Building a budget tube amp.

[firebirdguy72]

I've wanted to build one for awhile and would love some help getting pointed in the right direction. Granted it probably will be at least a few months before I start buying anything for it, I just want to get as much knowledge as I possibly can before I even think about undergoing this project. I'm talking about a small 5 watt or so amp so I can get my feet wet. I'm looking for a circuit that is pretty easy to build and pretty easy on the wallet... are there any good books or articles you guys recommend?

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Building a budget tube amp.

The first tube project i ever built from the ground up was one of these http://www.ax84.com/p1.html. Its actually a pretty cool little amp. The build is straight forward and if you dig around there is a ton of info on their website and others for building them.

 

[Grenade]

Re: Building a budget tube amp.

Go to this link.http://www.marshallforum.com/member-classifieds/74049-10-watt-amp-kits.html. I've heard his amps and they sound great.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Building a budget tube amp.

What is your experience level with building, diagnosing/troubleshooting, designing or Laying out electronics projects? If you have a a lot of experience then I think we can all throw some great ideas out there. If it is minimal, I'd highly suggest a kit. They are a little more money than sourcing everything yourself but that way you have a proven design and layout. I'm thinking a Tweed Princeton (5F2A) w/10" for my first. The additional tweed style tone control interacts with the volume (unlike a tone-less champ) but it's still a single ended 6V6 amp. Also, the output transformer is slightly larger which will help with the 10" speaker. Also, depending on your knowledge level, Dave Hunter's Guitar Amp Handbook is a great read.

 

[firebirdguy72]

Re: Building a budget tube amp.

My experience is pretty much limited to electrical diagnostics in cars. I should have said it in my original post but I was thinking more along the lines of a kit like Darkside is talking about. I am mostly looking to widen my horizons when it comes to what I know and can do.

 

[MojoMonster]

Re: Building a budget tube amp.

I'm thinking a Tweed Princeton (5F2A) w/10" for my first. The additional tweed style tone control interacts with the volume (unlike a tone-less champ) but it's still a single ended 6V6 amp. Also, the output transformer is slightly larger which will help with the 10" speaker. Also, depending on your knowledge level, Dave Hunter's Guitar Amp Handbook is a great read.

Second the Dave Hunter book. The amp kit in the last chapter of the book is Dave's take on a Champ/Princeton clone. I built it as a head so that I could try out different cabinets/speakers. It was a excellent learning experience.

If you want high gain, the AX84 build is hard to beat.

Weber sells a bunch of kits, Fender and Marshall based as well as their own designs, and Build Your Own Clone, the pedal kit guys, have an amp kit that combines 4 tweed era amps into one: 5F1 Champ/5F2a Princeton/5F10 Harvard/5E3 Deluxe.

 

[jimijames]

Re: Building a budget tube amp.

See, and maybe I'm alone in this, but I like PCBs for first projects. It doesn't help my cause that that's my only amp project to date.

But, the "baby will" build doc on guitaramplifierpcbs.com has over 100 pages of good instruction on how to convert a valve jr. to an 18w 1974x lite. So it was easy for a luddite like myself to put everything together. It would be slightly more complicated if you were doing a scratch build.

My recommendation for a beginning without an existing amp to mod, is a single ended plexi or 5e3 clone. Two tubes and solid state rectification is where your salvation lies padawan.

 

[IM4Tone]

Re: Building a budget tube amp.

I am not a builder myself, but have one of this outfit's fully assembled by a 3rd party. Great quality, sound, and price; and the 5E3 is a relatively simple circuit.
http://www.boothillamps.com/5E3_Kits.html