to avoid the pitfalls that drive me crazy in other videos I watch. No one needs to see every cabinet screw get screwed in or out, or every staple removed or installed, etc. etc. to get the idea. Thanks to a "revolutionary new process" called editing, you can spare the audience such redundant boredom.
Love the clamp to hold the grill in place. Was wondering how to make the cloth tight without the grill moving on me. You gave me the idea to use 1 or 2 of my 25lb weight discs to keep the grill in place so I can get a nice tight edge before stapling. Thanks for sharing.
Uncle Doug Well, you inspired me to re-do the grille cloth! It was on a Masonite board, so I had to use wood glue and clothes pegs instead of a staple gun! It looks far better now though. Thanks!
This one is a *blast* I need to find some of these durable cloth, since usualy i use metal lattice for the front grill to protect my rotor systems. Since if something suddenly come inside the box, it will damage the rotating horns and/or the speakers mounted underneath, as the rotors will give the watever goes inside a very high velocity. Great Show!!
Thanks, so much TC. I have no idea what this material is called. I stumbled upon it while searching the aisles of a local upholstery-material shop. It would definitely protect your speakers.
Wow, that does look really nice Doug. I was about to put a grill cloth on a cabinet I just made and thought I would see what others had been doing in the process. And, I'm glad I did, as you made some excellent choices that I will incorporate into my project. But, we are both going to be in trouble if we destroy our wife's hairdryer. Thanks for posting.
Hello, I just want to say that you have such excellent instructional videos! I am covering an amp head tonight, and will be referring to this a lot. Thank-you!
Update: My grill cloth turned out well on the second try! The first try I was impatient and did not clamp it. I was also using a hair dryer. It was way too saggy. For the second attempt I grabbed a heat gun and two clamps, and it was much better, since I had more heat available. It is tight, although not quite as good as the factory. Yours turned out great though! Thanks for the videos.
Nice, Uncle Doug! I got stuck on my corners, and appreciate the heating tips. BTW: I long wondered why mid-late-70s Twin Reverb amps (from my formative days) which included Master/Channel volume pots were discontinued. For years, I thought manipulation of these pots for overdrive was ‘the secret’ to gritty rock-n-roll tone. After watching your attempt repair of a 1978 Twin, I now know why. 👍🏼
Hey, Uncle Doug! This is so trippy. I’m finishing a speaker cab build and need the grill to look just right. This video, your video, is extremely helpful to me, not least because my choice of grill cloth, which I bought online, is much more plastic-y and stiff than I expected. However, the staples you showed on the back of the baffle were not driven pneumatically: those staples came out of the Swingline. I found it interesting that you continued to keep the pneumatic (and narrow-crown) stapler in the frame. Callin’ you out on that one, amigo! 😎
Sorry, Todd, but I haven't used the Swingline stapler in several years.....ever since I got the pneumatic stapler. All the staples in the baffle were pneumatically driven.
Took your advice and went to the fabric shop. Got some black nylon looking stuff similar to what you used. Hard to stretch but didn’t sag at all even though it’s a tad loose. Was hot when I wrapped it so doubt heat will change much. Came out great! Now if I could just find some wood that’s actually cut straight! 😂 Maybe Rusty knows a place? Lowe’s is miserable!
Nice! I have a similar material, its very stiff and plastic-y and the heat gun makes a big difference. I hung the edge of the working side over the table end so I could heat it on both sides and get a tight wrap. (I didn't need to heat the center) The Clamp is another great idea. The other tricky part with my material was getting the tension even so there is no waviness in the rows/columns of the lines.
I'd like to contribute my experience here .. First of all, thanks again for the expert guidance here, Uncle Doug! So, I was applying Fender Oxblood grill "cloth". I didn't want to risk borrowing my girlfriend's hair dryer and forgetting to return it! So I used a Black & Decker heat gun. Truly enough, it does nicely soften the nylon fabric. But, towards the end of my wrap, I got a little too close .. and started melting the fabric! So, be VERY careful if anyone uses an atomic heat gun as I was! (Luckily, the melt was at the back side of the speaker baffle .. not visible.) Secondly, and this is unrelated .. I've ordered several components for my new 5E3 amp build from China .. 'cause it's cheap. Well, guess what .. my parts are stuck in shipping limbo .. probably an effect of the horrid CONVID-19 pandemic :-( Thanks again for this tutorial, Uncle Doug :-)
Yes, indeed, heat guns are way too hot for this task, and ordering from China at this time is a good recipe for frustration.....or worse. Both are cautionary tales. Thanks for sharing, KC.
you inspired me to change the cloth on my Boss Katana with oxblood grill cloth. It went ok but it could have gone better. I didn't have a way to clamp the works to the table so I pulled it tight by hand while stapling it down. Now my cloth has a wavy appearance in some places because I didn't get a consistent tautness. I have enough cloth left over for another attempt.
@@UncleDoug Thanks, I just watched it. Looks like you have some good tips in that one. I'll give it another shot. Part of me is regretting buying a grill cloth with lines on it, but I really like the style.
I absolutely love your videos! I've learned so much watching. I'm gathering parts to build my own amp very soon and your videos were so helpful. Thanks a bunch and keep it up!
Hi Doug. Great video with some super tips. I had to laugh as I have been using this same material for a few years now but never thought of heating it up before...great idea! It is difficult to work with but you will never need to replace it and I bet if Pete Townsend tried to spear his guitar neck through it he would be replacing a neck and not a speaker...lol. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.
Greetings, Brett. As you already know, working with this grill cloth material is about like trying to gift wrap a shoebox with chain-link fence.....but the hair drier really helps. I honestly think it could support a covey of sumo wrestlers. Pete Townsend wouldn't stand a chance......:)))
Great video. For me, the screws holding the baffle from the front destroy the look though. Other builds have a separate speaker baffle and a frame for the cloth that attaches with velcro or screws through the baffle from the inside. Just makes the look cleaner. But thank you for the great video!
Hey love your videos just got a fender twin, its got velcro on the grill frame to hold it in over the speaker no screws :) of course it will cost a bit more and need the speaker panel set back a bit for the added frame width. but it makes for a very clean grill cover
+Mike KD7URA Thanks, Mike. Rusty and I are glad you enjoy the videos :) Yes, velcro is a fairly common way to hold speaker grills....even in HiFi and Stereo speakers.
Doug, every time I see you repair an old amp I wish you'd go ahead and restore it like new, like people do with vintage cars. But I don't even know if those old materials are still available.
Thanks for this video! I'm gonna need this pretty soon for my newest acquisition of the Gretsch version of the Fender champ 600 reissue. The grill cloth included is annoyingly thick and muffles it too much. I like that cloth, but I saw another idea I think I'll use. They recommended one of those mesh tarps from Harbour freight. It won't look as nice with a tweed tolex, but it's definitely thing enough and won't muffle it.
In case anyone is still using this video as a guide, although it's definitely helpful, I would advise to be cautious when trying to heat up grill cloth with a hair dryer. I just tried it on traditional fender blackface style cloth, and it turns out that the heating doesn't expand the cloth. Quite the opposite actually, it directly starts shrinking, quite quickly, not unlike approaching any thin plastic material with a lighter, if less drastically of course, but enough to risk deforming the flaps permanently, to a point where the piece is no longer usable. So my humble guess is that the heating process is very much dependent on the type of cloth used. As with anything, it's best to test with a sample before I suppose. Hope this helps.
Uncle Doug Thanks ! No worries, it being a small cabinet, I was able to get two whole pieces of cloth the right size out of one length. The dryer is quite new and powerfull indeed, so it must have made the shrinking all the quicker, still I didn’t witness an expanding phase before that. So I ended up skipping the process altogether on the second attempt and, though it wasn’t a piece of cake by any... stretch, still get a decent result with tension in the end, probably because blackface style cloth is somewhat thin and flexible enough as is. Congrats on your very comprehensive videos nonetheless !
Hi Uncle Doug, I just stumbled over your little gold mine of a youtubechannel. Currently watching through your clips and really enjoying them. I find them very informative and the subtle humour makes me chuckle ever so often. Please throw a bone from me to your trusty ol' buddy Rusty! :o) cheers JC
Thanks and welcome aboard, JC. Please avail yourself of Rusty's and my hospitality and check out all our little videos when you get the time. In a rare display of good manners, Rusty even took time from munching on the bone you threw him to agree :))))
very informative.....I have to attempt this on my Orange 4x12 cab after a forklift truck pierced the cloth and one of the celestion V30's at the courier depot!
I like to put some expanding metal behind the speaker cloth and screw it on then add the speaker cloth with a wood frame and thin finishing nails to secure the wood frame grill cloth front frame and that way keep the speaker safe from puncture and keep the grill cloth stretched and flat as a pancake too!
Hi Doug! I learned something new today! (beside Rusty doing a good job on camera). I've always turned down re-upholstering guitar amps for customers, one, because I really never knew the tricks to doing it, and it uses a lot of time in which I need to focus on the electronics end of things, however, I just might attempt to do the speaker grill on an old Fender Pro Reverb for a customer...The original grill cloth is like Swiss cheese anyway, so this will be good practice for me :) By the way, I see David is back in circulation again! Was starting to worry a bit :) Another great video as always :)
Thanks, Frank. I'm sure you can do a good job on the Pro Reverb grill cloth. One of the beauties of using only staples is that you can easily undo it if you make a mistake. Yes, it's good to see David back in action. His latest creations put Dr. Frankenstein to shame. The 1.3KW amp and the water-cooled dummy load are outrageous....in a good way :)
I know! That dummy load is something I never thought about before! My dummy loads only handle 300 watts which is OK, but many times I get 400-5kw amplifiers in for repair (both tube and solid state) and if my existing dummy loads could swear at me, they would, that's how far I've pushed them...I thought about building one of those puppies he built except, I'm thinking along the lines of using Antifreeze for my coolant! I just need a more solid tank to do this with!
This is my second round watching your series of videos for this and I have to say, they're great, informative, and to the point. You do a good job explaining things and showing a process without being too wordy or excessive with information. With that in mind, I have a question in regards to attaching the baffle on a cabinet such as this. Seeing as how you have installed cleats already for the baffle to be screwed into, would it be just as easy to mount the baffle from the back? I know in your cab you have the amplifier guts in the bottom but in just a regular cab, it seems this would work just as well. In my design, I'd prefer to not have mounting screws on the front. Thoughts? Thanks for your info and I subscribed.
You're welcome, Chuck, and thanks for subscribing. We really appreciate your nice comments. Yes, you can drill through the cleats and then use them to attach the baffle from behind. Many people prefer this method for the reason you suggest......no screws visible on the grill cloth. One suggestion would be to use a 3/4" thick speaker baffle (instead of 1/2") so the screws will have plenty of wood to screw into.
Hey Doug, guess what I am doing, yep working on grill cover for the magnatone. Now originally they just roll out some glue and then adhered the cloth directly to the face. Well since I had to do a speaker repair, I want to be able to take off the grill for inspection So, I made a frame that will be used for grill material. i like that cloth by way that you had. I got mine from china, I will the use blow dryer Idea and the clamping devise both great Ideas . but .... all that work you put into and then you put the four screws I gasped. trying find the screws with the wide head and will lock into the wood and then use nuts on the inside. I want mine to be invisible. other than the screws good video
AmIonArock I'm glad the material and method were helpful. I understand the worry about using only 4 screws, but they were securely threaded into the cleats and seem to be holding up well. Best of luck with your project.
Just thinking of, what you´ll be doing with this little Amp when its finished. As we all see the whole thing growing up, may you just let him go simming in the bay. I´ll go fishing for it ;)
That's an interesting idea. I generally keep my own creations, but maybe putting them up for auction would be a good way to keep Rusty well supplied with steak.....bones :))
holy crap uncle doug, you do some amazing work. Im glad I found this page on youtube. thanks for making such great content. the straw-scarecrow like grill cloth reminds me of one of those jim kelley amps. did you make this baffle yourself?
On an important sidenote, acoustic transparency of the material used for grill cloth is a key consideration. Not sure that I’d go with the deck chair material selected here. Before going to the trouble of covering a speaker baffle, it may be worthwhile to give the fabric an audition with a speaker behind it. Playing recorded music (incl vocals) that you’re familiar with is a good point of reference. Listen for changes in tonality or coloration in the vocals - since these typically fall in the same spectrum as guitar, this should give you a good ideas as to the acoustc transparency of the material.
Thanks for the kind words, Nedles. By coincidence, during college I applied for a job at a local FM radio station, hoping to be a DJ. Sadly, the only opening they had was as the night janitor, which I did for a year or two to help finance my education. A missed opportunity.....but it all worked out for the best, I guess.
Thanks again for another fantastic instructional video! I'm just about ready to cover the baffle on my replacement Silvertone 1484 Twin Twelve cabinet. I'll be using Fender blackface-style silver cloth (which will go well with the black Tolex I'm going to cover the cabinet with), which is definitely not as stout as the stuff you're using in this video. How worried should I be about the staples tearing the fabric?
Well, I managed! The hairdryer trick worked well, but dang if the stuff doesn't cool off and stiffen up again pretty quickly. The corners aren't perfect, but I think it turned out OK for my first one. The most important thing is that it's tight. The left side definitely came out better than the right side, because I'd kind of gotten the feel for it by then. Anyway, being able to watch your technique was really helpful. Here's a shot of the finished (well, except the mounting screws) baffle: instagram.com/p/3dIBF1M9c0/ Note the L-pad in the top-center... That has a 3/8" hole cut for the shaft, plus space for a washer, all surrounded by short pieces of the same lath strip to provide a stand-off for the cover plate to rest against. The hole in the fabric is reinforced with a circle of staples that are hidden by the cover plate. Thanks again!
Extremely helpful! I’m building my first cab, and since I live in an apartment, and no longer have a shop, I bought an empty box and am installing a G12T-75 (from Ipswich, not from China,) and when the pricey-but-perfect grill cloth showed up, it proved to be much as you’ve described the material used in the demo. Thus, this video is invaluable to me - and I have a hair dryer! I also have a heat gun, but that might be overdoing it, even on a low setting. Thoughts?
The hair dryer takes longer but is virtually foolproof.....while the hot air gun, if applied for just a second too long, can destroy plastic and synthetic grill cloths. To me, it's not worth the risk.
Fender amps don't wrap the speaker grill around to the backside except On the top edge. They also don't use tnuts. They use #8 x 1-1/2" machine screws interference fit through 3/32 holes. They also spray paint the staples black prior to installing in the gun... Kindest Regards DW
Great video, thanks! I'm in the middle of refurbishing an old 1940s radio and will need to replace the grill cloth. What I'm wondering is, is there a point where you can realistically stretch grill cloth *too much* and damage it (such as pull apart the threading, especially near your square cut corners)? I haven't worked with grill cloth yet so trying to learn as much as I can before doing it.
lithiumoxide It depends on the strength and weave of the grill cloth, LiO. Radio grill cloth is generally rather thin and somewhat fragile, so you have to be careful when tugging on it to get it taut. One trick is to dampen the cloth slightly (as long as it doesn't leave water marks) before installation. It will shrink a little as it dries and draw tighter.
I applied cane cloth (salt and pepper) to my Marshall 1960B cab recently. After assembly I noticed it is angled one twill off. That material is thick and not pliable. I wished I had seen this video first. I didn't clamp it down. live and learn.
+Vin Etar You're welcome, Vin. Thanks for the input, but when the (heavy) speaker is attached to the baffle, I would hate to trust Velcro or magnets to keep it in place.
Uncle Doug Sorry about your arthritis, Uncle Doug. I have severe arthritis in my neck, making it a real ordeal to check my blind spots when driving. But old age does have it’s advantages, not the least of which is the ability to learn from our fellow seniors. Oddly, I ordered my grill cloth online, before seeing this video, and it is nearly identical to what you’re using. The hair dryer tip is indispensable. Thanks again!
Greetings, Arpad. Thanks so much :) I don't recall exactly what Rusty was doing while I made this video, but it probably had to do with tennis balls, steak bones, and the neighbor's poodle. Like all artistic geniuses, he's easily distracted :)
Wonderful & very informative presentation. I'm going to replace the grille cloth on my Fender Acoustasonic Junior & if you could tell me the name/manufacturer of the cloth used in your video I'd be more than grateful.
Thanks, Jonathan. I have no idea as to the name or manufacturer of the material. I bought it off a big roll at a local upholstery supply shop. You can check the internet and local upholstery shops in your area. Good luck.
Cheers Doug and thank you for your reply. I've ordered/bought the appropriate grille cloth via good old eBay; plus the G clamps & a stapler. Once again, thank you.
Thanks, Kal. It's not easy at all with this type of material, but the hairdryer (and some experience) really help. Give it a try....hopefully with more flexible material. I'll bet you could do a nice job.
What about rounding off the edges, front and back, a little (1/8" radius??) with a router to soften the break in the fabric. Especially if it is really stiff.
hi uncle doug, your vids are awesome, i have a doubt, if i want to use an original fender grill cloth, should i use a hair dryer to heat up the grill cloth before staple it (as in this video)? cause i did it once on a bafle and i staple the grill cloth and after everything was on place i used the hair dryer to kind of shrink the grill cloth, it went ok but the think you said of shrink it and then when it cool down it expands itself makes more sense to me, but you're the pro. thanks a lot uncle, say hi rusty for me please
Thanks, Martin. I understand the problems your having with saggy grill cloth. It has happened to all of us, particularly when weather and humidity fluctuate. I've found that heating the cloth for expansion and flexibility, then stretching it as tightly as possible is the best way to minimize any tendency to sag. It takes time, patience, experience.....and luck :)
Good luck. In the summer, I simply place the cloth in direct sunlight for a few minutes and it is uniformly heated.....the same process works for vinyl covering also.
Interesting. I've replaced the grill cloth on Marshall cab's but never on a Fender. On a Marshall you don't wrap the cloth all the way around to the backside of the baffle board but you staple it into the sides of the baffle instead. The grill cloth on most modern Marshalls is as junky and cheap as what's on Fender amps which is why on a Marshall cab I always use a thick classic salt & pepper cloth which I order from Mojotone. What you've used here is a bit similar in terms of it's thickness and a far better option for Fender amps than any Fender replacement cloth.
Thanks, Steve :) I guess tougher, more durable grill cloth is always going to be more difficult to work with than flimsy cloth.....but definitely worth it in the long run.
Great tips. Need help. I don't have access to inside the box once it is assmbled and I don't want to see screws outside the front of the box. Can I attach grill cloth to a thin wooden frame and velcro it to assembled speaker baffle or use some type of plastic tabs like speakers do that have removable grill covers?
It seems that when you heat the fabric in the speaker hole it will be easy to stretch, but the areas covered by wood can't be heated and not as stretchable. How do you ensure that lines in the fabric don't become crooked when stretching the fabric?
You heat the fabric before laying the wood down on top of it, BW. Straight lines were not an issue with this material, but it can be with other material. I address the problem in a much more recent video showing how to recover a tweed Fender speaker baffle.
Great video and great channel! I'm doing a re grill on a 1983 Marshall JCM 800 4012 1x12 combo. QUESTION - Wouldnt it be easier to start the grill cloth by stapling on one side a little long without any stretching since you have to start stretching anyways? It seems thats what Marshall did on this - one side (top) stapled about an inch in then all other sides are cut right to the edge. I havent started the grill but all prep is done. I want to get it right the first time!
Thanks, LA. There are all sorts of methods to cover amp cabinets and speaker baffles. I was merely showing my method. If you have a better one, then by all means use it. Good luck with your project.
@@UncleDoug I dont have any method lol - I'm just a guitar player trying the DYI...I was just wondering from the existing evidence I saw with the old cloth
@@UncleDoug I was surprised how good it came out. Thanks for the vid not much info out there. My only worry is if the grill starts to sag...but its really tight now. Do grills sag from lack of staples? Sunlight? Moisture? Age? I must of put in a few hundred staples and against your recommendation I lined the edge with glue figuring if it does sag I'll redo it as I got a bunch of original Marshall grill cloth on a deal. I'm going to do the same to my 1983 Marshall JCM800 2x12 combo. I think I'll do a video on it
Thanks, Ciro. It was all Rusty's idea. He used to work for an advertising agency.....but got fired for howling (and sniffing) during business hours....:)))
I've bought some nice Tibetan-patterned brocade fabric made from some kind of polyester. Would it be suitable to replace the grille cloth directly, or should I add it on top of it it so that it doesn't break from the sound since it's obviously not as thick as actual grille cloth?
You have to be very careful about having too much fabric over the speaker, Eddie. It will drown out a lot of your high frequencies and spoil your tone.
@@UncleDoug Yeah, assumed that it could play in, and it will likely be hard to make it taut in that case. But from looking around a bit on forums I think the fabric I have on hand is gonna work out alright on it's own. It's made from a decently thick polyester, and if I hold it up to a light it shines through decently.
Uncle Doug- so I followed these instructions to replace the grille cloth on a fender deluxe. However I am using the same thin fender-type webbing material with my recover. I almost got it just right, but I noticed when I stretch that after stapling the lines in front of the baffle are stretched/slightly crooked despite the cloth being lined up correctly and measured properly. I also noticed that using a blade to mitre the corners only shreds and frays the material. Any suggestions? A scissor seems to be best for the second issue but getting the material right while keeping it straight so that it lines up perfectly in front seems to be a challenge. Thanks so much!
There are all sorts of small details to iron out in any job like this, Vincent. When I get "V's" in a pattern after too much tugging before stapling, it sometimes helps to use some needle-nose pliers to pull and staple the sections in between the previous staples.....evening out the pattern. Also, you can pull harder one way on some materials than on the "other" way (90 degrees opposed). With open weave material, you are better off folding the corners rather than cutting them. If you do cut, Elmer's glue can tame the loose ends.
Uncle Doug thank you so much for such a thoughtful and detailed reply. I have enough material to try it again and this will make a big difference - especially tightening the 90 degree sides
UD, here's a little trick I found a few years back while trying to cut a grill cloth. Both razor knife and scissors were very unsatisfactory tools due to the threads simply wanting to unravel. A very cheap soldering iron with a hot knife attachment did the trick. I simply sliced across with the aid of a straightedge. Gives you a nice straight cut AND seals (melts) the threads together. Try it next time you use a woven grill cloth, you might thank me as much as I Thank You for these fantastic videos!
I'm so glad youtube seems to never get old! I'm doing my first cabinet build and I've been following UD's instructions, which we all know are very helpful. Just getting to the grille cloth part and noticing what valvenator said about the cloth unravelling. I've just been trying various glues to try and solve the problem and came across this idea. Wonderful! I've used heat to seal a number of these kinds of materials but never thought of it for the corner details on this plastic-type cloth. Just doing some trial heat-cutting...perfect! Thanks for the tip.
So I'm about to try applying grille cloth for the first time and imagine my relief to see an Uncle Doug video on that very topic come up. Thank you for making this.
You're welcome, Hub. I hope it's helpful.
@@UncleDoug It was! Successful on the first attempt. My cab was a 2x10" so I was working with a frame that was about 24"x13" - the only thing I might have done differently was that I might have started attaching the short sides first instead of the long sides so that my first stretch was along the longest dimension, but I was real careful about applying tension as I went and it turned out great. The biggest three things I got from your video, though, were 1) clamp things down from the get-go 2) make 90-degree cutouts with the corner right at the corner of the baffle or frame 3) warm up the grille cloth - I clamped a heat gun into a bicycle repair stand and kept the cloth nicely warm the whole time. Thanks again!
@@hubbsllc That's great news, Hub. Congratulations on a successful project.
Rusty’s unflinching uncompromizing standards are well tempered with his fairness and superior leadership skills. All toward a well made product of the highest order.
You are so right, John. Without Rusty's guidance, life itself would descend into chaos.
Thanks Doug! Helped me out tremendously and I very much appreciate your excellent video style-nothing extraneous, and everything clearly and concisely explained. Top notch!
Glad you enjoyed the video, Garrett :)
Thank you so much for this video. I had no idea before how to deal with this stiff material. Your instructions were simple, clear and comprehensive. My antique radio is going to look great now.
Glad the video was helpful, Jakob. Good luck with your project.
@@UncleDoug Today I get my old console back from the engineer who restored the radio chassis and installed a better turntable. The new, improved grill cloth that you taught me to install will be the icing on the cake. About 60 years ago, my 3-year-old brother poked a hole in the original grill cloth trying to see the little man who was talking inside.
I hope it exceeds your expectations, Jakob.
Another thank you Doug. I was very worried about mucking up my speaker baffle but thanks to your expert advice I've got a nice straight, tort fender grill. As you said, deceptively simple
You're welcome, Joe. I'm glad the video was helpful. Congratulations on a job well done.
Thanks, Uncle Doug! I'm doing the front of a set of pine cabs I built this weekend. I had a plan of action, but thought I might check the wisdom of youtube before starting. I'm glad I did because I saved some money on glue! This demo is perfect. Thanks!
You're welcome, C. Best of luck with your project.
Very good video. You didn't mention it, but I always start stapling in the center of each side and staple from middle towards each end rather than go from one end to the other. This assures that you do not stretch the fabric and get the pattern out of alignment. Going from one end to the other can also warp the backboard. If this is all clear as mud, I'll elaborate. If you consider the cloth as a clock face, put in 1st staple at 3:00 o'clock position, then one below that one and above it, all the way to ends of that side. Then do other side, putting next staple at the 9:00 o'clock position and so on. Hope this helps someone.
Uncle Doug thanks so much for all of your videos! You illustrate simply what others make complex! Also your videos provide a fundamental understanding of the original analog guitar effects, that the digital generation is anesthetized from understanding.
You are informative without being arrogant, a great teacher! Thank you Again...Cheers and Excelsior!
Wow, what nice compliments. I really appreciate your kind words and am very glad to hear that the videos are both clear and informative. Please stay tuned.....there are more on the way :))
Genius, I have looked at a lot of grill clothes and this is almost indistinguishable, for a tube radio I'm restoring. I'll be looking on the web for lawn / lattice grade furniture fabric Thank you very much Uncle Doug !
You're quite welcome, Viking. I hope you can find the material on line. What size piece did you need?
Uncle Doug youve inspired me to build from scratch a Princeton Reverb amp. I thank you for making some great and helpful videos. I'm putting the grill cloth on my speaker front today...after I had it all stapled down I went to put a cool Fender logo
on it...only to realize there needs to be some supporting wood behind it so it can be screwed in with the tiny screws...oh well
maybe it will go on another amp in the future. Thanks again.
Yes, when adding a logo to a suspended grill cloth, there must be a wood support between the baffle and cloth. You're welcome.
Dear Doug I love you and Rusty, I've just finished my first amp, a fender champ, a watkins dominator comes next, because I've watched most of your videos I know what I'm doing and I understand what everything does. I can't wait for your next uploads.
thank you for all the vids on cab covering. I have one to cover and now I feel confident about doing it.
+SonofGodly You're welcome. Best of luck with your project. Let us know how it turns out :)
Thank you so much for these videos. I'm building my first cabinet and this is the last step left!
You're welcome, DN. Good luck with your project.
I like it how you include Rusty in your videos :D thanks for teaching people stuff!
You're quite welcome, SC, and thanks for saying something nice about Rusty :)
Thanks Uncle Doug. I used your mitered corner method on some thick Marshall "Salt and Pepper" grill cloth on some square cornered grills for my loudspeakers.
+Will Hartley You're welcome, Will. I hope the method worked and the corners turned out great.
Thanks for this video, Uncle Doug and Rusty ! This was very useful information. And thanks for not making us listen to the hair dryer (or even the snap of the staple gun!) And I must agree, Rusty did some exceptional camera work on this one!
You're welcome, RD. I try to avoid the pitfalls that drive me crazy in other videos I watch. No one needs to see every cabinet screw get screwed in or out, or every staple removed or installed, etc. etc. to get the idea. Thanks to a "revolutionary new process" called editing, you can spare the audience such redundant boredom.
Love the clamp to hold the grill in place. Was wondering how to make the cloth tight without the grill moving on me. You gave me the idea to use 1 or 2 of my 25lb weight discs to keep the grill in place so I can get a nice tight edge before stapling. Thanks for sharing.
That may actually work better, BB. Good luck :)
Thanks for the awesome video! I wish I'd seen this before I re-covered the speaker grille on an old console television I'm restoring.
You're welcome, F500. I'm glad the video was helpful :)
Uncle Doug
Well, you inspired me to re-do the grille cloth! It was on a Masonite board, so I had to use wood glue and clothes pegs instead of a staple gun! It looks far better now though. Thanks!
You're welcome, F500. It's great to hear that you were inspired to re-do the job, and that it turned out so well. Congratulations !! :)
Doug...you make everything look so dang easy. Thanks so much for your efforts and abilities.
It's our pleasure, M.
The corner technique was the best part. I'm just covering some 2 ft x 4 ft acoustic panels I created for my drum studio. Thanks.
You're welcome, Dana. We're glad the video was helpful. Good luck with your project.
This one is a *blast*
I need to find some of these durable cloth, since usualy i use metal lattice for the front grill to protect my rotor systems. Since if something suddenly come inside the box, it will damage the rotating horns and/or the speakers mounted underneath, as the rotors will give the watever goes inside a very high velocity.
Great Show!!
Thanks, so much TC. I have no idea what this material is called. I stumbled upon it while searching the aisles of a local upholstery-material shop. It would definitely protect your speakers.
This is a very clear informative video. Thanks Uncle Doug and God bless you sIr!
You're welcome, MM. Glad you enjoyed it :)
Great video! Preparing for my first custom build, and these were some great tips! Really appreciate the time and effort. Great job!
You're welcome, George. Best of luck with your project.
Wow, that does look really nice Doug. I was about to put a grill cloth on a cabinet I just made and thought I would see what others had been doing in the process. And, I'm glad I did, as you made some excellent choices that I will incorporate into my project. But, we are both going to be in trouble if we destroy our wife's hairdryer. Thanks for posting.
Thanks, TW. Fortunately, she has a new one, so the old pink one is mine :)
@@UncleDoug Y'know, I do think "pink"is your color :-)
Hello,
I just want to say that you have such excellent instructional videos! I am covering an amp head tonight, and will be referring to this a lot. Thank-you!
+Shawn Kafal You're welcome, Shawn. Good luck with your project.
Update: My grill cloth turned out well on the second try! The first try I was impatient and did not clamp it. I was also using a hair dryer. It was way too saggy. For the second attempt I grabbed a heat gun and two clamps, and it was much better, since I had more heat available. It is tight, although not quite as good as the factory. Yours turned out great though! Thanks for the videos.
You're welcome, Shawn. I'm glad your second try was successful.
Thank you for sharing all this great info. Can’t wait to apply this stuff on my next build.
You're welcome, Lance. Good luck with your project.
Nice, Uncle Doug! I got stuck on my corners, and appreciate the heating tips.
BTW: I long wondered why mid-late-70s Twin Reverb amps (from my formative days) which included Master/Channel volume pots were discontinued.
For years, I thought manipulation of these pots for overdrive was ‘the secret’ to gritty rock-n-roll tone.
After watching your attempt repair of a 1978 Twin, I now know why. 👍🏼
Thanks, Keith. Glad the video was helpful.
Hey, Uncle Doug! This is so trippy. I’m finishing a speaker cab build and need the grill to look just right. This video, your video, is extremely helpful to me, not least because my choice of grill cloth, which I bought online, is much more plastic-y and stiff than I expected. However, the staples you showed on the back of the baffle were not driven pneumatically: those staples came out of the Swingline. I found it interesting that you continued to keep the pneumatic (and narrow-crown) stapler in the frame. Callin’ you out on that one, amigo! 😎
Sorry, Todd, but I haven't used the Swingline stapler in several years.....ever since I got the pneumatic stapler. All the staples in the baffle were pneumatically driven.
Took your advice and went to the fabric shop. Got some black nylon looking stuff similar to what you used. Hard to stretch but didn’t sag at all even though it’s a tad loose. Was hot when I wrapped it so doubt heat will change much. Came out great! Now if I could just find some wood that’s actually cut straight! 😂 Maybe Rusty knows a place? Lowe’s is miserable!
That's good to hear, William. I agree, buying good lumber can be a real challenge nowadays.
Never thought of heating or wetting the grill-cloth. Awesome idea. Your UA-cams are great.
+dennis walsh Thanks, Dennis. Also, when the damp grill cloth dries, it shrinks a bit and pulls really tight :)
The "Brace" was pure genius...wish I could have laid credit to it!
Nice! I have a similar material, its very stiff and plastic-y and the heat gun makes a big difference. I hung the edge of the working side over the table end so I could heat it on both sides and get a tight wrap. (I didn't need to heat the center)
The Clamp is another great idea. The other tricky part with my material was getting the tension even so there is no waviness in the rows/columns of the lines.
Good suggestion, Jeff. Thanks !!
Great video, I was just about to spray down some contact adhesive when I thought... Hmmm I should youtube this. Glad I did, your method worked great!
+SVTake2 Thanks, SV. Rusty and I are glad our method worked for you :)
Thanks Doug! Doing a speaker upgrade, time to replace the cheap pantyhose grill cloth on my amp.
Although cheap pantyhose is traditionally a fine grill cloth, JM, we salute your upgrade to an even more suitable material ;)
@@UncleDoug I don't think Joe Willy would mind :)
I'd like to contribute my experience here .. First of all, thanks again for the expert guidance here, Uncle Doug! So, I was applying Fender Oxblood grill "cloth". I didn't want to risk borrowing my girlfriend's hair dryer and forgetting to return it! So I used a Black & Decker heat gun. Truly enough, it does nicely soften the nylon fabric. But, towards the end of my wrap, I got a little too close .. and started melting the fabric! So, be VERY careful if anyone uses an atomic heat gun as I was! (Luckily, the melt was at the back side of the speaker baffle .. not visible.) Secondly, and this is unrelated .. I've ordered several components for my new 5E3 amp build from China .. 'cause it's cheap. Well, guess what .. my parts are stuck in shipping limbo .. probably an effect of the horrid CONVID-19 pandemic :-( Thanks again for this tutorial, Uncle Doug :-)
Yes, indeed, heat guns are way too hot for this task, and ordering from China at this time is a good recipe for frustration.....or worse. Both are cautionary tales. Thanks for sharing, KC.
I was thinking about ordering one of those Chinese kits. Thanx for the warning. Maybe I’ll stick with a conversion till a vaccine hits.
Love Uncle Doug - even more with his Baracuta!
I had no idea I had a "baracuta", but if you like it, then it must be worth having :)
Hey Doug
Love your manner and videos. Perhaps I am wrong - I refer to your Harrington-type jacket :-) keep up the great work whatever the wardrobe! 😂
Thanks so much, ML. Will do :)@@mlteenie
More great tips, thanks again. ...and good camera work from Rusty:))
Thanks, Andrew. I think cutting back on caffeine really helped his focus and steadiness of paw :))
you inspired me to change the cloth on my Boss Katana with oxblood grill cloth. It went ok but it could have gone better. I didn't have a way to clamp the works to the table so I pulled it tight by hand while stapling it down. Now my cloth has a wavy appearance in some places because I didn't get a consistent tautness. I have enough cloth left over for another attempt.
Watch my recent video on the Tweed Vibro-Champ, JB. I show how to install grill cloth with straight lines.
@@UncleDoug Thanks, I just watched it. Looks like you have some good tips in that one. I'll give it another shot. Part of me is regretting buying a grill cloth with lines on it, but I really like the style.
Thanks for sharing your priceless knowledge .
You're welcome, Zack :)
Great video! Rusty needs to take a more hands on active role though!!!
hi doug, your vids are great and informative.that doping with the glue realy works fine, all very helpful mate.thanks
freak55beat You're welcome, FB. Glad you liked it :)
Great instruction on this video, much appreciated Doug! 😊
Thanks, Robert :)
I absolutely love your videos! I've learned so much watching. I'm gathering parts to build my own amp very soon and your videos were so helpful. Thanks a bunch and keep it up!
You're quite welcome, Tony. Best of luck with your project !!
Nice work! I like your choice of grille cloth, very classic looking.
Thanks, E. Glad you liked it :)
Hi Doug. Great video with some super tips. I had to laugh as I have been using this same material for a few years now but never thought of heating it up before...great idea! It is difficult to work with but you will never need to replace it and I bet if Pete Townsend tried to spear his guitar neck through it he would be replacing a neck and not a speaker...lol. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.
Greetings, Brett. As you already know, working with this grill cloth material is about like trying to gift wrap a shoebox with chain-link fence.....but the hair drier really helps. I honestly think it could support a covey of sumo wrestlers. Pete Townsend wouldn't stand a chance......:)))
Great video. For me, the screws holding the baffle from the front destroy the look though. Other builds have a separate speaker baffle and a frame for the cloth that attaches with velcro or screws through the baffle from the inside. Just makes the look cleaner. But thank you for the great video!
To each, his own, MM. Glad you enjoyed the video.
Thanks uncle Doug! I learned a lot!
That's good to hear, TA.
Hey love your videos just got a fender twin, its got velcro on the grill frame to hold it in over the speaker no screws :) of course it will cost a bit more and need the speaker panel set back a bit for the added frame width. but it makes for a very clean grill cover
+Mike KD7URA Thanks, Mike. Rusty and I are glad you enjoy the videos :) Yes, velcro is a fairly common way to hold speaker grills....even in HiFi and Stereo speakers.
Doug, every time I see you repair an old amp I wish you'd go ahead and restore it like new, like people do with vintage cars. But I don't even know if those old materials are still available.
I understand, Dwight, but changing the old, original parts and finish actually reduces the value, especially for collectors.
Thanks for this video! I'm gonna need this pretty soon for my newest acquisition of the Gretsch version of the Fender champ 600 reissue. The grill cloth included is annoyingly thick and muffles it too much. I like that cloth, but I saw another idea I think I'll use. They recommended one of those mesh tarps from Harbour freight. It won't look as nice with a tweed tolex, but it's definitely thing enough and won't muffle it.
It sounds like a beneficial modification, Paul. I hope it works.
In case anyone is still using this video as a guide, although it's definitely helpful, I would advise to be cautious when trying to heat up grill cloth with a hair dryer.
I just tried it on traditional fender blackface style cloth, and it turns out that the heating doesn't expand the cloth. Quite the opposite actually, it directly starts shrinking, quite quickly, not unlike approaching any thin plastic material with a lighter, if less drastically of course, but enough to risk deforming the flaps permanently, to a point where the piece is no longer usable. So my humble guess is that the heating process is very much dependent on the type of cloth used. As with anything, it's best to test with a sample before I suppose. Hope this helps.
Excellent suggestion, MoH. Thanks. I'm sorry if your grille cloth was damaged. Your hairdryer must be quite a bit warmer than mine.
Uncle Doug Thanks ! No worries, it being a small cabinet, I was able to get two whole pieces of cloth the right size out of one length. The dryer is quite new and powerfull indeed, so it must have made the shrinking all the quicker, still I didn’t witness an expanding phase before that. So I ended up skipping the process altogether on the second attempt and, though it wasn’t a piece of cake by any... stretch, still get a decent result with tension in the end, probably because blackface style cloth is somewhat thin and flexible enough as is. Congrats on your very comprehensive videos nonetheless !
Hi Uncle Doug, I just stumbled over your little gold mine of a youtubechannel. Currently watching through your clips and really enjoying them. I find them very informative and the subtle humour makes me chuckle ever so often.
Please throw a bone from me to your trusty ol' buddy Rusty! :o)
cheers
JC
Thanks and welcome aboard, JC. Please avail yourself of Rusty's and my hospitality and check out all our little videos when you get the time. In a rare display of good manners, Rusty even took time from munching on the bone you threw him to agree :))))
Looks great! Very helpful video. Thanks.
Michael Anaya You're welcome, Michael. Glad you liked it :)
very informative.....I have to attempt this on my Orange 4x12 cab after a forklift truck pierced the cloth and one of the celestion V30's at the courier depot!
Thanks very much !
really good tips !
Cheers
Glad it was helpful, B7.
very helpful thanks!
rooguitar You're welcome, Roo. Glad you liked it :)
Thank you very much. Going to try mine today...
You're welcome, Emre. Good luck with your project.
I like to put some expanding metal behind the speaker cloth and screw it on then add the speaker cloth with a wood frame and thin finishing nails to secure the wood frame grill cloth front frame and that way keep the speaker safe from puncture and keep the grill cloth stretched and flat as a pancake too!
Thanks for the helpful tips, Kenny.
Hi Doug! I learned something new today! (beside Rusty doing a good job on camera). I've always turned down re-upholstering guitar amps for customers, one, because I really never knew the tricks to doing it, and it uses a lot of time in which I need to focus on the electronics end of things, however, I just might attempt to do the speaker grill on an old Fender Pro Reverb for a customer...The original grill cloth is like Swiss cheese anyway, so this will be good practice for me :) By the way, I see David is back in circulation again! Was starting to worry a bit :) Another great video as always :)
Thanks, Frank. I'm sure you can do a good job on the Pro Reverb grill cloth. One of the beauties of using only staples is that you can easily undo it if you make a mistake. Yes, it's good to see David back in action. His latest creations put Dr. Frankenstein to shame. The 1.3KW amp and the water-cooled dummy load are outrageous....in a good way :)
I know! That dummy load is something I never thought about before! My dummy loads only handle 300 watts which is OK, but many times I get 400-5kw amplifiers in for repair (both tube and solid state) and if my existing dummy loads could swear at me, they would, that's how far I've pushed them...I thought about building one of those puppies he built except, I'm thinking along the lines of using Antifreeze for my coolant! I just need a more solid tank to do this with!
This is my second round watching your series of videos for this and I
have to say, they're great, informative, and to the point. You do a
good job explaining things and showing a process without being too wordy
or excessive with information. With that in mind, I have a question in
regards to attaching the baffle on a cabinet such as this. Seeing as
how you have installed cleats already for the baffle to be screwed into,
would it be just as easy to mount the baffle from the back? I know in
your cab you have the amplifier guts in the bottom but in just a regular
cab, it seems this would work just as well. In my design, I'd prefer
to not have mounting screws on the front. Thoughts? Thanks for your
info and I subscribed.
You're welcome, Chuck, and thanks for subscribing. We really appreciate your nice comments. Yes, you can drill through the cleats and then use them to attach the baffle from behind. Many people prefer this method for the reason you suggest......no screws visible on the grill cloth. One suggestion would be to use a 3/4" thick speaker baffle (instead of 1/2") so the screws will have plenty of wood to screw into.
Hey Doug, guess what I am doing, yep working on grill cover for the magnatone. Now originally they just roll out some glue and then adhered the cloth directly to the face. Well since I had to do a speaker repair, I want to be able to take off the grill for inspection So, I made a frame that will be used for grill material. i like that cloth by way that you had. I got mine from china, I will the use blow dryer Idea and the clamping devise both great Ideas . but .... all that work you put into and then you put the four screws I gasped. trying find the screws with the wide head and will lock into the wood and then use nuts on the inside. I want mine to be invisible. other than the screws good video
AmIonArock I'm glad the material and method were helpful. I understand the worry about using only 4 screws, but they were securely threaded into the cleats and seem to be holding up well. Best of luck with your project.
Just thinking of, what you´ll be doing with this little Amp when its finished. As we all see the whole thing growing up, may you just let him go simming in the bay. I´ll go fishing for it ;)
That's an interesting idea. I generally keep my own creations, but maybe putting them up for auction would be a good way to keep Rusty well supplied with steak.....bones :))
Thanks!
You're welcome, CX.
holy crap uncle doug, you do some amazing work. Im glad I found this page on youtube. thanks for making such great content. the straw-scarecrow like grill cloth reminds me of one of those jim kelley amps. did you make this baffle yourself?
Thanks. Yes, I hand built the entire amp and cabinet.
On an important sidenote, acoustic transparency of the material used for grill cloth is a key consideration. Not sure that I’d go with the deck chair material selected here. Before going to the trouble of covering a speaker baffle, it may be worthwhile to give the fabric an audition with a speaker behind it. Playing recorded music (incl vocals) that you’re familiar with is a good point of reference. Listen for changes in tonality or coloration in the vocals - since these typically fall in the same spectrum as guitar, this should give you a good ideas as to the acoustc transparency of the material.
Thanks for your excellent suggestion, MD.
Have you considered moonlighting as a radio announcer or voice actor? You have that articulation that reminds me of radio.
Thanks for the kind words, Nedles. By coincidence, during college I applied for a job at a local FM radio station, hoping to be a DJ. Sadly, the only opening they had was as the night janitor, which I did for a year or two to help finance my education. A missed opportunity.....but it all worked out for the best, I guess.
Uncle Doug Fantastic video too! Very helpful thank you.
Thanks again for another fantastic instructional video! I'm just about ready to cover the baffle on my replacement Silvertone 1484 Twin Twelve cabinet. I'll be using Fender blackface-style silver cloth (which will go well with the black Tolex I'm going to cover the cabinet with), which is definitely not as stout as the stuff you're using in this video. How worried should I be about the staples tearing the fabric?
Well, I managed! The hairdryer trick worked well, but dang if the stuff doesn't cool off and stiffen up again pretty quickly. The corners aren't perfect, but I think it turned out OK for my first one. The most important thing is that it's tight. The left side definitely came out better than the right side, because I'd kind of gotten the feel for it by then. Anyway, being able to watch your technique was really helpful.
Here's a shot of the finished (well, except the mounting screws) baffle: instagram.com/p/3dIBF1M9c0/
Note the L-pad in the top-center... That has a 3/8" hole cut for the shaft, plus space for a washer, all surrounded by short pieces of the same lath strip to provide a stand-off for the cover plate to rest against. The hole in the fabric is reinforced with a circle of staples that are hidden by the cover plate.
Thanks again!
Great work great video. Many thanks!!!
+SiliconSet You're welcome, SS.
Extremely helpful! I’m building my first cab, and since I live in an apartment, and no longer have a shop, I bought an empty box and am installing a G12T-75 (from Ipswich, not from China,) and when the pricey-but-perfect grill cloth showed up, it proved to be much as you’ve described the material used in the demo. Thus, this video is invaluable to me - and I have a hair dryer! I also have a heat gun, but that might be overdoing it, even on a low setting. Thoughts?
The hair dryer takes longer but is virtually foolproof.....while the hot air gun, if applied for just a second too long, can destroy plastic and synthetic grill cloths. To me, it's not worth the risk.
Thank you for replying. I came to the same conclusion.
Fender amps don't wrap the speaker grill around to the backside except On the top edge. They also don't use tnuts. They use #8 x 1-1/2" machine screws interference fit through 3/32 holes. They also spray paint the staples black prior to installing in the gun...
Kindest Regards
DW
Thanks for the info, David.
Great video, thanks! I'm in the middle of refurbishing an old 1940s radio and will need to replace the grill cloth. What I'm wondering is, is there a point where you can realistically stretch grill cloth *too much* and damage it (such as pull apart the threading, especially near your square cut corners)? I haven't worked with grill cloth yet so trying to learn as much as I can before doing it.
lithiumoxide It depends on the strength and weave of the grill cloth, LiO. Radio grill cloth is generally rather thin and somewhat fragile, so you have to be careful when tugging on it to get it taut. One trick is to dampen the cloth slightly (as long as it doesn't leave water marks) before installation. It will shrink a little as it dries and draw tighter.
I applied cane cloth (salt and pepper) to my Marshall 1960B cab recently. After assembly I noticed it is angled one twill off. That material is thick and not pliable.
I wished I had seen this video first. I didn't clamp it down. live and learn.
At least now you know the secret, AR :)
...first class video...!!!!
TheTz750 Thanks, TZ.....glad you liked it :)
thanks. excellent tutorial. next time use velcro or magnets for front grill mount or screw it in from back ;) excellent tho
+Vin Etar You're welcome, Vin. Thanks for the input, but when the (heavy) speaker is attached to the baffle, I would hate to trust Velcro or magnets to keep it in place.
Seriously? Woulda bet my last nickel on that. My apologies are all I can offer, andI offer them sincerely. I am very grateful for this video.
Yes, my hands have been troubled with arthritis and squeezing the Slimline a 100+ times would be something I would both remember.....and avoid.
Uncle Doug Sorry about your arthritis, Uncle Doug. I have severe arthritis in my neck, making it a real ordeal to check my blind spots when driving. But old age does have it’s advantages, not the least of which is the ability to learn from our fellow seniors. Oddly, I ordered my grill cloth online, before seeing this video, and it is nearly identical to what you’re using. The hair dryer tip is indispensable. Thanks again!
@@ToddtheExploder Thanks for your concern, Todd. I'm glad the tips were useful. Best of luck with all your projects.
You are doing professional! But I did't see Rusty bad boy in this video :(
:D
Greetings, Arpad. Thanks so much :) I don't recall exactly what Rusty was doing while I made this video, but it probably had to do with tennis balls, steak bones, and the neighbor's poodle. Like all artistic geniuses, he's easily distracted :)
fantastic video uncle Doug super video
ian forster Thanks, Ian. Glad you liked it :)
my amp is done
Great.....how did it turn out ??
all my little amp works well next one i will do is a 6l6 AB1 head
Congratulations......and best of luck with your next project :)
Wonderful & very informative presentation. I'm going to replace the grille cloth on my Fender Acoustasonic Junior & if you could tell me the name/manufacturer of the cloth used in your video I'd be more than grateful.
Thanks, Jonathan. I have no idea as to the name or manufacturer of the material. I bought it off a big roll at a local upholstery supply shop. You can check the internet and local upholstery shops in your area. Good luck.
Cheers Doug and thank you for your reply.
I've ordered/bought the appropriate grille cloth via good old eBay; plus the G clamps & a stapler. Once again, thank you.
Nice job !! You make it look easy !! :)
Thanks, Kal. It's not easy at all with this type of material, but the hairdryer (and some experience) really help. Give it a try....hopefully with more flexible material. I'll bet you could do a nice job.
What about rounding off the edges, front and back, a little (1/8" radius??) with a router to soften the break in the fabric. Especially if it is really stiff.
+dennis walsh Excellent idea, Dennis. I'll try it next time I cover a baffle.
hi uncle doug, your vids are awesome, i have a doubt, if i want to use an original fender grill cloth, should i use a hair dryer to heat up the grill cloth before staple it (as in this video)? cause i did it once on a bafle and i staple the grill cloth and after everything was on place i used the hair dryer to kind of shrink the grill cloth, it went ok but the think you said of shrink it and then when it cool down it expands itself makes more sense to me, but you're the pro. thanks a lot uncle, say hi rusty for me please
Thanks, Martin. I understand the problems your having with saggy grill cloth. It has happened to all of us, particularly when weather and humidity fluctuate. I've found that heating the cloth for expansion and flexibility, then stretching it as tightly as possible is the best way to minimize any tendency to sag. It takes time, patience, experience.....and luck :)
Thanks a lot for the tips
You're welcome, BW. I hope they work for you.
Well, I was only using the staples, never a heat gun. I will try it on the next amplifier that I'll build
Good luck. In the summer, I simply place the cloth in direct sunlight for a few minutes and it is uniformly heated.....the same process works for vinyl covering also.
Hey great job but to let you know you could have use magnets to hold the front grill in instead of putting screws in the front of the grill
Thanks for the tip, Victor, but since the baffle also holds the (rather heavy) speaker, I thought that screws made more sense.
I'd put the screws in from the back so they are hidden, they're a bit unsightly on the front
Interesting. I've replaced the grill cloth on Marshall cab's but never on a Fender. On a Marshall you don't wrap the cloth all the way around to the backside of the baffle board but you staple it into the sides of the baffle instead. The grill cloth on most modern Marshalls is as junky and cheap as what's on Fender amps which is why on a Marshall cab I always use a thick classic salt & pepper cloth which I order from Mojotone. What you've used here is a bit similar in terms of it's thickness and a far better option for Fender amps than any Fender replacement cloth.
Thanks, Steve :) I guess tougher, more durable grill cloth is always going to be more difficult to work with than flimsy cloth.....but definitely worth it in the long run.
Great tips. Need help. I don't have access to inside the box once it is assmbled and I don't want to see screws outside the front of the box. Can I attach grill cloth to a thin wooden frame and velcro it to assembled speaker baffle or use some type of plastic tabs like speakers do that have removable grill covers?
Sure.....That would work just fine.
@@UncleDoug Thanks.
Thanks 😀
You're welcome, L :)
It seems that when you heat the fabric in the speaker hole it will be easy to stretch, but the areas covered by wood can't be heated and not as stretchable. How do you ensure that lines in the fabric don't become crooked when stretching the fabric?
You heat the fabric before laying the wood down on top of it, BW. Straight lines were not an issue with this material, but it can be with other material. I address the problem in a much more recent video showing how to recover a tweed Fender speaker baffle.
@@UncleDoug I appreciate your reply.
Great video and great channel! I'm doing a re grill on a 1983 Marshall JCM 800 4012 1x12 combo. QUESTION - Wouldnt it be easier to start the grill cloth by stapling on one side a little long without any stretching since you have to start stretching anyways? It seems thats what Marshall did on this - one side (top) stapled about an inch in then all other sides are cut right to the edge. I havent started the grill but all prep is done. I want to get it right the first time!
Thanks, LA. There are all sorts of methods to cover amp cabinets and speaker baffles. I was merely showing my method. If you have a better one, then by all means use it. Good luck with your project.
@@UncleDoug I dont have any method lol - I'm just a guitar player trying the DYI...I was just wondering from the existing evidence I saw with the old cloth
@@UncleDoug I did it and it came out like it was factory new! Thanks for the video - it helped!
@@leveractiongypsy1848 That's great news, LA. Thanks for sharing.
@@UncleDoug I was surprised how good it came out. Thanks for the vid not much info out there. My only worry is if the grill starts to sag...but its really tight now. Do grills sag from lack of staples? Sunlight? Moisture? Age? I must of put in a few hundred staples and against your recommendation I lined the edge with glue figuring if it does sag I'll redo it as I got a bunch of original Marshall grill cloth on a deal. I'm going to do the same to my 1983 Marshall JCM800 2x12 combo. I think I'll do a video on it
Great Idea :)
Thanks, Ciro. It was all Rusty's idea. He used to work for an advertising agency.....but got fired for howling (and sniffing) during business hours....:)))
:) You're welcome
I've bought some nice Tibetan-patterned brocade fabric made from some kind of polyester. Would it be suitable to replace the grille cloth directly, or should I add it on top of it it so that it doesn't break from the sound since it's obviously not as thick as actual grille cloth?
You have to be very careful about having too much fabric over the speaker, Eddie. It will drown out a lot of your high frequencies and spoil your tone.
@@UncleDoug Yeah, assumed that it could play in, and it will likely be hard to make it taut in that case. But from looking around a bit on forums I think the fabric I have on hand is gonna work out alright on it's own. It's made from a decently thick polyester, and if I hold it up to a light it shines through decently.
Will there ever be free subscriptions again in the future?
If the fans demand it.....we always cater to the whim of our subscribers :))
I wonder if hippos work for tennis balls. just like rusty.
I think hippos prefer soccer balls, Franky, so they don't get stuck in their nostrils.....also, Rusty is never willing to share :)))
Uncle Doug- so I followed these instructions to replace the grille cloth on a fender deluxe. However I am using the same thin fender-type webbing material with my recover. I almost got it just right, but I noticed when I stretch that after stapling the lines in front of the baffle are stretched/slightly crooked despite the cloth being lined up correctly and measured properly. I also noticed that using a blade to mitre the corners only shreds and frays the material. Any suggestions? A scissor seems to be best for the second issue but getting the material right while keeping it straight so that it lines up perfectly in front seems to be a challenge. Thanks so much!
There are all sorts of small details to iron out in any job like this, Vincent. When I get "V's" in a pattern after too much tugging before stapling, it sometimes helps to use some needle-nose pliers to pull and staple the sections in between the previous staples.....evening out the pattern. Also, you can pull harder one way on some materials than on the "other" way (90 degrees opposed). With open weave material, you are better off folding the corners rather than cutting them. If you do cut, Elmer's glue can tame the loose ends.
Uncle Doug thank you so much for such a thoughtful and detailed reply. I have enough material to try it again and this will make a big difference - especially tightening the 90 degree sides
Good luck. We learn best.....by doing :)
Shouldn't the screws for the speaker be in the baffle before you cover it?
As I recall, there are tee-nuts pressed into the grill cloth side of the baffle so you can securely bolt the speaker into place.
why didn't you use actual grille clothe made for Amp cabs?
1.) It's often too expensive. 2.) It's often just overpriced upholstery material. 3.) I preferred the color and pattern of the material I used.
What would we do without Uncle Doug?
Hopefully you won't have to find out anytime soon ;)
thank u so much
+joch zacahua You're welcome, Joch :)
im restoring a 68 mexican guitar amp (golden gate) and thanks to u i can custom it with a great look, really thank u so much
+joch zacahua Good luck with your project, Joch.
HELP! How do you repair dented grille cloth on an amp?? My husband’s
Replace it by following the instructions in the video.
Porus and waterproof at the same time??
That's a tough combination to pull off, Billy ;) I should have said that the material itself is waterproof, while the weave is quite porous..
Just teasing you Uncle Doug!😉👍