Amp Building question

[jsmith_334@hotmail.com]

Hi All-
I am hoping someone can provide me some answers. I am a complete newbie so please consider me dumb as a post, and please be patient. I’m mean to offend no one, or piss on anyone's gate.

1. I think would be really cool to build my own amp. I won’t bore you with the reasons why.

2. IF this is possible. I want it to be "bad ass." I don’t it want it to sound like I am playing through granddads’ "realistic" radio shack am/fm cassette player. Infact I would really like to sound like a bogner ecstasy head or like kind. I have seen a few YouTube videos and haven’t really found what I am looking for.

3. What am looking for:
A kit to build my own "bad ass" amp (if it exists.) I am mechanically inclined and can solder well. I however, know little about electronics.
Would like a clean channel, distortion, presence, and potentially spring reverb. I want to be about to hook this up to 4x12 cabinet and shred music to slaughter cows by. I would also like it be crystal clean.

Perhaps this is possible, perhaps it is not. I defer to expertise of folks that have don’t this before me.

Thank you in advance for your advise.

[selloutrr]

it's not impossible. They make kits you can build. companies like Ceratone, Metroamps, Antique Electronic Supply. I'm sure others will chime in with more options.

I know you are against the Small radio what not sound. BUt starting small and getting your feet wet is a good way to learn how to make the larger more complicated amps work the first time you power them up. Preventing frustration and long hours of troubleshooting, esp if you don't know where to start or what to do.

As far as Slaughtering Cows, have you considered a Soldano SLO clone? (single ch)

or just buying a used blackface fender bassman/bandmaster head and add a master volume and some other voicing mods. that would give you 2 ch. reverb and with the mods distortion.

If you want a bogner, VHT, or Mesa Rec. - just buy them used. they will cost close the same used as you will spend in parts except you can sell them later on for what you paid.

[Bob S]

What Selloutrr said x2
If you do build you're own it will never be enough. Be prepared for seriuous addiction .
Trust Me

[paulster]

The only thing I'll add over and above what the guys have already said is that high gain amps (which sounds like the kind of thing you're after) are notoriously tricky to build without having to deal with all kinds of troubleshooting because of squealing, red-plating due to parasitic oscillation, etc.

It's a lot easier and cheaper to cut your teeth on a simpler build first and master that than it is to throw a load of money at something that can end up being a total frustration purely because of lack of experience.

And, anyway, surely everyone needs a Tweed Deluxe!

[M Fowler]

Or a Marshall 18 watt lite IIB a great sounding amp that for 18 watts is loud.

Mark

[mcrracer]

Plus 1 on the 18 watter. A relatively simple amp to build. I can't tell you how many students I have had come in with no experience wanting to build the biggest , baddest amp around. Just aint gonna happen!
Even better in my opinion is to FIRST build a simple SE two tube amp. Minimum parts, less opportunity to screw it up. Get to learn SAFETY procedures and get a feel for what does what inside an amp.

[KT66]

I agree with Bob and SelloutRR - if you are really serious about building amps you should get your feet wet with some simple projects and work your way up to a complicated build with channel switching. I also think it maybe would be better to just get a high gain amp for barnyard animal mutilation and another for clean sounds with reverb and toggle between the 2.

The first thing you need to do is learn the basics of what does what in an amp - I think a good way to do this is with a book like this one : http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Tube-Amps- ... 0966974301

Or this : http://www.diyguitarist.com/PDF_Files/j_darr1.pdf - that is chapter 1, to see 2-8 change the end of the address to darr2.pdf, darr3.pdf, etc.

Once you understand the basics then you can do more reading at amp forums and such and it won't all sound like gobblydygook. At this forum : http://slocloneforums.com/ucp.php?mode= ... 18a4cba8fa they specialize in high gain amps like the SLO, Ecstasy, triple rec etc. Jumping right into builds like that would probably be a mistake - but there's lots of good info on the kind of amp you want.

A kit might be the way to go, but often they do not have instructions - just a layout - because they do not want to be liable if you injure or kill yourself. Here's a few kits that might be of interest to you :

http://ceriatone.com/productSubPages/22 ... 50Kits.htm
- a clone of a Marshall Silver Jubilee w/ clean and distortion channels

- a video demo of one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vxt5MAEN ... re=related

https://taweber.powweb.com/store/kits_60b.htm#8cm100
- a clone of a JCM800 series Marshall.

Again, I recommend doing the reading and then getting some experience with a simple build like a Champ, or pick up an old tube PA on Ebay for experimenting with . Then you would know enough to build one of the amps above by sourcing the parts yourself and using their layout.

Another option for you might be to find the amp you like and get someone at one of the forums to build it for you, or get an amp like this :

http://cgi.ebay.com/MARSHALL-LMP-2204-M ... 27b612f24f

and find a local tech to fix it and tune it up, or learn enough to do it yourself. Definitely resale value there, and besides, who doesn't wanna do their shredding in front of a Marshall stack ( or 2 or 10 ) ? For example : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9greGkIWivs

Good luck on whatever route you take, and thanks for not pissing on my gate.

[rdjones]

3. What am looking for:
A kit to build my own "bad ass" amp (if it exists.) I am mechanically inclined and can solder well. I however, know little about electronics.

This is a dead giveaway for not doing this on your own.
There's no point in wasting time and money on even a complete kit if you can't read a schematic, or make meaningful measurements to verify proper operation. There are also the very serious safety issues of working with dangerous voltages.

Would like a clean channel, distortion, presence, and potentially spring reverb. I want to be about to hook this up to 4x12 cabinet and shred music to slaughter cows by. I would also like it be crystal clean.

(Does the Bogner really do all that ? ;->)
I think you are "biting off more than you can chew".
Even for someone with electronics skill, that amp is pretty complex.

rd

[JamesHealey]

First amp i made was an 18w Lite IIb

Then a high gain single ended amp, then another high gain single ended, then an express, then another express, then another express then a 35w clean amp, then a liverpool.


But during that time i've also made lots of JMI AC4, JMI Reverbs as I was making them for the dreaded music ground for a while, hey everyone has to get paid somehow!! Luckily I'm no longer involved with those arse holes.

[Marvel]

Hi,

There's also another option: get yourself a PCB kit. It's really difficult to screw sth up if you have a ready-made PCB.

I hope it's alright to advertise a little here

These are 5 Watt and 18Watt Soldano Atomic based amps. 5W is SE of course and 18W has a Marshall 18W power amp with cathode bias and no FB loop:

[img564]http://marvelamps.com/wp-content/upload ... Mk2_02.jpg[/img]

[img490]http://marvelamps.com/wp-content/upload ... /PCB01.jpg[/img]

Regards, Marcin

[jsmith_334@hotmail.com]

Guys, thanks for grounding me (electrical pun intended.)

Seriously, this is all excellent advise. I will evaluate and see if this is something I want to do. I know it would be cool to do for sure, The feasibility question is something I need to look at though. It's probably that do-it-yourself part of me along with the curiosity of what is in that magically black box that lures me.

I am confused on one thing though, 5w-18w amps? are those powerful?

[mcrracer]

My 18 watt customers ALL have said their amps were almost too loud. I have had to install VVRs on most of them. A 5 watt tube amp on a 2-12 or a 4-12 cab is very gig capable. Mike it for whatever it can't handle. You are ( most guys are anyway) looking for the TONE not just raw power.

[Structo]

Another thing to look at is your tool arsenal.

Sure you can get by with a cheap pair of pliers and a pair of wire cutters but it is much safer and you will have better quality if your tools are also of good quality.

So good miniature wire cutters, needle nose pliers, round nose pliers (for bending leads), etc.

A good soldering station with adjustable heat. Here again you could get by with a 25 watt pencil iron but having an adjustable heat station makes it much more enjoyable and easier to be able to adjust the heat to the job at hand.

Another thing that is a big plus is, having a safe quiet area in which to work.
You don't want distractions when working around 400+ volts.
You need to be able to concentrate and think things through.

If you are the type that rushes through projects just to get it done as quickly as possible, this isn't the hobby for you. You need to take your time and do it right and do it safely.

I say all this not to discourage you but to prepare you for what you are in for.
This isn't a hobby for somebody to just whip together an amp and be done with it but it is a hobby that should include the knowledge of how electronics works, what the various components do in a circuit and basic electronics theory that is the foundation of this hobby.

Good luck on whatever you decide.

[daydreamer]

I'm in the same position as you, wanting to get in and build something I will use. it is certainly a decision about the long haul though, I'm looking for a career change as well, so hanging around here is like being a kid in the amp shop (or garage as the case may be!) gleaning what I can before diving in. I can vouch for 15 watts being heaps of power; I recently bought a Traynor Darkhorse, and I jam quite comfortably next to a big pearl rock kit, infact I'm usually turning down. Breaks up beautifully, no pedals needed ( I don't run pedals yet, sold/trqded them all years ago, damn shiny new things!). I prefer the way my strat sounds though it vs. my explorer. i am running through a 400wat PA cabinet though which I guess is helping extracting low end. Infact, I'm thinking of copying its design (bass ports and all) to build a dedicated cabinet.

[M Fowler]

Marvel,

Heck I build a lot of amps but I wouldn't mine trying one of your 18w board kit some time looks good.

Mark