Wood quality?

patouse · March 11, 2006, 11:21:09 AM

Does anyone know what wood the used to make the cabinet around the keyboard? (the part with the tolex)
Is it oak or maple or??

The wood under my tolex is rotten and I want to build another box for it.

Thanks
Pat

Loucas · March 11, 2006, 01:13:42 PM

IT IS FIR WOOD. IT WILL BE NOT DIFFICULT TO REMAKE ONE ,SPECIALLY IF YOU GO TO THE CARPENTER.

patouse · March 16, 2006, 04:14:30 AM

Almost done building it.
I found some Fir Plywood from the carpenters
and I cut everything to exact specs.

I'll send a pic when I'm done!

careofcell69 · March 26, 2006, 05:46:09 PM

patouse, i was wondering, how thick is the bottom of the piano? Like how many inches? I have a Suitcase 73 and I want to convert it to a Stage model but i've been told that the thickness of the bottom of the Suitcase piano(not its speaker cabinet) is too thin to add leg flanges. So I just want to add or replace the wood to the size of the Stage. Any help would be appreciated!

Michael

Ben Bove · March 26, 2006, 09:35:00 PM

Hey - if you're converting your suitcase to a stage, I'm converting my stage to a suitcase. What model is it, what namerail? (slider etc) I have an unused stage namerail with factory pots I'd be willing to trade. Let me know - Also I'm in LA so I'm 40 min away.

benbove@hotmail.com

jim · March 26, 2006, 11:27:03 PM

why don't you guys just swap pianos!!??
must they both die!!???

careofcell69 · March 27, 2006, 03:58:46 AM

Well, that all depends on what bjammers wants.

bjammers, I have a 1979 Suitcase, but it is without its Suitcase bottom and I am in the process of restoring it. I wanted to convert this thing to a Stage because I really dont feel like lookin around for a Suicase bottom. It is missing its harpcover (I just got this Rhodes the other day). I think it'll clean up real nice since I already started working on it.

james · March 27, 2006, 10:36:42 AM

When I was looking at doing this myself, Steve at Speakeasy was telling me that the bottom of the Suitcase top is not as thick as the Stage, so it is a problem to put the leg flanges in without them sticking up into the keybed! You might need to add a second layer of wood to the bottom in order for that part to work.

careofcell69 · March 27, 2006, 04:29:22 PM

Right, thats why I wanna know how thick the new piece of fir wood should be to add to the existing wood that is there. I really dont think this is that hard of a job to do, plus the tolex on this thing is torn like hell so its not like i'm ripping apart some beautiful tolex job. I'm gonna retolex it myself. I need to know how thick the bottom of the Mark II Stage is so i can get that done, even though its probably gonna make it a bit heavier!!

careofcell69 · March 27, 2006, 04:31:38 PM

James, did you ever end up converting your Suitcase to a Stage?

james · March 28, 2006, 09:14:45 AM

No, I was actually looking at replacing the Suitcase "legs" (i.e. fold-out supports) on mine, since they're bent & ugly. I thought it would be wild to install 2 of the Stage legs on the front instead, which is when Steve filled me in about the thinner bottom. But what the hell, I may still do it...all I need is an extra layer of wood!

careofcell69 · March 28, 2006, 12:22:21 PM

Whoa!! That'd be pretty cool to see, 2 legs from a stage on the front of a suitcase.

Uptownruler · March 28, 2006, 01:09:17 PM

Yeah, I think that'd be pretty sweet too! Post some pics if and when you do it.

andi85 · March 29, 2006, 06:02:13 AM

if you look at the speakeasy-site you get an impression how that will look like.
check the 88 markII-suitcase with the speakeasy-bottom. doesn't look bad...i want such a cabinet, too!!

did they use a pa-poweramp??

careofcell69 · March 29, 2006, 02:24:44 PM

Wow, i've seen that before on their site but I guess i never noticed the Stage legs on the front. How did they do that? It doesnt look like they made the bottom any thicker and the legs look just fine.

Uptownruler · March 29, 2006, 03:07:51 PM

They also make their own legs. Might have something to do with it. Also, they could have added some thickness on the inside? Just a thought.

jim · March 29, 2006, 04:39:24 PM

isn't it just a stage ontop af the cabinet they built?

andi85 · March 30, 2006, 05:05:28 AM

sorry i should have made this more clear...
it is indeed a stage 88 and they just built a suitcase cabinet for it.

great work - i'd love to do that, too.
what do you think you need? it seems to me that they took their speakeasy preamp + lexicon reverb or multi-effect and plugged it into a pa-poweramp. then just a passive speaker cabinet with say 4 x 12", right?
well...i'd really like to try that

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Wood quality?