I dabble with it, but it seems lately I've been collecting old amps to mod and they just sit and look at me accusingly. My latest aquisition to the pile is a Traynor Voice Master PA amp. It is a stellar candidate for conversion to a high gain guitar amp - it has four 12AX7s and two EL34s along with lots of knobs and jacks in a robust, spacious cab. I haven't decided yet what to make with it - I've thought about trying a Soldano SLO clone (and replace one tube with a pair of power Mosfets to use as cathode followers, since I'd be down one preamp tube compared to the SLO). I've also considered making a Komet Concorde clone, but haven't found a good schematic floating around yet - with that I'm ahead one tube (I could add an effects loop with it I guess if I want to risk a haunting by KF's ghost).
Any advice on getting my butt in gear is appreciated.
Any advice on getting my butt in gear is appreciated.
I’ve messed around with modifying guitar amps.
This site has been valuable: Schematic Heaven. Where All Good Amp & Effect Designs Await Resurrection...
This site has been valuable: Schematic Heaven. Where All Good Amp & Effect Designs Await Resurrection...
I've researched designed and built several guitar amps. Click on Audio Electronics and scroll down. They all sound superb to my ear. I play both electrics and acoustics through a digital special effects system (I have several), which then drives the amps.
http://www.spiritone.com/~rob_369/
http://www.spiritone.com/~rob_369/
Improving the Look
Nice builds, on the Bluesman, where did you source the parts, chassis, cabinet, etc. And did you make the face plate yourself? So far, I have built a small Fender 5F2-A (Princeton) head from a kit, it works, but looks "home made", I want to mate it up with a 10" Celetion or Eminence driver in a small combo cabinet, so basically I need a new face plate for the head and an enclosed cabinet (or partially open one) for the driver. Can you please offer some tips for a newbie to make the amps look professionally made like you have done?
Thanks,
Jaz
Nice builds, on the Bluesman, where did you source the parts, chassis, cabinet, etc. And did you make the face plate yourself? So far, I have built a small Fender 5F2-A (Princeton) head from a kit, it works, but looks "home made", I want to mate it up with a 10" Celetion or Eminence driver in a small combo cabinet, so basically I need a new face plate for the head and an enclosed cabinet (or partially open one) for the driver. Can you please offer some tips for a newbie to make the amps look professionally made like you have done?
Thanks,
Jaz
Hey Racket!
I, too, have been amassing a small collection of amps to modify to guitar amps, primarily PP 6v6 and 6aq5 projector amps. At first my main deterrent was the learning curve, as I really was more interested in a 10-15w amp on the cheap than diving into the DIY world. However, I've found that I've plenty of interest in the subject now that I've broken the ice.
So, why do those amps sit there looking at me accusingly still? Well, I've got no shortage of projects: mixing projects, musical projects, house projects, automotive projects. To add to that, I'm married and hold down a 40+ hr job.
Perhaps there are some other aspects of your life usurping your time? Maybe making a list of priorities regarding your free time would help? I've had to reevaluate mine. Its funny - I thought I was going to have to give something up, but the reevaluation really just helped me organize my mind and time, which helped me to pick a project to complete first before getting into the others. Now those amps have sort of taken a number.
But if you are on your butt playing video games (I sneak one in from time to time), a method I've used is to think: If I die right now, would I rather have people remember me for being an excellent Uncharted 2 player, or for making some pretty excellent amplifiers? I don't mean fame, but friends and relatives might get the results of your labor if its tangible. The intangible gives them little for your legacy to live on through.
Sometimes I'm overworked, and I sit on my butt because I damn well deserve the rest! But I have been underworked as well, and then the couch is a refuge of depression for me. It is good to be employed, and when I was self-employed, I found "need of money" combined with "opportunity" as the best motivational force. I was able to stay motivated during my free time then as well, almost out of spite for having to work.
I also sneak in tweak time by "watching" a movie with my soldering iron, chassis and parts, headlamp, wife, and dogs! It helps if it is something I've seen before, or don't have a ton of interest in.
Whatever your situation, don't let the amps "accusations" put a burden on you - you probably have them because of some joy you felt in regards to the possibility of modifying them, or even in acquiring them. You will have the most reenforcing experience if you set to work on them out of joy, I think.
Well, enough rambling for me. I hope these ideas aid your quest for motivation and modification!
Peace,
Jeff
I, too, have been amassing a small collection of amps to modify to guitar amps, primarily PP 6v6 and 6aq5 projector amps. At first my main deterrent was the learning curve, as I really was more interested in a 10-15w amp on the cheap than diving into the DIY world. However, I've found that I've plenty of interest in the subject now that I've broken the ice.
So, why do those amps sit there looking at me accusingly still? Well, I've got no shortage of projects: mixing projects, musical projects, house projects, automotive projects. To add to that, I'm married and hold down a 40+ hr job.
Perhaps there are some other aspects of your life usurping your time? Maybe making a list of priorities regarding your free time would help? I've had to reevaluate mine. Its funny - I thought I was going to have to give something up, but the reevaluation really just helped me organize my mind and time, which helped me to pick a project to complete first before getting into the others. Now those amps have sort of taken a number.
But if you are on your butt playing video games (I sneak one in from time to time), a method I've used is to think: If I die right now, would I rather have people remember me for being an excellent Uncharted 2 player, or for making some pretty excellent amplifiers? I don't mean fame, but friends and relatives might get the results of your labor if its tangible. The intangible gives them little for your legacy to live on through.
Sometimes I'm overworked, and I sit on my butt because I damn well deserve the rest! But I have been underworked as well, and then the couch is a refuge of depression for me. It is good to be employed, and when I was self-employed, I found "need of money" combined with "opportunity" as the best motivational force. I was able to stay motivated during my free time then as well, almost out of spite for having to work.
I also sneak in tweak time by "watching" a movie with my soldering iron, chassis and parts, headlamp, wife, and dogs! It helps if it is something I've seen before, or don't have a ton of interest in.
Whatever your situation, don't let the amps "accusations" put a burden on you - you probably have them because of some joy you felt in regards to the possibility of modifying them, or even in acquiring them. You will have the most reenforcing experience if you set to work on them out of joy, I think.
Well, enough rambling for me. I hope these ideas aid your quest for motivation and modification!
Peace,
Jeff
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I too suffer from procrastination. I bought all the parts to make a stereo guitar amp, basically a stereo Fender Deluxe, about 10 years go. I finally started a build about a month and a half ago using those parts. haha.... the final amp is not stereo, and almost nothing like a Deluxe.
Racket Scientist, the amp I'm just finishing up started as a Bogner Shiva based amp, but evolved into a cross between the Shiva and an SLO. I've got 5 12AX7's in there with one triode unused. One is dedicated to the effects loop, and the half one is a concertina phase splitter. If you were to do it like the SLO and come off of the first DC coupled cathode follower into the effects send, then use a single triode gain stage on the return, and a concertina phase splitter you could get away with 4 12AX7's. Just make sure you have as much voltage as possible on the concertina and effects return so you maintain enough headroom to drive the power amp.
I just realised this thread is almost a year old... sorry for bringing it back from the dead. haha...
Racket Scientist, the amp I'm just finishing up started as a Bogner Shiva based amp, but evolved into a cross between the Shiva and an SLO. I've got 5 12AX7's in there with one triode unused. One is dedicated to the effects loop, and the half one is a concertina phase splitter. If you were to do it like the SLO and come off of the first DC coupled cathode follower into the effects send, then use a single triode gain stage on the return, and a concertina phase splitter you could get away with 4 12AX7's. Just make sure you have as much voltage as possible on the concertina and effects return so you maintain enough headroom to drive the power amp.
I just realised this thread is almost a year old... sorry for bringing it back from the dead. haha...
I designed and built the cabinets myself, put on the tweed covering, fabricated and painted the aluminum Hammond brand chassis, lettered them with dry transfer lettering, etc. It was very labor intensive and time consuming, but I'm laid off and like being able to create the amp much more exactly the way I want it.
As an Engineering Assistant Tech, I've been building circuits since the 70's professionally, and I've been building speakers systems and cabinetry since the 60's as a hobby. When I started playing guitar in the early 70's, I could never afford a decent guitar amp (I had a 10 watt Gibson). A few years later I decided to build 3 Fender Single Showmans; and sell two to be able to afford keeping the third. A year later I sold everything and moved from Detroit MI to Oregon to start/build a new life and get back in college (Detroit was a war zone). Guitar was on the back burner for years and years. Now I'm a 56 yr old "semi-retired" guy with a lab and the perhaps foolish passion to design and build all this stuff that I always wanted but could never afford. I had to sell my house after being laid off, but it left me with a chunk of change big enough to take some time off and do these projects. Projects work better than shrinks. The world might be falling apart with corruption, but my projects give me pride and hope every day. You can learn a hell of a lot on the web, but do know that most of the info is wrong or half right. Pretend you are mining for gold. You've got to dig up a lot of info to develop the ability to tell what's right. I generally enjoy all parts of the process, but I guess I'm used to raking through bullsh*t looking for good info.
Antique Electronics in AZ is one of the main places I buy parts from. Also Digikey, Mouser, Parts Express, Madisound, Weber (for guitar speakers), Newark, Allied... PCBsupplies.com for the dry transfer lettering. smallbearelec.com has lots of great knobs for cheap, along with many other guitar part places.
Many parts are being discontinued. I'd hate to be in the business of building audio electronics these days in this country; competing with China and the likes. The costs add up fast, and parts come and go. It still makes a great hobby though.
As an Engineering Assistant Tech, I've been building circuits since the 70's professionally, and I've been building speakers systems and cabinetry since the 60's as a hobby. When I started playing guitar in the early 70's, I could never afford a decent guitar amp (I had a 10 watt Gibson). A few years later I decided to build 3 Fender Single Showmans; and sell two to be able to afford keeping the third. A year later I sold everything and moved from Detroit MI to Oregon to start/build a new life and get back in college (Detroit was a war zone). Guitar was on the back burner for years and years. Now I'm a 56 yr old "semi-retired" guy with a lab and the perhaps foolish passion to design and build all this stuff that I always wanted but could never afford. I had to sell my house after being laid off, but it left me with a chunk of change big enough to take some time off and do these projects. Projects work better than shrinks. The world might be falling apart with corruption, but my projects give me pride and hope every day. You can learn a hell of a lot on the web, but do know that most of the info is wrong or half right. Pretend you are mining for gold. You've got to dig up a lot of info to develop the ability to tell what's right. I generally enjoy all parts of the process, but I guess I'm used to raking through bullsh*t looking for good info.
Antique Electronics in AZ is one of the main places I buy parts from. Also Digikey, Mouser, Parts Express, Madisound, Weber (for guitar speakers), Newark, Allied... PCBsupplies.com for the dry transfer lettering. smallbearelec.com has lots of great knobs for cheap, along with many other guitar part places.
Many parts are being discontinued. I'd hate to be in the business of building audio electronics these days in this country; competing with China and the likes. The costs add up fast, and parts come and go. It still makes a great hobby though.
Wow, this is a great discussion... I'm 55 and building my 3rd tube guitar amp. I'm an electrical engineer in Oregon and like the chance to run my own project once in a while. My goals are to have a smooth onset of distortion, good tone control and to be free as possible of hum, hiss and buzzing. I've been doing very little guitar playing in the last few years, but hope to spend as much time playing the creation as designing and building it. The days seem to get shorter every year. I hang around with friends in the Corvallis Vacuum Tube Collective where people build amps from rigorous high end amps to affordable $100 units from recycled electronics. I've learned a lot and really enjoy the time together. It's not a bad drive from Portland once in a while and you may want to check it out. Steve
I'm 18 and starting my first.
I've got some transformers from a 1950s radio, and have been given some more transformers (including another mains transformer that could be used as a push-pull transformer), and a pair of 6550s.
Building this
Single-Ended (SE) 6550 Tube Amplifier Schematic
for a start, see how it goes, then maybe try something bigger.
Chris
I've got some transformers from a 1950s radio, and have been given some more transformers (including another mains transformer that could be used as a push-pull transformer), and a pair of 6550s.
Building this
Single-Ended (SE) 6550 Tube Amplifier Schematic
for a start, see how it goes, then maybe try something bigger.
Chris
did my own (modified from) based on a "california dreamer" design from the AX84 project a couple years ago(ax84.com). I weaseled the parts from an older gentleman who had a ton of bits and pieces.
I've since modified it a bunch of times, but it's solid and super clean. Had one musician try it out anh liked it more than his Marshal.
They aren't that difficult to do but ya gotta be careful as the voltages can stop your heart. Quite satisfying really (not the voltages, the project).
I've since modified it a bunch of times, but it's solid and super clean. Had one musician try it out anh liked it more than his Marshal.
They aren't that difficult to do but ya gotta be careful as the voltages can stop your heart. Quite satisfying really (not the voltages, the project).
Probably the most interesting thing to me about guitar amps is that anything you do makes a difference that changes how you approach the music you make. From a transformer point of view, the E Field moments and the losses and phase induced FR peaks in small signal that occur because of them are the mother of tone. The difference between a Fender sound and a Marshall sound in an OPT is the addition of three pieces of slow plastic to the winding build. Everything else is right out of the first OPT winding design layout in the RDH, the one meant for the RCA pubic address amplifier from the back of that book. Interestingly, no other winding format will provide exactly Fender or Marshall character.
Bud
Bud
Design and build, modify and restore. All just slightly different aspects of this great hobby.
Latest project (order from a friend) is a Push Pull 6V6 guitar amp using all 6SL7 octals for the preamp and phase splitter (concertina). That has to wait a bit for me to finish my new HiFi preamp (6DJ8) and that has to wait for me to finish the restoration of a Push Pull 807 Church PA Amp. So many jobs and so little time!!!
Bud,
Very interesting on the output trannies, for the 6V6 push pull guitar amps I'm been using
cheap Chinese Output trannies designed for PP EL84 Ultralinear HiFi (10W) but not using the Ultralinear taps.
mableaudio
I originally used them in an EL84 Ultralinear HiFi Amp bbut found that swapping to Hammond 1608 gave better HiFi performance. That left me with a pair of these for guitar amp use. They work so well (with a pair of 6V6 in pentode mode) I bought some more.
Cheers,
Ian
Latest project (order from a friend) is a Push Pull 6V6 guitar amp using all 6SL7 octals for the preamp and phase splitter (concertina). That has to wait a bit for me to finish my new HiFi preamp (6DJ8) and that has to wait for me to finish the restoration of a Push Pull 807 Church PA Amp. So many jobs and so little time!!!
Bud,
Very interesting on the output trannies, for the 6V6 push pull guitar amps I'm been using
cheap Chinese Output trannies designed for PP EL84 Ultralinear HiFi (10W) but not using the Ultralinear taps.
mableaudio
I originally used them in an EL84 Ultralinear HiFi Amp bbut found that swapping to Hammond 1608 gave better HiFi performance. That left me with a pair of these for guitar amp use. They work so well (with a pair of 6V6 in pentode mode) I bought some more.
Cheers,
Ian
Actually Ian the use of Chinese hifi OPT's for guitar amps is a really good idea. They will have pretty good coupling surface to volume of winding ratio, not exceptional, and this is good. They will also have middle grade core material, rather than exceptional and this is also good.
For guitar amps you do not want excellent coupling surface to volume ratio's, usually called interleaving. The reason I say this is that a guitar amp is massively more dynamic in it's signal content than an audio reproduction amp and even a very good OPT that is from the hifi realm is too responsive, the sounds have too much edge, the rise and settling times are too fast.
You actually need a dumbed down OPT for guitar amps, not a poorly designed and built one, just a somewhat lethargic one, that still has extreme signal layering and depth to it. The Chinese mfg's cannot obtain high performance core material unless they have an in with the military and they are not going to use many interleaves, so you have stumbled upon just what you needed, but, you already know that...
Bud
For guitar amps you do not want excellent coupling surface to volume ratio's, usually called interleaving. The reason I say this is that a guitar amp is massively more dynamic in it's signal content than an audio reproduction amp and even a very good OPT that is from the hifi realm is too responsive, the sounds have too much edge, the rise and settling times are too fast.
You actually need a dumbed down OPT for guitar amps, not a poorly designed and built one, just a somewhat lethargic one, that still has extreme signal layering and depth to it. The Chinese mfg's cannot obtain high performance core material unless they have an in with the military and they are not going to use many interleaves, so you have stumbled upon just what you needed, but, you already know that...
Bud
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