Wire awg question?

[timcrawlin]

I'm slowly buying the parts to build a tube amp, and I was wondering about wire size. The amp calls for 20 awg, and I found some 14 awg. Would that make a difference. The in mind is the MOD 102. THANKS

[guiltless]

I think you will find 14awg to be too thick. I use 20awg solid core everywhere. You can use 18awg on heaters and 22awg everywhere else but I find it is easier to buy all one size and 20awg is big enough.

[printer2]

Even 22 gauge would be fine for heaters.

[celeste]

Even 18ga gives you trouble in some sockets. 22ga will do everything you need in your MOD. In bigger amps with big power tubes and lots of preamp tubes, 22ga can be to light, but I don't recall a common guitar amp that 20ga would not do everything safely.

[telex76]

14 awg would be very hard to work with. wouldn't thread through the pins on some sockets.
Only use for 14 awg would be speaker wires possibly.

[jhundt]

@Celeste - the wire they are selling here in Europe for amp building is 24 gauge. I guess everyone is happy with it. It sounds pretty skinny to me, but then I always used old cloth-covered pre-tinned stranded wire that I stripped out of discarded TV sets. Do you think there is any problem with this stuff for an amp in the 5E3 range? I don't plan to use it for the heaters, I'll probably use 18 or 20 for those.

[Dave1234]

Originally Posted by jhundt

@Celeste - the wire they are selling here in Europe for amp building is 24 gauge. I guess everyone is happy with it. It sounds pretty skinny to me, but then I always used old cloth-covered pre-tinned stranded wire that I stripped out of discarded TV sets. Do you think there is any problem with this stuff for an amp in the 5E3 range? I don't plan to use it for the heaters, I'll probably use 18 or 20 for those.

jhundt,

I have found an AWG to metric conversion chart here: http://www.technick.net/public/code/..._awg_to_metric

You can look at the differences between 22 and 24 AWG, in a format you are more likely get the hang of and therefore hopefully reach a satisfactory descision

[motor_city_tele]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/200463224261...84.m1438.l2649


I bought one of these. After six amps I still seem to have most of it left.
All wire is new.

[rsi106]

14 AWG is gigantic for wiring an amp. Like the others said, 18-22 is typical. I usually don't use 18 even for heaters. 24 seems a bit small, I've never used it for amps.

Also pay attention to the other attributes...solid vs. stranded and the coating.

Solid core will keep its shape when you bend it, etc. Stranded won't, but is more flexible. Teflon coating is good if you are inexperienced with a soldering iron because it won't burn easily. Some PVC coatings will melt readily if you keep the iron near it.

[jhundt]

@Dave1234 - thanks for the link; that's exactly the same chart that I was looking at when I realized that the wire they were selling was 24 gauge. I haven't read anything in the newspaper about home-built amps burning up, so I guess it's OK.

[Dave1234]

My 5e3 is all 22awg apart from the heaters, which are 18. I think it is generously overrated in this particular instance as I am running stock: 2 x 6v6, 1 x 12ay7and 1 x 12ax7. Not exactly pushing it hard?

[printer2]

Even with big beefy tubes the most current you would run in an amp circuit is 200mA. The 24 gauge would hardly notice it at the length the wire is. You could get away with it also for tube heaters if you did not daisy chain the heaters but ran to them individually. Even a couple of preamp tubes together would be fine. A good table to have.

http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

[Dave1234]

Originally Posted by printer2

Even with big beefy tubes the most current you would run in an amp circuit is 200mA. The 24 gauge would hardly notice it at the length the wire is. You could get away with it also for tube heaters if you did not daisy chain the heaters but ran to them individually. Even a couple of preamp tubes together would be fine. A good table to have.

http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm

That is one seriously useful table, thanks for posting Printer!

Sent from my iPad using TDPRI

[printer2]

Originally Posted by Dave1234

That is one seriously useful table, thanks for posting Printer!

Sent from my iPad using TDPRI

Not a bad irea to derate the capacities shown a bit for the heat in an amp. Still it gives a good reference.

[BobbyZ]

I've been useing wire salvage from organs and a Univox accordian tone generator. None of it's cloth covered and some of it's stranded but tinned so it kind of acts like solid wire.
I have used the cloth stuf Weber sells but it's a royal pain to strip.

[timcrawlin]

Thanks alot Motor_City for the link. Just bought them, and the thing is I can use the wire for mor then just amp building.

[6942]

I prefer to use either 18 or 20 solid core wire.
Way easier to solder IMHO, than stranded wire.

[telex76]

Originally Posted by BobbyZ

I've been useing wire salvage from organs and a Univox accordian tone generator. None of it's cloth covered and some of it's stranded but tinned so it kind of acts like solid wire.
I have used the cloth stuf Weber sells but it's a royal pain to strip.

Not sure I understand what you mean when you say the cloth wire is hard to strip. You know its called pushback wire? You just cut it to length and push the cloth back from where you want to make the connection and solder. You don't strip it, I'm sure its a mess if you try to.

Sorry, if we aren't talking about the same thing.

[BobbyZ]

Tolex have you had any luck doing that with the Weber wire?

I don't know if I tried to push it back now or not it's been a few years. But I have heard alot of guys hate the wire Weber sells. Maybe they're all as dumb as me IDK.

[guitjopicka]

That's because weber's isn't true push back cloth wire. You do have to strip it with super sharp strippers. I actually keep a lighter around to singe off the frayed ends... Probably taboo... Bit it's what I've done. I don't plan on usuing cloth wire anymore unless someone is looking for it specifically though. Teflon all the way!