The Hundred-Buck Amp Challenge - Page 5

Trout · 14th June 2011, 01:30 AM

One thing certain, Just Radio's out of Canada has great pricing on Electrolytic's for the PS as well as film caps.
Bonus, he is VERY reasonable on shipping and does world wide sales as well
Price List and Order Form for CAPACITORS for Antique Tube Radios

Antique Radio Schematics and Capacitors for Tube Radios

Trout · 02:28 AM

I did a little digging around on my old PC and found some clips from the 6AQ5SE amp I built in 2005.

I have always been a fan of those babies.
This one had used a single 12AX7, a 6AQ5 & 6CA4/EZ81 rectifier. It had a cheap OT from Triode Electronics.
TF103-48ul
FENDER CHAMP STYLE 5W OUTPUT TRANSFORMER TF103-48 Single Ended Ultra-Linear 4 / 8 Ohm MADE IN USA

Close Mic recorded with Shure SM57, a hint of reverb added post with cakewalk software.
12" speaker & Fender Strat
Basically a modded AA764 Champ circuit.

A Little Noodling

Cranked for Feedback

I always found that particular OT a bit weak especially on the bottom end but it was cheap & worked.

SY · 14th June 2011, 02:28 AM

Still isn't clear to me- does the $100 limit count the speakers as well? Or just the head?

AJT · 14th June 2011, 02:44 AM

^post#1 just the head.....

SY · 14th June 2011, 02:50 AM

Excellent- I have an idea...

Trout · 14th June 2011, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SY

Excellent- I have an idea...

I thought you did not like building guitar amps because they always ended up sounding for lack of a better word " HiFi "

AJT · 14th June 2011, 02:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SY

Excellent- I have an idea...

mind sharing SY?

AJT · 14th June 2011, 03:00 AM

I got the idea of using the 12W6 from wavebourn, they sound fantastic in guitar amps and at U$1 each who can complain?

i have a suspicion they will sound even better in hifi amps....

taj · 04:13 AM

Not trying to pee on the party tray or anything, but here's my 2-bits:

What a weird contest.

The elusive goal with practice amps is always in creating one that sounds decent while still being cheap and quieter than a "normal" guitar amp. But, nobody has mentioned sound as a criteria here.

If participants are the judges, as described in post #1, then I fully expect the winner to be an exceptionally creative and impressive circuit, that has a 50% chance of sounding like a cat retching when you play a song on a guitar that's plugged into it.

If the judges were, instead, DIY guitar amp builders (i.e. real guitar players) who judge the amps based on their sound, then you've got a real guitar amp contest, IMHO. But then you can't expect them to build and audition them all and cast their ballot in just a month or 2.

And if it's not about guitar sound, then what's it about? Circuit design? Then why a guitar practice amp? What a weird contest.

Also, why 2-5 watts? There are plenty of good practice amp designs out there that push far less than 1 watt (12UA7 or 6CG7 as output). If you happen to want Eddie Van Halen's sound, even 2 watts will practically blow your windows out. I'd suggest "5 watts or less" rather than 2-5 watts.

..todd

Wavebourn · 14th June 2011, 05:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taj

But, nobody has mentioned sound as a criteria here.

I did, actually. It will be an amp for practice and studio recording. And I have something more in mind...

14th June 2011, 02:25 AM	#42
Trout diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Midwest Madman	I did a little digging around on my old PC and found some clips from the 6AQ5SE amp I built in 2005. I have always been a fan of those babies. This one had used a single 12AX7, a 6AQ5 & 6CA4/EZ81 rectifier. It had a cheap OT from Triode Electronics. TF103-48ul FENDER CHAMP STYLE 5W OUTPUT TRANSFORMER TF103-48 Single Ended Ultra-Linear 4 / 8 Ohm MADE IN USA Close Mic recorded with Shure SM57, a hint of reverb added post with cakewalk software. 12" speaker & Fender Strat Basically a modded AA764 Champ circuit. A Little Noodling Cranked for Feedback I always found that particular OT a bit weak especially on the bottom end but it was cheap & worked. Last edited by Trout; 14th June 2011 at 02:28 AM.

14th June 2011, 02:28 AM	#43
SY diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Chicagoland Blog Entries: 1	Still isn't clear to me- does the $100 limit count the speakers as well? Or just the head? __________________ If there's a sucker born every minute, where do the rest of them come from?

14th June 2011, 02:44 AM	#44
AJT diyAudio Moderator Join Date: May 2003 Location: Palatiw, Pasig City	^post#1 just the head..... __________________ http://www.elab.ph/forum/index.php?topic=32688.0

14th June 2011, 02:50 AM	#45
SY diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Chicagoland Blog Entries: 1	Excellent- I have an idea... __________________ If there's a sucker born every minute, where do the rest of them come from?

14th June 2011, 03:00 AM	#48
AJT diyAudio Moderator Join Date: May 2003 Location: Palatiw, Pasig City	I got the idea of using the 12W6 from wavebourn, they sound fantastic in guitar amps and at U$1 each who can complain? i have a suspicion they will sound even better in hifi amps.... __________________ http://www.elab.ph/forum/index.php?topic=32688.0


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14th June 2011, 01:30 AM	#41
Trout diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Midwest Madman	One thing certain, Just Radio's out of Canada has great pricing on Electrolytic's for the PS as well as film caps. Bonus, he is VERY reasonable on shipping and does world wide sales as well Price List and Order Form for CAPACITORS for Antique Tube Radios Antique Radio Schematics and Capacitors for Tube Radios

14th June 2011, 04:09 AM	#49
taj diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2005	Not trying to pee on the party tray or anything, but here's my 2-bits: What a weird contest. The elusive goal with practice amps is always in creating one that sounds decent while still being cheap and quieter than a "normal" guitar amp. But, nobody has mentioned sound as a criteria here. If participants are the judges, as described in post #1, then I fully expect the winner to be an exceptionally creative and impressive circuit, that has a 50% chance of sounding like a cat retching when you play a song on a guitar that's plugged into it. If the judges were, instead, DIY guitar amp builders (i.e. real guitar players) who judge the amps based on their sound, then you've got a real guitar amp contest, IMHO. But then you can't expect them to build and audition them all and cast their ballot in just a month or 2. And if it's not about guitar sound, then what's it about? Circuit design? Then why a guitar practice amp? What a weird contest. Also, why 2-5 watts? There are plenty of good practice amp designs out there that push far less than 1 watt (12UA7 or 6CG7 as output). If you happen to want Eddie Van Halen's sound, even 2 watts will practically blow your windows out. I'd suggest "5 watts or less" rather than 2-5 watts. ..todd Last edited by taj; 14th June 2011 at 04:13 AM.

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