Anyone here build amps?

I've built two, A Weber 18 watt TMB, and a VibroClone that I sourced out all the parts for.

The 18 watt is outstanding, but it took a lot of tweeking to get it "there". The VibroClone does Fender big 'n clean real well, and when pushed is incredible (to me, anyways!) Both amps are a continuous "work in progress" and things get swapped around with regularity. Heck, that's half the fun!

Nice work brother! That's some clean wiring!

Where did you source the cabinets?

I been kicking this one around for the past two weeks, and I'm glad to see it emerge here.

My first one was a Heathkit in 1966... a 240 w peak head that blew all my speakers until i bought the two Heathkit cabinets for it, and then the amp wanted to unload. After various repairs, I said "Lazarus, thou shalt rise no more", and pulled the Hammond reverb spring tank, and the pail-sized capacitor for memory's sake. I guess I shoulda quit runnin' it open, or into a 2 ohm load... transistor designs back then being sorta funny that way...

About 15 years ago I started the old tube kick, and tried a twin 6L6 Thomas Organ amp, and blew the 12- inch speaker, and then my favorite was a Baldwin church organ, with a full three-channel amp, with 8 6BQ5's alight... I still have the speakers in the stable (a 15 inch and two 12 inch Jensens) but without an adequate pre-amp for guitar I was shortly seduced by a Kiel P.A amp (Kitchener Electronics Ltd), a Canadian shop that made a dozen guitar amps or so. Its beauty is the sweet little pair of 6BQ5s a 12AU7 as well as the 12AX7, and a EF86, which seems to sail on sustain. But it is a little noisy and probably could use a cap-job. Its 14-inch-wide chassis is nice.

I have been searching for a kit like the Kiel, and doing some looking at http://www.ceriatone.com/productSubPage ... MBEF86.htm, but I really have a hankering for a tube reverb.

So there it is... anybody know something that I don't on this matter?

Hi RussB; nice looking work! CJ

Nice work. Back in the day ('78), I built a Heathkit computer and video terminal/display but the only tubes were the CRTs and they were scary to work with,at least if you read all of the warnings.

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Nice work brother! That's some clean wiring!

Where did you source the cabinets?

Click to expand...

The 18 watt cab is from Weber, and the VibroClone cab comes from "Crusty Cabs" He does nice work.

All kinds of them in the 60's. Sears Silvertones that we blew up quite often, and Dynacos, Heathkits, Knights. Worked on some freinds Fenders and a few hybrid Sunns too.

I studied at Devry in Chicago in the early 70's, but a lot of it was self taught, especially in the early days.

The hard part was keeping speakers from blowing. I usually used cheap amps because I didn't have the money for the good stuff. But working on them was all pretty much the same.

I have to add that your soldering is pretty clean. Nice work there!
I wouldn't mind building a Twin Reverb for myself one of these days. Just for the fun of it. I hear there are some pretty good kits out there and or canibalize some used beaters.

All good memories though.

Bobster,

I have a '61 Baldwin organ chassis in the spare room just waiting to be dismantled and built into a 2 6L6 tube rectified guitar amplifier...I have the 2 Rola 12"alnico's that were in it as well. I'm thinking a low power Tweed Twin type build.

You won't be hurting for wire!

or small transformers with numbers on them... collect them all ... trade with your friends... ya got too little to do if you admit to messing with this ... We'll admire you of course ... but up to a limit. :wink: Congrats on the homebrews, they really look great!.

hey, Russ... nice and clean, that pile... The amp is probably similar to the Thomas i had (have?? i dunno anymore) Are the 2-12's what it used? My Baldwin had a pile of 12AU7s... like yours, I imagine, 3 keys per tube. I have a pail somewhere... I snagged my Baldwin at a Sally Ann thrift store for 75 bucks.

One keyboard (can't remember if it was the Great or the Swell) went through a pair of 6BQ5s to one 12 incher with a spinner, the other keyboard went through a pair to a 12'ver that was fixed. The pedal board needed 4 6BQ5s and the 15 incher. It weighs lots. I might make a nice PA some day... one bass and two mid/treble channels, if you come from the school of no pots or EQs... just volume controls. :lol:

Another project to abandon... :roll:

Beautimous, Russ!
That Weber is exactly what I would like to build for my daughter. (But probably in blue, if I know her.) Been trying to gain some skills on the Silvertone re-build but no idea when I'll be able to start it for her.
Congratulations!

Building it off of a turretboard ain't exactly a bad way to learn! It might be a little easier since most come with instructions.