Hey, it's Dan here.
Thanks for posting my pictures - I tried to document the build as much as possible but I did get a little excited towards the end.
The instagram title is a bit of a joke as I've built a few tube amp kits recently, a Bottlehead SEX, a Korg nu:tekt and most recently the Elekit TU8600 VKR.
I just wanted to add a few more words here and to say a massive thank you to Victor for being such a warm and awesome guy.
The kit is seriously high quality, from the PCB, instructions and even down to the way components are packaged. If you go for the TAKMAN resistors I recommend setting aside an evening to bend them into shape before you start the build - it's repetitive work and your concentration is better spent elsewhere during the build.
In the end the build took one full day (8am to midnight) - I think perhaps spreading it over two days would be better but excitement got the better of me and as I had not made any mistakes during the PCB assembly I decided to go ahead and put everything together in the chassis.
I really like the tight tolerances for the through hole component and the layout is easy to follow.
This is the first time I've worked with lead free solder and I built a couple of small practice boards to try and figure out the best temperature for my iron. In the end 350C with my T80 worked well - hotter than I think is ideal but it let me work quickly and left the shiniest joints.
On to the listening, these are early impressions of course, the amp is still raw and the tubes I'm using are fresh Electro Harmonics (I have some Telefunken already and some Erlogs on the way).
I started with Radioactive Man's Uranium - kind of a ritual of mine for for new kit, and moved on to Corc by Autechre. Although these are both Electronic tracks they use analog equipment and have a wonderful spacious quality to them. The corrugated iron sound on Uranium gave me shives and the melancholy intertwined melodies of Corc took me to a
Next I threw on Friday Night in San Francisco and my mind was blown - this amp does something special with acoustic guitars. I used to play classical guitar in my youth and something in my mind clicked - wow - this sounds the way a guitar sounds. Absolute perfection.
I had a quick chat with Victor (thanks man) and he put me on to a couple of CD's to try out including Joe Pass's Unforgettable. I highly recommend putting some time aside to listen to this raw and intimate work. One man and a guitar, close mic'd with everything there for you to hear.
I know early impressions are nearly always positive but really, this amp is a new experience for me in terms of not just technicalities but also emotional connection.
If it's ok with the forum I'll post back on this thread with some more impressions as I grow more familiar with the TU-8600 and also when I get a change to listen with the Telefunkens and Erlogs.
If anyone's got any questions about the amp or the build I'll be happy to answer.
