Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum
Amp Stuff => Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs => Topic started by: mikhett on April 25, 2022, 08:46:01 pm
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Doug,How come you don't make kits?I know you could out do mojotone & Weber.
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Making kits is HARD work. And upset clueless customers.
Doug may prefer his dogs and bikes to servicing customers.
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i'm sure having to provide support and dealing with customer complaints because they've done something wrong is 100% of the reason. if anything it's rather courteous of him not having the forum regulars become unpaid support staff (that's one thing i always have to remember when my questions aren't answered quickly - folks are devoting their time and experience to help others because they enjoy this stuff).
just selling the boards and parts separately weeds out a lot of the folks who would be almost guaranteed to have loads of issues and an amp that doesn't work. how often do we see somebody with little-to-no experience wanting to build their dream 100w amp before ever having soldered a tube socket?
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how often do we see somebody with little-to-no experience wanting to build their dream 100w amp before ever having soldered a tube socket?
Oh boy, ain't that the truth of it. :help:
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I hear ya!I was a E.T.FOR THE FEDERAL GOVT FOR 25 YEARS!
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and Extra Terrestrial huh...
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I hear ya!I was a E.T.FOR THE FEDERAL GOVT FOR 25 YEARS!
Me too. 4 years with DOD and 36 years with FAA.
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mikhett, in my experience a big part of the fun (and, the challenge) in building tube guitar amps is in the planning and then sourcing all of the various parts.
The really good news is that Hoffman stocks most of the parts needed. I was overwhelmed with confusion trying to select parts from places like Mouser, or DigiKey. But, Hoffman basically stocks only the types and values of components used in guitar amps. So, it's pretty much foolproof; the only big choice you have to make in his store is what brand of capacitors you want (and, there are no bad choices).
With a few exceptions, I've used Hammond transformers, and Hawk has the best prices. You can spend more on Mercury Magnetics, etc., if you want. Tubes are currently a serious challenge if you don't already have a stockpile. And, that's why a lot of kits are back-ordered.
Chassis and cabinets are easy enough to source, and folks here will make good suggestions based on experience. Mojotone and Guitar Cabinets Direct are good, and zachmdhunter on eBay for chassis. There are lots of others.
Anyway, the project planning and the sourcing of components is now a big part of the hobby for me that I really enjoy. I'll get an idea, start by choosing the tubes and appropriate transformers, and then post my ideas here on the forum. My projects usually go through a bunch of changes due to suggestions and corrections from the experts here. Then, when it's finalized I'll start ordering the parts. This is the stage of the project where I learn the most about what works, and why.
A kit will deprive you of all of that valuable and fun stuff.
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Doug,How come you don't make kits?I know you could out do mojotone & Weber.
I have parts list which are kits
But you get to select the parts you need and not buy the stuff you don't want
Did you look here?
https://hoffmanamps.com/MyStore/catalog/PartsListIndex.htm