Young James

Hey all, do anyone know where I can get a custom box made for an Alpine Type R 12" sub? I want to get the most out of the box (must be ported) but I don't have a clue how to build one. Anyone know of any good sites that I can get one ordered from or even any sites that will give you Step By Step instructions on how to build a ported box. I'm not sure the cubic feet this sub requires yet. Anyone on this fourm know how to make one? I live in NL, just hit my up if anyone can help me out! Thanks all!!!

Cavalier Chunk

pre fab=****

home made=better

i know you said you don't know how to. just go to a local car audio store and see if they can make you one. never go to a prefabricated box. they won't help your sub.

Young James

thanks man, there's just one problem with that. There's only one audio shop in Newfoundland that I know of that sells boxes, and I'm not even sure if they make them. I live next door to a carpenter, and I know he will be able to make me one if he had the design for it. Anyone know where I can get one?

hofulstrof

what are the maximum dimension you have to work with and how low do you want it to play?

pm sent

[ October 30, 2005, 02:09 PM: Message edited by: hofulstrof ]

Rockney

This one here will work really well for ya..

Young James

The ABSOLUTE max that my box can be is 40" wide and 16" high. There is plenty of room for depth. The car is a 95 Corolla, so the trunk isn't that big. Again, I would even want to go a bit smaller with those numbers. That was just a rough measurement with the tape. Thanks guys for all your help so far. I really like the diagram that Rockney posted because I think a carpenter may be able to follow that. Also, Holfulstruf, I would want the box as Low as possible. I listen to pretty much all rap/hiphop so the lower the box the better. Again, can you offer me with more diagrams or step by step instructions? Any help will be great. Thanks so far!!

Young James

Alpine Type R SWR-1222. It's the 2005 model, with 500wrms. It's the Dual 2 Ohm VC configuration model. Thanks guys!

Ex-Maxx

please explain this statement to me ........if the sub I have works in a 1.5 cube box tuned to 30hz why wouldn't a prefabed 1.5 cube box tuned to 30z work for me

the main drawback to a prfabbed box is that it is usually a generic shape and my not integrate perfectly into your car

just cuase a box is prebuilt does not make it crap, but be sure to buy a box that is the appropriate volume for your sub

what model is the sub you have james, I suspect that that box design shown above would work just fine (most 12" subs work in 1.5 cubes tuned to 30hz) but I would like to check the specs to see </font>[/QUOTE]I would argue that shape is probably the least of the issues with prefabs. They come in many different designs to suit the needs of the consumer, so finding one that fits I find is not a problem. However, when we're talking materials and build quality, I have to agree that most prefabs fall short in that category. I've seen a number of prefab boxes from different manufacturers, and they all seem to playing a game of compromise with respect to build quality. I've seen ports hot-glued into place, only to fall out, I've seen carpet peel off straight out of the box, I've seen fancy fascias fall right off the box with the subs mounted, I've seen broken terminals, cheap wood, air nails and staples, and the list goes on. The best prefab box I've seen so far is the Sledgehammer and Bass Slammer series from MTX, and even they admit to using 5/8" MDF, staples and some mystery adhesive that is apparently stronger than the wood itself. So explain something to me... If the glue holding the MDF together is so strong, what do you think will happen when the box starts to flex (and it will, because from what I can see there's no internal bracing)? How easily does MDF split?

That's not to say all prefabs are crap though. Here's an example of GOOD prefabs:

http://www.subzeromfg.com/productsb.htm

I think the main issue is the numbers game. In order for companies to make money off prefabs, they have to be able build a lot of them quickly with cheaper materials. This unfortunately means staples, "mystery" glue and usually poor design. I was talking to an MTX rep a while back, and I remember him talking about the one-million or so square foot facility they have in the States with state-of-the-art machinery. Apparently they can polish off a completed box within 2-5 minutes. Considering it takes most of us at least a couple of hours to do that, that's a huge amount of boxes flying out the door every day. Big $$$.