Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum

Amp Stuff => Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs => Topic started by: ratgon on February 24, 2016, 06:12:40 am

Title: First fully done amp!
Post by: ratgon on February 24, 2016, 06:12:40 am
Well here it is.  After five months of obsession starting from God knows, my first complete soup to nuts  amp is done. It's a simple champ which is admittedly the simplest amp to tackle, yet it's the first one I did purely from a schematic, sourcing all the parts and finally quit waiting for the guy to make the finger jointed box. I just made my own damn box, figured out the tolex G and viola! It's done and it's sounds great. I know it's a wonderland of rookie mistakes so I'm all ears to all criticism. I really wanna learn all this stuff so please, critique away. I'm still proud of this lil damn amp no matter what.

ANd thanks to a bunch of you who helped me throughout. I truly appreciated it,

Thanks again, Mike.
Title: Re: First fully done amp!
Post by: sluckey on February 24, 2016, 06:41:52 am
Yep, that's a Champ. Well done.
Title: Re: First fully done amp!
Post by: labb on February 24, 2016, 07:00:52 am
That first build. When you fire it up, plug in a guitar and sound comes out the other end, well, there just ain't nothing like that feeling...Then it is, what am I going to build next. Got to love it.
Title: Re: First fully done amp!
Post by: kagliostro on February 24, 2016, 07:04:02 am
Nice Job  :thumbsup:


Franco
Title: Re: First fully done amp!
Post by: HotBluePlates on February 25, 2016, 02:03:10 pm
Woot woot!! Congrats!  :occasion14:
Title: Re: First fully done amp!
Post by: pompeiisneaks on February 25, 2016, 02:53:46 pm
That looks outstanding!  Nice job :)

~Phil
Title: Re: First fully done amp!
Post by: mresistor on February 25, 2016, 04:29:55 pm
Nicely done!   I dig the plexiglass back panel..  cool.   :icon_biggrin:
Title: Re: First fully done amp!
Post by: Fresh_Start on February 25, 2016, 05:05:39 pm
That first build. When you fire it up, plug in a guitar and sound comes out the other end, well, there just ain't nothing like that feeling...Then it is, what am I going to build next. Got to love it.

You betcha!  What a great feeling!!!  :m8

Now what?

Cheers!
Chip
Title: Re: First fully done amp!
Post by: vibrolax on February 25, 2016, 07:50:47 pm
My first scratch build was Champ-like as well.  I thought it was a good idea to be able to understand the function of every component in the circuit, and to get the craft-skills right before attempting a more complex build.

You did a fine, fine job.
Title: Re: First fully done amp!
Post by: ratgon on February 25, 2016, 08:28:31 pm
Thanks everyone. I really appreciate all compliments. I just really love every aspect of it. The electronics...or learning them. The design of the cabinets.  It's just all great.
Title: Re: First fully done amp!
Post by: terminalgs on February 26, 2016, 09:17:09 am
awesome.  I like the plexi rear cover. 
Title: Re: First fully done amp!
Post by: rosincore on February 26, 2016, 07:20:51 pm
Ratgon, you earned an "attaboy" for keeping at it and completing it ! You will find that from each project you will take an idea or a sharper skill to the next and the next...and so on. It is very gratifying to flip that switch and see and hear it come to life and this does not fade with the years, you get that little grin on your face and shake your head up and down and say real low.."yea"...Congratulations on your project !!!!
Title: Re: First fully done amp!
Post by: TIMBO on February 26, 2016, 08:19:03 pm
Great work
Title: Re: First fully done amp!
Post by: Ed_Chambley on February 27, 2016, 04:39:41 pm
Nothing like firing up your first build. Congrats! Nice work.
Title: Re: First fully done amp!
Post by: p2pAmps on February 28, 2016, 06:03:11 am
Hats off to you sir, building a vacuum tube amplifier is a great accomplishment. 
Title: Re: First fully done amp!
Post by: ratgon on February 28, 2016, 12:08:07 pm
Thanks to all of you for the compliments and all the help from so many of you along the way
Title: Re: First fully done amp!
Post by: Ed_Chambley on February 29, 2016, 02:47:41 pm
What you planning to build next? :l2:
Title: Re: First fully done amp!
Post by: Meteorman on February 29, 2016, 08:51:54 pm
Congrats, Ratgon.

So I'm just starting my first build, also a 5F1.
Having just come out of the process, what advice would you give a 1st-time Champ builder?
/mm
Title: Re: First fully done a
Post by: ratgon on February 29, 2016, 10:52:32 pm
Meteorman.....as far as the electronics go al I can say is be patient and after having gone though all the troubleshooting tips which are linked in a bunch of the veterans' signatures, if you're still having issues just ask...it helps the process to attach some detailed pics...the members here with a lot of experience are super helpful and patient and they'll surely g t you up and running. It's a pretty simple circuit but beautiful in that sense. As far as the cab...that's a whole other story of pure trial and error.

Ed.... I'm at the moment working on finishing the cab for a 5e3 I just finished. Then I'm going to build a Princeton Reverb. Just got the board and the rest of the parts I needed in the mail today. Honestly, the cab design is as fun as the amp building itself