Practice tube amp - for maintenance/education

[Little Pigbacon]

I've owned tube amps over the years, and I have two now, but I've never really known much about them. I'd like to learn to maintain them myself, but I don't want to mess up my functioning amps. Is there something cheap I could pick up that would be a good representative of tube amps in general, that I could learn on?

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: Practice tube amp - for maintenance/education

A point to point amp with adjustable bias would be ideal, but that works against the cheap requirement. Even Silver Face Fenders are spendy these days. The best circuit to learn is the Tweed Bassman because it's the foundation circuit of so many guitar amps, but once again it's usually not cheap.

Among cheaper alternatives are the current Marshall DSL40 and DSL15 amps. Although these are PCB amps with everything mounted to the board, they have adjustable bias, with points to hook up your multi meter to.

JCM900s were still flying leads and chassis mounted tube sockets and chassis mounted filter cap cans. You would need to solder in a 1 ohm precision resistor between the cathode and ground on the power tube sockets to adjust bias with, but that is no biggy.

The Peavy Classic series may be a good learning platform too.

 

[Brandenburg]

Re: Practice tube amp - for maintenance/education

I've owned tube amps over the years, and I have two now, but I've never really known much about them. I'd like to learn to maintain them myself, but I don't want to mess up my functioning amps. Is there something cheap I could pick up that would be a good representative of tube amps in general, that I could learn on?

why not try a tube amp kit. I know.. not actually what you mean but you would definately learn and build up confidence with tube amps after a successful build IMO

 

[HiFiRebel]

Re: Practice tube amp - for maintenance/education

Find a 60s Kay. They are still pretty cheap.

 

[Taz Rules]

Re: Practice tube amp - for maintenance/education

I was going to suggest a kit like Brandenburg did.

Since it is for learning, not playing, how good it sounds is kind of irrelevant. Here are some for starting at $150 https://tubedepot.com/t/diy-central/kits-tube-amp/hifi-tube-amp-kits

Ebay has a few kits:
$178 + $129 shipping
$199 + $79 shipping
And the super-bargain $78 and FREE shipping

Tube Amp Doctor out of Europe has some good looking kits, but they are a lot pricier (seems to start about $500)

Or, as mentioned in another thread, you could just drop your amp through the floor and use the broken hulk as your test bed. mg:

 

[GoldenVulture]

Re: Practice tube amp - for maintenance/education

A Peavey Windsor could cover this.

Is there something cheap I could pick up that would be a good representative of tube amps in general, that I could learn on?

They're also quite modifiable.

- https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?285322-My-take-on-the-Peavey-Windsor-head/page7

- [url]http://www.ebay.com/itm/peavey-windsor-head-/262649170218?hash=item3d271c492a:g:8zgAAOSwLnBX7Wma&_trksid=p2349526.m3874.l7936 -
[/URL]

 

[Darg1911]

Re: Practice tube amp - for maintenance/education

You could build something like one of the Mod Kit amplifiers starting at around 200 bucks or so. No circuit boards, I think they use terminal strips. The inexpensive Mod Kits are really simple so it's still a big jump in complexity from that to a classic Marshall or Fender. Still, probably not a bad first project to learn with and you do end up with a low powered guitar amp when you are done (rather than a hifi amp which most of the cheaper kits are).

 

[Gone_Shootin]

Re: Practice tube amp - for maintenance/education

I would just read up on the subject and use what you have. The biggest hurdle is learning good soldering technique. Too much heat for too long and you could ruin a component or two.

So I guess, for practice, I would recommend starting with some DIY pedal kits.

I just don't see the point of buying an amp to learn with. But then again, I learned to solder early on, and I plunged into modding and maintenance with my Marshall JVM 410H.

Oh yeah, and don't forget to drain the power from your caps.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Practice tube amp - for maintenance/education

Jet City or Valve Junior or a silverface Bassman somebody else has already ruined.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Practice tube amp - for maintenance/education

Doesn't Ceriatone make kits? Though they are pricey.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

 

[Gone_Shootin]

Re: Practice tube amp - for maintenance/education

Doesn't Ceriatone make kits? Though they are pricey.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

They are pricey. Triode Electronics is probably the best bang for the buck when it comes to kits. They come with Classic Tone/Magnetic Components transformers and decent caps, ect. But I've heard that they are really slow to ship.