SET kit for newbie

[Grahamt]

I am interested in building a SET kit or another simple and low cost tube amp. I was wondering if there were some recommended good beginner amp kits out there that are about $100 US. I am not looking for a lot of power I am just very curious about tube amps and would like a project to learn more about them. I have done some searches and the closest thing I have found is the Foreplay preamp from Bottlehead.

Thanks in advance
Graham

[EC8010]

I can't imagine that anyone could make a SET kit and ship it to you for $100 (let alone make a profit). You're going to need to start looking in the small ads in your local newspaper for a valve amplifier made in the 50s. Car boot sales and jumble sales are another possibility. As you're student, try looking hard around the labs, there might be a vibration amplifier kicking around. Charity shops are another possibility. Never pass a skip without having a quick look at its contents. It's all going to take time and searching.

[Grahamt]

Thanks for the reply,

I would be willing to spend more, does anyone know of some links to good beginner SET kits?

[Eli Duttman]

Graham,

Bottlehead Corp.'s Paramour monoblocks kit seems ideal for your need. The PM is modestly priced, good sounding, and WELL supported.

Bottlehead Corp: www.bottlehead.com

[Sherman]

Originally posted by Grahamt
I am interested in building a SET kit or another simple and low cost tube amp. I was wondering if there were some recommended good beginner amp kits out there that are about $100 US. I am not looking for a lot of power I am just very curious about tube amps and would like a project to learn more about them. I have done some searches and the closest thing I have found is the Foreplay preamp from Bottlehead.

Thanks in advance
Graham

Graham,
I can't vouch for how good it is but Lighthouse Electric has a 3.5W SET "kit" for $59. The term "kit" might be generous in that you get all the components, ie resistors, caps, tube socket, output transformer, tube, input pot and shielded wire but no chassis or printed circuit board. So you do all the wiring point to point (which many would argue is how tube amps should be built).

That is for one channel with no power supply. You could add a Hammond 270AX transformer, a bridge, fuse and switch and be at about $100. You would have to supply the chassis on top of that.

[planet10]

Originally posted by Grahamt I was wondering if there were some recommended good beginner amp kits out there that are about $100 US.

The only way you are going to apparoach that is, as EC8010 says, is to find an old one to tweak up. An old console is often a good place to look. Some of them come with worthwhile speakers too (althou they do need to be put in real boxes). Alot of German hifis where sold in Canada so things like Grundigs, Normendes, etc can be found (real cheap -- $20-80 CAD). SE EL84s are most common, but EL95s, ECL86, and ELL80 (2 EL95s in a single envelope) as well.

Unfortunately they often need work (and they are a mess underneath), so a modicum of knowledge is required to make tem work (often easiest to just mark & pull the iron and start from scratch)so it is often a catch-22, cheap for a rookie project but often requiring non-rookie skill to make work.I have previously looked at the lighthouse electric "semi-kit" (that is a mono 6BM8/ECL82?) -- it does look interesting

dave

[digi01]

I have a tubes headamp kit in test.you may check out this page for more detail.
I have do a series pcb layout design including main board and power supply board and sub board for hook tubes.
pic:

[digi01]

[Grahamt]

Thanks for the help guys. I think I might go with one of the bottlehead kits.

[G]

Originally posted by Grahamt
Thanks for the help guys. I think I might go with one of the bottlehead kits.

If you get the Paramours then you will need this tutorial:

http://wardsweb.org/audio/paramours.html

It should help a lot. Cheers.