5E3 done and finished

[ratgon]

Hey all, I figured that since I turn to you guys for so much help as I'm building an amp (or being reigned in to just focus on ONE amp at times) that these are all really group projects by the time they're done. So it's only fair I let you all see what you've created.

Here's a straight up 5E3 using a Hoffman board, BOM and ephemeral instruction manual via the forums. We put trem in it a few days ago but ultimately felt that was forcing the issue a bit much.

So here she is just as she was originally intended, evidently.

Thanks for all your help and patience

[sluckey]

Well done again. I'm curious... Why is the chassis dropped so far below the top panel?

[ratgon]

Thanks Sluckey! No real reason other than design. I've sorta come at this whole thing the same was I bought gear when I was a kid and signed to a label. I always went form over functionality. I eventually learned my lesson but still love the art and design of package design and such. As long as the amp actually works first and foremost I like playing around with the packaging to make it different and interesting, at least to me.

[ratgon]

I've literally been experimenting in designing a champ level amp fitting into as small a form factor as possible using aluminum and plexi and thin ply or whatever for a while to build cheap and easily to give as Chritmas presents. Like a Pinose but an honest to God simple SE tube amp that sounds great but is ridiculously small and portable. 

[Paul1453]

I've literally been experimenting in designing a champ level amp fitting into as small a form factor as possible using aluminum and plexi and thin ply or whatever for a while to build cheap and easily to give as Chritmas presents. Like a Pinose but an honest to God simple SE tube amp that sounds great but is ridiculously small and portable.

If this is your goal, I have a suggestion.

Instead of a tube rectifier and a 6V6, go SS and modify the circuit for a 6AQ5 instead.
The 6AQ5 is the 6V6's little brother, in a smaller 7 pin bottle.
They are less expensive than a 6V6, and sound just as good, IMO.
Depending on the speaker size used, you can make a ridiculously small and decent sounding tube amp from that. 

[ratgon]

Paul....thnx.  That is a great idea to test out. And yeah, I wasn't married to the champ circuit. I just like the idea of a truly tube mini cigar box type deal. SS rec would be fine. I think they'd make cool Christmas gifts.

[Paul1453]

I just got one of these in yesterday.

I haven't played with it yet.

My plan is to use an old Dell laptop PS that my kids broke the DC plug on.

It supplies 19 VDC @ 3+ A.

I need to make a circuit to drop that down to about 7 VDC for the heaters,
and have a parallel connection to this little board for my B+.   

You'll have to experiment a bit, but there are cheap little OTs that will work for this circuit.   

[ats]

Congrats on getting her finished! how does it sound?  I'm working on my first one . very time consuming i just pick away a little each day even if its one 1 wire.