Upcycled Suitcase Amp: Build it Yourself!

Upcycling; it rocks in so many ways. Here’s a whole new way to get those sweet sweet vintage suitcases you’ve had lying around to rock your world… and your neighbor’s world (don’t worry, they’ll thank you for this!)

Upcycling carries with it a wealth of advantages; all the items you use have already off-gassed their noxious fumes, no new items were manufactured which saves on resources and pollution and you are saving items from the landfill. Also, this amp is the instrument of champions…

What you need:

• Old vintage suitcase
• Second hand amp
• Jigsaw
• Drill
• Screws
• Electrical tape
• Superglue
• Decorative edging (get this at the haberdashery)

Method:

Disassemble the amp and separate the driver (speaker) from the control panel.  You can do this by loosening the bolts that attach them to the frame of the amp. If you need to cut any wires, be sure to mark them first so you will know how to reattach them.

Find a position for the speaker and controls that suit your suitcase (see what we did there?) Trace around both of these and set them aside. Drill a hole along the traced line and use the jigsaw to cut out a hole for your speaker and another one for your control panel. Fasten the control panel to the wooden panel that the speaker is mounted to with some screws. Fit it into the hole that you cut into the suitcase and fasten the assembly together by screwing through the suitcase and into the wooden panel.

Re-attach any wires you cut before and secure with electrical tape. Use the drill to drill a hole in the side of the suitcase for the power cord. This is more of a notch than a hole as it should be situated where the top and the bottom of the suitcase meet along the side of the case.

Use the superglue and decorative edging to finish off the areas around the cuts you made in the suitcase. And there you have it… now get out there and make someone dance!