Amp building for dummies Chapter 1

[Brick]

Once you get an amp up and running, sounding pretty good and have that afterglow of self satisfaction, don't ruin it by:

Deciding to rewire the inputs, neaten up the heater wires, clean up the grounds, change a can cap, swap out the jacks for better ones, replace the used tone pot for a new one, and shorten up the signal wires to the preamp tubes ALL AT ONCE.

You just might:

Wire the ground to hot and visa versa on not one but ALL the input jacks. Fry the resistor on one of the jacks. Swap the hot and ground wires on the tone control. Miswire the B+ voltage. Fry a few wires with your soldering iron....I could go on but my tolerance for self flagulation goes only so far.

Should you decide to ignore this very worthwile advise, however, your troubleshooting skills will improve by leaps and bounds provided you have someone on the other end of a phone line willing to walk you through the process..... and yes....

You will know a lot more about amps than you did before.

[SEK_Hakuna]

He he he....that is funny. Good advice though. If one is cleaning things up after it's all done then do one thing at a time and test between jobs. Makes troubleshooting easier for sure.

[JohnnyCrash]

HAHAHAHA

I need this advice with every single build I do.

I feel a little better now knowing I am not the only guy at the work bench who is a little "slow" in the head!!

[DrewB]

Originally Posted by SEK_Hakuna

If one is cleaning things up after it's all done then do one thing at a time and test between jobs. Makes troubleshooting easier for sure.

True dat! I fought my heater wiring in my 5F1 for awhile and ended up winning the argument by using different wire. Apparently, the wire I was using (thick solid-core) had a weak spot or something. it wasn't broken, but wasn't passing voltage.

[tele-martini]

Sounds like a case of " Not leaving well enough alone". But what the heck we like to tinker, so everyone here was probably guilty of the same thing once or 10 ten times. it also sounds like you took more time and care the first time around.
I'm still tweaking and now rewiring my first build. When I get to the point of up and running,sounds pretty good,basking in the afterglow I think I'll take your advice. Thanks for the humerous story though, I'm having a trying day and I finally cracked a smile after reading your thread.
martini

[Brick]

The really embarassing thing is that I was stone cold sober.

[esteban]

Originally Posted by Brick

The really embarassing thing is that I was stone cold sober.

That's the one thing you wouldn't want to be when working on stuff.

Or so I hear. I'm underage. Really, I don't drink!









No. Seriously. Stop shaking your head.

[getbent]

I have done the equivalent in almost every endeavor I have tried in my life. and I never learn to leave it alone.... I'll bet it still turns out awesome....

Perseverance. it is the only skill I have.

[Sleph]

that's not such a bad trait, Getbent....My grandfather used to say..."you can stretch an ants ass over a kitchen table with a little perseverance"

Thanks for the tip Brick, I'll bare that in mind when my weber kit finally arrives...