Amp building

Merge · Post by **Merge** » Monday Mar 11, 2013

Have any of you fine folks out there tried building an amp, either from a kit or from scratch?? I'd like to build one, I've been considering it for quite some time.. If anyone out there has attempted it, where did you start and how did it turn out??

StumbleFingers · Post by **StumbleFingers** » Tuesday Mar 12, 2013

I've built a few little solid state practice amps and a tube amp. If you have some basic soldering skills, building a tube amp is pretty easy. Most of my soldering experience is wiring guitars and building/modding stompboxes. A tube amp gives you more room to work with and the components are bigger.

Mine was built from a kit, which was a blessing and a curse. The instructions were quite good, except that there were a few errors in the schematic. I couldn't figure out the problem on my own and had to have an experienced amp tech look at it. He spotted the ****ed up bits pretty quickly!

The end result is a pretty sweet little amp. It's a super simple Vox-y thing and it sounds like a boutique amp. Rich three-dimensional chime.

Merge · Post by **Merge** » Tuesday Mar 12, 2013

Cool, glad to hear that it's not like brain surgery, lol. I'm thinking of going with a kit, I couldn't do it from scratch. If I can do a few kits, then maybe I could try one from scratch. Where did you order your kit from??

StumbleFingers · Post by **StumbleFingers** » Saturday Mar 16, 2013

It was a Guytronix kit. Not a bad little amp in the end, but as mentioned it had some design flaws. What kind of an amp are you thinking of building? Mojo has a kit for everything, but they're kind of aimed at experienced builders and don't have detailed instructions. There are some really good options for Tweed Deluxe/5e3 kits. Mission Amps has a good reputation. BYOC has a cool Champ/Deluxe hybrid kit, and their instructions and forum are top notch.

Merge · Post by **Merge** » Sunday Mar 17, 2013

I was planning on building something with some gain in it, but I've read that building a high gain amp isn't something a beginner should take on. I've decided I should start with something basic. I'll look into the ones that you've mentioned.

Merge · Post by **Merge** » Tuesday Mar 19, 2013

Anyone else feel like chiming in?? Any information or advice would be appreciated.

HurricaneBob · Post by **HurricaneBob** » Tuesday Mar 19, 2013

Look up Roy Corle in Bedford PA, he's been building his own for years.
Barker amps. Best ive seen and heard in our area.

Merge · Post by **Merge** » Wednesday Mar 20, 2013

Thanks, Hurricane.

hicksjd9 · Post by **hicksjd9** » Saturday Mar 23, 2013

I've build a few tube amps and repaired a few. You can save a bunch of dough by sourcing your own parts. Amplified parts and watts tube audio are both great sites. It's a great hobby. In amp building, ground loops are your worst nightmare, but once you get past them, it's smooth sailing.

Merge · Post by **Merge** » Sunday Mar 24, 2013

Thanks for the advice, hicksjd9. I'm going to get a few books, and do some reading before I attempt one. I've seen a few online that look good, but if anyone has any recommendations, I'm all ears. If not, I appreciate all the input that everyone has provided.