Craziest amp component you ever made?

Improvisation...
I once pulled a fan out of my girlfriend's range hood to replace the dead compressor fan in her fridge. Worked like a champ, and didn't even rattle like it did in the range hood. Saved $$$.

Oh, you want music-related? I found a rectangular Fender guitar case was an exact, perfect fit for my Korg DW8000 synth. Just took out the neck brace/pocket. The fit was actually airtight.

 

I made a flickering *on* light from LEDs I found at the dollar store. They have the LED votive candles that flicker to simulate a candle burning.

The project was a 5E3 stuffed into a late 1930's Philco radio cabinet. I used the flickering light in the radio dial location. Turned out pretty sweet. It was powered from the 5E3 pilot lamp, so both would function indicating the amp was *on*.

 

Have used a lot of transformers out of old radios and reel-to-reels, but I don't know if that's all that creative just salvage.

I have also rolled my own opto isolators for tremolo circuits using a LDR and led or neon bulbs. Works great and way cheaper than buying a premade component especially when the one I needed was the neon bulb driven version for a ampeg reverberocket restoration.

 

Once rewound a strat pickup using the copper wire out of a small block Chevy starter,

AND I also have ocean front property in Wyoming!

All kidding aside I tend to save dead electronics with the intent to scrap out what I can to build a small amp. At the point of just buying a kit and make all the noob mistakes that everyone else before me has.

 

Nothing too crazy.

I remapped a socket so I could use a modern 8-pin dual opamp in my Polytone Mini Brute, instead of the unobtainium RC4739 14-pin dual opamp.

 

I bought a cheap bass case for like 20 bucks, then purchased two sets of fishing pole rod holders, screwed three of them to the inside top of the case then purchased bulk strings from a place that just sold strings, enough for about 36 full restrings, and stuck about 12 at a time into each separate fishing rod place holder. each holder had 6 spaces This way I didn't have to unravel the stupid packages strings usually come in and I could visually identify which string I need by its place in the holder. The bottom side still has its compartment for other string changing and guitar cleaning implements.

I play hard and heavy with stainless steel picks so I break a lot of strings, also the wound part gets ground off within 1 to two shows. I go through some strings.

Oh I built two rackmount 4U size 2204 amp chassis

 

Just remembered, I added an Eico (or similar) tremolo kit to my first amp when I was a kid, a Harmony like this...




I probably replaced two of the input jacks with the pots or maybe put them where the logo is (upper right) and I think I might have powered it from the filament supply. This would have been like 1964...last seen when I sold it to my dad's friend and I graduated to a Heathkit.

 

I've hand wound a few chokes and inductors.

I've also built a bunch of distributed mode loudspeakers (DMLs) for stereo and guitar using audio exciters and various materials like foamcore board, 3/16" plywood, thin polycarbonate sheet, foam paper plates, and a bunch of other stuff. It's pretty astonishing how good they sound for what they are, and it's also a whole lot of fun. Here's a peek at the wacky stuff you can do with them.



Here's a really good demonstration of how materials affect the sound:




My plan is to find a pair of decent cheepo classical guitars and make a pair of stereo speakers.

 

While "repairing" a tilt-tip optical component mount I destroyed a tiny little spring, about 1/8" long and 1/8" diameter and about 5 turns. I wrapped a new one out of piano wire, but it took a few tries.

I managed to buy a bunch of those on ebay just about the time I stopped needing them. This is my usual story ...

 

For my Superchamp