My thanks for all the cruddy mass market amps!

[bluesbear]

Here's a quote from jojokeo in another topic:

"Most of Fender's stuff is that way and I re-solder as much as I can when inside one, many other amps too for that matter."

I love Fender, Marshall, Mesa-Boogie, etc. If it wasn't for the fact that they've all become pretty much garbage, I wouldn't have been forced to buy that Allen Old Flame kit and would never have contracted G.A.S. I enjoy building amps, particularly of my own design*, more than any hobby I've ever had. So.... I say bless 'em! They've created a market of the people who will always be willing to pay extra for quality. And here we are to fill that need. I can sell a Plexi clone with Doug's hot switch on a footswitchable relay that can withstand the Pete Traynor "throw it off the roof" test for less than Marshall sells their PCB stuff. Even if I never sell another amp, I KNOW I'm better than the "big boys". At 60, that bit of triumphant ego matters. Most of us here can say the same. Hey, I'm just a beginner with limited knowledge compared to most of you.
Keep all this in mind when you're feeling down!
Dave

* By "my own design", I mean the way each part is put together and mix-and-matched. I know all the real design work was pretty much done by the end of the '30's.

[rzenc]

I couldn't agree more... but some folks still need to see the LOGO saying a big name to believe it's good... I firmly believe that lots of people hear with their eyes...

With Respect
Best Regards

Rzenc

[nateflanigan]

Glad I stumbled upon this post, my current build is a total mess.  It can bum you out you know.  Sometimes it's hard not to think what's the point?  Thanks for the positivity!

[stingray_65]

Glad I stumbled upon this post, my current build is a total mess.  It can bum you out you know.  Sometimes it's hard not to think what's the point?  Thanks for the positivity!

Nate,
You're singing to the choir!
Last night I was so close to chucking that TOS build I'm working on. Some where in that 8 pot mess of a control panel I have a wire mis-landed. That clean channel is SOOOO phreaking clean and bell like, if I don't dime anything. 9's all around is just fine, but put one on 10 and I get weirdness. OH! and where I put that duet of 5879's is well beyond me, so I can't even get the OD channel up and dialed in.

I've talked myself out of gutting the whole control panel and re-doing it before, but last night I saw it was inevitable and just sort of lost the wind in my sails.

Today, my 14yr old daughter visited me in my shop and looked at the amp and said she thinks it was beautiful, "all those wires each with its own color and purpose". I'll finish the TOS if for no other reason that my daughter see's that it's important to finish a job LOL That and maybe cause I've got over $500 wrapped up in it already.

Yeah these scratch builds get frustrating, but damn that feeling of knowing you just built one fine amp is REALLY awesome.

Ray

[billcreller]

  I haven't built any this year yet, but I do get great pleasure from building them.  Problem is, I never try to sell them, and when I need room, I just give them to family & friends.  The last ones out the door were a Valco clone, and a 30s Gibson that I restored.

That TOS sounds like a complicated project. Not likely that I would ever wade into one like that, but it sounds like you will get it done OK.

[tubenit]

Last night I was so close to chucking that TOS build I'm working on.

I'll finish the TOS if for no other reason that my daughter see's that it's important to finish a job

Stingray,  I hope you don't give up!  We're rooting for you!

I've been playing guitar since about '65 & the Tweed Overdrive Special is the best sounding amp I have owned, built  or played, IMO.  I love it. I played it with the band last wkend & it sounded fabulous to me.

First amp I built (which was actually a rebuilt Gibby) took me over a 100 hrs plus because a couple of notes caused some weird static problems. It was a brand new resistor that had a broken wire inside the resistor casing under the enamel where I couldn't see it. One particular bass note would cause that wire to vibrate back and forth opening and closing. What a weird problem to have!

Point of the story is that my first venture into amp building was my worst & most difficult trouble shooting. I've rebuilt some amps & gutted two builds and started over to improve them. It was worth in the long haul.

And that was close to 20+ builds ago.    

With respect, Tubenit

[bluesbear]

"Problem is, I never try to sell them, and when I need room, I just give them to family & friends."

Somehow, that doesn't seem like a problem to me. I wish I could afford to do that. Up to my generation, I was the only guitar player. I guess I started something. A few weeks ago, at a family whing-ding at my brother's house, I watch my son and my nephew (taught one, encouraged and showed parts to the other when they were young). They were teaching a grandson and a couple of great-nephews some Led Zeppelin. Your influence can go on forever.
Dave

[nateflanigan]

Slightly off topic but it never hurts to ask.

And that was close to 20+ builds ago.

So, you must be selling these when you're done, either that or you're some kind of Mr. Habbersham of amps.

I can sell a Plexi clone with Doug's hot switch on a footswitchable relay that can withstand the Pete Traynor "throw it off the roof" test for less than Marshall sells their PCB stuff.

And obviously you sell some stuff.  I really love building amps, much more so than studio stuff or pedals but money, space to store them and time to give them the attention they deserve are all limited resources.  So it makes perfect sense to sell stuff.  How do you guys approach that?  Are you just looking to make back costs?  Do you ebay stuff?  I'm pretty far away from building something I'd feel comfortable selling but it seems like a worth while conversation.

[loogie]

I enjoy building amps, particularly of my own design

I don't think there's any reason you can't use the word 'design'.  It applies.  However, if you're squeamish (like I am) you might try 'recipe'.

[tubenit]

So, you must be selling these when you're done, either that or you're some kind of Mr. Habbersham of amps.

Sold some. Built a bunch for friends & family at parts cost with free labor. Built some and then gutted (fully or partially) and rebuilt them into something new.

Down to 3 amps and 2 electric guitars at this point.  With respect, Tubenit

[Ritchie200]

  I haven't built any this year yet, but I do get great pleasure from building them.  Problem is, I never try to sell them, and when I need room, I just give them to family & friends.  The last ones out the door were a Valco clone, and a 30s Gibson that I restored.

Hello pal!  Buddy!  Old FRIEND of mine!  Have I mentioned how much I value our friendship today?

Depending on the build, there is more where this came from...

Jim

[rzenc]

Sometime ago I had the opportunity to make a proper double blind test with some guitar friends regarding a Marshall Plexi reissue side by side with a Hoffman Plexi board and custom iron I put together. I put both behind a curtain, thin enough in order to not disturb high frequency detail. I was the only one who knew which was which and did not let the players know. All the time the Hoffman Plexi got the wow comments while the marshall just got ok comments. However, among 3 guitarrists, 2 of them thought that the great sounding amp was the marshall... I changed cabinets, pretended I changed stuffs sometimes.. you know... I wrote down their impressions and later showed what they said and how they got in contradiction with their own opinions ... the final result is that I ended up building 2 more amps

Best Regards

Rzenc

[Cups]

I would have to say crappy amps brought me to at least dream and read up on building my own. I'm getting there. I've built two 5e3 kits and am looking at improving them.

[zendragon63]

Great post--+1. Maybe Marshall or Crate doesn't appreciate what they really do for us, driving us into this dark underworld of amp building. heh heh heh.


They were teaching a grandson and a couple of great-nephews some Led Zeppelin. Your influence can go on forever.

Amen, brother; if what I have to give back to the world--family and friends--are circuits of resistors, capacitors, transformers and such that make a pleasing sound, I am going to be ok with it. Regards

dennis

[jojokeo]

Great thread Bluesbear. When I said that comment it was just what I've seen in my experiences and not trying to be negative in as much as it positively helps us in fixing their stuff and gives job security besides helping provoke people to try things on their own. I see it as win win unless you are an innocent consumer/player and invest your hard-earned cash for something that's going to break down rather than wear out. And it's not really a matter of if but when and hopefully not in the middle of a gig. That would be Murphy's Law wouldn't it?

I guess I started something. A few weeks ago, at a family whing-ding at my brother's house, I watch my son and my nephew (taught one, encouraged and showed parts to the other when they were young). They were teaching a grandson and a couple of great-nephews some Led Zeppelin. Your influence can go on forever.
Dave

That is awesome!

[bluesbear]

What's interesting (and bizarre) is the way some people cling to a brand name. When I was playing with the band that was doing 3 or 4 nights a week, I was using the Deluxe clone I design specifically for what I was doing in that band (clean and warm, Motownish, 15 watts, small and light). The other guy in the band used a Hot Rod Deluxe. He can afford any amp made, price wouldn't be an object. He was constantly telling me I needed to get a Fender with a warrantee. Luckily, I always carried a spare amp. He had a warrantee and they fixed his amp for him but I had to carry him through the nights when it died. No amp I've built has ever died. He never saw the irony.
Dave

[jojokeo]

Clinging to a brand name is just human nature. We go w/ what's worked for us or what we see working for others we see. It may be because of sound/tone, durability, style, comfort, familiararity, all those things play into it. As I type this, I'm actually thinking of a car, not an amp. How often when you're considering to get another car do buy a Ford, or Toyota, or Chevy, or whatever because of those factors or because mom or dad has had one in the family forever? Same rules apply w/ amps, guitars, etc. these things aren't cheap for most of us and we want to do what we think is best but that may not be the best because we don't know enough about it in detail or do enough research. Whether we make decisions on practicality (most men) or emotion or style (thinking of the wife) - we usually fall back to that safe decsion we feel most comfortable with whether or not it's the best/right decision.

[simonallaway]

I think the attraction to "off the shelf" products made by "real manufacturers" that provide "service" through a warranty comes from not knowing about what's going on inside, and therefore a fear of being left with a dead gadget. That might be the comfort your HRD-owning buddy needs, because he has no idea of a different path.

I used to feel that way about lots of things until I learned how to tweak/repair/build them. In my teens I learned about guitar repair and building. I'm on the first step of the tube amp repair/building ladder, but I know enough to NOT be fooled into buying off-the-shelf as even my little P1 extreme sounds just as "real" as my Marshall.

[jojokeo]

I think that says it all. It's not an amp,. it's a thing.........

I think they are pieces of functional art that will stand the test of time for decades just like the original vintage stuff.

My opinion on the mass marketed stuff is that I think they like things the way it is. That they don't actually want their products to last too long on purpose. They want to keep selling the next best things that won't last too long and it keeps them selling that much more, more often.

Now, if Doug sent me a (black x-large) tee-shirt.  I would wear it.
All it would need to say was "EL34 World", "Hoffman Amps" or "The Best Amplifier Forum on the Planet...Hoffman".

I totally agree! I would wear a (black xxl - to hide my (pale ale) beer gut) t-shirt if sent one too!? hint hint hint...