Amp kits????

chcjunior

chcjunior

New member
I'm pretty well stocked in the gear department (except for a Shiva, and I haven't found the right price yet) and had a good run in Atlantic City last weekend on the Black Jack table, so I'm finally looking to build my own amp from a kit.

I'd like one with enough power that I could actually practice with the whole band (tube type preferably EL34). It can be a Marshall clone, or a Fender clone.....as long as the foundation tone is good. I can always use a pedal on the front end.

Suggestions?
 
Re: Amp kits????

Ted Weber has a JTM 45 kit and a 50 watt plexi kit...head and combo versions available. Haven't built one, but they seem to be getting good reviews. You can always sub out the OT if you want a different flavor...
 
Re: Amp kits????

I second the motion for a JTM45 !

Nice clean, fantastic breakup at a (relatively) low volume and it works great with pedals. ALso, you could chuck in the EL34's if you like.

If I were you, I'd buy everything but the tubes and transformers from Nik Azam at Ceriatone:
http://www.ceriatone.com/
(Tell him V!N said hi) :)

His stuff is the best bang for the buck and will fit all the repro-cabs, both heads and combo's. You'll save lots money to buy the best tubes and transformers within the US.

A friend of mine has a JTM34 clone with stuff from Nik, parts he gathered over the years and Marstrans forn Brian Wallace in his clone, marvelous !
http://www.marstrans.com
http://www.soscastoa.com/gallery/vernet_jtm45
http://www.soscastoa.com/gallery/JTM45-clone
 
Re: Amp kits????

I know Scott got started with Mission Amps (run by Lew's brother).

Tempting....
 
Re: Amp kits????

Mojo offers kits as well. US transformers, better parts, etc.,.

Mission offers same and great support. YOu could build one of Bruces 35 watt Tweeds. That would stand up to most band situations.

Just depends on whether you are looking to go Fender or Marshall route.
 
Re: Amp kits????

+2 for metroamp.com

they're prices are much better than Marshall's, and the tone and parts quality totally crap on Marshall. For example, a '69 plexi amp kit is $999 and puts the 1959slp reissue to shame which costs what, $1700+ in the US?
 
Re: Amp kits????

I wouldn't piss on most Weber kits to put out a fire but Bruce at Mission amps would put togther a kit for just about anything you want, he's also a tube amp wiz and a hell of a nice guy to boot!
 
Re: Amp kits????

Just for the record, if you're on a very limited budget, those Weber kits are awfully attractive! Okay, so it's mostly all chinese stuff, crappy switches and such, but as a learning experience, you could do a lot worse. At those prices, even if you swapped out for better switches and resistors and caps and jacks, you'll still be pretty far ahead of the price curve. Enclosures and speakers ain't cheap and they are included in Weber kits. Something to think about.
 
Re: Amp kits????

Scott_F said:
Just for the record, if you're on a very limited budget, those Weber kits are awfully attractive! Okay, so it's mostly all chinese stuff, crappy switches and such, but as a learning experience, you could do a lot worse. At those prices, even if you swapped out for better switches and resistors and caps and jacks, you'll still be pretty far ahead of the price curve. Enclosures and speakers ain't cheap and they are included in Weber kits. Something to think about.
Click to expand...


That is true.
 
Re: Amp kits????

There is a place for those weber kits, just not in my music room. :) It's one of those things, like in that Warmoth thread, if I"m going to put the effort in, I"m going to use the absolute best parts I can buy. If I cann't afford them, I won't build the project.
 
Re: Amp kits????

Scott_F said:
There is a place for those weber kits, just not in my music room. :) It's one of those things, like in that Warmoth thread, if I"m going to put the effort in, I"m going to use the absolute best parts I can buy. If I cann't afford them, I won't build the project.
Click to expand...


+1!
 
Re: Amp kits????

Thanks for all the suggestions. I've got some decisions to make regarding Marshall vs. Fender and the quality of amp I want to build first time out. I'm thinking a cheaper amp may be the way to go first time out.
 
Re: Amp kits????

In that case, may I suggest Doug Hammond's Firefly. One of the cheapest kits around and a great bang for the buck. :) 1.5 Watt, very Marshalesque sound and it's a very easy build.

Doug's page, with soundclips:
http://home.cfl.rr.com/dbhammond/ff.htm

Again, my buddy Franc made one:
http://www.soscastoa.com/gallery/firefly

And another build:
http://www.diyguitarist.com/GuitarAmps/FireFly.htm

Dobermanamps has a kit for only 189 bucks:
http://dobermanamps.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=24
 
Re: Amp kits????

My only issue with the 5E3 was that it went too quickly. I'd have liked to have more fun building it. And, I ended up selling it as it wasn't "enough" amp for me long term and I needed to make some room for the next project. jeremy has it now. the best part of doing this as a business now is that my wife doens't cringe every time a brown box shows up at the front door! my shop is a mess with parts everywhere, but they keep cycling in and out...

Don't overlook Ceriatone's kits. Nik is a great guy to deal with. I've never heard a bad comment about his company. The shipping is a bit high, but his prices are nice and low. (indonesia)
 
Re: Amp kits????

Isn't Malayasia part of a general area referred to as Indonesia? Hmm.... oh well, over there somewhere out in what we would call "the far east".

Good guy nonetheless.
 
Re: Amp kits????

Scott_F said:
My only issue with the 5E3 was that it went too quickly. I'd have liked to have more fun building it. And, I ended up selling it as it wasn't "enough" amp for me long term and I needed to make some room for the next project.
Click to expand...
I think I recall you saying that amp didn't have much headroom at all to it. Let me pose this question....building a louder amp shouldn't be any more complex than building a lower wattage amp (assuming other features are the same), correct?

Did you buy the enclosure or build your own with the 5E3?

I'm intrigued as heck with amp building, but I don't believe I have the time to dedicate to it on a regular basis (or even a semi-regular basis) right now.
 
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