Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum

Amp Stuff => Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs => Topic started by: owen on August 15, 2023, 11:09:48 am

Title: DIY amp with distortion+reverb suggestions
Post by: owen on August 15, 2023, 11:09:48 am
A colleague has seen the 7 or 8 amps I've cloned/built and wants one. He wants switchable distortion channel AND spring reverb though...

Any suggestions of things to clone easily? I can't think of much.

I'm fine cloning things, have built a couple marshalls and brown fenders (super, tremolux, bandmaster) for complexity, but I'm not a designer or engineer.

Preferably lower watt, single 12" combo (extremely tricky for chassis space).

have had zero luck convincing to use pedals to shape distortion instead.

I might pass, but I like the challenge.
Title: Re: DIY amp with distortion+reverb suggestions
Post by: roseblood11 on August 15, 2023, 12:34:59 pm
My first amp had a similar concept - Carvin Vintage 33. Search for the schematic, just to copy the basic concept, including the relais switching and the 1-tube reverb. The clean channel was nice, and quite unique with its baxandall tonestack. The distortion channel was mediocre. But both weren`t worth cloning them...  I`d suggest to take the distortion channel from the Friedman Smallbox or Runt 20 etc, add a Fender blackface clean channel and a 2*EL84 or 2*6V6 power amp, fixed bias with switchable NFB.
A different, but very interesting concept is the "Damocles" by Chasingtone. You could add a footswitch option with one of the available kits.