For those of you who build / mod amps

[mrkmas]

what is a fun way to get started with amp mods? Should i find a nice inexpensive simple 1 channel amp and start swapping parts for ones with different values to see the effects it has?

Kind of a strange question but whats a nice starting point?


I am familiar with tube amp maintenance and repairs to know about the dangers so dont worry about that.

 

[dawnofdreamx97]

Hey,

check out the Ce distrubution mod 101 amp kit, sounds killer and will get you a good understanding of a circuit.

Also just understanding signal flow in general , frequencies and (high pass and low pass filtering) , layout , and the basic science of resistors , caps , rectification and ect is always a great start.

ps - stare at a jcm 800 2203 schematic from ceriatones website everyday for a while ...

 

[mrkmas]

Hey,

check out the Ce distrubution mod 101 amp kit, sounds killer and will get you a good understanding of a circuit.

Also just understanding signal flow in general , frequencies and (high pass and low pass filtering) , layout , and the basic science of resistors , caps , rectification and ect is always a great start.

ps - stare at a jcm 800 2203 schematic from ceriatones website everyday for a while ...

haha thanks man!!

 

[joepete77]

My first build was a marshall 1974x type 18watt build and It was a great learning experiance. Check out trinity amps out of canada , they are great people and all their amps are available in kit form and are built with top shelf components and directions and the prices are great for what u get. Soultone has a 20watt marshall 2061x clone kit complete with head cab and mercury trannies etc for around 750 i think which is a fairly easy build, gds has a nice 18 kit with easy instructions. Ceriatone has nice stuff for the money and a wide variety of models to choose from though instructions and shipping are a drag i believe. Good luck.

 

[georg_f]

or get an Epiphone Valve Junior
it's a very simple amp and it's easy to add some mods, like a standby switch, bright switch etc.

 

[racerevlon]

^^^^This. Also understand that you can't just start swapping out parts and hope everything will work. The amp will have an operating tolerance--wander outside that and you'll likely fry the whole thing.

 

[jerrydyer]

ceriatone kit or mojo vibro champ is an easy one to start. sounds great too.

 

[mrkmas]

My first build was a marshall 1974x type 18watt build and It was a great learning experiance. Check out trinity amps out of canada , they are great people and all their amps are available in kit form and are built with top shelf components and directions and the prices are great for what u get. Soultone has a 20watt marshall 2061x clone kit complete with head cab and mercury trannies etc for around 750 i think which is a fairly easy build, gds has a nice 18 kit with easy instructions. Ceriatone has nice stuff for the money and a wide variety of models to choose from though instructions and shipping are a drag i believe. Good luck.

Hmm ceriatone looks good to me. Alot of variety! Instructions are not much of a concern since my dad is an electrical engineer. The shipping does look steep though

 

[mrkmas]

Hey,

check out the Ce distrubution mod 101 amp kit, sounds killer and will get you a good understanding of a circuit.

Also just understanding signal flow in general , frequencies and (high pass and low pass filtering) , layout , and the basic science of resistors , caps , rectification and ect is always a great start.

ps - stare at a jcm 800 2203 schematic from ceriatones website everyday for a while ...

I think the MOD101 amp is nice for the money. It is relatively inexpensive and should be basic enough to get me going. Plus it comes with some extra goodies for unlimited tweaking!!! I am currently leaning in this direction for now.

 

[mrkmas]

Is there any single site to go to that has pages and pages of mods for amps that are DIY?

 

[GuitarGoat]

Is there any single site to go to that has pages and pages of mods for amps that are DIY?

Not really mods, but the Valve Wizard site really helps explain a ton of the theory and circuits. I also like browsing the SLO clone forum and AX84 forums for cool ideas.