Swingin' Vintage Suitcase Stereo

Hmm, I want to educate the masses in the many physical and mental benefits of Swingin jazz music. I guess i'll need some sort of sound system to do it then.

So, it needs to be portable. It needs to be jolly loud so people can hear it over the dancing and over this "urbane" music I hear so much about. Shall I look down the local wireless emporium? Good Lord, all that plastic! Isn't there anything made of finely polished wood and brass? Is there nothing with the appropriate finesse and panache? No?

Well, I guess i'll just have to roll up my sleeves and do it myself...

Step 1:

Materials:

Main Bits:

Vintage suitcase (I got mine cheap from a vintage shop as it'd been left out in the rain)
Amplifier (ebay)
Car Speaker (mine came from an audi in a scrapyard)
12v battery (7Ah Lead Acid, sealed.)
Inline 12v Blade fuse holder
20A Fuse
Switch
Brass gauges (not essential but look really cool, keep your eyes open in dingy antiques shops for a bargain)
Brass Screws
Hessian Cloth (used to conceal the car speakers)
Gloss Varnish (shiny)
Velcro
Round End Crimps (several different sizes)
Spade Crimps (to connect to the battery)
Stereo component cable to 3.5mm jack
12v Wire

Wood:
6mm plywood
12mm plywood
6mm square dowel
12mm by 4mm rectangular dowel
20mm by 6mm rectangular dowel
15mm by 40mm batten

Tools:
Circular Saw
Jigsaw
Drill
Sandpaper
Staple Gun
Hot Glue Gun
Screwdrivers
Stanley Knife
Crimper
Soldering Iron

Comments

[Andsetinn]

I really love those vintage look radios. I'm planning on building an PC entertainment center with similar overall looks, maybe in a jukebox style. :) You only have 3.5 mm jack for input. Do you use a Ipod or other player to play the jass?

[agis68]

i liked the design you choose but was dissapointed from the interrior....you should try to remake/rebuild an interior like the old days......or at least something that looks like the old days of radios.....anyway good job in package

[porcupinemamma]

Absolutely Stellar!!!!

[longwinters]

What a fun project, I love the art deco look, I'm guessing the pressure guages are for the horn players?

[knife141]

I'm not a big fan of jazz music, but I really like what you've done here. Nice job!

[The Engineer As Hero]

Thanks!

I used to agree! a lot of modern jazz is a bit inaccessible, and a bit toss. Swing music however, i got into through swing dancing, and it's really dance music. it's really fascinating to see the progression of the music from 20s charleston through to big band, and then on to rock and rhythm and blues.

[Infrasonic]

maybe you could go better on this step:
sound is moving air and the space between the speaker and the front panel alows the air to flow from the front to the back of the speakers membrane. This results a loss of bass and power. The sound goes thin. Try to hold a speaker in the air and listen how it wins when you lay it in a fitting hole in a sheet of cardboard.
A cheap "repairing or tuning" would be to fill the chink with silicone or acryl.

[The Engineer As Hero]

Good point! I'll seal up the two side speakers, unfortunately, the two central ones have a big gap between them that i can't do (without a bit of woodwork anyway). I'd been wondering if i could do anything to perk up the sound, and your suggestion sounds worth a go.

That being said, it probably won't make a difference for a bit of hissy lo-fi 20s jazz!

[needs_more_to_do]

Hey, I have one of these! Man I love my music box. I was a record player built into a wooden suitcase so it could be closed up and transported easily while still maintaining a quality sound. Eventually the motor stopped turning but the rest of the box still worked. Making it play MP3s took three solder connections and a headphone jack.
Your project is considerably more refined than mine however. My lazy (and cheap) arse met the 12v power requirement with eight D batteries. So the box weighs a god damned ton but i've played around thirty hours worth of tunes on those first batteries.

You sir are made of win, music boxes for life!

[The Engineer As Hero]

Cheers!

Yours sounds cool, although i bet my suitcase weighs more than yours! :)

that amp and battery definitely strain the handle and my arm when i carry it about, not great for a fast getaway...

[mr.squeakers]

This is awesome I want one!!!

[mikeasaurus]

Love the retro look with the dials, great job!

[jessyratfink]

That is fantastic. Such a beautiful build! Suddenly I want everything to be made of wood. :D