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Hoffman Amps Forum image Author Topic: hi new here ,one of my hobbies  (Read 7586 times)

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Offline cigarboxblues

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hi new here ,one of my hobbies
« on: April 12, 2010, 01:59:39 pm »
hi guys 1 of my many hobbies .
i will start slowly .
this is one of my recent new hobbys cigarbox guitars.
i love the sound of them.
looking to now make myself a little tube amp to play them over.
so bored with the curcuit solid state amps
think that will be a longer process tho,but always learning 
well i have lots hobbies anyway and love to learn new :smiley:
The best things in life are free

Offline tubesornothing

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Re: hi new here ,one of my hobbies
« Reply #1 on: April 12, 2010, 08:48:59 pm »
Well that is cool.  What do you use for a pickup?  I could totally see a tweed champ amp powering one of those guitars.

Offline stingray_65

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Re: hi new here ,one of my hobbies
« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2010, 11:31:50 pm »
oh Yeah!
+1 on the Champ.

almost as simple as a cigarbox geetar.

Most folks use a piezo x-tal from radio shack for the PUP, they work pretty good and only cost a couple bux.

I'll have to snap a shot of my Honduran resonator. 4 strings of pure delta blues.
My mind is aglow with whirling, transient nodes of thought careening through a cosmic vapor of invention (H. Lamarr)

Offline cigarboxblues

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Re: hi new here ,one of my hobbies
« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2010, 05:46:56 am »
thanks guys ,and yes i like the reveiws and sound of the fender tweed champ.
and the sound of that 4 string resonator guitar sounds sweet .
also yes its basically a tranducer piezo pickup ,nothing fancy as yet.
get a pack of 5 for a few pound over here,so plenty for the next project.
it was making them that well after many many years playing guitars on solid state amps.
has really shown me well i think their rubbish ,spent lots of money and well to be honest,
i think they can hold a guitarist back,and i can say that with not plugging into a tube yet.
so well iam at my learning mode yet again lol ,and well here to learn and hopefully
after all the studying im doing ,and well its been a long time i hope to acheive somthing,
and well thats to put my solid amps in the closet lol  :smiley:
The best things in life are free

Offline stingray_65

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Re: hi new here ,one of my hobbies
« Reply #4 on: April 13, 2010, 12:34:37 pm »
From the sounds of things you're handy with tools.
No math is needed to build a tweed champ/princeton. it's been done years ago and rehashed a million times since.
Skills you'll need,
be able to build a sturdy box/ cabinet
bend a metal box for the amp chassis or aquire one
drill holes acuratly in chassis
able to drill larger holes for tube  sockets ( 3/4" to 1 1/8")
able to cut  a square hole into chassis for tranny mount
Solder skills naturally
Patients ( liberal amounts required at times)
OH!!!
most important, You have to understand that the voltages in Tube equipment is LETHAL!
read around and ask a bit about it, we like people to not die in the quest for tonal supremecy.

Rest assured, most guys here would be happy to walk you through each step if you need it or just a leg up to get you over a hurdle. but those champ?princetons are so easy and straight forward to buld, you'll have no problems.
Out of bordom last year, I built a champ on a block of plywood and used brass finishing nails for solder connections. took half a day, most of the time was spent gathering up parts out of my bins
My mind is aglow with whirling, transient nodes of thought careening through a cosmic vapor of invention (H. Lamarr)

Offline cigarboxblues

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Re: hi new here ,one of my hobbies
« Reply #5 on: April 15, 2010, 02:15:59 pm »
well stingray i have been looking and looking at champ schametics
reading and reading .and as much as i see the layout their well i do think i need to start to place parts.
i have thought of a simple board as you say and lay out a single 12ax7 schametic i have seen.
but well as i keep hearing the voltages etc are holding me back a little.
even tho from child hood ive messed around with wires in back of tvs understand well how to sat out equipment etc,and well yes tools and genral building i can turn my hand to pretty much anything.
i do think i need to get a good supply of nessasary parts together on hand ,
and just sit down and work it out over a board see it for what it is.
i know the case etc shouldnt be a problem .and well in the end i will be taking my marshall speeker out
or even use that cabinet iam unsure of ,but ive never been happy with that,or would their be a source of certain parts in that see iam just unsure ,or do i wait buy a straight up kit for my first to get the knowledge under my belt ,one thing i do have is the time tho and more time than not now iam reading about them lol.
but well iam stuboarn and will get their ! thanks  :smiley:
The best things in life are free

 


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