modding small (10-20watt) tube amp for guitar?

mondogenerator · 21st December 2009, 12:39 AM

ive recently become more interested in tube amps. i have a 120watt valve amp already but i am interested in making a small 10 watt or so tube guitar amp..

is there anyone with some beginner designs out there? or perhaps suggestions for modding BABY HUEY or other existing small amps?

m6tt · 21st December 2009, 02:29 AM

AX84.com - The Cooperative Tube Guitar Amp Project is a good start.

Or google mullard 5-20. "For a cleaner sound"

good luck!

Bandersnatch · 21st December 2009, 09:54 AM

hey-Hey!!!,
Before taking on a ground-up build, consider modifying a mic-capable PA amp. These things are a fine place to start, they've usually got more than enough gain, tone controls, and the chassis already in place. They're also pretty cheap compared to the Hi-Fi amps. You can try all sorts of mods too. Building a better power supply for one...

though the PS of a geetar amp seems to follow different rules than Hi-Fi for some reason.
cheers,
Douglas

kavermei · 21st December 2009, 10:12 AM

I would not recommend to start out from a hifi amp such as baby huey, guitar amps and hifi amps are really very different.

Another great site to learn more about designing the building blocks is the "valve wizard".

m6tt · 21st December 2009, 07:11 PM

I'd second bandersnatch, that's how I did my first little guitar amp. Chassis work is hard without appropriate equipment or friends with a metal shop. Just stay away from those ugly little tube radios with no power transformer and you'll be fine.

With guitar, frequency response isn't nearly as critical, and some tone controls are not so good. Power supply quality is a matter of taste--the worse the power supply, the more "sag" and "compression" and "marketing class A" you can get. The better, the more "punch" and "drive" etc. Some hum is generally acceptable to guitar players, but a quiet one will have more apparent dynamics and character (all the small stuff lost in the bzzz). Of course most guitars themselves hum too. Replacing electrolytics is essentially a must, older chassis will eventually let out the smoke with stock capacitors.

Here's a link along Bandersnatch's line of thought, the fun part is finding a cool chassis too!
Converting Integrated/PA Tube Amps into Guitar Amps.

21st December 2009, 12:39 AM	#1
mondogenerator diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: England	modding small (10-20watt) tube amp for guitar? ive recently become more interested in tube amps. i have a 120watt valve amp already but i am interested in making a small 10 watt or so tube guitar amp.. is there anyone with some beginner designs out there? or perhaps suggestions for modding BABY HUEY or other existing small amps?

21st December 2009, 09:54 AM	#3
Bandersnatch diyAudio Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Ann Arbor, MI	hey-Hey!!!, Before taking on a ground-up build, consider modifying a mic-capable PA amp. These things are a fine place to start, they've usually got more than enough gain, tone controls, and the chassis already in place. They're also pretty cheap compared to the Hi-Fi amps. You can try all sorts of mods too. Building a better power supply for one... though the PS of a geetar amp seems to follow different rules than Hi-Fi for some reason. cheers, Douglas __________________ the Tnuctipun will return

21st December 2009, 10:12 AM	#4
kavermei diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Lokeren, Belgium	I would not recommend to start out from a hifi amp such as baby huey, guitar amps and hifi amps are really very different. Another great site to learn more about designing the building blocks is the "valve wizard". __________________ Never send a human to do a machine's job. --Agent Smith

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21st December 2009, 02:29 AM	#2
m6tt diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2007	AX84.com - The Cooperative Tube Guitar Amp Project is a good start. Or google mullard 5-20. "For a cleaner sound" good luck!

21st December 2009, 07:11 PM	#5
m6tt diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2007	I'd second bandersnatch, that's how I did my first little guitar amp. Chassis work is hard without appropriate equipment or friends with a metal shop. Just stay away from those ugly little tube radios with no power transformer and you'll be fine. With guitar, frequency response isn't nearly as critical, and some tone controls are not so good. Power supply quality is a matter of taste--the worse the power supply, the more "sag" and "compression" and "marketing class A" you can get. The better, the more "punch" and "drive" etc. Some hum is generally acceptable to guitar players, but a quiet one will have more apparent dynamics and character (all the small stuff lost in the bzzz). Of course most guitars themselves hum too. Replacing electrolytics is essentially a must, older chassis will eventually let out the smoke with stock capacitors. Here's a link along Bandersnatch's line of thought, the fun part is finding a cool chassis too! Converting Integrated/PA Tube Amps into Guitar Amps.

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