Re: So I was looking at the vault
Dude, I'm gunna be straight out with you.
1) Start with a few pedals from kits first. Trust me.
2) When you've fairly competent at low voltages (non lethal), get a relatively simple amp kit with garunteed tech support. Bruce at missionamps.com and his 5E3 kit is the best, hands down.
3) THEN maybe think about going all original or something.
Take it from me. I've built tons and tons of pedals, and even do so for a profit from time to time. I'm actually calling a guy right now to make PCBs for me so I can start selling the pedals I build at a lower cost. I jumped right in head first into a Marshall 1968 Plexi clone from metroamp.com. Dropped $1,300 on it. I am now looking at a fully completed amp that has a slight problem that I cant figure out how to troubleshoot. I have been 6 months without an amp except a cheap Epiphone "Acoustic Regent" Acoustic amp. I was told there would be tech support available, and there is for my kit. The problem is, George at metroamp doesnt have the time to do these himself, and I'd have to pay $40 and hour to have someone he designates do the amp. Luckily, Scott_F was kind enough to offer to take a look at it for me, but the agreement was he'll get to it when he finishes the amps he's got lined up to build for others... which may be abother 3 or 4 months for me, but he's doing it for free and I know exactly who I'm sending my amp to versus someone else who I may not get it back from again.
There's not many times I say this, partly because I always try to find some positive aspects of any bad decisions I make, but here goes: I F*CKED UP getting this kit instead of starting slow with the 5E3 from Bruce, which he garuntees to get working for you if you just cant seem to get it to work. I'm saying this because I dont want to see someone else make a huge mistake and get in over their head. No matter how much someone says they'll help you out, unfortunately you cant troubleshoot an amp if you dont got a meter in one hand (hopefully the other behind your back) and the amp in front of you.
I'm saying this to you cause you're a good kid, and I get that excited 8-year-old-on-christmas feeling when someone tells me they want to get into music electronics. This stuff gives me a freaking woody, it really does, that's why its best you stay in the shallow end of the pool until you really learn all the different strokes, cause I thought I was ready for the deep end and the water swallowed my ass up!
(Like the analogy?)
I recommend before you do anything, you build something like a rangemaster or a linear power booster. There are places that sell kits all over the net.
www.buildyourownclone.com has great kits and their circuit boards are perfect to learn on because they are soldermasked. I wish they stil had their rangemaster clone kit cause it was the perfect "first kit" but they discontinued it for the tribooster which I dont particular care for. But find a kit you like there, all instructions are step-by-step and very straightforward.
My 200 cents.
jizoe.
to $40 or more, to build the simplest amp (transistor or tube). There are many other incidentals such as glues/paints/coverings/drills/drill bits/saws/saw blades...the list is infinite!
