swamp_thing Posted June 13, 2007 Report Share Posted June 13, 2007 Well, I have not spent much time around here in awhile now and for good reason. I have taken to trying to learn about electronics and have built a few tube radios, and now have moved on to building tube amplifiers. Here are a few pictures of my works. All are built from scratch, using fender designs except substituting solid state rectifiers. This has been a big learning experience and having completed amps that work well is quite rewarding. The red amp is a somewhat copy of a fender champ. The other amp and the chassis picture are my version of a tweed deluxe. Hope you enjoy seeing these. swamp_thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cold shot Posted June 14, 2007 Report Share Posted June 14, 2007 yo swamp thing, what kind of guitar are ya plugging in yer amp. I use a fender strat, and an Ibenez acuostic w/ dean markley p.u. what's yer wattage output? Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swamp_thing Posted June 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 Right now I am playing a washburn OE30 Delta King but I am about to build a telecaster kit. The red champ amp is about 6 watts, (single ended) and the 5e3 style is 12+ watts, (push-pull). I have just completed a vibro champ model build and am finishing a cab for it now. Have built 5 or six different amps to date, all with SS rectifier but all else tube. I use the SS rectifier diodes simple because some time back I ordered 100 of them and ended up with 500. Also they don't have the sag of a tube rectifier. While I have no intentions of ever trying to clone these amps in looks and electronics like many folks do, I do like the fender amp sound and so use their basic design for my amps. When I do get the telecaster kit, a Saga, done I will post a picture. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cold shot Posted June 15, 2007 Report Share Posted June 15, 2007 years ago, a co-worker bought a car from me and couldn't pay for it so he gave me his guitar. It's an Austin, black onxe with mother of pearl inlay around the neck and box. We tuned it and put it away for 5 months w/o playing it when we took it out, it was still in tune. A sweet guitar. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinkerfive Posted June 17, 2007 Report Share Posted June 17, 2007 Swampy Will you only be building guitar amps? Some day you might think about building a stereo amp. I knew a guy once that was into tube (stereo) amps, the music did have a unique quality to it. I see that you are bending up your own chassis. I had found a 'vice grip' type tool ( tin workers ?) that has a 4" wide jaw. I use it all the time when I'm fabricating something out of sheet metal. You really want no sag out of your power supply? Hang the highest microfarad 200v capacitor you can off of the output of your bridge rectifier. Are my eyes deceiving me, or do you have a fused neutral? I think the color is off in the photo somewhat but it looks like you are using European color coded power cord. Green = ground, blue = neutral , brown = hot. It looks like the blue (neutral ) wire is going to the fuse. It should be the brown ( hot ) wire that is fused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swamp_thing Posted June 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2007 tinkerfive Well, quiet honestly I don't know where the building will lead me. Since I have also done some building with radios, it is possible that the next step may well be stereo amps. As for the metal bending, this is one of my first chassis for these, and with the poor outcome I have devised somewhat of a metal break to bend future ones. I am still working out the details on it, but I have made it from angle iron so I can get better clean bends. Also, you made me question myself on the power cord so I just went back and checked it with an ohms meter. Although the blue wire is indeed hooked to the fuse it is also the hot wire. These cords are surplus computer cords, and they are shielded as well. I don't know what they used as a code on color with these leads and that is the reason I went back and rechecked myself. Good observations, I know you took time to look it over. Thanks for the suggestions and comments. They are much appreciated!! Now, I think I will check some of my other plugs too since you really have me thinking about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cold shot Posted June 17, 2007 Report Share Posted June 17, 2007 swamp thing. next thing you know you'll be working with transistors and going digital. I got a lot of old p.b amps in storage, when I get the time, i'll dig em out and post some pick . If you want em then we canmake arrangements to ship em to ya. the amps you built look cool. it's all old school stuff, ya know before digital amps. Dave in ca. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swamp_thing Posted June 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2007 Funny I started out working with transistors on a very small scale and quickly reverted back to the tube age. (Some might say stone age) I do find a special fondness to the tube sound and qualities. Largely inefficient in todays standards but still a quality in itself. I am always interested in amp stuff. When you find time to get them rounded up I would certainly have an interest in them. I appreciate very much the offer. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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