Show me your proudest builds

[bigsbybender]

Well, I figured out the electronic part long before I got the cabinet and faceplate part. Some of my proudest builds are pretty sad looking.

I'm with you there....  I focus on the function and tone, and worry little about cosmetics... My favorites will look pretty sad when compared to many of these.

The top amp is a 5E3 variant which was the first amp I built for a customer. I built it as a plain-Jane looking sleeper. The guy walks into a gig with a plain little red box with 3 knobs. Turn it on and it wails! I'm proud of that one as someone bought it...

The lower amp is my 18 Watt Stout variant. It's by far the best amp when overdriven that I have ever owned. I need to redo the faceplate to make her more respectable, but other than that it's the most played amp that I have. I just built the head, some factory in the UK built the 4x12 cabinet. 


j.

[stingray_65]

This forum is the
             best tool on my bench. Thanks to all ! 

+1 to that!

Ray

[eleventeen]

Insanely cool thread!! Amazing individuality, creativity, and craftmanship. Awesome.

[tubeswell]

Chip,

That's one of the best looking Fender clones I've seen! Chassis layout is just beautiful. Well done.   I like your choice in speakers also.

With respect, Tubenit

Meee tooo

Nice one chip 

[DummyLoad]

couple of buttery's and mine...

the compactronator...











our latest... a matchless spin-off - just the pentode channel; built for a friend who wanted it in a rack-mount chassis - we just finished it up this evening. buttery was drooling whilst playing it...    we got lucky and managed between both of our stashes to tube it up with all NOS sylvania tubes. the 4 6BQ5s are black barrel plate. tube compliment is 1-ef86, 1-12ax7, 4-6bq5, and 2-5u4gb. we used the PT and OT out of a wurlitzer organ amp, the choke is a NOS stancor.

[tubeswell]

Proudest backbreaking amp to date - my surfin' monstrosity - a hybridised 5F6A/JTM45/bluesbreaker with a 6G9B trem with AC coupled CF and peculiar reverb (that features 4 types of reverb control). I've never been able to dime this amp, it shakes the windows too much. As with most of my amps to-date, a lot of the stuff I scratch-built myself incl chassis and boards. The trannies were hand made by a good friend of mine

Don't look at all the knobs - it'll just confuse ya

[LooseChange]

Just poke around here...
www.fydamps.com

[tubenit]

Hey LC,

Very very cool stuff you have done! I like your builds alot.

With respect, Tubenit

[tubeswell]

I like your slide show LC. I see you have also found larger eyelets come in quite handy

[LooseChange]

Thanks.  Those eyelets are normal size, the wire is smaller. 

[proaudioguy]

Hey guys,  I would love to see what you have done since this thread!  This should be a sticky!

I was just looking for some gut shots so I could get my lead dress right and stumbled on this thread.  you guys are SO CREATIVE!  I am inspired.  I think when I get this one done I'm going to build another one just so I can do something different.  Kudos to all!

[CraigB]

Here's a DR I just finished





And a little 18w head and 1x12 cab

[phsyconoodler]

Damn! Those are seriously nice amps!That Fendery build is killer looking!And the 18 watt lite is to die for!

Wow guys!

[jojokeo]

Finished this one in the beginning of last year. A scratch build called Wildcat some may remember? You have a choice of "Vintage", "Marshall", or "Fender" multi-stage gain structure on a 3-way switch, TMB tonestack or switched/bypassed "Tweed" voicing, with power scaling VVR volume control into EL34/KT77/6L6.

[CraigB]

You all are an insanely talented group of individuals!  The woodworking, metalwork, clean wiring, inventive circuits and bitchin' layouts, etc., this thread has it ALL.  Keep 'em coming!

[HotBluePlates]

Craig: Is that radio grill cloth on your amps? Just wondering how easy (or wasn't) to secure it in place. The stuff I've seen is more "cloth" than the woven plastic of normal guitar amp grill cloth.

[The_Gaz]

And Craig, where on  Earth did you get those cable 'anchors' for the power cord? Those are really simple looking, and I can't seem to find them anywhere!

[Leevi]

I like very much the circuit of this amp where the preamp is based on both
12AX7s and EF86. The power amp is 2xEL84 used in VOX AC15 Matchless Lightning.
A more powerful version can be done by adding two power tubes. The amp is
then close to VOX AC30/Matchless DC30.
/Leevi

http://www.rikstone.com/

[Platefire]

My first amp build and first cab build back in 2001 will always be special to me--even though I later put the brass corners on to cover up my faulty corners on my first tolex job.

[CraigB]

Craig: Is that radio grill cloth on your amps? Just wondering how easy (or wasn't) to secure it in place. The stuff I've seen is more "cloth" than the woven plastic of normal guitar amp grill cloth.

No, that stuff is plastic.  $1.29 for enough to do both cabinets at the local electronics place.  They had a whole bunch of different styles of radio cloth, so I picked up some of that too since it was cheap.  I'm not sure exactly what I'll use it for, but have you ever seen what AES gets for that stuff?  I felt compelled to buy it 

[CraigB]

And Craig, where on  Earth did you get those cable 'anchors' for the power cord? Those are really simple looking, and I can't seem to find them anywhere!

I think those came off an old Peavey SS amp someone gave me for parts.  Probably the most useful parts I got from that one!

[pullshocks]

Here's my ODS build from the old Hybrid Rev A schematic.  The photo does not do justice to the wood color--actually a rich brown walnut (1/8th" veneer on poplar plywood except the figured piece which is solid.)




And my most recent, built from AX84 schematics--blues preamp and 5W SE power amp.  It also has the AX84 October studio effects loop partially wired up back in the back.  Not the most beautiful cosmetically, but I love the sound of the 7199 and 12AU7.  Due to limited space I decided on point to point rather than the usual turret board layout, but I hate terminal strips so I made up some mini turret strips and boards to suit the layout I wanted.

[bruno]

Cool build, is that a hammond chassis! If not could you give me some more info, I'm looking for a chassis of that kind.

[supro66]

1966 supro 6420 my first







Look at Dougs Schmatics and it is there

[CraigB]

Cool build, is that a hammond chassis! If not could you give me some more info, I'm looking for a chassis of that kind.

THanks Bruno, that's a Hammond 16x8x3, I believe

[CraigB]

Am I the only one building pink amps!?   

Oh my!  That's fantastic 

[CraigB]

Ah,what the heck!
  Here's a set of twins that I'm proud of.

Now that, that is beauty x2

[TIMBO]

Nothin wrong with that build.

[TubeGeek]

Finished a new project tonight.  This is a Princeton Reverb circuit in an African mahogany cabinet.  Speaker is a Weber 12F125A.

I wish I could keep this one.  It is a gift from a wife to her husband for their 35th wedding anniversary.  Nice gift eh!?

I am very pleased with how it turned out.

[sluckey]

I bet it has a naturally swirly sound.

[tubenit]

Tubegeek,

That is beautiful!     Nicely done!

Tubenit

[Fresh_Start]

Pullshocks - I love your ODS build.  Vunderbar! 

Tubegeek,

That is beautiful!     Nicely done!

Tubenit

Hear, hear!  That cab is gorgeous!!!  I love the brass plates supporting the long chassis bolts. 

That man has a most excellent wife.  Either that or she's feeling really guilty about something... 

Cheers,

Chip

[TubeGeek]

The chassis straps are actually made from walnut!

[hokenpoke]

I need for my wife to get me one of those!  That is really nice work!

[moonbird]

5E3 Deluxe

Wow -- that is a beautiful color on that cab. What stain and finish is that if I may ask? thx.

[TubeGeek]

It's a combination of two stains to get the red.  I don't recall the exact mix that was used.  Then it has a satin poly coating too.

[proaudioguy]

Nice work!

[terminalgs]

my latest two builds.  The one on the left is based on a one channel Deluxe 6G3 and has an 8" alnico (external speaker out get used a lot!), the trapezoidal one on the right is based on a Deluxe 5E3 and has a 10" alnico.   Both have upper and lower chassis designs due to the small cabinets.

The 6G3 uses 7C5's and a 7F7 instead of 6V6s and a 12AX7 PI. the 7C5 is a loctal 6V6, and the 7F7 is a loctal 6SL7.  I'm very pleased with these, especially the 7C5s.

[Blind Lemon]

Not all of them but a few..........and like Grandma says"I don't have a favorite.....I love all my kids the same"

[sluckey]

Blind Baby, where you been? I'm at 261 days and counting. 

[Blind Lemon]

I'm extremely happy for you, now quit rubbing it in............... 'bout ten years here.  

BL

[mresistor]

Wow! I am humbled. This thread is full of some of the nicest amp builds I have seen. Really nice.. 

Here's one of mine..

[Fresh_Start]

I love the blonde Champ head.

Chip

[eleventeen]

LOL, your "Champ" looks like "Chomp" if you scan it quickly. Which is great!

[jerrydyer]

this is a 2 channel 1-12 combo 18 watts 2 6v6. diode recto. one channel is vox like the other is dumble ish

[tubenit]

That is a VERY cool amp!!!   I like it.

Regarding

18 watts 2 6v6. diode recto. one channel is vox like the other is dumble ish

Can you describe the dumblish channel somewhat, please?   Like a Vox clean with dumblish OD? 

Or are you saying Vox  &  then dumblish clean with dumblish OD? 

I'm really curious.

Did the amp covering come from Gary's Upholestry?

With respect, Tubenit

[SleepLess]

This is the one I'm the proudest of. I have been building amps (+27 and counting) and this one stands out. It's the one I gig with, my own 1987 replica.

[smackoj]

So many great looking amplifiers. God bless America; land of the free, home of the brave, and birthplace of tube amp art.

A man with a hobby is a man with a purpose. laying on a couch watching Archy Bunker, the Fonz and Richie Cunningham is not a hobby.

Laying on a beach in Cancun may be a hobby, but I prefer the safety and tranquility of my workshop and my tool shed. I never contracted Montezuma's Revenge from wiring the heaters on a 1987 Plexi box.

 

[Jack_Hester]

I am truely envious of the woodworking skills that you fellows have.  I have no such skills.  I can work metal, but I can't cut a straight line on a piece of wood.  So, I look for projects that already have the wood intact.  This is one that I did a while back:





It was not my first scratch-built, but it was my first push-pull that I 'borrowed' ideas from Gibson, Fender, and a couple other old amps.  The guys here coached me on the rough spots.  Everything turned out really well, so as my wife says about all men (we are actually all boys), I "conquered it and put it in the pile with the other toys".  Then on to more, that have need to be conquered. 

I do have two more similar (minus speaker cabs), that are the same model of Setchell-Carlson.  One is very complete, with a nice cabinet.  I have never powered it up, as I don't have a schematic and did not want to do so, until I knew more about it.  Good fortune led me to another of the same model, minus the cab, and highly hacked.  It had a diagram of the OT, rolled up in the chassis amongst the components.  So now, I have the impedance of each OT tap that I can use to connect a speaker cab to the good amp.  I suppose that I could have pulled the power tubes and brought it up on the limiter. 

Anyway, I plan to use the hacked one for some type of effects build.  The Dorf Vibrato is one thought, as it only has five tubes.  Or, maybe a Tremolo and/or Reverb.  Is there such a thing as a tube version of an octave doubler/shifter?  If that is the proper name for it. 

I thought to put it on a wooden platform with the same for end caps.  It would clean up nice.  It still has the original iron that I can use. 

Jack

[jerrydyer]

That is a VERY cool amp!!!   I like it.

Regarding

18 watts 2 6v6. diode recto. one channel is vox like the other is dumble ish

Can you describe the dumblish channel somewhat, please?   Like a Vox clean with dumblish OD? 

Or are you saying Vox  &  then dumblish clean with dumblish OD? 

I'm really curious.

Did the amp covering come from Gary's Upholestry?

With respect, Tubenit

I migth be able to scan and post a schem on the dumble side. actually its a trainwreck type circuit but then i used the local feedback loop trick and brough one of tha values way low and I like the results. I had guys at the amp shows saying whats with all the sustain. It holds it for as long as you want

the vox side is almost dead on vox preamp but then into the 6v6 power with typical marshall 50 watt bias circuit and PI specs. I did do the 50k revers pot on the 470 ohm in PI.
a mp dni