Are you going to play the demo with that 'guitar'? Hehe. You could use the same idea for your amp:
Cigar Box Amp - Handmade Music Clubhouse
The final touch would be to get a smoke machine and record a video. Play some smokin' blues and you're all set.
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Cigar Box Amp - Handmade Music Clubhouse
The final touch would be to get a smoke machine and record a video. Play some smokin' blues and you're all set.
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Saw one picture of that amp and it interested me. Mind you it isn't tubes. I saw one picture of that amp before and liked it. I have a amp I built years ago, old car stereo power booster with a preamp but built it for Bass. It also runs off os batteries, in my care a gel cell I have been using it as a guitar practice amp, kind of how I started on this tube amp journey.
I was thinking of using this guitar initially ( if I ever get my amp built.), it really does not sound half bad. I should be able to learn how to play it, after all, it is half the amount of strings. Ultimately I will have to find a guitar player being that I am not one.
Speaking of cigar box guitars and DYI small output amps you guys may find these videos interesting. check them out.
"The Pony Express" 5 watt single ended nmv - YouTube
wine box guitar - YouTube
Cigar Box Guitar with 5 watt Se tube amp. DIY Baby! - YouTube
http://youtu.be/T-sNT_xjJ9E
"The Pony Express" 5 watt single ended nmv - YouTube
wine box guitar - YouTube
Cigar Box Guitar with 5 watt Se tube amp. DIY Baby! - YouTube
http://youtu.be/T-sNT_xjJ9E
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Yes, those videos are interesting. That guy gets good tone no matter what he's playing with. Ice chest speakers? No problem. These vids should teach a lesson or two to some people... that annoying breed of anal guitarists should hear what DIY can do for your "tone". LOL. Funny stuff.
I believe you now.
Cigar Box Guitar with 5 watt Se tube amp. DIY Baby! - YouTube
I believe you now.
Cigar Box Guitar with 5 watt Se tube amp. DIY Baby! - YouTube
About 20 years ago someone brought an old stereo into the plant at work. We got it working, but had no speakers. I got some styrofoam shipping containers that were used to ship 100 pagers at a time and cut all the insides out. I took two of the 6 inch round speakers from the ceiling tiles in an area of the factory being renovated and mounted them in the styrofoam boxes with two sided tape. They sounded far better than anyone ever thought. We had those around the lab for several years until one of the guys brought in his Carver and blew the cones out of them. I had forgotten about those speakers, but I have a styrofoam cooler in the garage and some 6X9 car speakers.......
The self described Uber Geek looks a lot like I did about 20 years ago. Plays guitar a lot better than I did though......
Two years ago I built a 4 string version that I tune Drop-D. (Man, how time flies)
I used a Radio Shack Piezo as a pickup and mounted it with RTV under the bridge on the neck that ran the length of the guitar. I think the transducer was 273-0073.
The dogs like it
But I still can't play it.
I used a Radio Shack Piezo as a pickup and mounted it with RTV under the bridge on the neck that ran the length of the guitar. I think the transducer was 273-0073.
The dogs like it
But I still can't play it.
Attachments
My "hobby business" is building low-powered valve guitar amplifiers. Many of these are sold without headshells, in a naked chassis format. Some of my customers have found inventive ways of housing their amplifiers.
I suggested in the strongest terms that the amplifier shown below should only be operated with the lid off!
Attachments
Gday Guy's,
I have been playing around with a second small amp & have uploaded a quick soundclip of it, it's showing some promise at this stage.
This one is just under $100 as well
I found the mic lead I was using to be the trouble I had recording things, cheap Chinese lead, say no more.
Anyway here's the Link to the clip.
Amp2 Test1.wmv - YouTube
Time to get the Handbag out Cassiel, hahaha!
More to improve on it yet.
Cheers
I have been playing around with a second small amp & have uploaded a quick soundclip of it, it's showing some promise at this stage.
This one is just under $100 as well
I found the mic lead I was using to be the trouble I had recording things, cheap Chinese lead, say no more.
Anyway here's the Link to the clip.
Amp2 Test1.wmv - YouTube
Time to get the Handbag out Cassiel, hahaha!
More to improve on it yet.
Cheers
You named it.
So you found the weak link, didn't you? Haha. I'm starting to think you're having some fun at our expense. What's up with the slow pace? I almost feel like getting back to bed after hearing this. Overdrive sounds mushy, cleans sounds boring; OK, a little twangy but twangy thin.I believe you're going backwards... actually, your first amp sounded better. Maybe because the hiss was adding body to the sound? OK, don't be mad at me I also feel like having a bit of fun... I really need something jolly to erase the bad taste from my mouth or should I say ears?
Personal opinion here, don't want to influence people.
You still may win. Gday Guys,
Good to get some comments.
No, not going backwards just tried something new, for the first test of the new amp it's not to bad.
I am just fattening up the sound now actually, I agree with the mushy overdriven sound, I like a fast response to the overdrive which I am fixing now as well.
With a couple of changes I think the sound will come together ok, we'll see.
Just wanted to get a reaction really!
Yes, slow & boring, but that's what happens when the sound lacks quality, it doesn't inspire one to play, the slow thump is more than likely a very bored old mans heart beat hahaha!
Still yet to hear any other clips of note?????????
Time to step the game up.
Cassiel, I don't take offence at what people write on the internet, your comments, jokes & critisms are very welcome, just don't say anything about my Mrs that's all.
More than likely I will agree with it & that would spoil all the fun hahaha!
Haven't heard a Hiss before that adds character to an amps sound?
Thought I would play real slow to give you time to take it in Hahaha!
TheGimp,
I read a couple of days ago that you were concerned about a small hum issue, not sure if you fixed it?
Anyway if you haven't or already haven't tried this, it may work for you.
I haven't looked back at your schematic to see what you have?
Add a cap between one leg of the heater supply at the valves to ground, normally chassis ground, or ground in your case on the bench.
Normally 33uF will do it.
Also add a 1nF cap from your signal input terminal of the input jack to chassis ground, you will have to juggle this value as it can alter your tone if you go to far.
This does work in some cases, very well indeed.
Cheers
Good to get some comments.
No, not going backwards just tried something new, for the first test of the new amp it's not to bad.
I am just fattening up the sound now actually, I agree with the mushy overdriven sound, I like a fast response to the overdrive which I am fixing now as well.
With a couple of changes I think the sound will come together ok, we'll see.
Just wanted to get a reaction really!
Yes, slow & boring, but that's what happens when the sound lacks quality, it doesn't inspire one to play, the slow thump is more than likely a very bored old mans heart beat hahaha!
Still yet to hear any other clips of note?????????
Time to step the game up.
Cassiel, I don't take offence at what people write on the internet, your comments, jokes & critisms are very welcome, just don't say anything about my Mrs that's all.
More than likely I will agree with it & that would spoil all the fun hahaha!
Haven't heard a Hiss before that adds character to an amps sound?
Thought I would play real slow to give you time to take it in Hahaha!
TheGimp,
I read a couple of days ago that you were concerned about a small hum issue, not sure if you fixed it?
Anyway if you haven't or already haven't tried this, it may work for you.
I haven't looked back at your schematic to see what you have?
Add a cap between one leg of the heater supply at the valves to ground, normally chassis ground, or ground in your case on the bench.
Normally 33uF will do it.
Also add a 1nF cap from your signal input terminal of the input jack to chassis ground, you will have to juggle this value as it can alter your tone if you go to far.
This does work in some cases, very well indeed.
Cheers
No reason to in this case. I like you but I don't like the sound of your amp. Nor do I like the quality of your recordings. Just being honest, why you should be offended? The important thing here is that you have recognized the issues with your amp.
I don't like the sound of the amp either, just wanted to see if anyone really had good ears for sound that's all.
I don't like the quality of the recordings either, but that's how it sounds raw unedited from the computer so I leave it like that, unedited.
The live sound is much nicer.
Maybe people won't mind if a small amount of editing is done to bring back the true sound.
Honesty is all one can ask for in this world, much appreciated.
Cheers
I think your dogs have good taste..
I particularly like the touch on the sound board. Some day I will have to learn to play something..
Suspecting tribo-electric effects when the mic lead was disturbed or was it something else
Cool amps... So far no progress here, think I had better finish a few other things and then I'll look at doing an amp, but I will keep my eyes open for a cheap gee_tar...
Ok, I thought this may be where your problem is, if you get a measurable difference by adding the caps mentioned, then now it is a matter of changing the values of the Heater Leg Caps.
Or add more caps, try on both legs etc on all valves even.
Now this will cause an uproar but sometimes the use of smaller caps on the heater legs can rid the issue instead of larger value caps, try several values.
I'm sure you will fix it now.
What does the signal look like on the heater legs, is it spiking?
Cheers
@KevinKR
I wrote that above and should correct that it is actually made in China,
but still everyone seems to really like it. The brand was Austin, here
is a link to some user reviews, perhaps you could find one used for $50-
$100, one person says he got one new for $125:
Guitars: Strat Copy by Austin | Harmony Central
I'm having trouble finding a web page for Austin, here is a decent description with pictures,
we paid less than this advertised price for a new one:
Austin AST100 Strat Style Electric Guitar Brand New! | eBay
Seems it is the AST100 model:
Austin AST100 Series Strat Electric Guitar
Obviously YMMV, all I know is everyone seems to like this guitar.
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A little Googling found the Austin Strat copies priced anywhere from $99 with free shipping (I'm tempted) to $189 plus shipping. The reviews I read all sounded quite positive. I have never been impressed with my Korean Fender Squire Strat. It's OK, but not great. I have had it for at least 20 years and it cost $129 back then.
Austin has some tasty looking Jazz bass and Precision bass copies as well as a Gibson ES175 clone. The ES175 costs way too much for me, but if they come up with a reasonable ES335 clone I would have to buy it. I played a real Gibson ES335 once about 40 years ago and I loved the sound and the playability. Of course I could actually play it then. They are in the $2500+ range now.