Members gusfinley Posted September 8, 2005 Members Share Posted September 8, 2005 I've been quite interested lately in custom built/ rebuilt amps. I've been loooking into buying a new cheap tube amp and using the existing cabinet and transformers to built a PTP turret board based amp inside of it.... there are a lot of amps that would seem good for a project like this.... - Pignose G40V (i think that is the model) - Epipone Valve Jr - several others that I can't think of at the moment I have a friend with a Fender "Champ" 25 - it's got a solid state front end and sounds terrible. I've nearly convinced him to let me take out this PCB and build a new amp inside his existing one. I've also been thinking about bulding a PTP AC30 inside my AC30CCH... but I'm not too sure about that - the amp is sounding great as it is.... and I would loose te reverb and tremelo, unless I added tubes to it...... What projects have you completed, worked on? any suggestion for amps to modify or rebuild? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gusfinley Posted September 8, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 8, 2005 I thought I might as well report on my projects..... This summer I build a head version of the Gibson Goldtone Les Paul Jr. GA-5 (with a tone control)... I am currently building a custom 50W Plexi from a late 60's circuit. Features include: input link switch, switchable/variable negative feedback, pentode/triode switch, post phase inverter master volume, switchable cathode/fixed bias... My next amp will be build as cheap as possible... I'm going to build it in a second hand cakepan..... it's gonna be sweet!! I'm doing some planning to eliminate the costly transformers and still get some great tube tone - we'll see how that goes.... ( I know, I know - don't get angry - I'm not looking to get flamed.... I know what I am doing and I've hear all of your arguments before and I'll report on this project when I have it completed.) I have also extensiveyly modified my Marshall DSL401. It's soundung MUCH better these days..... Check out the Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BloodyScalpel Posted September 8, 2005 Members Share Posted September 8, 2005 bump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gusfinley Posted September 8, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 8, 2005 bump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BloodyScalpel Posted September 8, 2005 Members Share Posted September 8, 2005 anyone ever tried ax84 amps? easy to build, good tone, all-tube low wattage amps. www.ax84.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gusfinley Posted September 8, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 8, 2005 Mark Huss has some great pages on THIS SITE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tommythelurker Posted September 8, 2005 Members Share Posted September 8, 2005 I would find an old junker rather than buy a new one just to rebuild. Trannies are probably the single most expensive components in a tube amp so if you buy a cheap amp, you're probably just getting lousy trannies. Not to mention that the trannies need to match the power an impedence of you amp circuit. Personally, I just source all the parts from scratch. There's also a lot of kits out there if you want avoid "hunting" and have a real nice finished product. I was sure I had some pics up that I could post of my amp but they're not there. I'm in the process of rebuilding it now (I did a real sloppy job the first time because it was my first project and half expected not to work at all). I'll be posting when it's done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gusfinley Posted September 8, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 8, 2005 Originally posted by tommythelurker Trannies are probably the single most expensive components in a tube amp so if you buy a cheap amp, you're probably just getting lousy trannies. Not to mention that the trannies need to match the power an impedence of you amp circuit. I was sure I had some pics up that I could post of my amp but they're not there. I'm in the process of rebuilding it now (I did a real sloppy job the first time because it was my first project and half expected not to work at all). I'll be posting when it's done. Yes, I would be very intent on taking good measurements at how the ouptu tubes are opertating before modifiying the amp, so that the transformers are getting the right impedence... You could completely design your own preamp however.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fishfartz Posted September 8, 2005 Members Share Posted September 8, 2005 i did just that with one of the early epi galaxy 10s. loved the results too. people put that amp off but it had/has potential for great loud cleans with bit with the right tubes and speaker. it is true class A and responds so well if swapping the pre with a jan 5751 and the power with a 6L6 i tried other tubes but like other who tried it found that the amp really responds to that and with a better speaker to push it has a really round, glassy, tone that is spongey and pretty damn responsive. i wasnt too thrilled with the galaxy 25, even with a tube change but the 10 was smooth after some tweaks here is a pic of what i did: 1st is the chassis from the galaxy 10 - i simply took it out of the combo, wired the mains to an extension jack for external cab inside a new "head box" - and here it is finished with a matching cab i built with 2 10 inch celestions that had a nice round punch - too loud for inside completely cranked but was comfortable with volume about 6 - it was alot of fun, and its the first time i did anything like that. after finding the right tubes/speakers combintaion i actually quit playing my champ and blues jr much and sold them. it gets used alot and ive always favored smallish combos for inside playing to turn up some and this one has been what i go for inside the last 2-3 years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fishfartz Posted September 8, 2005 Members Share Posted September 8, 2005 i also wanted to mention in that first pic you can see where the knobs used to be on top facing up, but you can lay the chassic on its "face" and build the enclosure that way so the knobs will face you like alot of heads do. it just lays right over, and the same screws that used to hold the little wooden back cover onto the chassic - put those on top of the head and it holds it snug the same way except angled so the knobs face you i was pleased with the cab too, it was a fun project and was really worth it to me. alot of fun and something i use an aweful lot since Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gusfinley Posted September 9, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 9, 2005 Originally posted by fishfartz i did just that with one of the early epi galaxy 10s.loved the results too. Fish.... that was a good report.... I hope we see some other like that..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gusfinley Posted September 11, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 11, 2005 Originally posted by gusfinley My next amp will be build as cheap as possible... I'm going to build it in a second hand cakepan..... it's gonna be sweet!! I'm doing some planning to eliminate the costly transformers and still get some great tube tone - we'll see how that goes.... I was just at my universities bid (junk) sale the other day and found some great stuff for my cakepan amp. I found a small cab with a 12" speaker (oakwood)in it for $1. I hooked it up to my DIY Gibson GA-5 and it sounded suprisingly good!! I also found and old pa cab that ran off of a 25V line output. There was a single chip solid state power amplifier bult into it. I'm looking for specs on it at the moment (Sylvania ECG 1024 about 6.8W). My plans are to dump the power from the output tube into two resistors which form a voltage divider to feed the input of the solid state power amp - set up in such a way that the solid state power amp while never distort.... I'll let you all know how it turns out........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rocksnob Posted September 11, 2005 Members Share Posted September 11, 2005 Right now I'm putting an AX84 P1 I built into the cabinet from a new tweed SS Bronco for my brother, but I have several of my own projects on the go. I am currentely building a 5B6 Wide Panel Fender Bassman (53-55), and have plans for an Orange Mk II, Voxy Lady (old AX84 design), one of my designs I want to try out, and a few different Fender amps (Wide and Narrow panels from the 50s mostly). Building amps is a great hobby, and if you have the time, a great way to make a little extra cash. Many folks I've known seem to cheap out when they get to making the cabinet, but oh, that is one of my favourite parts about amp building, all tweed or tolexed up, I lathe nice knurled knobs on my lathe, route a nice logo out at the shop, get the chromed amp housing cut and bent at the metal shop down the street and some ni, I'm planning a nice backlit logo on one of the amps I build. Granted I've only built 2 tube amps so far and none have been for me, but I relish cabinet design, it's so much fun. I would like to make a case reminiscent of a Woodie deluxe, all stained hardwood and the like, mmm, that would be yummy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pink freud Posted September 11, 2005 Members Share Posted September 11, 2005 i just started an amp off the ax84 site, the november model. its going to be a point to point/pcb hybrid. dont know what im gonna do for the shell though, maybe a custom built with a flame maple face... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members marder explorer Posted September 11, 2005 Members Share Posted September 11, 2005 One of my first amps was a late 80s/early 90s Marshall 1x12 solidstate 30W combo, I played it for a while, threw it in my closet when I got my Classic 30 then moved on from there, but now I tore the SS guts out, installed a power xformer, and have finally gotten the preamp wired up, and power supply, ran it for 15 mins with the 5U4 plugged in, and she's looking fine. I'm gonna start with a stock 5F1 tweed Champ build, then put in a Vox input section, or maybe do a channel switcher since my power supply can handle 3-4 more 12AX7's so maybe a Vox on one side and a high gain Marshall on the other? Don't know where I'll take it from the stock Champ, but I'm living in an apartment now so I think I'll want something with a lot more volume so I can use it to gig. I find it as if not more enjoyable than playing guitar, right now. Kind of in a musical rut, so all the soldering is doing me good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gusfinley Posted September 12, 2005 Author Members Share Posted September 12, 2005 Great Reports so far guys..... let's hear some more!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Duesentrieb Posted September 12, 2005 Members Share Posted September 12, 2005 here are my 8 projects so far . . . http://www.thinlizzy.de/html/DIY.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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