Tube Amp Archive

I remember reading that the Deluxe 5E3 was dead quiet thanks to the brass plate sandwiched in the control pots and inputs, and a wire soldered from brass plate to the chassis. Obviously I don't know the reasons or "luck" involved, but you experts what do you think about it? Is there any benefit in t...

as someone who has sold both amps I've built and amps built by big companies: if you have any sort of conscience selling amps it is a complete and total pain in the ass. did ups damage the vintage amp? (even well-packed and no visible box damage doesn't mean anything) did the customer do something ...

All the annoying customers are dealt with by all the forumites. Once an amp has great instructions, forum support, all the rest becomes easy, because there are so many threads/pics/videos about building it, that becomes impossible not to understand correctly the steps to follow. Let's say you have ...

Knowing how [whatever] works, in great depth and detail, is not a good predictor of success in business. To succeed in a one-man startup business, you have to love the business part of it, not the technical part, so much that you actively like juggling ordering and inventory, packaging and shipping...

by the way, with all the knowledge you have here, why the heck don't you sell amp kits? There are step by step guides now from Stewmac and B.Y.O.C that even a beginner like me can understand, but the amp kits they offer are no big deal.

To echo Xtian, the art of building has seen better shielding and grounding practices, and care in the placement of components. All of which make a quiet amp. As we are flooded with 50 year old amps still around, that used random grounding and components placed for manufacturing efficiency, we lived...

Yes, I think that hum, hiss and grounding are being given more importance now - as they should be. The first several waves of new amp builders and amp kit sellers have passed years ago. It used to be AMAZING!! that one could build a tube amp themselves, even from a kit. Now it's - well sure, you ca...

total rookie here. Do you think the amp kits today are getting better regarding noise issues? I remember listening to some amazing DIY amps in the past, but their noise was unbearable. But thanks to the forums I thinks these noise issues are finally being resolved and given the importance they deser...