Hi Jobsworth
I am building a SimpleSE as well and for the OPTs I am using Transendars 5k budget transformers, they are $100 per pair (£50) and the finish quality is excellent (good feedback on this forum as well). They are always a pair available on Ebay.
There are also the $19 Edcor budget transformers as well, they too have a good reputation but I didnt go for them because they were open frame and IMO dont look as nice as the Transcendars.
All the best!
I am building a SimpleSE as well and for the OPTs I am using Transendars 5k budget transformers, they are $100 per pair (£50) and the finish quality is excellent (good feedback on this forum as well). They are always a pair available on Ebay.
There are also the $19 Edcor budget transformers as well, they too have a good reputation but I didnt go for them because they were open frame and IMO dont look as nice as the Transcendars.
All the best!
I think I am going to go with the Tubelab Simple SE for my first tube amp build. Transformers
I am in the process of placing an order through Digikey for the relevant parts for my simple se.
I am looking for a power transformer and two output transformers, can anyone point me in the right direction out of digikey's catalogue.
The reason I wish to buy from Digikey is postage, I wish to minimise the postage cost to the UK and if I spend a certain amount there postage is free, otherwise it is going to be in the region of $74.
I am in the process of placing an order through Digikey for the relevant parts for my simple se.
I am looking for a power transformer and two output transformers, can anyone point me in the right direction out of digikey's catalogue.
The reason I wish to buy from Digikey is postage, I wish to minimise the postage cost to the UK and if I spend a certain amount there postage is free, otherwise it is going to be in the region of $74.
Edcor for the output transformers. You might even be able to specify what you want for a power transformer from them. If they don't have, they will build for an additional $20. This price still makes it competitive with Hammond #300 series. $37 US fixed rate US Postal Service Airmail box is all the postage you will pay.
Hey guys.
Ive been reading this thread, and it seems to be a good one for me to "latch onto". Im n a simmilar boat as jobsworth: I want to build my first tube amp (though mine is for a guitar.) I have a bit of knowledge on how tubes work, and an understanding of electronics. Basicly, ive been researching tube amps for around six months, and i wanna design one! ive decided on one or more 12ax7's for the preamp, and well............not much else. How should i go about designing an amp!
Ive been reading this thread, and it seems to be a good one for me to "latch onto". Im n a simmilar boat as jobsworth: I want to build my first tube amp (though mine is for a guitar.) I have a bit of knowledge on how tubes work, and an understanding of electronics. Basicly, ive been researching tube amps for around six months, and i wanna design one! ive decided on one or more 12ax7's for the preamp, and well............not much else. How should i go about designing an amp!
Ramalama,
Depending on your budget and needs, you might consider finding an old tube PA amp and converting it. If you want to spend a chunk of $$ on new parts, or if you are looking for a low powered practice amp, this probably isn't the way to go. However, if you've looking for a decent sized, performance capable rig on the cheap, it might be the ticket.
I picked up one of these for $20:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280247000989
It sort of worked, but I replaced the electrolytics and a few out of spec resistors and one bad tube. Now it runs like a champ. One of my students (trombone, but he plays guitar too) brought over a Marshall 4x12 cab and it could blow my walls down. I just reworked the tonestack for guitar use. The multiple inputs create interesting possibilities. I added a diode distortion circuit to one input. I'm going to make it possible to cascade a couple of channels with a switch, so it will hopefully be able to overdrive one of the 12AX7's. It's probably easier than a kit, as its mostly assembled, but you get to learn to troubleshoot a bit.
It's all good fun and a great amp for less than $100. You might have to pay a bit more, but it would still be much cheaper than buying new parts for a similar sized amp. The iron alone could set you back $150. Make sure the power tranny isn't shelled out on whatever you buy.
For a a neat little scratch build, you may enjoy this site:
http://www.ax84.com/
pj
Depending on your budget and needs, you might consider finding an old tube PA amp and converting it. If you want to spend a chunk of $$ on new parts, or if you are looking for a low powered practice amp, this probably isn't the way to go. However, if you've looking for a decent sized, performance capable rig on the cheap, it might be the ticket.
I picked up one of these for $20:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280247000989
It sort of worked, but I replaced the electrolytics and a few out of spec resistors and one bad tube. Now it runs like a champ. One of my students (trombone, but he plays guitar too) brought over a Marshall 4x12 cab and it could blow my walls down. I just reworked the tonestack for guitar use. The multiple inputs create interesting possibilities. I added a diode distortion circuit to one input. I'm going to make it possible to cascade a couple of channels with a switch, so it will hopefully be able to overdrive one of the 12AX7's. It's probably easier than a kit, as its mostly assembled, but you get to learn to troubleshoot a bit.
It's all good fun and a great amp for less than $100. You might have to pay a bit more, but it would still be much cheaper than buying new parts for a similar sized amp. The iron alone could set you back $150. Make sure the power tranny isn't shelled out on whatever you buy.
For a a neat little scratch build, you may enjoy this site:
http://www.ax84.com/
pj
There are certainly drawbacks. Buying old, partially working stuff can work out well, or you can end up with an anchor (I don't think it's likely, but possible). On the other hand, you can get some really nice parts, like the '65 Mullard EL34's, carbon comp resistors and bomb proof chassis and controls I ended up with. Troubleshooting can be tough. It still won't be a real guitar amp, as the stages and controls will always be set up differently (unless you gut the entire thing and build a guitar circuit into it). However, it can be cool and experimental. I'm always a sucker for unique things. There are a few threads around here dealing with conversions. Google will turn up some stuff. You may want to start here:
http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/old2new.htm
pj
http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/old2new.htm
pj
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