Cabinet Covering Tutorial - Guitar Amp Tolex - Sizing, Cutting, Gluing, Corners. DIY 

The clearest demonstration of doing rounded corners. Thank you for making the video.

This is exactly the video I was looking for, thanks for putting this together! Can't wait to try it myself!

I'll likely never cover an amp, yet I sat here and watched the whole video, just because of the craftsmanship. You do great work.

Thank you, great tutorial. It's so cool to watch you work, it's like the hands know how to do it by themselves, the sign of an experienced builder! I built a guitar cabinet and it went well, now I'm considering to make one more and build 2 amp head shells for a cool stereo setup and I need to learn to do those inside corners...

Great job! This vid was concise and straight to the point. Very well done sir!

Love the stack of ampexs in the background ❤

Nice work!

You make it look easy.

That's beautiful, thank you, thank you, thank you

Awesome tutorial! very clean work!!

Beautiful work! I’m looking to recover my Super Beatle this year and this should help ! Thanks! 👍🙋‍♂️🖖🏻

I'll be making a first attempt soon. Thanks for a very good tutorial ... with a box-cutter, no less.

A recommended tool which I find really helps me do re-tolexing jobs: a seem roller for for PVC / TPO / EPDM Roofing.

This is great! Thank you. For cutting the excess off the end pieces, I don't always line up a straight edge well visually, or hold it well while cutting. I like a piece of aluminum angle iron in 1-1/2" or 2" as a straight edge to cut against. It makes a perfect cut by wrapping the angle around the corner of the box. Using painter's masking tape around the edges and the inside of the metal angle protects the tolex, tweed, or fabric, from any markings, snags, or scratches.

Just finished my Deluxe-sized cab using this tutorial - it was very helpful, and it's very challenging to get the cuts right. Also, he doesn't include gluing the top and bottom pieces, which were the most challenging - contact cement-wise.

Thank you for this video.

That’s a beautiful cream colored Tolex. I overlap, then cut one 45 degree through both layers, peel back, pull out sliver (first layer), lay back down for a perfect seem. If you have a lot of time, I do not glue that part, fold over dry cut the seem. Peel the glued sliver, glue the Tolex you left dry, come back lay the seem down perfect. Wether it’s Wallpaper, linoleum, etc., anytime you cut through the overlap, both layers, your cut will match perfect. This guys way is as good, but like he said if you do not cut it exactly, you could be left with a gap. Hopefully if that happens, there is a plastic corner piece that will cover the mistake.

Another great tutorial; I really appreciate your painstaking attention to detail. I learn something every time I tune in. If I might make an unsolicited suggestion: I'd like to see you keep more money in your pocket. I don't know how many cabs you tend to do in one run, but it's well worth the time to calculate the yardage you'll actually need for that run, roll out the tolex, and cut it into lengthwise strips prior to laying out the individual segments. I've found that making these segments about 3 -3 1/2" wider than the depth of the cab gives me plenty of working room, and the sides (you're calling them 'ends') can be cut about 4 - 4 1/2" taller than the cab height to give you the wraparound. Top and bottoms can be cut to width from the start. I think this approach could greatly reduce your tolex wastage and give you more efficient yield from a roll of fabric. I do have a question, if I'm not imposing: do you have any experience with Traynor amps? I've had a couple of them pass through my hands, and I was amazed at how solidly the cabs were put together. Also, they had an aluminum edge with a rubberized 'bumper' which wrapped completely around the edge of the cabinet sides: could you give me any insight into how that was done?

Your great at those corners I usually cover mine with metal covers lol great camera shots there I think I can pull that off.

This is the best and most encouraging vid on tolex. Thx. Btw you went all the way with the background music too. Not my style, but cheers anyway 🎉

Great video and awesome skills. You made it look easy! also considering this is cream tolex, it might get messy really easy if your work table has any dust or gunk. Clean work.

Initially cutting your tolex you should measure and cut templates out of 1/4 MDF and then pre cut them makes it easier and less chance for mistakes when doing a fender 4 piece wrap. On the sides of the Fender 4-Piece wrap it is actual 1-1/4" over the edge and no 45 degree cuts. They are horizontal cuts that require a certain cut patter for tolex and a differnt pattern for Tweed so the lines matchup. On larger 1 piece wraps cutting 4" longer than needed and 2" more in the width works.

Very nice seam technique! I think I'll use a single piece until I'm good enough to hide 4 seams!

Awesome tutorial! I'm turning a Marshall combo into a head/cab and the tolex is the bit that has me worried! Great advice on letting the glue completely dry. I would have rushed it.

That looks fantastic. Side note: Fender is no longer cutting their corners at 45⁰. I have noticed this on many reissue combos. It is easier to see on cabinets that are not black or darker colored tolex.

Covering cabs is a crappy job but the end result is very rewarding. I do corners differently but I’m going to try your method next time.You do a fantastic job!

Thanks for making this vid, my dog just chewed my AC15.

Good solid information,don't know if it will apply to me I do have to replace the speaker grill cloth on my 92 model Fender after your video I will do it myself just need to get a staple gun,thanks

Very nice work and video production. What I'd like to know is what brand of nitrile gloves are you wearing? The gloves I use would have ripped to shreds the first time they stuck to the adhesive! Thanks

Top notch, all of it. From the skill, to the explanation, to the BGM. You just got a new subscriber, Any tips on "repairing" tolex considerably big tears. How to glue the pieces to hide the big tears?. Or how to remove the old tolex completely if that's even worth the trouble?

I appreciate that is the way Fender do Tolex but isn't it easier to wrap the Tolex round in one piece so there is only one join underneath. Thats how I do mine and it just looks neater. Great video though.

Craftsman level 11!

Hi you are singer? You have the same voice of James Taylor!!!! the same!!! good job a real good tutorial!!

Good work. I am curious why you did not try to glue the Tolex in one piece instead of four. Regards.

Wanting to do this with my Marshall JCM 900 cab the original tolex has seen better days lol

I got that carpet covering on my halfstack

Great work! Thanks so much for sharing! Getting ready to start my first ever attempt. What do you think, or have you tried Dap/Weldwood non flammable (water based) contact cement? It seems similar to tolex glue which I’ve heard is pretty much Wilsonart H20. It’s seems you want the contact cement to be able to reposition which solvent based does not (very easily).

I did not see a email for you in your channel. Do you do this for customers? If so, How do I contact you? Great work! and content!

for a speaker cabinet, could you use a long skinny piece to center and square up on top, then pull down both sides and a bit under each corner? That would fewer corners, but harder to line up perhaps? I'm gonna go for it.

Really great content! Would putting suede on be a similar process?

Will automotuve spray adhesive like headliner adhesive spray work? I have some laying around id like to use up

Great video, 2 questions why didn’t you use just one piece vs 4 separate pieces. And, I normally pull the Tolex inside vs cutting along the edge. Over time it can start to peel up from use. I’m about to do the same head and want to know if you had a purpose for doing it this way. Thanks!

foam roller works better than a brush, brush is only needed to get into cleat edges. Let the glue dry way to much and the rubber gloves are a hassle. Its a water based glue. I never have issues with glue on the hands covering cabs #BFGCABS

I have some tolex that was rolled up and then got flattened. What’s the best way to get it flat again?

At 24:17 you can see that to the left and right of the chassis the tolex doesn't reach to the top panel. Is there any way to have the tolex reach the top panel ?

Tidy job!

Doh! I was doing fine until your comment at 20:50 re: a Rhodes piano. Guess what I'm doing for the first time! 😲 I'm concerned about matching up the screw holes. Figure I can use an awl to poke out the through holes from the inside where they are, but that won't work for the latches and other surface mount hardware. Take good measurements, or just make new ones?

I'm a little confused about the overlaping Tolex. You don't top cut and seem it back together? Or wouldn't it make more sense to use one piece the length of all sides and only have one seem in a bottom corner that will be covered by a corner cap? Figures too, because I watched the video specifically just to see how to get a one seem top cut,... Lol

Is that how Fender covered their amps in so many different pieces? Wouldn't they have used just one continuous piece wrapped all the way around to minimize ends to peel up?

Question- can you wrap the main cab in 1 piece of tolex?

Don‘t you have fear for having a gap in the corners, when heating After cutting corners? Thanks dir Your Video and greetings from germany

How did you clean the glue residue?

I have a 4x12 speaker cabinet I'm recovering in Nubtex soon. Any helpful suggestions?

Why is tolex the standard for amp and cabinet coverings, when it is not that good looking and when it begins to wear with rips tears and gouges it looks even worse and it isn't easily repaired once it has lots of wear and tare?

What glue is that?

Why wouldn't you do it in 1 Piece?

You are a Master. Now I know I do not want to try this.

Why 4 piece & 2 Seams, Instead of 1 Wrap around & 1 Seam on the bottom?

Can I Tolex over steel or alum

Dont cut seams into the angles! Ohhhhhh. If you work from the bottom up you can stretch it and have a seam less angle #BFGCABS

That back side on the left is horrible...

I think if you wasn't in a big ass hurry your wrapping would of came out perfect.

The outside 22ish degree can be done without slitting the edge face. Lap your corners ans then do 1 cut for perfect seams. Respectfully, change or ditch the gloves after glueup. That was painful and awkward to watch.

If I may ask, what is the reason you wouldnt just use one long piece to cover the whole box??