Nice project. As I am reading the comments below, I see several remarks asking how to obtain his printed circuit board (PCB) he utilized. For those readers who want to dig deeper into this craft of PCB's I recommend that you acquire a copy of "Diptrace". It's a schematic capture / PCB design software package. I do this stuff as a professional and this software costs nothing for the 300 pin version. That is more than a sufficient number of pins to design a power supply PCB. I just did a generic power supply PCB and had it fabricated in China at 60 cents per PCB for a 40 piece quantity. That is a fantastic price! Plus I now have a small supply of PCB's for futire use.
Actually just found this - thank you Terry for the inspiration and the lesson. These take a ton of time and planning and you have some great execution. Now to watch the rest of your channel. I hope to make this - thanks again!
I really like Terry's channel. There's other guys out there on UA-camland, but Terry's the kind of guy that I would love to sit down with and have a glass of wine. Uncle Doug is like a lovable old grandpa but how often do you think the guy has a beer? and his videos are usually way too long. The Guitologist also bugs me because of the length of his videos, among other things, and don't even get me started on Mr. Carlson's Lab, my response would be as long and boring as his videos. I'm a guitar player and I've been tinkering around with tube amps for the last 10 years or so.
I have that EXACT same speaker! Also, I've used tapered drill bits and they work awesome on sheet metal. They don't rip the metal apart like standard drill bits and they're A LOT cheaper than a punch kit.
I have two, 1 watt amps. 1 custom, the other of the shelf. Both drive, a 2x12 8 ohm, cabinet really well. Just because they are small, don't mean they are not loud. They can both move some air!
I love watching your channel. I’ll admit I still don’t quite understand how tube amps work but I think if I keep watching you long enough I will. I have this truetone under the dash , metal tube radio box out of a 36 Chevrolet. I think it has a 6” speaker in it . I would love to see you make it into a tube guitar amp. It’s very cool looking think of the 1930s streamline Art Deco stuff.
It might sound silly, but could you do a video one time where you show how you measure and place the holes for the tube sockets, transformer etc. Would be cool to see your process, you do such great work. Thanks again Terry for another great video!
Thank you so much. I've been following your channel since last year, when I started amp building as a retirement hobby. Having done a couple of kits, then followed a couple of layout suggestions for 5E3's, and a couple of Marshall 18 Watt layouts, I've finally done a proper point-to-point build using this circuit. It really did me good to struggle with the detailed layout of the components to achieve the minimum size compatible with proper operation. Love the tone, enjoyed the challenge of the build, and feel I have learned a few worthwhile things. Once again, thanks
Cool project. Its one of those, "I did it because I can" projects. I love the rectifier sag of a small amp. That little old alnico speaker is gonna sound sweet too. I was given an old Marvel cabinet with a Utah alnico speaker. I want to build a little 1-3 W tube amp and put it in this box. I love to surprise people with an ugly little amp that just sounds amazing.
I think you´re really under appreciated! I love your videos and your skill and I´m planning to make my own amp in the next weeks. But I need one with 600 Watts of power for a bunch of speakers And a subwoofer! :)
Woah there, are you building a Public address system or a weapon for driving your neighbours mad? If that is the case then " Do it"! You might need a about 24 big valves and a transformer from your local power station to keep it authentic Valve(Tube) sounding. That mad prof from back to future knows where to get parts.
Terry, thank you for this and the schematic. I love the design on this and will give it a shot..... truly appreciate the time you put into these videos. Many thanks my friend
I'm digging this! I am going to build my own amp. I just caught on to you being here on UA-cam. Thanks for taking the time to do this. Now I gotta figure out which one to build.
Longtime E-bay admirer and bidder. Great little build. I would love to see is an easy commonly available solidstate amp upgrade to tube. I have seen you do a few here and there, but what I mean is - an small bookshelf speakerbox with a random 6x9 doesn't make much of a guitar amp. If you put the same parts into a Fender Frontman box, for example, you have a real guitar speaker in a box with a handle. Find one that is available for real cheap and built in huge numbers. I had a very good Fender combo with a 12" speaker, I was lucky to get $25 for it.
@ D-lab Electronics I used to room with amp guru Frank Levi III. Frank couldn't play guitar.He just hit random strings. So proof you can make a great guitar amp without being a musician, but to DEMO you've got to play at least a basic 2 finger Em chord and learn how to palm mute/unmute, strum, play all down strokes, and pick individual strings (preferably after you've learned how to control muting those strings second nature).
I decided I wanted to build my own Princeton Amp today. I looked up "how to build your own guitar tube amp" and I found your channel. After cruising around your site, I thought I would start with this small, inexpensive design before tackling anything more complicated. Here's where I'm hoping for some guidance. I've never built, deconstructed, fixed, or otherwise messed with anything electronic - even soldering has escaped me. By trade, I was a carpenter, and now I've moved on to business. My hobbies are playing and writing music and woodworking. I'm not daunted by the prospect of learning new things. For a beginner, I would like to know where I should go to learn the absolute fundamentals, before getting into even something this complex or even ordering parts. Whats a capacitor, what's impedance, what is a resistor, etc. The next step would be understanding the diagram you highlight at the end of this video. Then getting into the internal wiring of the pots and board etc. that gets kind of skipped over as you build your design. 6 hours is incredible. How many hours do you think it would take me to get to the point of being ready to build this design. Thank you so much. Absolutely love your channel.
I am adding a comment because I like your enthusiasm. My advice to you is get hold of a decent book that explains the functions of the various parts and what they look like. Learn to solder(the videos are good for that). Most of make safety a priority, if you are not shure about something just "Stop" and have a break . I have been messing with wires and boxes for years and am still learning 40 years later.
Man terry what I’d love to see is an old school stereo preamp reciever with a phono stage so we can select cd vs radio vs phono vs tape with record setup
You really know how to start the new year out right! From start to finish this build is top self! You explained every aspect simply and completely! I am so impressed! I have all the components I need to build a 20 watt class AB guitar amp with Reverb amp and a 50 watt class AB bass amp, so I will be patient until you build one of those. I know there is much more to those kind of builds, but I am hoping. The designs are similar to Fender, but the way you did that build with the Fender front end and the Marshall output was a great idea! So again, BANG! Happy New Year!!! Thankz
Thanks man, I do appreciate you kind support. I love building, time has been an issue lately, however I plan to move forward with this. This is my Legacy. I will let you know when I put together a vid featuring 20 or 50 watt builds. Keep living the dream, not too many of us left that can appreciate the vintage electronics.
D-lab Electronics Thank you for your reply. I totally understand about not having enough time to devote to your passion. I am in the middle of completely transforming my workshop into my dream shop. It takes me forever, but I am making headway. I mean it about your electronics prowess. Thankz
Terry You make it look so easy Your Amps turn out beautifully You have inspired me to build my own little amp Keep making these awesome videos VA6 RDR --... ...--
Great video and cool amp! I checked out your amps on line and I love them, especially the ones built in radio cabinets. Definitely on my wish list. The tall Philco(I believe that's it) is incredible! If I lived closer, I would be tempted every day to drive over and buy it! Great work!
Found a cabinet! Philips speaker with output transformer attached to it in mint condition... build here in Holland in 1931..vintage or what. Hope it will match the circuit!?
Very good video wonderful project, very much like the one i just completed. I wanted to ask you about the tube selection, I used a 6X5 and 6V6 can you tell me what differences if any i will see compared to your selection, I left the Eico Signal Generator 4.75 speaker in place and used it as an internal speaker but it is pretty thin. What model 6x9 did you use or what should i look for, 5 inch Midrange?? I can't tell you the pleasure or pride i got from building my little three tube Amp. I think this project should be required for every high school student because it unleashes the pride and self confidence that is so rarely attained in academic processes. Thanks for all you for us the You Tube Tube Amp Junkies. Dennis in Virginia
My advice (I'm a professional electronics engineer who used to design and build tube amps back in the day): Don't mount the amp this way! There's a reason why tubes should be mounted base down: it's called HEAT. As you will know heat rises and should be removed by convection. Look in any good piece of period electronics and you'll see the tubes base down with plenty of air space above for the rising warm air to dissipate in. Obviously at the top of the case there is nowhere for the air to convect. All the heat which normally convects away is going to affect all the passive components (including the bases) and will certainly reduce their lifetime or at worst induce a catastrophic failure. Hope this helps.
Hi, many thanks for your inspiring video. I have my Grandfather's Bush AC 31 radio (1935) which is a prime candidate for a similar project. Would there be a parts list and schematic available, email perhaps? Rich
With a Bluetooth receiver plugged in thru a stereo-to-mono adapter, it looks like this would be a great Best-Of-Both-Worlds project (tube&digital)! Do you make the schematic and any build instructions available? Cost, downloadable? Looks like a great first tube amp build project.
very nice display of know how for whoever find enough faith in themselves to actually get busy sourcing out the the parts . you practically make it a nobrainer . Love your work. say Terry , i got a fender super reverb reissue and a Traynor vt80 with 5881's in the output . i got a matched pair of 6L6's and a quad matched for the Traynor . the traynor is suppost to be auto biasing . but i would think now. that that only for a set that is drifting it would self bias to an extent. not thowing in different tubes. and expecting to self bias. I can find very little id. on both these amps and they both have pc boards. but are chassis tube mounted. at least. the Traynor . any suggestions appreciated and well as better tone mods. to let even more even harmonics through. Thx.
From Leo: Always enjoy your creativity and posted videos. If you are going to use Silicon diodes, would not a 4 diode bridge give you a higher output voltage and a smoother and quieter output?
Great Amp. I enjoy watching you build one. I started this year on the hobby. I think I wil build one of these. Do you have the schematic and parts list that you can share/sale?
Nice :-) Wouldn’t it be better to have tube rect as the last point on the rotary off-standby-on? That Way, the Caps in the PS would be ready loaded when you go to tube rectification - extending tube life?
Thanks Terry and happy New Year! Can you explain a little about how grounding in a guitar amp circuit works? I'm (a newbie) restoring an old bogen cha-20 and replacing some 50 year old can electrolytic caps. The negative side goes to what appears to be common ground from the exterior of the can . I will replace them with axials so I won't be able to ground them to the same spot. Does it matter where I ground them as long as they end up soldered to somewhere on the chasis? Thanks.
This is great!! I'm gathering parts for this kind of an amp.. Old philips radio with powertransformer and EZ80 rectifying tube.. little outputtransformer . Outputtransformer is tiny maybe upgrade, it is used to be powered by EF85 as "preamp"And I don't know if she is up to the job with an 12AX7 in the preamp. Nice schematic, great guide! Thank!!
i Marcel, how did you get on? I did similar using an old Philips transformer with attached EZ80, and an anonymous OP tranny from heaven knows what. The sound I got was very harsh, and I ended up replacing the tone stack with a simple tone knob, adding a switchable feedback loop from one of the transformers and making the cathode bypass capacitor on the first input stage switchable. It sounds great into a Celestion 10 Vintage in a small enclosure. My guitar teacher has bought it and I'm making another one. The 12AX7 is no problem powerwise, it's the power valve that gives most load. I changed the 12AX7 for a 1212AT7 (ECC81) to reduce the gain to a more moderate level and give a cleaner sound.
chris barrett hi there, I found a speaker but it was so rare I sold it to a radio guy ho was very happy with it. For the moment I'm just collecting stuff on aliexpress for parts. And searching for a cabinet and speaker..maybe I make one myself with a celestion. The 12at7 will not distort as early as a 12ax7.. cleans it up nice.
Hi Marcel. It's a really involving hobby to collect different parts and assemble them, especially satisfying if you are modifying the circuit to your own taste and available parts. At the time I got your message , I was swapping the input ECC83 in my modified home build 5E3 Fender for an ECC81 to give less breakup. Good luck with your project and let me know how it goes.
D_lAB ELECTRONICS this so cool How to build a tube combo guitar book shelf speaker boutique amplifier. My hobbys are painting pictures and lisining to shortwave and ssb iam thinking about getting my ham license I have 4 shortwave receivers me and my cousin are going to a Swap meet June 5th 2022 Sunday morning at 8 am in Milwaukee
Great Idea, love it. my head is spinning thinking on different items i could possibly create a nice tube amp in. Thank you for the video. I'm just now getting back into my tube amps, now learning how to build them. how can i get a schematic for this amp build? Thank you. Keep Rockin' \m/ from the D. :)
My kind of project, not too much money, thank you Terry, you really are a great help. Quick question, Where do you typically get your parts? Could you list a couple places off the top of your head... Thank you again!
Very cool! Just curious about why you would have both a tube and diode rectifiers. I know there is a lot of debate about the difference between tube and solid state amps, but why the tube if you already have diodes? Love the channel!
it would be cool if there was a place you could buy a little circuit board like that with the filter caps and diodes, even if the board was unpopulated. I built a tube preamp recently. my experience with that is that I like the turret board to be all signal related...and power components...if added...tucked away elsewhere like you did. thanks.
Hi Terry, Happy New Year! What a cool little amp. I have a question I was hoping you could answer. It's not about this amp, I just figured this was your most recent video so.. I purchased an old Lettine 242 6 meter transmitter (for 10.00) that had seen much better days for parts. As it has high quality transformers and tube sockets and such... However, the power transformer is like 600-0-600, the choke is a good size but I don't know the specs on it, and what I thought was the output transformer is I guess a modulation transformer? I was thinking of using the power transformer to build an 807 push pull type guitar amp.. But what kind of rectifier can handle that much voltage? I would have to locate the old chassis to see what it used, but I think it was a 5u4 or 5ar4 not the GZ34, maybe i'm thinking of another tube.. Any thoughts? Thanks and keep up the great work, Tom
Funny the thing sat at the end of a residentiall street right inside the landfill all delaminating. Bass player buddy I worked with told me to. I saw it one month and got the guts the next. It still had all the silvertone tubes except e rectifier was newer. It worked. Now ive also made a combo from a four leg tall silvertone record player too. Both the head and combo were finished alike except for knobs. Had gold backplate toggle switches neon light three inputs white vinyl grill black vinyl covering and pool que bumpers for feet.
Quick questions: How did you end up mounting the chassis to the cabinet? Also looked like some kind of sleeve fittings instead of rubber grommets, what did you use there?
Hello, I normally mount the chassis with aluminum right angle brackets or 3/4" square wood blocks mounted on the chassis sides. Screws come up from the bottom. The 4 plastic insulators are snap in bushings (1/2") Mouser sells them. Made by Keystone. Good thing is, they do not rot like rubber grommets.
Hello, The orange cap is a Sprague .022uf, 600V. The Neon is old stock from my collection. Output tranny can be purchased from Antique Electronics, AZ. Most of the other components were shop stock.
great. exactly what a wanted. just 1 question. i upgraded the 8watt output transformer in a vavle jr.(single ended el84) to a classic mag 15 watter. will the old OT replace the (fender reverb) OT used in this amp?
thanks. you were quick to answer. a cool use for upgraded trannys. now it's $15 cheaper to build your amp for some of us. used slid state cheap! low dollar joy.
Hi Mike, Why? Unless you have the real Major 200 for it's rarity, I can't see why you would want one.. Even if your gigging with it, any bar or club is going to ask you to turn down..and they only start to sound decent at extreme volume, when the power tubes start to break up.. I had a 73 100watt for years, and turning that up was an issue.. If I was going to make an amp just for power, I would look at some late silver face fenders. They made some PA Heads with 135 watts I believe, and you would have most of the components you need right there.. Huge transformers, a cab, chassi, tube sockets, and they had reverb to boot. you could do away with all the inputs and just make it one or 2.. Just copy the front end of whatever Marshall you like (I would use the JCM 800) and use the existing output... You would have a killer amp at a much reduced price.. I have seen those PA heads sell for under $400.00 If you can copy a schematic and solder, you'll be set. Just my 2 cents, take care, Tom
Farnell of Leeds stock many Hammond Aluminium chassis lines. You can order by internet. If you want Hammond Tube/Valve Amp Transformers and/or Chassis you can get them from Philip at Bluebell Audio. You can order by phone and email
So many people asking for a schematic, it's fracturing my calm. The schematic is on screen at 18 minutes 25 seconds in this very video, convert it to whatever format you prefer with whatever tools you are most familiar with. There are no stupid questions. There are no stupid questions. There are no stupid questions.
Yes it is, I special ordered these a few years back. The company is out of business. However, I'm sure there are others out there that make one with the same specs, Maybe Hammond?
Terry, you are awesome! Thank you for the inspiration.
I love that tube/SS rectifier selection idea. A great way to offer that option.
D_lAB ELECTRONICS electronics are so cool
Nice project. As I am reading the comments below, I see several remarks asking how to obtain his printed circuit board (PCB) he utilized. For those readers who want to dig deeper into this craft of PCB's I recommend that you acquire a copy of "Diptrace". It's a schematic capture / PCB design software package. I do this stuff as a professional and this software costs nothing for the 300 pin version. That is more than a sufficient number of pins to design a power supply PCB. I just did a generic power supply PCB and had it fabricated in China at 60 cents per PCB for a 40 piece quantity. That is a fantastic price! Plus I now have a small supply of PCB's for futire use.
Actually just found this - thank you Terry for the inspiration and the lesson. These take a ton of time and planning and you have some great execution. Now to watch the rest of your channel. I hope to make this - thanks again!
I really like Terry's channel. There's other guys out there on UA-camland, but Terry's the kind of guy that I would love to sit down with and have a glass of wine. Uncle Doug is like a lovable old grandpa but how often do you think the guy has a beer? and his videos are usually way too long. The Guitologist also bugs me because of the length of his videos, among other things, and don't even get me started on Mr. Carlson's Lab, my response would be as long and boring as his videos. I'm a guitar player and I've been tinkering around with tube amps for the last 10 years or so.
Once again I'm impressed, I did not think that 6x9 would sound as clean as it does. Great idea an job!
I have that EXACT same speaker! Also, I've used tapered drill bits and they work awesome on sheet metal. They don't rip the metal apart like standard drill bits and they're A LOT cheaper than a punch kit.
Such a simple design. Very cool.
Sounds glorious!
D_lAB ELECTRONICS your Guitar is cool
I have two, 1 watt amps.
1 custom, the other of the shelf.
Both drive, a 2x12 8 ohm, cabinet really well.
Just because they are small, don't mean they are not loud.
They can both move some air!
Your guitar amp building series is outstanding and inspiring. ThankYou for sharing so much knowledge and experience
Thumbs up and subscribed. I play Blues Harp just found these tube amp sites. Very cool and nice sounds!
Thank you & welcome to D-lab!
I love watching your channel. I’ll admit I still don’t quite understand how tube amps work but I think if I keep watching you long enough I will. I have this truetone under the dash , metal tube radio box out of a 36 Chevrolet. I think it has a 6” speaker in it . I would love to see you make it into a tube guitar amp. It’s very cool looking think of the 1930s streamline Art Deco stuff.
I build one using the transformers of a RCA STR 401 tape recorder. Sound wonderfully with an 10 inch AlNiCo. Thanks.
It might sound silly, but could you do a video one time where you show how you measure and place the holes for the tube sockets, transformer etc. Would be cool to see your process, you do such great work. Thanks again Terry for another great video!
Thanks Terry for all you do!
Thank you so much. I've been following your channel since last year, when I started amp building as a retirement hobby. Having done a couple of kits, then followed a couple of layout suggestions for 5E3's, and a couple of Marshall 18 Watt layouts, I've finally done a proper point-to-point build using this circuit. It really did me good to struggle with the detailed layout of the components to achieve the minimum size compatible with proper operation. Love the tone, enjoyed the challenge of the build, and feel I have learned a few worthwhile things. Once again, thanks
Your welcome Sir. It's a great hobby. Brings back the good days of building Heathkits. I grew up on that stuff. Lots more to come. TD
Headphone jack should be a must for an amp that size. 🎵🎸
Cool project. Its one of those, "I did it because I can" projects. I love the rectifier sag of a small amp. That little old alnico speaker is gonna sound sweet too. I was given an old Marvel cabinet with a Utah alnico speaker. I want to build a little 1-3 W tube amp and put it in this box. I love to surprise people with an ugly little amp that just sounds amazing.
I think you´re really under appreciated! I love your videos and your skill and I´m planning to make my own amp in the next weeks. But I need one with 600 Watts of power for a bunch of speakers And a subwoofer! :)
Woah there, are you building a Public address system or a weapon for driving your neighbours mad? If that is the case then " Do it"! You might need a about 24 big valves and a transformer from your local power station to keep it authentic Valve(Tube) sounding. That mad prof from back to future knows where to get parts.
Terry, thank you for this and the schematic. I love the design on this and will give it a shot..... truly appreciate the time you put into these videos. Many thanks my friend
Sounds dam good.
I'm digging this! I am going to build my own amp. I just caught on to you being here on UA-cam. Thanks for taking the time to do this. Now I gotta figure out which one to build.
Cool deal, There are detailed pictures of this amp plus another just like it on Reverb.com
Longtime E-bay admirer and bidder. Great little build. I would love to see is an easy commonly available solidstate amp upgrade to tube. I have seen you do a few here and there, but what I mean is - an small bookshelf speakerbox with a random 6x9 doesn't make much of a guitar amp. If you put the same parts into a Fender Frontman box, for example, you have a real guitar speaker in a box with a handle. Find one that is available for real cheap and built in huge numbers. I had a very good Fender combo with a 12" speaker, I was lucky to get $25 for it.
Hey Terry, I like that new album too and bought myself a copy. I like supporting independent thinkers. Keep up the good work!
Thanks a lot for making this video. You inspired me to think about making my own amp!
@
D-lab Electronics
I used to room with amp guru Frank Levi III. Frank couldn't play guitar.He just hit random strings. So proof you can make a great guitar amp without being a musician, but to DEMO you've got to play at least a basic 2 finger Em chord and learn how to palm mute/unmute, strum, play all down strokes, and pick individual strings (preferably after you've learned how to control muting those strings second nature).
Sounds nice and looks nice. I'm tempted to build one and I have no use for it !
Very cool amp. Your amps are always cool. I would like to see a master volume. It is a practice amp. Also a handle.
I decided I wanted to build my own Princeton Amp today. I looked up "how to build your own guitar tube amp" and I found your channel. After cruising around your site, I thought I would start with this small, inexpensive design before tackling anything more complicated. Here's where I'm hoping for some guidance.
I've never built, deconstructed, fixed, or otherwise messed with anything electronic - even soldering has escaped me. By trade, I was a carpenter, and now I've moved on to business. My hobbies are playing and writing music and woodworking. I'm not daunted by the prospect of learning new things. For a beginner, I would like to know where I should go to learn the absolute fundamentals, before getting into even something this complex or even ordering parts. Whats a capacitor, what's impedance, what is a resistor, etc. The next step would be understanding the diagram you highlight at the end of this video. Then getting into the internal wiring of the pots and board etc. that gets kind of skipped over as you build your design. 6 hours is incredible. How many hours do you think it would take me to get to the point of being ready to build this design. Thank you so much. Absolutely love your channel.
I am adding a comment because I like your enthusiasm. My advice to you is get hold of a decent book that explains the functions of the various parts and what they look like. Learn to solder(the videos are good for that). Most of make safety a priority, if you are not shure about something just "Stop" and have a break . I have been messing with wires and boxes for years and am still learning 40 years later.
Man terry what I’d love to see is an old school stereo preamp reciever with a phono stage so we can select cd vs radio vs phono vs tape with record setup
Cracking instructional production Terry,your as crazy as I am about amplifiers using tubes(valves!),keep going,great stuff,regards Colin G1PGI
You really know how to start the new year out right! From start to finish this build is top self! You explained every aspect simply and completely! I am so impressed! I have all the components I need to build a 20 watt class AB guitar amp with Reverb amp and a 50 watt class AB bass amp, so I will be patient until you build one of those. I know there is much more to those kind of builds, but I am hoping. The designs are similar to Fender, but the way you did that build with the Fender front end and the Marshall output was a great idea! So again, BANG! Happy New Year!!! Thankz
Thanks man, I do appreciate you kind support. I love building, time has been an issue lately, however I plan to move forward with this. This is my Legacy. I will let you know when I put together a vid featuring 20 or 50 watt builds. Keep living the dream, not too many of us left that can appreciate the vintage electronics.
D-lab Electronics Thank you for your reply. I totally understand about not having enough time to devote to your passion. I am in the middle of completely transforming my workshop into my dream shop. It takes me forever, but I am making headway. I mean it about your electronics prowess. Thankz
Terry
You make it look so easy
Your Amps turn out beautifully
You have inspired me to build my own little amp
Keep making these awesome videos
VA6 RDR
--... ...--
Great video and cool amp! I checked out your amps on line and I love them, especially the ones built in radio cabinets. Definitely on my wish list. The tall Philco(I believe that's it) is incredible! If I lived closer, I would be tempted every day to drive over and buy it! Great work!
Nice video! Thanks, Terry!
Cool amp !wish I knew what power transformer you are using ?!
Nice work and a great amp good video
Happy new year! Neat project! Thanks
CHEERS TERRY! thx for the video!! hope the new year is going great for you!!
cool build
Found a cabinet! Philips speaker with output transformer attached to it in mint condition... build here in Holland in 1931..vintage or what. Hope it will match the circuit!?
What a great video! Thanks.
Very good video wonderful project, very much like the one i just completed. I wanted to ask you about the tube selection, I used a 6X5 and 6V6 can you tell me what differences if any i will see compared to your selection, I left the Eico Signal Generator 4.75 speaker in place and used it as an internal speaker but it is pretty thin. What model 6x9 did you use or what should i look for, 5 inch Midrange?? I can't tell you the pleasure or pride i got from building my little three tube Amp. I think this project should be required for every high school student because it unleashes the pride and self confidence that is so rarely attained in academic processes. Thanks for all you for us the You Tube Tube Amp Junkies. Dennis in Virginia
My advice (I'm a professional electronics engineer who used to design and build tube amps back in the day): Don't mount the amp this way! There's a reason why tubes should be mounted base down: it's called HEAT. As you will know heat rises and should be removed by convection. Look in any good piece of period electronics and you'll see the tubes base down with plenty of air space above for the rising warm air to dissipate in. Obviously at the top of the case there is nowhere for the air to convect. All the heat which normally convects away is going to affect all the passive components (including the bases) and will certainly reduce their lifetime or at worst induce a catastrophic failure. Hope this helps.
Love your channel
Cool video as always
Hi, many thanks for your inspiring video. I have my Grandfather's Bush AC 31 radio (1935) which is a prime candidate for a similar project. Would there be a parts list and schematic available, email perhaps?
Rich
With a Bluetooth receiver plugged in thru a stereo-to-mono adapter, it looks like this would be a great Best-Of-Both-Worlds project (tube&digital)! Do you make the schematic and any build instructions available? Cost, downloadable? Looks like a great first tube amp build project.
Nice sounding amp Terry! You know a red chicken head knob at the rotary switch would look really cool.
very nice display of know how for whoever find enough faith in themselves to actually get busy sourcing out the the parts . you practically make it a nobrainer . Love your work. say Terry , i got a fender super reverb reissue and a Traynor vt80 with 5881's in the output . i got a matched pair of 6L6's and a quad matched for the Traynor . the traynor is suppost to be auto biasing . but i would think now. that that only for a set that is drifting it would self bias to an extent. not thowing in different tubes. and expecting to self bias. I can find very little id. on both these amps and they both have pc boards. but are chassis tube mounted. at least. the Traynor . any suggestions appreciated and well as better tone mods. to let even more even harmonics through. Thx.
From Leo: Always enjoy your creativity and posted videos. If you are going to use Silicon diodes, would not a 4 diode bridge give you a higher output voltage and a smoother and quieter output?
I want to make one
Great Amp. I enjoy watching you build one. I started this year on the hobby. I think I wil build one of these. Do you have the schematic and parts list that you can share/sale?
Nice :-) Wouldn’t it be better to have tube rect as the last point on the rotary off-standby-on? That Way, the Caps in the PS would be ready loaded when you go to tube rectification - extending tube life?
very cool.
Very informative video... thanks.... any chance of getting a parts list, copy of the schematic>?
Thanks! A well trained monkey could build this with your instructions given here. Now lets see if I can do it.
Thanks Terry and happy New Year! Can you explain a little about how grounding in a guitar amp circuit works? I'm (a newbie) restoring an old bogen cha-20 and replacing some 50 year old can electrolytic caps. The negative side goes to what appears to be common ground from the exterior of the can . I will replace them with axials so I won't be able to ground them to the same spot. Does it matter where I ground them as long as they end up soldered to somewhere on the chasis? Thanks.
This is great!! I'm gathering parts for this kind of an amp.. Old philips radio with powertransformer and EZ80 rectifying tube.. little outputtransformer . Outputtransformer is tiny maybe upgrade, it is used to be powered by EF85 as "preamp"And I don't know if she is up to the job with an 12AX7 in the preamp. Nice schematic, great guide! Thank!!
i Marcel, how did you get on? I did similar using an old Philips transformer with attached EZ80, and an anonymous OP tranny from heaven knows what. The sound I got was very harsh, and I ended up replacing the tone stack with a simple tone knob, adding a switchable feedback loop from one of the transformers and making the cathode bypass capacitor on the first input stage switchable. It sounds great into a Celestion 10 Vintage in a small enclosure. My guitar teacher has bought it and I'm making another one. The 12AX7 is no problem powerwise, it's the power valve that gives most load. I changed the 12AX7 for a 1212AT7 (ECC81) to reduce the gain to a more moderate level and give a cleaner sound.
chris barrett hi there, I found a speaker but it was so rare I sold it to a radio guy ho was very happy with it. For the moment I'm just collecting stuff on aliexpress for parts. And searching for a cabinet and speaker..maybe I make one myself with a celestion. The 12at7 will not distort as early as a 12ax7.. cleans it up nice.
Hi Marcel. It's a really involving hobby to collect different parts and assemble them, especially satisfying if you are modifying the circuit to your own taste and available parts. At the time I got your message , I was swapping the input ECC83 in my modified home build 5E3 Fender for an ECC81 to give less breakup. Good luck with your project and let me know how it goes.
D_lAB ELECTRONICS this so cool How to build a tube combo guitar book shelf speaker boutique amplifier. My hobbys are painting pictures and lisining to shortwave and ssb iam thinking about getting my ham license I have 4 shortwave receivers me and my cousin are going to a Swap meet June 5th 2022 Sunday morning at 8 am in Milwaukee
My other hobby is lisn to music records and CDs and fmstreo on my Yamaha reciver
I love these small amp builds! I'm currently trying to fit a tube amp inside a Honeytone Mini amp. Do you think I can do it, Terry?
Great Idea, love it. my head is spinning thinking on different items i could possibly create a nice tube amp in. Thank you for the video. I'm just now getting back into my tube amps, now learning how to build them. how can i get a schematic for this amp build? Thank you. Keep Rockin' \m/ from the D. :)
My kind of project, not too much money, thank you Terry, you really are a great help. Quick question, Where do you typically get your parts? Could you list a couple places off the top of your head... Thank you again!
Hello, I use CE distribution, Tube Depot, Mouser
Thank you!
Nice little amp,Be nice if you had a schematic and a parts list in the description below.!!!!!!!
Looks like you could make a Deacy amp using that speaker. Of course, it wouldn’t use tubes.
Very cool!
Just curious about why you would have both a tube and diode rectifiers. I know there is a lot of debate about the difference between tube and solid state amps, but why the tube if you already have diodes?
Love the channel!
Great video! Quick question what is the purpose of the tube/diode mode?
Selects the tube or diode rectifier
it would be cool if there was a place you could buy a little circuit board like that with the filter caps and diodes, even if the board was unpopulated.
I built a tube preamp recently. my experience with that is that I like the turret board to be all signal related...and power components...if added...tucked away elsewhere like you did.
thanks.
Hello, I agree. D-Lab will offer this as a small kit in the near future. Thanks
D-lab Electronics --- awesome, I'll be watching out for the kit.....
This video is Sponsored by some record of some band which i never listened to . I highly recommend that you give them a listen .
Why do you have both tube and diode in the power supply?
Hi Terry, Happy New Year! What a cool little amp. I have a question I was hoping you could answer. It's not about this amp, I just figured this was your most recent video so.. I purchased an old Lettine 242 6 meter transmitter (for 10.00) that had seen much better days for parts. As it has high quality transformers and tube sockets and such... However, the power transformer is like 600-0-600, the choke is a good size but I don't know the specs on it, and what I thought was the output transformer is I guess a modulation transformer? I was thinking of using the power transformer to build an 807 push pull type guitar amp.. But what kind of rectifier can handle that much voltage? I would have to locate the old chassis to see what it used, but I think it was a 5u4 or 5ar4 not the GZ34, maybe i'm thinking of another tube.. Any thoughts? Thanks and keep up the great work, Tom
This amp is on Reverb.com for sale
Pak saya mau tanyak untuk power suplay yg menggunakan tube vacum EZ90 itu volt yg di keluarkan brp volt
Hahaha you make me laugh and learn. I wish you were my next door neighbor; we could tinker and share wine.
I know you don't sell a kit, but have you considered selling either the PCB or the PCB+Filter caps on Tindie.
Good idea, I will calculate the cost. The board can be used up to 450vdc caps.
I would like to scratch build a silvertone medallion hi fi amp for guitar. I had a head I made from one in a junkyard and it was stolen.
Funny the thing sat at the end of a residentiall street right inside the landfill all delaminating. Bass player buddy I worked with told me to. I saw it one month and got the guts the next. It still had all the silvertone tubes except e rectifier was newer. It worked. Now ive also made a combo from a four leg tall silvertone record player too. Both the head and combo were finished alike except for knobs. Had gold backplate toggle switches neon light three inputs white vinyl grill black vinyl covering and pool que bumpers for feet.
How do get the schematic from you and the chassis as well. Thanks
Great video. Thank you.
Thanks man, Glad you like
Nice!!
I was expecting a combo pun
Watt? Sorry I got nothin'...LOL
Quick questions: How did you end up mounting the chassis to the cabinet? Also looked like some kind of sleeve fittings instead of rubber grommets, what did you use there?
Hello, I normally mount the chassis with aluminum right angle brackets or 3/4" square wood blocks mounted on the chassis sides. Screws come up from the bottom. The 4 plastic insulators are snap in bushings (1/2") Mouser sells them. Made by Keystone. Good thing is, they do not rot like rubber grommets.
That speaker looks like it could take about 5 watts before it starts over extending.
Hi Ter,, Can you tell me the brand of tube sockets that you use? Thank you..
Thank you :-)
What power transformer are you using? I looked for that number and can't find one.
Hello, great video. Where did we buy the neon bulb and other components? What is the part number of the large orange cap? Thanks.
Hello, The orange cap is a Sprague .022uf, 600V. The Neon is old stock from my collection. Output tranny can be purchased from Antique Electronics, AZ. Most of the other components were shop stock.
Thanks.
Tefelisito amigo gueno para el copete
ami megustan los radios atuvos pero en chile ya se estiguieron pero tengo 12
shouldnt your transformers be perpendicular as opposed to parallel?
very charming hot sound :o
Where can i find the PDF schematic? Can you produce it?
great. exactly what a wanted. just 1 question. i upgraded the 8watt output transformer in a vavle jr.(single ended el84) to a classic mag 15 watter. will the old OT replace the (fender reverb) OT used in this amp?
Hello, Yes, that output transformer would work fine in place of the type I used.
thanks. you were quick to answer. a cool use for upgraded trannys. now it's $15 cheaper to build your amp for some of us. used slid state cheap! low dollar joy.
It looks like you cut off the shield on both ends the shielded cable. Did that not cancel out the benefits of having a shield?
Hello, The shield is connected at the neg term of the gain pot.
thank you
I looking to build a Marshall Major clone, but souped up to 300 watts with 4 12ax7 pre- amp tubes, and 6 el34 output tubes ...any tips or suggestions?
Hi Mike, Why? Unless you have the real Major 200 for it's rarity, I can't see why you would want one.. Even if your gigging with it, any bar or club is going to ask you to turn down..and they only start to sound decent at extreme volume, when the power tubes start to break up.. I had a 73 100watt for years, and turning that up was an issue.. If I was going to make an amp just for power, I would look at some late silver face fenders. They made some PA Heads with 135 watts I believe, and you would have most of the components you need right there.. Huge transformers, a cab, chassi, tube sockets, and they had reverb to boot. you could do away with all the inputs and just make it one or 2.. Just copy the front end of whatever Marshall you like (I would use the JCM 800) and use the existing output... You would have a killer amp at a much reduced price.. I have seen those PA heads sell for under $400.00 If you can copy a schematic and solder, you'll be set. Just my 2 cents, take care, Tom
I wish I could get chassis like that here in the UK! Can I ask where you get them from? Thanks Terry, another great video
Farnell of Leeds stock many Hammond Aluminium chassis lines. You can order by internet. If you want Hammond Tube/Valve Amp Transformers and/or Chassis you can get them from Philip at Bluebell Audio. You can order by phone and email
Thanks guys, I didn’t realise Hammond did these. I can see me buying a few
John N cheers for that, a nice simple site that sells stuff I want
Gee What happened? Did Maplin go out of business? I used get all kinds of goodies there when in the UK.
G Morgan hi, I couldn’t find anything like that on the map in site, though I think I’ve been looking for the wrong thing
So many people asking for a schematic, it's fracturing my calm. The schematic is on screen at 18 minutes 25 seconds in this very video, convert it to whatever format you prefer with whatever tools you are most familiar with.
There are no stupid questions. There are no stupid questions. There are no stupid questions.
hi terry where do you buy the power transformer from thanks Ian
So would that be a 200-0-200v power transformer? Care to share your source on that?
Yes it is, I special ordered these a few years back. The company is out of business. However, I'm sure there are others out there that make one with the same specs, Maybe Hammond?
Heloo bạn có thể cho tôi xin dơ đồ chứ
What brand is the Rectifier tube? I found a tube with the same logo but im not shure what brand it is :/
This 6X4 is made by GE
D-lab Electronics Thanks :)