Metropoulos Forum

Well, after building a guitar, and a couple of pedals, I've decided that I'd like to build my own amp. But I really don't know where to start.

When I built the guitar, I bought a bunch of books, a bunch more tools and after a year, a guitar was born. I've got plenty of soldering / bending / populating experience, but don't know anything about biasing tubes, filter caps, or anything else that I've been reading here. I've got a little bit of a background in electronics, and I can find my way through a schematic about 80 percent of the time.

Basically I'm trying to get help deciding what amp project is best for a first timer. And what books do I need to pick up before spending the $$$ on parts?

I think that if you are serious about building your own amp then you cant go wrong with one of Georges kits. The kit includes an instruction cd that walks you through the build step by step.

Theres many many articles and instructions at Ampage.org as well. If you click on the amp forums it will take you to the forum page thats a split screen. The area on the right is a list of sites an articles to help with amp building, biasing, grounding, components, etc...

I was pretty much in the same boat a few months ago ( I did guitar and pedal work) but had never done anything along the scale of buliding an amp, but have always wanted to.

I was always intimidated by my amps circuit board....and all I really knew how to do was bias my power tubes ( yet I knew to always discharge the filter caps) I had tons of "book knowledge " but I wanted to apply what I had learned from books.

Long story short...I built one of Georges DIY 68 boards and installed it in my SLP R/I and have been playing around with the circuit ever since! ( only to come full circle to the original specs, but it has been fun) I have never done anything on that scale before.


I have since replaced the volume/tone control strip with George's "strip" and I have learned more from this project than all of my years of reading books and staring "crosseyed" at the schematics of my amp.

Believe me...if I can do it...you SURE can

BTW: My amp sounds 110% better now. ( and that's a modest percentage)

If you're uncomfortable with an amp on the scale of a Marshall, Weber VST has loads of kits for things like tweed Champs and Deluxes up through a 4x10 Bassman. You could start smaller, get comfortable and work your way up.
The downside is that the Weber kits don't come with anything like the instructions and reference CD that George supplies with his kits, although Weber runs a forum as well where you can get even more help.
To me the instructional materials and forum help combined that you can get here far outweigh the complexity of the kit. You can just take your time and get help here if the instructions aren't enough.
And when you're done you won't be wondering how to mic and monitor your tweed Champ so you can hear it over an unamplified harmonica.

Flames1950 wrote: And when you're done you won't be wondering how to mic and monitor your tweed Champ so you can hear it over an unamplified harmonica.

Just the opposite. You'll be trying to figure out how to keep your neighbors, wife, band members, soundman ect from running for cover every time you turn your amp on!

George

VelvetGeorge wrote:

Flames1950 wrote: And when you're done you won't be wondering how to mic and monitor your tweed Champ so you can hear it over an unamplified harmonica.

Just the opposite. You'll be trying to figure out how to keep your neighbors, wife, band members, soundman ect from running for cover every time you turn your amp on!

George

Can't help with the wife, but it's payback time for that drummer with the shotgun snare hit and the neighbors who don't care how late their kids thump their cars' subs!! (It's an uneasy peace. I don't call the cops on your subs at 11:00pm, but you better not call them on my raging Marshalls either!!)

I agree, a nice stack can provide some real poetic justice.

Isn't it absurd when a drummer wioth his picolo snare who plays all rim shots asks you to turn down? You're fuckin joking, right?


George

Just be sure to take your time building it. Dont get in 'new toy mode' were you just wanna get it together and tweak and play fast a possible. As a newbie theirs probably nothing more disheartening then firing up an amp with some problem you cant figure out thats as simple as a bad solder connection or mixed up wires etc... Something easy and simple that you dont have the experience to figure out. Its happened to me plenty. Just take your time and trace the wiring one component at a time. Take a break and come back and check it out often. Its very rewarding to fire up and play an amp that you built yourself. It also takes all the pressure away of liking the tone of the amp. Your not half as worried cuz your thinkin, hell, Ill just go and tweak the thing to my taste, and you wont have any reservations or intimidation about jumping in their and tweakin away. Ive always felt as long as the amp is basically the type of amp to fit your style, theirs no reason you cant make it sound great to you if you knnow how to tweak and change out components.

Cool, thanks alot guys. You're really boosting my confidence. Not the hard part is to convince the "other half" that it's a good think for me to fork out the $$$ on. Anyone know how to make that part less complicated?

Sheesh, compared to the street prices on any full-size tube head Marshall is currently selling George's kits are a BARGAIN.......
If that's not enough remind her that amps have lethal voltages, and if you kick off working on it, her return on investment will be the value of your life insurance -- pretty good deal!!

VelvetGeorge Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2005 8:13 pm

I agree, a nice stack can provide some real poetic justice.

Isn't it absurd when a drummer wioth his picolo snare who plays all rim shots asks you to turn down? You're fuckin joking, right?

Amen Brother George!!!!!

Can I get a Halleluia???!!!!!!