Newbcaster
Tele-Afflicted
Looking to build an amp.
Best 59 bassman kit on the market?
- Thread starter Newbcaster
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Zachgraves2086
TDPRI Member
I used the Mojotone kit... I’ve built roughly 5 amps using Mojotone kits.. a Blackface SuperReverb, 2 tweed champs, Tweed Bassman, and a Marshall 18watt TMB... All of their kits are awesome and very informative. They also have a help desk troubleshooting department to help if you have issues.
Mojo is a solid choice.
Best on the market? Who all makes these kits... I'm not sure it's a huge field.
Folks might also be able to respond more usefully if we knew: What's your level of build experience?
Best on the market? Who all makes these kits... I'm not sure it's a huge field.
Folks might also be able to respond more usefully if we knew: What's your level of build experience?
Newbcaster
Tele-Afflicted
Very little, but in some small fairness, I've stripped several priuses(prii) and put them back together again.
If I can take apart a prius inverter, drop the engine out... I can do this. Yes, I've done a complete rehash of their hybrid batteries too. 5 times.
I think I can hang...but there's a lot I dontknow.
My thing is cost. I'm Scots-Korean, so nobody get offended when I say I'm genetically parsimonious.
I also want bang for the buck. Like what does it take to get these kits to sound like an actual 59 bassman?
Whatizitman
Poster Extraordinaire
Mojotone and a few others will provide the basic components and instructions.
OTOH, to make an amp sound a certain way takes knowledge and experience. Fortunately, nowadays you can get quite a bit of the former for little to no cost. Start there before shelling out the money for any kit. Or even before deciding what model of amp to build.
mikestearns
Tele-Holic
How much cheaper is it to just source the parts rather than buying a kit?
mikestearns
Tele-Holic
I second this advice. I just recently did my first build (Tweed Champ), and I'm glad I started there and did a lot of reading beforehand rather than my initial idea to start with a more complicated circuit. Being able to just put it together is one thing, but understanding how and amp works and why it works that way will make the experience easier as well as more rewarding.
Whatizitman
Poster Extraordinaire
For the average noobish hobby builder, I would guess it wouldn't be much, if at all.
Experienced builders more likely have spare parts lying around or buy in bulk, know what to source individually and what to avoid, and may have multiple sources to draw from at lower costs due to previously established business and/or relations. The folks who say how little they paid, or how much they saved on a build by sourcing are almost always experienced builders.
And there's shipping issues and costs to consider. It's just nice to be able to get everything from one source.
muchxs
Doctor of Teleocity
I'd start with a Mojotone chassis ($90) and a Mojotone small parts kit ($160).
You can save some serious coin by using Weber VST's import transformers. Save fifty bucks on the PT right away. You can also use their JTM45 OT although they're frequently backordered.
Weber VST's kits aren't what they used to be and they were never as good as Mojotone.
You can save some serious coin by using Weber VST's import transformers. Save fifty bucks on the PT right away. You can also use their JTM45 OT although they're frequently backordered.
Weber VST's kits aren't what they used to be and they were never as good as Mojotone.
First build? Big amps like the 5F6a are sometimes successful as first builds. And sometimes not. Maybe tell us why you're thinking about this amp?
You want the 'best on the market' but 'the thing is cost?' Not logical, Captain.
Also, leaving aside quality, no amp with four speakers is gonna be cheap. Here's the hard fact: Homebuilding doesn't save money, unless you're a good woodworker with a good shop, and even then...
If you do want to cut cost on a build, and you *don't* want the best, then our expert friend @muchxs is right -- but you have to start with a partial kit, know exactly what corners you can cut, and then you have to know what to order and where to source all the other bits. Which brings up:
Self-sourcing. Self-sourcing is gonna save money for guys who know exactly what they need and how to order all of it from just a few sources. Extremely difficult.
You want it to sound as much like the original as possible? Easy in theory. Again, cheap is not gonna help. A good cab, good components, and building the original circuit with updates for safety should do it. In truth the speakers will be the hardest choice.
Have you read Rob Robinette's 5F6a mods page? You *don't* want to do most of those mods if you want the original circuit in a simple-as-possible build. But you should be able to decode the layout and the schematic, and recognize the simple modern safety and value updates on the diagrams compared to the original Fender version.
Finally, you really want to be able to read through Rob's 5F6a planning page on what to leave in and what to leave out. Folks here can advise you, but if you want to do this you'll need to know which of those steps are vital and which ones a first-time, original-circuit build should leave out.
You want the 'best on the market' but 'the thing is cost?' Not logical, Captain.
Also, leaving aside quality, no amp with four speakers is gonna be cheap. Here's the hard fact: Homebuilding doesn't save money, unless you're a good woodworker with a good shop, and even then...If you do want to cut cost on a build, and you *don't* want the best, then our expert friend @muchxs is right -- but you have to start with a partial kit, know exactly what corners you can cut, and then you have to know what to order and where to source all the other bits. Which brings up:
Self-sourcing. Self-sourcing is gonna save money for guys who know exactly what they need and how to order all of it from just a few sources. Extremely difficult.
You want it to sound as much like the original as possible? Easy in theory. Again, cheap is not gonna help. A good cab, good components, and building the original circuit with updates for safety should do it. In truth the speakers will be the hardest choice.
Have you read Rob Robinette's 5F6a mods page? You *don't* want to do most of those mods if you want the original circuit in a simple-as-possible build. But you should be able to decode the layout and the schematic, and recognize the simple modern safety and value updates on the diagrams compared to the original Fender version.
Finally, you really want to be able to read through Rob's 5F6a planning page on what to leave in and what to leave out. Folks here can advise you, but if you want to do this you'll need to know which of those steps are vital and which ones a first-time, original-circuit build should leave out.
dan40
Friend of Leo's
Sourcing your own parts is definitely an option (I do the same) but shipping will quickly add up when you find that you can't get everything you need from one supplier. It will likely take several suppliers to get everything you need to make a complete amp. Also, do not forget about all of the small hardware and fasteners needed to bolt everything together. Mixing different company's parts can also be tricky as some chassis may not have the proper hole spacing for the transformers you decided to use and some board layouts are set up for separate, individual filter caps while others will want you to use cap cans or "dog house" mounted caps. These are just a few things to take into account when planning to do a scratch build yourself.
dan40
Friend of Leo's
I also forgot to mention that one of our members here sell a nice 5f6 kit that you may want to check out.
http://www.boothillamps.com/5F6_Kits.php
http://www.boothillamps.com/5F6_Kits.php
Good point, Dan. Dave at Boothill may be one of the best ways to start with an affordable kit for the small parts, and he says he'll also help you source the big stuff, like transformers, cab, etc.
Newbcaster
Tele-Afflicted
Wow thanks for all the resources guys. A lot of times threads like these devolve into chastisement of the noob for the sheer pleasure of it. I'm glad people were able, instead, to point me in the right direction.
Some one asked why this amp. Couple of reasons, but mainly some young kid on youtube has one and it sounds like heroin and maple syrup. Matthew Scott is his name.
I've got a super twin reverb, 60s supro thunderbolt, 3 Marshall's, 3 crate billygibbons, another Marshall Joe satriani model.
But I dont have a 59 bassman.
I do have about 1000 board feet of bone dry douglas fir and pine. It's likely gonna be a solid wood cabinet.
I've got a tremendous amount of reading to do I'm sure.
But hey, keep the advice coming. I certainly appreciate it.
Some one asked why this amp. Couple of reasons, but mainly some young kid on youtube has one and it sounds like heroin and maple syrup. Matthew Scott is his name.
I've got a super twin reverb, 60s supro thunderbolt, 3 Marshall's, 3 crate billygibbons, another Marshall Joe satriani model.
But I dont have a 59 bassman.
I do have about 1000 board feet of bone dry douglas fir and pine. It's likely gonna be a solid wood cabinet.
I've got a tremendous amount of reading to do I'm sure.
But hey, keep the advice coming. I certainly appreciate it.
I like your attitude. Plus, if you can build a cab, you *will* save some money. Unless you need to buy all the tools.
I don't know Korean frugal, but my mother's family were Scots. So after you save money on the cab, you get to choose between being a cheap Scot and a smart, value-for-money Scot on the components.
Enjoy the journey. *Don't be in a hurry.* The researching, learning, and planning stages are free and fun; the building is great but fleeting; all trouble-shooting is frustrating; and you have the rest of your life to own and play the amp.
Plus, if you can build a cab, you *will* save some money. Unless you need to buy all the tools. I don't know Korean frugal, but my mother's family were Scots. So after you save money on the cab, you get to choose between being a cheap Scot and a smart, value-for-money Scot on the components.
Enjoy the journey. *Don't be in a hurry.* The researching, learning, and planning stages are free and fun; the building is great but fleeting; all trouble-shooting is frustrating; and you have the rest of your life to own and play the amp.
Newbcaster
Tele-Afflicted
I like your attitude.
I don't know Korean frugal, but my mother's family were Scots. So after you save money on the cab, you get to choose between being a cheap Scot and a smart, value-for-money Scot on the components.
Enjoy the journey. *Don't be in a hurry.* The researching, learning, and planning stages are free and fun; the building is great but fleeting; all trouble-shooting is frustrating; and you have the rest of your life to own and play the amp.
Nothing more expensive than doing it twice!!!
Thankfully I've never been so pennywise as to be pound foolish. And you are 100% correct about time.
At this point, these amps, the guitars I'm building.. I dont even really consider them mine. Hopefully I'll have kids someday and I'll have a website with the build threads and who knows.
Maybe they'll learn something.
jmp81sc
Tele-Meister
My first build was a Boothill 5F6a and it turned out great. I would recommend going with a kit to start, I did two kits then I did one from scratch and I had a hard long road on the one I did from scratch. I missed little things.
I took a long time to build it and did a lot of reading and utube watching. I also built my own cab and tolexed it, it turned out ok, but good enough.
I read and re-read Dave Hunters amp book, Uncle Doug videos, Rob Robinette's sight etc.
Learn how to read a schematic and compare that to the component layout so you can trace out the circuit. Study up on safety.
Good Luck
John
I took a long time to build it and did a lot of reading and utube watching. I also built my own cab and tolexed it, it turned out ok, but good enough.
I read and re-read Dave Hunters amp book, Uncle Doug videos, Rob Robinette's sight etc.
Learn how to read a schematic and compare that to the component layout so you can trace out the circuit. Study up on safety.
Good Luck
John
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