I guess my idea of a perfect amp would be a single channel amp with big fat cleans (6L6's?) very touch sensitive that can get great overdrive (think ODS meets Trainwreck) with just the twist of the guitar volume. Though I still love the characteristics of a Dumble style amp.
That sounds to me like a big bottle(KT88) trainwreck rocket 1-12 combo with a weber cv123 (think duane allman), or eminence red white and blues.
Easier to build than a dumble and not as tricky to add reverb if you like reverb, grab and go amp that could work well with various pedal for flexibility in different playing situations.
Good info in the wreck section for the rocket with american style power sections.
I guess my idea of a perfect amp would be a single channel amp with big fat cleans (6L6's?) very touch sensitive that can get great overdrive (think ODS meets Trainwreck) with just the twist of the guitar volume. Though I still love the characteristics of a Dumble style amp.
That sounds to me like a big bottle(KT88) trainwreck rocket 1-12 combo with a weber cv123 (think duane allman), or eminence red white and blues.
Easier to build than a dumble and not as tricky to add reverb if you like reverb, grab and go amp that could work well with various pedal for flexibility in different playing situations.
Good info in the wreck section for the rocket with american style power sections.
-E
Hey ER, thanks for the info. I will do sum sniffing around over at the Trainwreck section.
Express clone was my firs tube amp build...
...but I built a HiFi solid state Quad amp years ago...but sadly after than I stopped working with electronics.
Ceriatone OTS FM50 kit was my first build last March. Since then I have built a 2550 Marshall clone, another OTS HRM and a TW Express. Now I am thinking about which amp to build next which will be build #5.
I swear I can stop anytime
If I were to do a first build, knowing what I know now (like, 50 amps later), I'd either build a Fender 5E7 circuit or a Dr. Z Route 66 (or Z28). They aren't overly complicated, sound great at any volume and work with a variety of speakers. They are also well suited to mod platforms if you are trying to turn one thing into something else. FWIW, Skip
As a kid I modded an old Hi-Fi record player to amplify guitar. I also built a Dynakit dual 70 stereo amp. Once I learned a bit about tubes I started modding my guitar amps, adding gain stages to a Twin Reverb was my first most successful mod.
After 30 years of not touching an amp, I built a single channel Deluxe type amp, pretty sloppy work, but after awhile I got better.
Wow, I thought I was the only one who ever built the McIntyre Blues Maker. What did you guys think of it? The preamp blend thing seemed like a cool idea, but no matter what I did, it was always too treble-y for my tastes. It was such a rats nest of wiring that I never really tried to tweak the voicing. It might have sounded better cranked, but I never had the chance to play it at band level. I wish I had tried a post-PI master volume before I gave up on it, but once Dumble info started to become available, I just gutted it out and started over. The Eico iron from that build now powers my quasi-dumble
I had dabbled with pedals and repairing my amps in the past but I also started the kit route and my first tube amp build was a Ceriatone Bluesmaster HRM 50 in March this year. I personally thought it was a really good exercise in lead dress and the assembly process. Since then I've built two 3rd gens and a 183, not from kits. Just yesterday I did a "Tweed Bassman" mod on a donated Peavey Classic 50. It was based on a published mod but now I am feeling much more confident about substitutions of parts based on what I want things to sound like and was able to pick and choose as I went. Next up is probably to design my own creation. The book I have at arms reach is "Design and Construction of Tube Guitar Amplifiers" - Megantz, mainly because it is not too big. It slowly has been sinking in for me....with a lot of help from my friends here. Thanks guys!
My first was a weber Halle and it took a while. I have been doing alot of repair work since then. I guess I went about it backwards but learned a ton from the build. Take your time with whatever you are going for and it will turn out amazing. Everyone on here is a great asset as well.
pullshocks wrote:Wow, I thought I was the only one who ever built the McIntyre Blues Maker. What did you guys think of it? The preamp blend thing seemed like a cool idea, but no matter what I did, it was always too treble-y for my tastes. It was such a rats nest of wiring that I never really tried to tweak the voicing. It might have sounded better cranked, but I never had the chance to play it at band level. I wish I had tried a post-PI master volume before I gave up on it, but once Dumble info started to become available, I just gutted it out and started over. The Eico iron from that build now powers my quasi-dumble
The McIntyre BluesMaker was my first 'build' as well. The problem with mine was that I built it in an old ratty 6G6-B that had been spray painted black and subsequently parted-out. I thought it actually sounded pretty great. It held it's own very well next to my '72 50 watt Marshall, but I started feeling guilty. So I gutted it and did a full chassis up restore. I don't really know that it sounds any better now, but my conscience is somewhat clearer. McIntyre was a nice guy. I called him a couple of times to pester him with questions and he was always patient and very forthcoming. He's Canadian, and I remember him telling me 'you should be able to get some nice Southern rock, Allman Brothers type sounds out of it'. I told him 'That's a shame, I was looking for some real BTO, Triumph, hoser rock sounds!'
I think he's completely out of the amp biz now. Shame.
<i> "I've suffered for my music. Now it's your turn."</i>
First amp was a 50 watt mosfet stereo amp using. I cut my teeth on solid state back in the 90's with the old Audio Amateur magazine. Moved into tubes in 2000;s and into guitar amps a couple years ago when I started playing again. The fenders and trainwrecks have been relatively easy for me. I'm going to move up to the dumbles next; kind of a natural progression. Starting to see my build style and preferences start to settle down. I cop what I can from different individuals. I really like Normsters builds a lot.
A Bassman conversion..from a blackface to 4 6V6 amp of some kind.. Then a JTM 45 then a Low plate classic, then finally a 100w high plate with separate bias pots for each EL 34..Amp eventually went to Rick Derringer then Coy Bowles of Zac Brown Band..
Tony
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" The psychics on my bench is the same as Dumble'"
I just gotta say I love Rick Derringer, we all grew up listing to hand me down Derringer records from my friend mike's older brother.
When we finally got a chance to see him my friends Mike and Doyle (yes THAT Doyle) and I went down to the club in the late 80's to see "Rick Derringer and New York City", well there were only 5 people there, us three and a couple that sat in the back and left half way through! The three of us stood at his feet and watched him tear into a 2 hour set-dripping sweat and extended guitar solos at the end of songs when it moved him and a drum solo from the drummer, you would think they were playing to a sold out crowd at Madison square gardens! We got to chat with him and were just blown away by how much heart he had.
We all learned a lot that night about what it means to be a real musician.
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