I need suggestions for a guitar amp kit

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charliemopps

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Joined 2012
I need a smaller amp. Something like a peavey classic 30. I already have a Celestian classic 30 in an enclosure, ready to go. I haven't built an amp in years, so I don't know where the hobby is at right now. Honestly, if I could just order a kit, that'd be great but all I could find were the mojo tube kits and they were crazy expensive.

My goals:
I want good clarity, so a push pull design
10-50 watts. Enough to play with a drummer but not blow my vintage 30
Under $250
I am not an "audiophile" and am not interested in magic caps. Cheap Chinese components are fine with me.

Where should I start?
 
PRR

PRR

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Joined 2003
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> Under $250

I think this is unrealistic today, unless you are deep-stocked in suitable parts.

You can clearly buy a BlackHeart or Peavey assembled for less than you can buy the parts. The reason is not hard to see.

I started a super-Champ. For other reasons the project got abandoned. I was rather astonished to find that I was over $600 in, no cab or speaker, for 13W-17W of output. No mojo-parts, though I did splurge on a couple opportunistic buys of 6550s, and replaced the PT when the first was not up to snuff. So say $400 for all chassis parts of a fat single-ended amp. Push-pull should be more Watts per buck, but $250 for 30W-50W would be either really really sharp buying, or disappointing result.

Weber VST is known for low-price kits. Many models. Layout diagrams on the site. People who have bought say the big parts are fine but the tubes, pots, and jacks invite replacement.
 
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charliemopps

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AquaTarkus said:
Looks like a pretty good starting point, at a great price. 10 to 15 tube watts thorough an efficient speaker will be really loud.

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Yea, I've built these in the past. My last was a 5 watt and it was loud enough to rattle the windows. The only thing I'd change about it is the pots. I put ALPs pots into my desktop amp and now I'm spoiled.
 
gmarsh

gmarsh

Member
Joined 2004
PRR said:
> Under $250

I think this is unrealistic today, unless you are deep-stocked in suitable parts.

You can clearly buy a BlackHeart or Peavey assembled for less than you can buy the parts. The reason is not hard to see.

I started a super-Champ. For other reasons the project got abandoned. I was rather astonished to find that I was over $600 in, no cab or speaker, for 13W-17W of output. No mojo-parts, though I did splurge on a couple opportunistic buys of 6550s, and replaced the PT when the first was not up to snuff. So say $400 for all chassis parts of a fat single-ended amp. Push-pull should be more Watts per buck, but $250 for 30W-50W would be either really really sharp buying, or disappointing result.

Weber VST is known for low-price kits. Many models. Layout diagrams on the site. People who have bought say the big parts are fine but the tubes, pots, and jacks invite replacement.
Click to expand...
This.

I bought a silverface Fender Champ 10-15 years ago for $150 CAD, used it for several years, then sold it for $200. I believe if I bought the parts to build a complete, equivalent amp it probably would have cost $300-$400, and I'd be lucky to sell the resulting amp for $100.
 
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charliemopps

Member
Joined 2012
gingertube said:
Just one of the kits these people offer:
5E3_MABLE AUDIO
I've dealt with them before and never had a problem - watch shipping costs, can be fairly pricey.
Cheers,
Ian
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Thanks, those kits look very interesting.

Markw4 said:
Not at the price you want, but an interesting set of features here: Tweed Royal w/o cabinet – Build Your Own Clone
Schematic is in the downloadable instructions, so you might be able to estimate what the parts cost.
More info here:
http://byocelectronics.com/tweedroyalschematic.pdf
Build Your Own Clone Message Board • View topic - Amplifier Instructions, Schematics, and Layout Diagrams
Click to expand...

Yea, that's the sort of thing I'm looking at. I'm a pro at cruising for cheap parts, so if I can find a build with full parts lists and wiring diagrams, I'm good to go. The transformers are the only real big ticket item in all of this, but my father works at a wire winding company... Not sure if I want to wind my own but that would certainly be a neat endeavor.

gmarsh said:
This.

I bought a silverface Fender Champ 10-15 years ago for $150 CAD, used it for several years, then sold it for $200. I believe if I bought the parts to build a complete, equivalent amp it probably would have cost $300-$400, and I'd be lucky to sell the resulting amp for $100.
Click to expand...

I've no intention of selling anything I build. Ever. In fact, it would pain me to do so. I do things for the doing. I would no more sell a project I'd completed than I would the memory of my trip to Africa. The value of the finished product, in my eyes, is greater than its resale value. So, if I could buy an amp for $200... or build the same amp for $250, I'd take the $250 amp hands down. It's more valuable to me.
 
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