200S Cab Restoration Project

[pickinatit]

Well,  I'm finally getting started today on restoring the 200S cab that I bought some time back.  Pictures that Ed Bass posted in another thread recently of the inside of a 200S gave me cause to take a closer look at mine.  I noticed a couple of things that lead me to believe that I have also purchased a "counterfeit" Sunn cab.  But,  it's what I have to work with and seems pretty close except for the "mods" that were made to fit Black Widow speakers.
For instance,  the side panels are routed the baffle board for the bottom speaker,  but not for a "top" speaker baffle (of which there is none).

[pickinatit]

The port opening should be an opening all the way across I think, but how wide?  Is it 5"  ?  And should the front panel be one piece construction with the port opening cut out?  Or is it two piece construction (a top front panel & a bottom front panel with a space in between ?)

Any one have correct dimensions of the various parts & pieces?  For instance,  what should the distance be between
the end of the baffles and the rear panel ?   The baffle that is in this cab is approx. 3-1/2"  from the rear panel.  What should the dimension of that opening be?

[EdBass]

For a couple of years I've been promising to post accurate measurements of the 200S and 2000S cabs, but I guess I'm just too lazy to actually do it.
I'll try to get it handled in the not too distant future.

[pickinatit]

For a couple of years I've been promising to post accurate measurements of the 200S and 2000S cabs, but I guess I'm just too lazy to actually do it.
I'll try to get it handled in the not too distant future.

That would be a great tool and a terrific contribution to this site.  There have been so many threads about 200S cabs.  I've tried doing a search, but I don't seem to be able to come up with any dimensional information other then the dimensions of the cab itself.

BTW,  what do you (anyone) make of the fact that the side panels of my cab are routed for the bottom speaker baffle but not for the top speaker baffle ?  Another problem,  the "cross brace" is also notched so that the top of the bottom speaker can stick slightly up through it.  That doesn't show well on the pic I posted, but can be seen a little bit.
The whole inside of this cab needs to be gutted and redone just about.
Throw in the unrouted side panels and it might be a simpler job just to make a whole new "counterfeit"  Sunn cab from scratch LOL.

-Michael-

[loudthud]

That cab might have been a 100S cab with a horn in the top. The brace in the back and the way the tolex is cut around the opening look correct for a Sunn cab. I'm not sure about the porting on a 100S cab. Does the back have a large rectangular hole about 4x5 inches? Does the top speaker hole look improvised and do the T-nuts look the same as the bottom speaker?

[pickinatit]

I thought about the possibility that this cab was a 1 X 15 of some sort.
But why would it still have the paint line indicating there must have been some type of baffle for the top speaker?  Would a horn have been baffled?  And wouldn't it have been routed?

As for the "improvised"  top speaker hole,  the whole front panel appears to be a replacement to me.  Check the port holes.  Nice cutting job, huh? LOL

[made by hand]

taking a look at your pics..sunn didn't cut any ports in their cabs such as yours...my theory is..it's a sorado cab....that came with the port tubes on the sides...some one used the port tube hole as a starting point to enlarge the hole....as you can see...there is half of a round hole that has been enlarged....i really think you have a chopped sorado cab....just my take anyways....smiles..Bob from mass

[made by hand]

cab size for the 200s...not including the wheels...the box size is 40 inches high x 24 inches wide x 15 inches deep....the 2000s is is..46 inches high x 30 inches wide x 15 inches deep.....again....don't include the wheels...sunn in their catalogs always gave the cab height including the wheels....dopey but that's the way they did it. probably to give the buyer the impression of a taller cab....so if you see a sunn catolog and looking for the cab height...knock off 2 inches.....smiles..Bob from mass

[EdBass]

My first thought was that it was a Sorado cab also, but I'm leaning towards a 100S cab modified for 2 15's. I think that would explain the ducting on the bottom driver only.
Regardless, it looks like an actual Sunn box, with a little work you can configure it to about any model you want!
I would mirror the bottom ducting on the top and put a full length duct between them.

[pickinatit]

My first thought was that it was a Sorado cab also, but I'm leaning towards a 100S cab modified for 2 15's. I think that would explain the ducting on the bottom driver only.
Regardless, it looks like an actual Sunn box, with a little work you can configure it to about any model you want!
I would mirror the bottom ducting on the top and put a full length duct between them.

My first thought was that it was a Sorado cab also, but I'm leaning towards a 100S cab modified for 2 15's. I think that would explain the ducting on the bottom driver only.
Regardless, it looks like an actual Sunn box, with a little work you can configure it to about any model you want!
I would mirror the bottom ducting on the top and put a full length duct between them.

First Off....thanks to Loudthud and Madebyhand for your input.  The dimensions of the box itself does seem to g-up with those for a 200S cab.   Ed, were the Sorado cabs and 100S cabs the same size?

Anyway,  I agree with your suggestion to mirror the bottom ducting.  I'm wondering though about 2 things. 

For the front panel,  could I just cut straight across the width of the
"cut out" holes, or would that make my port opening too wide?

Also,  the cross brace is notched out for the bottom speaker to stick up through a little bit.  If I leave that notch in place, any harm or foul in that?  Or do I need to repair or replace that cross brace (try to at least patch/ fill in that notch. It's about a rounded inch deep and about three to four inches wide.  You can barely see it in the one pic I posted).
Remember, I'm going to take out the black widows and install JBL D140F's.

[EdBass]

They are the same size.
The port goes the entire width of the cab.
I don't think that little notch would make much difference, but I would probably fill it.
It's hard to tell from the pics, but the top speaker hole seems a little out of round, and both seem like they intrude into the proposed port area. You could probably front load the speakers to get better clearance.

[pickinatit]

Ed,  You're right.  The speaker openings intrude into the port area if I cut the port opening straight across.  So,  a whole new front panel will be in order.  Removing the front panel will make it easier to fill/repair the notched out cross brace anyway.  Does 5" seem right for the width of the port opening ?

Hopefully,  I'll get most of this done this weekend and I'll post "after"  pics if I do. 

Thanks, everyone,  for the help/opinions on this.  It's Sunn,  so I want to do it as right as I can.

[EdBass]

I think it's more like 4.5". Here's an almost straight on pic from the back, based on a 40" tall box it seems that the port is just under 5".
I won't have an opportunity to open it back up and get accurate before the middle/end of next week at the very earliest.

[pickinatit]

I think it's more like 4.5". Here's an almost straight on pic from the back, based on a 40" tall box it seems that the port is just under 5".
I won't have an opportunity to open it back up and get accurate before the middle/end of next week at the very earliest.

Thanks for all your help.  I think I will proceed this weekend on that basis.