Amp kit opinions

I really just started playing around with putting together some home made pedals and am getting myself psyched up to do an amp. I'm still very novice but I have a few bucks on the paypal account and thought I'd blow it on a reasonably priced, $200-$300, amp kit while I've got the resources.

A couple options I found are MOD amp like this one...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/120834287132?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

or this 5E3 kit seems like a pretty good deal...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/130688857994?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649


Seems like the 5e3 kit is the more logical way to go, more bang for the buck and a more practicle and usable amp, but I am trying to avoid unexpected gotchas.

Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!

the MOD kit includes the transformer (expensive part!)
where as the boothill kit DOES NOT include the transformers, so you will be looking at buying them separately for a good bit of $$$$

I just noticed that Cafe, so the next move is to figure out how much those will cost.

From you post it sounds like that may push the project cost out of range.

Cabinet, Speaker, Tubes and Transformers are NOT included.

You can live without a cabinet and/or speaker (especially if you already have one.). But you will not have a functioning amp without transformers and tubes (which also happen to be the most expensive components of an amp.)

So be sure to factor those into your budget.

A good option for transformers are the ClassicTone series from Magnetic Components.

http://www.classictone.net/Fender-Style-Transformers.html#anchor_1752

About $68.00 plus shipping.

That ebay 5E3 kit is one of mine. I am offering that kit for $175 plus shipping to TDPRI members. You can pay phone orders by credit card or I will send you a paypal invoice.

Even considering the separate purchase of xformers, my kit is less expensive than anything else out there. It is also a good quality kit. I offer personal phone and email support.

If it is your first amp build, I recommend the 5F1 Champ kit.

There are fewer parts, fewer connections and fewer things to go wrong. They are easier to troubleshoot.

If, after phone and email support, you cannot get your amp kit working, you can send it back to me and I will rebuild it or fix it for a reasonable fee. (Happened just once so far).

Xformers add a lot of weight to the kit. Everybody around here knows what they cost. I can't get any better price than you can because I am not a major buyer. Ergo, if I have xformers shipped to me. I pay for shipping. Then I ship them again to you. Where's the mark up? The shipping ate it. Then, what if you have transformer issues?

Any case, a transformer set with shipping runs about $90 or just under. There are several suppliers that are good. www.TriodeElectronics.com has Classic Tone. There's Weber. They carry Heyboer, Weber Brand, and MM. There's Antique Electronics Supply. There's Mojotone. There's Tube Depot. All good outfits.

From these vendors, it is easy to identify the transformers required for the 5E3. They are called Tweed Deluxe or Deluxe and/or 5E3. The bolt holes (mounting centers) of the power transformer are typically identified as 2 1/4" x 2 13/16" Be careful that you check these dimensions as some PT's are different. Though, most PT's are the size indicated here.

It is worth mentioning that you can build 80 percent of your 5E3 amp kit without having the transformers present.

This helps with budgeting concerns. Get your kit. Start building it.

Order your Classictone or Antique Electronic Supply transformers a week or so later.

IME, these two companies have great products AND very fast shipping with no delays.

Thanks Hack,

I appreciate the response and the discount!!!

I understand the 5F1 concept, and won't argue the logic, but thought I would be more interested in owning and using the 5E3 and am even interested in the Prodeluxe upgrade. Luckily I do have friends I can lean on for support although I am kind of stubborn and will try to handle it all myself.

Just can't wait to burn the garage down! :lol:

I do appreciate the email or phone support too.

I can stretch to $300 so I will be ok with the amp and transformers and will get the tubes later.

I have started on a cab and was planning on loading it with a Celestion Greenback unless you would recommend something different.

I have the $ on my Paypal account and would like to buy it today. I'll call and place an order.

Thanks

James

For the best bang for the buck, I'd recommend Triode's Classic Tone transformers. They have some great kits and other parts as well.
http://store.triodestore.com/classictone.html

Thanks T-luxe!

I thought I should post regarding my experience so far with Dave from Boot Hill amps.

First, with a name like Boot Hill amps, like the barbeque sauce commercial, I would have expected them to be in Texas. But I won't hold that against them!

Dave helped helped me out on his day off, the presence of kids making it, um....a little more challenging for him. But he answered my questions, took my order, and put my questions regarding the right OT and PT into an email so I would be certain to get the right parts. I've already recieved a shipping notification.

So far I can say his service has been above and beyond.

Thanks Dave!

...
Xformers add a lot of weight to the kit. Everybody around here knows what they cost. I can't get any better price than you can because I am not a major buyer. Ergo, if I have xformers shipped to me. I pay for shipping. Then I ship them again to you. Where's the mark up? The shipping ate it. Then, what if you have transformer issues?

Any case, a transformer set with shipping runs about $90 or just under. There are several suppliers that are good. www.TriodeElectronics.com has Classic Tone. There's Weber. They carry Heyboer, Weber Brand, and MM. There's Antique Electronics Supply. There's Mojotone. There's Tube Depot. All good outfits.

From these vendors, it is easy to identify the transformers required for the 5E3. They are called Tweed Deluxe or Deluxe and/or 5E3. The bolt holes (mounting centers) of the power transformer are typically identified as 2 1/4" x 2 13/16" Be careful that you check these dimensions as some PT's are different. Though, most PT's are the size indicated here.

It is worth mentioning that you can build 80 percent of your 5E3 amp kit without having the transformers present.

This helps with budgeting concerns. Get your kit. Start building it.

Order your Classictone or Antique Electronic Supply transformers a week or so later.

IME, these two companies have great products AND very fast shipping with no delays.

That sounds like a very honest and straightforward explanation that makes good sense. Even if you did get a volume break on iron it would have to be significant to make up for the double shipping expense.

IMO you might want to add something like that as a statement in your ebay listings. Maybe as a FAQ, and include a list of suggested tranformers/sellers in the kit.

I really just started playing around with putting together some home made pedals and am getting myself psyched up to do an amp. I'm still very novice but I have a few bucks on the paypal account and thought I'd blow it on a reasonably priced, $200-$300, amp kit while I've got the resources.

A couple options I found are MOD amp like this one...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/120834287132?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

or this 5E3 kit seems like a pretty good deal...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/130688857994?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649


Seems like the 5e3 kit is the more logical way to go, more bang for the buck and a more practicle and usable amp, but I am trying to avoid unexpected gotchas.

Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!

I bought one of these kits and then spent another $100+ to get the transformers. I already had tubes on hand. I didn't like the tube sockets, so ordered them as well.

Here's a suggestion if you are gigging: Look at the Weber kits, specifically the 5E3X2. It is a 5E3 but has another pair of 6V6s for 30-40W, depending on what rectifier used. I built one and upgraded the power supply capacitors per the Gerald Weber suggestion. I'm gigging with this amp and it is loud, clean and warm. I use a Boss GT10 in front of it for reverb, delay, other effects, compression and volume pedal. I use a pair of Jensen neo 12" 4-ohm speakers in series. Here's a link:
https://taweber.powweb.com/store/kits_50a.htm#5E3X2

Thanks Spangler,

I really appreciate the input. At this point I have already bought the kit and am just waiting for the transformers to arrive.

I don't expect this to be my last project, only my first.

I do not plan on gigging with this amp. I am going to put it in a nice wood box for show off value. I'll drag the oem amps to gigs and let them take the wear and tear.

I intend on adding a tube reverb as well at some point....and a spectrum analyzer....and waving flags with fireworks....and, and , and...

Ok seriously, I bought a Celestion Greenback for the speaker. It may be herresy to put a British speaker with a classic American amp but I love the way that speaker sounds in my Vox ac15c1 so I thought I would go with it.

I am using the "Proluxe" design, so it will be a more powerful amp. I like having enough clean headroom.

Proluxe has lots of power. It is cheaper to operate (and build) than a four-power-tube 5E3. Fewer tubes.

No doubt though, the four-6v6 5e3 is a very fine amplifier, indeed.

The Greenback is a great choice for the Proluxe.

That amp is going to kick arse.

Thanks Spangler,

I really appreciate the input. At this point I have already bought the kit and am just waiting for the transformers to arrive.

I don't expect this to be my last project, only my first.

I do not plan on gigging with this amp. I am going to put it in a nice wood box for show off value. I'll drag the oem amps to gigs and let them take the wear and tear.

I intend on adding a tube reverb as well at some point....and a spectrum analyzer....and waving flags with fireworks....and, and , and...

Ok seriously, I bought a Celestion Greenback for the speaker. It may be herresy to put a British speaker with a classic American amp but I love the way that speaker sounds in my Vox ac15c1 so I thought I would go with it.

I am using the "Proluxe" design, so it will be a more powerful amp. I like having enough clean headroom.

Proluxe looks like an excellent choice! I hope to hear how it works for you because I may want to build one. It will be interesting to learn how it compares to the 5E3X2 since the latter has cathode bias. Mine has so much gain that, in order to tame it a little and improve the clean headroom, I was advised to use a 5751 in V1 instead of a 12AX7..that was a great suggestion. If/when I build one, I will request a 5E3X2 cab sans speakers as I really like the Jensen Neo 12s. In the bias circuit, I like to add a second 220K and 50K pot so each power tube can be biased independently. I did this in my 5F6A and 6A40 kits, using the 6A40 bias schematic but with the additional resistor and pot.

-Hi Dave, can't wait to start on it. Just made some room on my work bench and bought a new iron.

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Hi Spangler,

I'll post a clip when it's done.

-Hi Dave, can't wait to start on it. Just made some room on my work bench and bought a new iron.

------
Hi Spangler,

I'll post a clip when it's done.

Well, I'm interested in how the project is coming along.

Hi Spangler, I just started it last night and it is going well. Sorry for the bad cell phone image. I brought it in to work today to show some friends who are into the same kind of thing and just took the pic.

It went much smoother and quicker than I anticipated considering it's my first. The kit only included the layout from the Weber site which is pretty good actually. There were some bad capacitors in the kit which I replaced but most the components were okay. I also added a couple posts to the turret board to get a little nicer outcome.

Thats as far as I got so far. I won't have time to work on it again till next Wed or Thurs. At this point I am anticipating it will take more time and effort to build the head and speaker cab than the amp.


http://thegreatvoid.net/pics/proluxe.jpg

Which caps were bad and how did you test them?

Sent from my iPhone using TDPRI

Hi Adkima,

They were the 0.1uf.

First I tested them on my own multimeter. One was barely in spec, one was way off spec and the third was dead. Then I had a friend of mine test them, he is an electrical Engineer for NASA and has some pretty high end test gear. He validated my findings.

While it was a little inconvenient I don't really consider it a big deal. Luckily my friend had some on hand which I will replace. I replaced all four just to be safe.

I'm really glad I took the time to test all the parts before mounting them.

The kit is a pretty good price.

Shocking.

They were Mallory, right? I got them from here:
www.tubesandmore.com

Hi Dave, it happens. Life is too short to worry too much about little stuff. I'd have been mad if a lot of the parts were bad but this wasn't too big a deal. The rest all checked out. Good lesson, always test the parts.

I am really enjoying the build. I'm actually doing this backwards. I bought a bunch of parts for building pedals but had enough on my paypal account to buy the kit so I thought I better while I had it. As is turns out I'm just doing the amp first. Not too difficult so far and I'm really looking forward to the finished product. Learning a lot along the way too.

Got to work on it some more last night. Soldered the leads from the turret board, mounted the transformers, had to drill one hole, no big deal, and loosely mounted the hardware. Thats as far as I got. Just too pooped after work to do much more.

Sorry I don't have pic's. I'll post some later.

I decided to put the leads into the turret from the bottom as opposed to wrapping it around the post or going from the top. Probably what most people do for a neater apprearance.

My soldering naivete started showing as I found it harder to solder inside the turret. Apparenetly the inside of the turret doesn't get as hot as the outside and I had some trouble getting the solder to flow into the hole. I finally figured out if I used a few drops of flux first then after the solder started flowing if I heated farther down the post it would draw it in. I think the mechanical connections are good but not as neat as I would prefer.

I do have a noobie question if anyone would care to weigh in. Is there a standard kind of color coding used for the wires? I just used white and orange for most but red for power and green for filament. I probably should have spent a little time researching the question before I started soldering but like I said I was prettty tired and having only one night a week to dedicate to the project I was anxious to jump formward.

Just too pooped after work to do much more.

Man, I know the feeling...

But don't worry too much about asking questions that have been asked (and answered) before. The folks here are very patient, and either answer or post a link, without getting all, "look it up yerself, ijit!" (which I have seen way too much of on other forums).

About the wires, there are all kinds of artistic styles. I went with yellow for southside preamp, green for heaters, red for power... pretty much standard. I also like the uncluttered appearance of connecting to the turrets under the board. But hey! Anything goes, as long as you don't confuse yourself while building. :grin: (I'm considering 'Candy Cane' for heaters on my next build :wink:)

Enjoy that precious time you have to build, and we all get a kick out of helping one another. I'm useless for the technical stuff, but I can at least tell you what I did and why.

charisjapan

Got to work on it some more last night. Soldered the leads from the turret board, mounted the transformers, had to drill one hole, no big deal, and loosely mounted the hardware. Thats as far as I got. Just too pooped after work to do much more.

Sorry I don't have pic's. I'll post some later.

I decided to put the leads into the turret from the bottom as opposed to wrapping it around the post or going from the top. Probably what most people do for a neater apprearance.

My soldering naivete started showing as I found it harder to solder inside the turret. Apparenetly the inside of the turret doesn't get as hot as the outside and I had some trouble getting the solder to flow into the hole. I finally figured out if I used a few drops of flux first then after the solder started flowing if I heated farther down the post it would draw it in. I think the mechanical connections are good but not as neat as I would prefer.

I do have a noobie question if anyone would care to weigh in. Is there a standard kind of color coding used for the wires? I just used white and orange for most but red for power and green for filament. I probably should have spent a little time researching the question before I started soldering but like I said I was prettty tired and having only one night a week to dedicate to the project I was anxious to jump formward.

Keep up the good work. When I run a lead up through the turret, I make it long enough to emerge from the top, bend it over, solder and clip. Seems to work better than trying to get solder to flow down into the turret. Where the turret goes through the board, the heat seems to be shunted, so it works better to solder nearer the top of the turret. Wire color? Fender used a yellowish wire for almost everything. Weber kits include yellow for everything except red for high voltage and green for filaments. I built a Boot Hill 5E3 and it had the colors you mentioned and that's how I wired it, keeping in mind it was not going to be a vintage collectible amp. One of Gerald Weber's books outlines a sequence for assembling an amp. I like it except he recommends wiring the filaments before soldering other wires to the tube sockets. I prefer filament wiring AFTER. I can post it if you want. Keep us posted.

Thanks Charisjapan, I appreciate it.

I guess I assumed the enginerig geeks (geek used as a term with a positive connotation) would have some hard and fast rules. If it comes down to artistic prefernce I think Candy Cane is an excellent choice!

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Thanks Spangler!

I was going to do the filaments last too. Not because I have any great reason for it. I just thought it out that way. I wonder what Webers rational is?

Thanks Charisjapan, I appreciate it.

I guess I assumed the enginerig geeks (geek used as a term with a positive connotation) would have some hard and fast rules. If it comes down to artistic prefernce I think Candy Cane is an excellent choice!

---------------------

Thanks Spangler!

I was going to do the filaments last too. Not because I have any great reason for it. I just thought it out that way. I wonder what Webers rational is?

I don't know. I found that they got in my way on earlier kits. One suggestion he makes is to wire the filaments in phase. He does this by using 2 colors of wire and wires to the same tube socket terminal with same color. I just used my ohmmeter to do this. He claims it helps reduce hum. So, I wired the miniatures in-phase, then the octals in-phase.

Thanks Charisjapan, I appreciate it.

I guess I assumed the enginerig geeks (geek used as a term with a positive connotation) would have some hard and fast rules. If it comes down to artistic prefernce I think Candy Cane is an excellent choice!

---------------------

Thanks Spangler!

I was going to do the filaments last too. Not because I have any great reason for it. I just thought it out that way. I wonder what Webers rational is?

I wired my heaters first based on advice from Bruce Collins at Mission Amps. They are run down against the chassis behind the flange. Worked out just fine, I'd do it the same way again.

I haven't posted on this in a while. Honestly I've been really taking my time with with it. No hurries, just plod along when I get a little extra time. As slow as it's been going I have made some progress.

At this point I have the turret board mounted in the chasis and the transformers and other components mounted. I have soldered the input jacks. This Wednesday I plan on soldering the tone controls and tube sockets.

http://thegreatvoid.net/Web/Avocations/AmpBuild/Proluxe02.jpg

I have also been working on the cabinet. I made it over sized as I was more concerned with making a visual impression than I was carrying convenience.

http://thegreatvoid.net/Web/Avocations/AmpBuild/Stack.jpg

I just started staining it. At first I tried Honey Oak which was an aweful bright yellow. I went over it whith Golden Oak which was better but it didn't stain as evenly as I would like. There were dead spots where the stain didn't want to stick. I plan on lightly sanding it and going over it again.

http://thegreatvoid.net/Web/Avocations/AmpBuild/CabStained.jpg