Plywood vs Pine for 1x12 cab

[GD_NC]

I'm thinking about building an open back 1x12. I recently built a EV-806 style Thiele cab and want to build another open back cab to pair with it. I built the last cab out of finish grade plywood, but it sure seems like it would be eaiser to use solid pine for this one. I'm pretty sure that's what old Fender cabs & combos are made of.

Any opinions?

Any good reason not to use Pine?

 

[Old BF Shred]

Plywood is certainly more durable.....
I built my own cabs using 3/4" and 1" ply.......

Some argue solid wood sounds better and likely so, but the ply still sounds great (to me, anyway) and won't split if dropped off the tailgate of a pick up truck! 8)

Good luck!

 

[t0aj15]

Fender and other amp makers back in the 40's & 50's used pine because it was much more plentiful and less expensive then plywood, but as manufacturing costs for plywood came down with modern machines they went up for solid wood because it became harder & harder to find solid wood wide enough to build cabs. So tone preference had little if anything to do with their wood choice, it was a purely financial decision. As for tone I doubt there will be much difference if the cabs are covered with vinyl. As for strength, durability, & cost plywood wins hands down.