Where to start?

I want to get into amp modding and maybe even building. I know I have a lot of learning to do.

I have basic soldering proficiency, and a rough idea of the concepts of voltage, circuitry, etc.. Does anyone have any recommendations on goods books and/or starter kits to build?

I've considered Bruce Egnater's course, but I want to see if I can learn myself before doing something like that.

You're really on your own to do research like a lifetime thesis project, but luckily there are a ton of resources these days to find information about building amps and modding them. Sites like the Amp Garage and the Metro forum have lifetimes (plural) of information available. There are also some wonderful YouTube videos by a user named "Uncle Doug" who walks through basic tube circuits in relatively easy terms for a non-experienced hobbyist. He's actually an excellent teacher for this kind of stuff; lots of visual references.
I think that some of Bruce's seminar lectures were on YouTube as well and those are excellent; Bruce is a great teacher.

However, there is no substitute whatsoever for experience. That's what my experience has been. Do it everyday a little bit and you get better at it; just like playing an instrument. You can always build a Tweed Champ or similar to get your feet wet as builder, but expect that you are probably going to do a few things wrong when you start. That's how you learn.

Also, I visit this site more than 3 times a week for technical reference: http://www.valvewizard.co.uk/

Travis has good advice. IMO, building a NMV Marshall is almost as easy as a Tweed so if you think you would use that more I would build that. If tweed I would prob start with a Deluxe although lately I've been wanting to build a tweed Bandmaster. They are all very similar anyway, just a matter of which one I'd rather have when complete. I would start with a kit for first build.

Thanks guys. Modding NMV and vert input 800s is what I mainly have in mind.

A 1987 or maybe 2061 kit sounds like a good place to start. I know Metro used to sell those, but doesn't anymore, are there any companies you would recommend?

Mojotone's seems sort of expensive, is it worth it?

A quick Google search found this too:

http://store.triodestore.com/plexi50tubeampkit.html

Books to buy and keep forever:
- Kevin O'Connor's TUT series (start with TUT1 and TUT3)
- Merlin Blencowe's preamp book (and power supply book, if you can find it; Merlin is the valve wizard, btw)

Consider starting with a full kit that comes with good instructions. I'd also recommend amps kits are somehow 'modernized' rather than complete replicas of old amps (since old amps had some potentially dangerous parts and circuits). Allen Amps makes great kits with great step-by-step instructions. Monotone kits probably do not come with instructions. Bruce Egnater sells kits too.

V2a":1sig0dwe said:

Books to buy and keep forever:
- Kevin O'Connor's TUT series (start with TUT1 and TUT3)
- Merlin Blencowe's preamp book (and power supply book, if you can find it; Merlin is the valve wizard, btw)

Consider starting with a full kit that comes with good instructions. I'd also recommend amps kits are somehow 'modernized' rather than complete replicas of old amps (since old amps had some potentially dangerous parts and circuits). Allen Amps makes great kits with great step-by-step instructions. Monotone kits probably do not come with instructions. Bruce Egnater sells kits too.

Click to expand...

I found Merlin Blencowe's "Designing Tube Preamps for Guitar and Bass, Second Edition" Is this the book you are referring?

HilltopExplosion":2i14lkdw said:

V2a":2i14lkdw said:

Books to buy and keep forever:
- Kevin O'Connor's TUT series (start with TUT1 and TUT3)
- Merlin Blencowe's preamp book (and power supply book, if you can find it; Merlin is the valve wizard, btw)

Consider starting with a full kit that comes with good instructions. I'd also recommend amps kits are somehow 'modernized' rather than complete replicas of old amps (since old amps had some potentially dangerous parts and circuits). Allen Amps makes great kits with great step-by-step instructions. Monotone kits probably do not come with instructions. Bruce Egnater sells kits too.

Click to expand...

I found Merlin Blencowe's "Designing Tube Preamps for Guitar and Bass, Second Edition" Is this the book you are referring?

Click to expand...

Yep, that's the one.

V2a":2ig33kcv said:

HilltopExplosion":2ig33kcv said:

V2a":2ig33kcv said:

Books to buy and keep forever:
- Kevin O'Connor's TUT series (start with TUT1 and TUT3)
- Merlin Blencowe's preamp book (and power supply book, if you can find it; Merlin is the valve wizard, btw)

Consider starting with a full kit that comes with good instructions. I'd also recommend amps kits are somehow 'modernized' rather than complete replicas of old amps (since old amps had some potentially dangerous parts and circuits). Allen Amps makes great kits with great step-by-step instructions. Monotone kits probably do not come with instructions. Bruce Egnater sells kits too.

Click to expand...

I found Merlin Blencowe's "Designing Tube Preamps for Guitar and Bass, Second Edition" Is this the book you are referring?

Click to expand...

Yep, that's the one.

Click to expand...

Thanks!

This:

V2a":1bpx752e said:

Books to buy and keep forever:
- Kevin O'Connor's TUT series (start with TUT1 and TUT3)
- Merlin Blencowe's preamp book (and power supply book, if you can find it; Merlin is the valve wizard, btw)

Consider starting with a full kit that comes with good instructions. I'd also recommend amps kits are somehow 'modernized' rather than complete replicas of old amps (since old amps had some potentially dangerous parts and circuits). Allen Amps makes great kits with great step-by-step instructions. Monotone kits probably do not come with instructions. Bruce Egnater sells kits too.

Click to expand...

Salos":3grtazy1 said:

Thanks guys. Modding NMV and vert input 800s is what I mainly have in mind.

A 1987 or maybe 2061 kit sounds like a good place to start. I know Metro used to sell those, but doesn't anymore, are there any companies you would recommend?

Mojotone's seems sort of expensive, is it worth it?

A quick Google search found this too:

http://store.triodestore.com/plexi50tubeampkit.html

Click to expand...

I bought a jcm 800 V2 50w kit from the triode store . I then completely reworked the pre amp side of it .
My complaints about the kit are as follows
1. the turret board was some generic board not a JCM 800 board . There wasn't room for the rectifier on the board so I had to use tag boards to build the rectifier .
2. for a bias pot he sent just a plain old pot instead of a pot that could be mounted on a board
3. I have never seen resistors like he sent . They had some color code on them I had never seen .
4. He left a few things out that I had to ask him for .( he did send them no problem when I ask though)
5. the chassis is the small old style chassis very hard to have room to mod . I had to add a 2nd layer board to accomidate my mods

What i did like is he used classic tone trannys which sound great .

All that being said the amp I built screams . The only thing that is a JCM 800 about it now though is the power section . I redesigned the pre section completely .

When I build the next one I'm going to get my chassis from watts audio and just source the rest of the parts .

The triode store does offer a 100w version now ( didn't when I built mine ) which uses a large chassis like the old 100 super leads and for the price its hard to beat . that is if you don't mine buying a few things yourself