Home Made Fender AA864 Bassman Combo Amp in a Compact Tweed Cabinet
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- Опубліковано 10 тра 2013
- Many consider the early Fender Bassman amps to be among the best guitar amps ever made. This video provides a detailed examination of a homemade combo amp I built from scratch using the 1960's AA864-AB165 Fender Bassman chassis schematic, a finger-jointed pine cabinet upholstered in tweed, and an Eminence Delta Pro 12" speaker.
Please subscribe to my channel, if you would like to see many more videos featuring vintage guitar amps and jukeboxes. I really appreciate your time and interest.
The Bassman was among the first of the Fender amps to lose its tube rectifier. Diode (solid state) rectification is cheaper, simpler, more efficient, produces a lot more (plate) voltage, and greatly reduces or eliminates "sag", which is the time it takes for a power supply to respond to sudden demands for more power. The only benefit of tube rectification is that it offers more of the warm "vintage tube sound" than solid state rectification.
im hoping you explain how 6 diodes rectify. and why a full wave bridge is not used.
@@irusman62 It's already been done, Russell. FWBR's require special power transformers and were not used for higher powered amps at the time.
@@UncleDoug ok thanks I’ll keep an eye out for that video , and I figured you had.
This is one of most ingenious guitar amp guts I've ever seen. And beautiful!
Great job!
Thanks so much, JK. For such a small package, it packs some real power :)
Thanks for the very nice comment, Austin, I really appreciate it. Be sure to stay tuned for lots more interesting videos in the future.
Wow....thanks, Gellman. Compliments are like a fresh T-bone for an old hound dog.....greatly appreciated. I have to confess that the last tune was actually my crude and amateurish rendition of Cocaine by EC. Between arthritis, lack of practice, and an overall deficiency in musical skills, my demo's are not exactly Grammy material, but I hope they convey at least a general idea of the sound qualities of the amps. :)))
Beautiful tweed work! Always enjoy your videos
Your videos have been an endless assistance to me and my projects. Super thanks.
You're quite welcome, Sam. Rusty and I are always glad to hear that our videos have been helpful. Best of luck with all your projects :) ^. .^
Even us bass players never used the terrible Bass Instrument channel back when we used these in high school. The Normal channel on Fenders was always the one to use on these amps. I have been a bassist for 40 years, built and services tube amps, built speaker systems, know the old Ampegs inside and out, and I also build old cars and motorcycles. I have been going through all your videos and learning a lot from you (filling in the many gaps in my electronics knowledge). You're approach to all of this is the best I have ever seen on UA-cam or in any book. -Including all the updates on the hot rods you add in. Just recently found your FB page and a whole new list of things to learn. Thanks again!!! Mark.
Wow.....thanks so much, Mark. It seems like we are kindred spirits. It's great to hear from you :)
NICE!!! Looks fantastic, and sounds even better! Again, thanks for sharing and inspiring!
You're welcome, Riloh :)
Uncle Doug!! You are my hero! I am about to start tackling my own projects soon. Thank you for the insightful tips and the inspiration ;) Keep up the good work and keep posting!!!
+latestsaint You're quite welcome, LS. It's great to hear that the videos are helpful and inspirational. Best of luck with your projects :)
Thanks, Dan. Your kind words are greatly appreciated.
Holy.. this is a pretty sweet amp!!!
It didnt come out well it came out amazingly awesome!! Im super impressed! !!!
I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge and experience!
You're welcome, Tim :)
Love your work Uncle Doug!
May very well be the sweetest "sleeper" build I've ever seen and I too tinker with old tube toys ! This thing is absolutely stunning !
Thanks so much, PC :)
Thanks, David. I appreciate your very kind words.
Hey Uncle Doug,
I've been pondering getting into building some speaker cabinets and toying with the idea of building a compact, very small apartment style bass amp as well. Only today did I come across your videos and I'm very impressed with the simplicity of design that you are making. Thanks for the videos.
I'll be watching more and probably will come back with some questions as I get closer to doing my first build.
+Clayton Gouin You're welcome, Clayton, and thanks for the kind assessment of my work. Best of luck with your projects. Please keep us posted on your progress and the outcome.
Here I come to save the day. Thanks Uncle Doug.
One of my favorite theme songs :)
Your construction is absolutely beautiful - I have seen nothing like it yet on UA-cam - thanks for the presentaion.
Thanks, Jimmy. I really appreciate it !!
Beautiful piece of work and a nice honk in the sound. I love it. Well done sir
Thank you very much, FF. Glad you liked it :)
You're an amazing dude Uncle Doug.
Absolutely beautiful work
Thank you very much, Glenn :)
I have decided to watch your entire back catalogue. I think I might just be a master amp tech afterward(if I take notes) :) . Thanks for the great content. I watch it religiously.
Sounds like a good idea, LH. I hope you enjoy and benefit from it.
Just beautiful work Doug !
+Andrew Darnley Thanks, Andrew :)
I think your playing is excellent. When I was young learning guitar at 8yrs. old, My older brother 17 played very hard rock at the time (Blind Faith/Eric/Who). I only wish I could of heard him play straight style such as you have posted in your tutorial. Thank-you so much you have restored my ears and feel angels still watch over us. Jim
Wow, thanks so much, Jim. We think of our channel as being more amp oriented, but any kind words directed at my meager musical skills are gratefully accepted :)
lol. im watching this & at the beginning of the sound proofing segment i thought "guitar sounds way out of tune, but cant be that far out, must be something in the video speed or something, idk." 8 nanoseconds later, you get a video edit & a guitar tuner magically appears in the frame. Thank you for that and all the rest of the knowledge & content you share. for us that never knew which end of the soldering to grab, its appreciated!
Glad you enjoyed the video, Jon. Thanks !!
Amazing. So happy I stumbled on this channel.
Thanks !! So are we, Dave.....welcome to our channel.
Sounds great!Amazing how you can turn a big sheet of scrap metal into a pro looking chassis.The cabinent looks factory made too!Great job!
+philo426 Thanks, Philo :) If you liked this, then be sure to watch my recent 8-video series on scratch-building a Supro Tremo-Verb clone.
I've been puzzling over wiring the next amp (JTM45-ish) point to point in a reasonable manner so, not only for your artistry but for your sharing, I have to muchly thank you for showing your amp's innards.
I'm glad the videos are helpful, Ross. Good luck with your project.
This is my favorite Uncle Doug build.
Thanks, Ernest :)
I love your videos, thank you, the info is priceless... Hopefully one day I can be half as good as you are, keep up the great videos
Thanks so much, PoB :)
o my god man i want one so bad! incredible job!
+Guillermo Ramos Thanks, Guillermo. Glad you like it :)
Nice build Uncle Doug! I love compact combo amps. Really makes it easy when the venue is kicking us out because one of my bandmates did some dumb thing. Love the story of the chassis! I get mine from work when they are throwing away those for rent, no parking signs, or any other signs that's made of thicker aluminum. My boss keeps on wondering why I dumpster dive for those. He actually started saving them for me.
Thanks, Laurence. A good rule of thumb is to never use equipment that is too heavy or bulky to run with :)
Hi Uncle Doug! I was just checking out some of your older videos. Wow! Is this one a gem!!!
Beautiful work (as usual) on the chassis, great speaker and gorgeous job on the tweed!
Love your videos!
Thanks so much, Steven. We're glad to hear from you :)
Hi Uncle Doug,
I just subscribed to you channel and have learned so much that I was able to successfully modify the preamp circuit for my VHT Special 6 to be voiced for Harmonica.
I had been hoping to find a custom build for a compact bassman with a single channel.
Looks like you read my mind (9 years ago)!
I tried to view the schematic you posted but the link did not work for me.
Is there a way I can contact you to
send me a link?
I am a teacher and I can tell by your informative and too the point “lessons” and suggestions you have a deep understanding of teaching.
Sorry for the not so brief post !
Mark
Great work, nice tone, great video. Many thanks.
+SiliconSet You're welcome, SS :)
You sir, have got a new subscriber. This type of thing is right down my ally. I love building things and I love music. I actually looked into building amps a long time ago but it looked pretty complicated.
Paul TheSkeptic Welcome aboard, Paul. I hope that my videos and those of others will inspire you to build an amp. If you do, be sure to let us know how it turns out.
Uncle Doug My first response was a barrage of questions about where I would start but since I haven't had a chance to watch any of your stuff yet I decided to delete that and start with a hello. Thanks for the well wishes and I'm sure you'll see me in the comments section.
I hope you enjoy watching them, Paul. If you have any specific questions that aren't answered in the videos, then either I or a Google Search can probably help.
BTW... Thanks a lot for the Prowess amplifier site link!!! WOW, great info there....
This is exactly why I'm watching your channel. I want to design a couple custom amps (tube circuits, chassis, cabinet, etc.) This is great stuff. BTW... The real estate signs fold up nicely into shop dustpans if you cut them in half!!!
Thanks, Greg. I'm glad you are enjoying the videos. Yes, there are many great uses for real estate signs :)))
Talk about the mouse that roared! Great idea to build this sweet sounding classic design into a compact cabinet. I would love to have one of these for the ease of portability. I have a '74 Bassman 10 with closed back 4x10 which sounds incredible but is well outside the "easy portability" range! Keep up the great work Unc! Cheers!
Thanks so much, Pat :)
I've done a little tolexing here and there, mostly the vintage black stuff. I once got an idea to build a little stomp box and cover it in tweed instead of painting it, and it turned out to be a mess. Looking at how well you lined up this tweed, I can really appreciate your skill here, having tried this myself. An amazing job!
One thing I've often wondered is that many people aren't gigging musicians, so they don't have to lug their amps around. I've wondered why more people wouldn't like using a finished wood finish on an amp, like doing a dyed maple.
Tweed is quite challenging, as you commented, due to the necessity of aligning the pattern in the material. I would not recommend it for a first upholstery project. Re natural-finished cabinets, I have seen some Mesa amps that had a beautiful exposed-wood finish, as well as some boutique amps. People probably prefer the durability of the upholstered cabinet, but exposed-wood cabinets are really beautiful, especially with visible finger and dovetail joints.
Nice work! I love your channel Uncle Doug!
Thanks, Ricky. We appreciate the time you spend watching and commenting :)
Havent' seen this one before Doug,,,,Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice. Love it,,,Great build,,,Thank you for posting this,,, I learn more and more with every Video...
Terence Kaye Thanks so much, Terence. Glad you liked it :)
Dylan Headrick: Your question was posted without any "reply" capability. I would not recommend using galvanized steel. The zinc tends to corrode (instead of the steel) over time and might eventually cause conduction problems. Stick with either aluminum or steel sheet metal.
Like a Tube Type model of The 200W ultra-compact ZT Lunchbox Guitar Combo Amplifier has changed the way many players think about amps.Yeah I owned one ZT but at that same time I also owned a Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus
and when I realised the value of the 1984 JC 120 would go UP while the ZT would not, the Big Bohemoth was forgotton. It now sits is storage back in Jones, Oklahoma since 2010, I cannot get it shipped to San Francisco.
You BASSMAN Home Brew is The Cat's Whiskers! BTW, I am a Baylor, Waco, Texas grad-1962. Studied Classical Violin, under Maestro Leno Bartolli, Roxy Hall School of Music.
I also met Tommy Gimble fiddler for Bob Wells and FORGOT the Violin!!!
Johnny Gimble & Texas Swing (A Production of The City of Waco)
what a monster uncle Doug awesome job!
+Cande Montanez Thanks, Cande.....glad you liked it :)
Wow Uncle Doug. Good to see another great video from you!
Great Job as always.
Thanks so much, Marc. This was my one venture into over-20W territory. All of my other amp/effects projects are smaller, lighter, and less powerful. I guess in my old age, I've simply gotten too lazy to carry heavy objects around :)
LOL. None the less Great Job Uncle Doug. While I have you here I have a question. I have a Philco 40-81 Portable Tube radio. Any way of turning that into a small tube and and putting a cord on this thing since it is an A/B battery and has 2 different power inputs for warming the tube and actual operation? I wanted to get your thoughts on that before I go cutting wires and drilling holes.
Thanks, Marc. The only way to get a battery radio to operate on AC is to build a power supply that provides the voltages it needs. There are kits to do this, or you can find schematics on the Internet.
Re the conversion to a guitar amp, IMHO it would require more effort than the result would justify. If you really want to build a guitar amp, you should either start with a proper kit, or convert an existing amplifier that was intended for other purposes, i.e. for PA or tape deck use. I have posted several videos showing how this can be done. Best of luck.
TY Uncle Doug. I think I will just keep it as is based upon your opinion. Besides it is 70 years old and still pretty gorgeous.
Doug, what a sweet little amp!
+Bill Daniels Thanks so much, Bill. It is sweet, but also quite powerful and heavy as heck (for it's size). The first time I tried to pick it up, I thought it had somehow become glued to the top of my work table :) The speaker alone weighs about 25 lbs.
Wow that amp looks incredible!! Great craftsmanship!! Subbed
Thanks, Cody. Welcome aboard !!
I love that sound.
hear I come to save the daaayyy!! nice job sir. keep up the fine work
+douglas williams Thanks, Douglas. We will :)
Uncle D! A few years ago I bought a Fender Hot Rod Deville, it's one of those newer Fender amps, but it's based upon the Bassman circuit. It is an ungodly loud beast. I can't turn the volume past 1 or so in the house while plugged into jack 2.
That's when I had a few noisy neighbors move in next door. They're fond of playing loud rap music at all hours of the day. That's when I discovered a new use for my Deville. I simply put the amp on my back deck, turn it up to about 7 or 8, plug into jack 1, run an instrument cable into the house from a window and serenade my neighbors with a few Dick Dale tunes. :)
Greetings, Alva. I'm sure that Fender never envisioned the Hot Rod Deville as being an instrument of revenge and torture.....but it sure seems to have served that purpose. Hopefully, the neighbors took the hint and didn't escalate the "sound war" :) With Dick Dale on your side, they didn't stand a chance :) Thanks for sharing......
Nice amp. Sounds great!
Thanks, James.
That's amazing. Cheers
Glad you liked it, Rev.
a thing of beauty
Hey Doug, I'm working my way back and forth through your videos. Great stuff.
I'd contend that the lower hole for the power cord also aids in convection, helping to cool the tubes (or, "centrally heated FET's", as a co-worker calls them).
I agree, Rodney. Convection is a powerful force.
Nicely designed amp! If I attempt to build one of these guys, I would probably use a 15 inch speaker, and also use a tube rectifier...That sag you get from a tube rectifier is part of the sound that the old amps were known for...I really like this amp!
Thanks, Frank. Since I based the circuit on the Fender AA864 Bassman, it ended up with diode rectification. I already had the high-wattage 12" Eminence speaker and was aiming for a very compact cabinet, so it got the nod. It's quite an amp.....extremely loud and powerful.
I tend to favor the 6L6's for output. When biased properly, they sound the best. My least favorites are the EL34's, they are a pain in the keester to deal with and tend to run very hot. Many of the Marshall amps use them, and I constantly get them in for repair. Burnt screen resistors, melted solder connections, and burnt PCB's.
Frank Ferraro I know your comment's old, but I must just point this out. EL34s run perfectly reliably at lower B+ voltages, 450 and below. Original Plexis used to run at such low voltages and hence would run flat out happily all night long. Modern master volume Marshalls tend to run at higher voltages, between 5 and 600 for more clean headroom, since the output stage is not designed to distort in those amps. I had this issue with my old MA50 because I hated the preamp distortion and would always crank the master, only to find that the screen grids melted within an hour. When I can scratch some money together Ill build a lower voltage 50 watter with EL34s so that way they don't pop whenever I push them out of their comfort zone.
sounds Absolutely great ... !!!
Thanks, AT :)
Still amazed at how good that thing sounds ...)))
Thanks, TT. It's now in the hands of a new owner, who seems to feel just the way you do :)
Lucy Dog ... lol .... ) ... No offense ... I'm sure that person is no dog ., lol , , Thx for your knowledge ... )
You're welcome, TT :)
What a Killer little Amp!!! I'd love to have one that would swap out 6V6Gt's for EL34's when you wanted. I've just never been a 6L6 kinda guy but I love the Amp!!! TOTAL Badass!!!
Thanks so much, Tim, glad you liked it.
Nice work.
Thanks :)
Another nice Amp !
Thanks, Harb :)
Nice Job, I like it!
Thanks, Chance :)
Tow a bus with the grill cloth….😂
Good to know since I have a 1947 GMC PD3751 Greyhound bus.😂😂😂😂😂
Beautiful amp, Love it!
Thanks, Janice :)
@@UncleDoug here’s my bus Thunder.
My labor of love❤️
ua-cam.com/video/qhS73phrXe8/v-deo.html
@@GtrPknMama What a beautiful Art Deco gem, Janice. Thanks for sharing.
outstanding!
Thanks, Andy :)
Builds a mind-blowingly awesome custom amp... and demo's it with an untuned guitar. Dear sir, how could you? BTW, your videos are great. TYVM.
Thanks for the kind words, Juan. I only built the amps. Rusty tests them. I'll relay your critique to him...when he wakes up from his nap :)
Thanks, MrRikk.
Great build and vid uncle Doug. Your amp really reminds me of the clean channel of my 1984 Fender Concert (II, Rivera era) 2 6L6 60 watts more clean headroom than you can imagine and long spring Acusonic (sp?) reverb. Just so darn loud that it's hard to load up enough to get the crunch where I love it. I would love to see you explain more about attenuation in a video if I could be so rude as to ask you I have several amps that have the problem, ha , ha of being over 60, or even over 100 watts of tube goodness. Thanks again for the great videos.
Thanks, Mitchel. To be honest, Rusty and I tend to stick with low to medium powered amps......for the reason you describe. I had the speaker and some suitable parts, so we built this little monster, but rarely use it at home for fear of causing structural damage:) We'll keep your attenuator suggestion in mind for the future.
wow! uncle Doug that is so cool, i have two amps about the same size is that bassman with the same tubes i would love to do that to them ...thank you that was so ingenius,,
+Lorenzo Lozano You're welcome, Lorenzo. Glad you liked the amp :)
Hi Uncle Doug & Rusty, Good job on the amp, beautiful construction in every aspect, sounds great. Good job on House of the rising sun, I play that on my 1st Cigar Box Guitar I ever built, open G, G, D, G. I use P-90's and would sound awesome through one of your amps I'd bet, might have to build you one, for free of course, fun to play. I really do enjoy your video's and learn so much, thankyou for sharing your knowledge & expertise on the subject. Take care, be good, C.
+Cass Virgillo Greetings, Cass, and thanks for the very nice comments. My version of the tune is Am, C, D, F........it's one of my favorites back from college days :)
Super Cool amp.
+Neil Robert Turner Guitars Thanks, Neil. Glad you liked it :)
piece of art
Thanks, Ian :)
How did I miss this one?!
I have a tweed pro sized cabinet that this would be perfect for. Love the idea of the hi-wattage single 12.
It ended up weighing a ton, mainly due to the 25 lb. speaker, but the massive single speaker could handle a whole lot of input power, unlike most single 12 inchers.
Great sounding amp, sounds like it would play nicely with pedals, such as an Ibanez TS-808, or 909 Tube Screamer pedal, I just re-discovered my TS-808 Tube Screamer pedal while I was in the process of looking for something else in my home studio room.
Thanks, Simon.
Thanks Doug, I watched this after you mentioned it in answer to one of my 'many' questions. What a lovely build and something for me to aspire to. Really first class workmanship. Over on D-lab Electronics youtube channel he mentions the reasons for using an Al chassis and says it avoids propagation of magnetism spreading across the skin of the chassis and getting into the preamp input signals. If I am cloning an old UK vintage Vox amp which originally had a steel chassis and used an aluminium one instead, would I run the risk of changing what the original sounded like? The aim is to get a sound most closely matched to the original and so I plan to faithfully follow the tube layout and wiring as best I can, even though in places it looks rather messy. Thanks again for always answering questions and for sharing your wealth of knowledge. It is a testament to your goodwill and I am glad that these videos will live on and be useful to future generations long after we have shuffled of this mortal coil.
You're welcome, Allan. I seriously doubt that chassis material would have any effect whatsoever on tone. The concept of magnetism affecting the pre-amp seems a bit questionable, since magnetism does not, to my knowledge, create audible sound.....otherwise you would think that the speaker voice coil or an electrodynamic speaker field coil or a filter choke would cause problems. If the signal cables are properly shielded, they should be relatively immune to interference.
Hi Uncle Doug:
My 13 year old Border Collie "Whitney" and I have now watched you and Rusty work on Amplifiers for the majority of your awesome videos. Very well done!
Your detailed description of how to cover a cabinet with Leatherette inspired me to cover a boring looking Blues Junior II with Tweed cloth from ebay. All techniques, except those dealing with the corners, translated well to the task. The results are not perfect, but I am still very pleased with the classic look.
Pertinent to this video: The EASIEST part was the laquering! I brushed Amber-tinted Shellac from a can, which appears to be very forgiving to over-application, dries almost instantly, and makes for a really cool vintage vibe. (The same manufacturer also makes clear shellac.)
My next tweed project will be a small Fender Vibrochamp XD. The only planned changes are a) better corners and b) using a Shellac 50/50 mix between Amber/Clear to achieve a lighter tint than the straight Amber. Eventually I may graduate to building my own little Bassman! Many Sincere Thanks!
Alexander Roesch Greetings to you and Whitney, Alex, and thanks for your kind words. Tweed presents its own challenges, including lining up the pattern at interfaces; and differences in behavior between cloth and vinyl, particularly in corners. I've found that furniture glue (i.e. Titebond) works best with cloth in corners. It takes longer to set up and slows down the covering process, but the corners are much more stable after the glue hardens. Thanks for the tip on amber shellac, and best of luck with future projects.
oh Excellent work btw.
Thanks :)
Awesome !
Thanks, John :)
beautiful Work ... Very well done ... Also the access is second to none ... Yea Brilliant Little beast ... Name the Next one "The Little beast ... lol ... )))
I'll keep that suggestion in mind, AT. Thanks :)
I really appreciate your videos!!! This compact version of the bassman is a wonderful idea!! I am not near the tech you are sir... Wish I did live near you, I could probably help you considerably with a bit of work on your guitar. I believe I am hearing intonation issue's...
Thank you so much...
Rick
You're welcome, Rick. I worked on guitars before I began to work on amps. The guitar is properly intonated and carefully tuned prior to each video production. I suspect that either my playing method (fretting with excessive force) and/or the recording method conspire to create some dissonance. Sorry if it's troublesome.
A 400 watt speaker?! Now that's doin' it right! 👍
There's no room for four 10's so I thought I'd install a monster that could handle the output power without failing.
@@UncleDoug It's a cool build, the concept of a full power 2X6L6 Fender Bassman circuit in a compact cabinet. I like how you did the chassis too with the "loft" for the filter caps
I'd like to congratulate you on the beautiful craftsmanship that went into building this amp.You did an amazing job with the tolex.That is one gigantic magnet on that speaker it must be really heavy and expensive.Have you owned one of those early Bassman tweed amp in original condition?
+lucancherby Thanks so much for your kind comments, LC. I have worked on some of the early 4 x 10 Bassman amps but have never personally owned one. I tend to favor the smaller, more portable vintage amps.
beautiful build, man, i want one of these. i'd build one myself but electronics/circuitry and all that comes with it goes way over my head. i'm working on a simple 1x12 speaker cab at the moment, i think that will be a good entry point to this hobby... pretty basic design. love your channel.
Thanks so much, Zeke. Most of us start out with relatively simple projects and then steadily progress in complexity. Keep up the good work and study......progress will come naturally.
Uncle Doug i appreciate the support! excited to get this cab up and running. got most of the woodworking done, now it's just a matter of putting some tolex on there and installing the speaker and input jack. that part I'm nervous about, but it seems like a pretty straightforward solder job.
Take your time and view it as a great experience, rather than a risky endeavor. After all, it's fun.....not work :)
It's amazing how just as I have a question, you cover it. Now, I just need a few more details on the best way to remove that speed limit film from an aluminum sheet I found laying around.
Aircraft grade paint stripper works for me ;)
@@UncleDoug , that's why boutique amps are so expensive. high dollar strippers.
A Fender amp with similar power and tone that's hand wired, under the radar cheap, and loaded with features is the early 1980's Fender Concert Ii. It came in a 2x10 and single 12 version. It got a cult following among modders. Costs about $600
Wow, thanks for the excellent tip, Joe. I was not aware of this amp but will now keep an eye out for one.
I remember "Mighty Mouse" 6:30a.m. before school. The amp sounds like it wants to take on the bullies and whoop -em!
Yes, indeed.....it's a powerful little beast.
Everything is nicely tucked and professionally done... It's the same story who ever you are unless the wife is part of it, but on gig night and the place is over capacity, the women are freaking out, then it's all good and you're the man, crank it up!
Thanks, Mr. B.
incredible job, very nice, love the sleeper size, by sleeper meaning like a chevette with a 427 under the hood!!!
+jeff b Thanks so much, Jeff, and I love your car analogy. It has really surprised some people who misjudged it due to its small size and ended up being literally blasted out of the room :))
thought you would get a kick out of that, heard you say you had a 65'Goat, wow what a car. the origional muscle car!!! let me guess- 421- 4 speed, I built a 1980 z28 with a 355 3spd auto, all built by myself. love to smoke people with brand new cars they think are fast,the look on those faces are priceless!! yes I am 40 now and still a boy racer at heart. thanks for replying to my comments. p.s. you had me singing house of the rising son. I really like the way you were playing, not a big fan of songs played to exact tolerance. your take on it is really cool.
Thanks, Jeff. Glad you enjoyed the tune. The GTO's in '65 came with 389's. Mine had tri-power and a 4-speed Muncie. My current hot rod is a 1971 Jeep with a 350 Chevy and TH350 transmission, Weber 4 barrel, headers, big tires, etc. I showed it in one of the Supro build videos. It's not a drag racer, but can sure climb hills effortlessly at 1200 RPM or so. With that much torque, there is no need for hi-revs or drama.
3 dueces and a 4 speed and a 389!!! legendary set up and song, your jeep is set up right, sounds like a blast to tool around in.will look for it in the videos, your building skills are very impressive. I agree with you about the torque monster!!!, built my 355 with flat tops, comp cam, holley four barrel, procom ignitoin, offenhuaser intake, 64cc 2.06 heads- 4:73 rear, will send you a picture, have many computers forget which one there on right now!!! if i can, have not seen an option to attach a photo, never looked. will take one of the RCA too, did not tub the camaro i like the cornering ability it has, have a limited slip rear out of an 88 silverado 2500 and she shoots right out of the whole just fine.
You can post photos on my Facebook page: Uncle Doug's Vintage Amps.
You have a great way of explaining your work, congratulations on this, it's really one of my favorite channels. Do you have a web page or e-commerce site I could buy one of your amps from?
I love your innovations on vintage amps. Very solid engineering!
Thanks so much, Kyle. I have sold several amps during the past year. Please send me a private message describing which amps and effects you are interested in and I will provide details and a price.
Have you ever tried Mood Fabrics for tweed speaker cloth?
That is quite the speaker in there...it's designed for high-fidelity applications up to 400w peak output.
No I haven't, D20. Yes, indeed. Since there was no room for four speakers, I thought it best to make sure the single speaker could handle the output power. The volume is incredible......even at a setting of 2 or 3.
True P-T-P wiring, nice & neat!
gorblimey61 Thanks, Gorb :)
very cool! I learned a lot from this video. I will have to watch your other videos. I am curious as to how one builds the frame of the amp as well as designing and drilling for the chassis. Thanks for sharing.
I explain chassis construction in several other videos, Joe, including my series on the Supro Tremo Verb.
Uncle Doug thanks for replying. I am looking forward to watching the rest of the series. As I mentioned I already feel like I have learned a lot!
That's great to hear, Joe.
hi Doug, I've been watching your videos now for quite some time. I'm about your age and have never been more interested line all of your videos. I'm a long time musician here in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. I've learned a lot from your videos. keep it up. I would like to know how to lacquer a Blues Deville tweed amp. Any videos on that would be great. thanks from Canada
Greetings, Michael. It's great to hear that our videos are helpful and appreciated. I will keep your suggestion in mind for a future video.
superb....
freak55beat Thanks, FB. I made an error placing the first pre-amp tube too close to the power supply, but every build is a learning experience.
yes my friend but your skills make fender look amature. so thats why im having a nights view of your vids mate. im a makenzie speaker fan to.great work and thanks for your information. j
Thanks again for your kind words, FB. Rusty and I hope you enjoy the videos :)
"A little compact mouse that was very powerful" lol Never heard that description of mighty mouse but was pretty spot on what the cartoon was all about.
And even though Im 34 I still was watching the reruns when I was little along with Rocky and Bullwinkle.
And yes I was greatly disappointed by the Peabody and Sherman movie recently made.
Nice amp thought.
Thanks, EC. We have similar taste......Rocky and Bullwinkle were my heroes too. Their humor worked for both kids and adults. Glad you liked the Dani-Sonic Mighty Mouse :)
Uncle Doug
Yeah I got to sit down and try to do this on a smaller scale. I just want a small amp with a clean and dirty channel for toting around. I was thinking of making it out of a cigar box and I am just gonna use some small speakers that were for a car for it. But this little amp ups the ante and I totally want to make one now lol.
Good luck with your project, EC. Let us know how it turns out.
Uncle Doug
Will do thanks
Hey Uncle Doug, really nice job on the amp. If you're ever scratch building another amplifier could you do a video on chassis fabrication? I'd love to see how you do it.
sa230e Thanks, SA. I believe I showed some chassis fabrication in my video series "Scratch Building a Champ from Scrap Parts". You might check it out if you get a chance.
Wow, I bet it is a beast. Kinda like the S-10 chevy I had with a 327 engine. Pull up beside a hot rod at the stop sign and they laugh until you suck them up your tail pipe. I had to get rid of it. It was dangerous. It got away from me 2 or 3 times. I think I put 3 rear ends in that thing.
It is quite powerful, especially for its size :)
1. Just a suggestion you should get a wire clip to hold your speaker cable to the side wall so the tube won't melt it.
2. I'm glad you drained the power because you scared the hell out of me touching those compacitors!! Haha
Thanks for your helpful suggestions, Nick.
I have had Eminence Delta Pro 12" Speakers running on a Soldano and Peavey Triple XXX for years. It is probably one of the best sounding speakers for the money. If you are looking for tone and muscle this is the one.
I agree, AB......it's a beast !!!
wow thus the name. mighty mouse. appreciate youre advice
You're welcome, James.
You have a great dog and I like seeing him in your videos. I mention him first because I was a pound dog owner and in sickness (which I am now) they make the best partners for wanting to getting well again! I love that build on the Mighty Mouse. I play both bass and guitar. I made a cabinet monster with a 1000w (8ohm bridge) PA power amp matched with Peavey (T. Rexx) pre-amp with 4 12AX7As. I run 2 -10inch Emunences, (my spelling sucks-sorry) Pyle horns and Tweeters. Bottom line is I'm sick, older equipment was falling apart and I met an emmy winning Country/Jazz player did that also. I'm always asking people this; is a tube driven pre-amp enough? Does a tube driven amp add something I'm not hearing or missing? I'm 58, sick, but played several string instruments over 50 years. Eventually, I'd like to show off my inventions, (also instruments I made) before I get too sick and stopped by greater powers than myself! Your opinion is welcomed good or bad. Thank you for the schematic. My dad ran a TV repair shop south of Holly-wierd, (Ron's TV).
Jerome Steven Faigin Thanks, Jerome. Rusty and I appreciate your kind words. I believe that for a guitar amp to have the proper "tube tone", it should be an all-tube amp.....pre-amp as well as output section. Diode rectification is OK, but I prefer tube rectifiers. It's purely a matter of personal preference.
Save the Day mighty doug.
I think I'll try something similar but with something more like the 6G6-A's BASS INSTRUMENT channel preamp. I'm still trying to find a one tube power amp tube & transformer combo that could put out more than 12 watts just to be different.
I'm practicing my soldering, trigonometry and other amp skills every time I get inspired.
Will do, RB. Good luck with your project.....and practice :)