Looking for an amp build kit

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

I have been looking at buying another amp for more clean to mean stuff since I love my main amp for high gain.

I am having a bit of trouble deciding, and in classic rig-talk form am interested in doing something to keep me from practicing guitar.

I am thinking of a trainwreck build or maybe something marshall plexi. Any ideas?

I want it to be as simple as possible so I don't blow something up. So single channel for sure

 

[VonBonfire]

Just buy a nice SF Deluxe, Super, or Twin off craigslist. I can introduce you to my amp tech down here. He does good work for reasonable prices. That way you can focus all your efforts on some sweet blues licks.

 

[VonBonfire]

I should add....you could tell him what amp you wanted and he will build out the kit for you for a fair price.

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

I should add....you could tell him what amp you wanted and he will build out the kit for you for a fair price.

It doesn't seem like you respect my ability to procrastinate

 

[VonBonfire]

It doesn't seem like you respect my ability to procrastinate

I expect results. Or for you to realize you are a dyed in the wool metalhead and quit. I'm ok with either choice I just don't appreciate waffling unless it's time for breakfast.

 

[griff10672]

just do a 800 clone ...... once you do that you can start modding it to your liking .... there's endless vids and info online to hot rod one

probably goes the same for the plexi circuit as well .....

 

[glpg80]

Most of the kits right now that are low dollar may be subject to tariffs if being bought from outside the US - you’ll have to reach out to each to see. Barring tariff costs, Ceriatone has turnkey high gain kits that aren’t awful from a cost perspective. They will also let you tweak them without fear of messing up fragile PCB traces like in a 1959 or JCM800. PTP is very forgiving for tuning.

Most kits aren’t going to have the noise floor of custom builds though. That’s what separates kit amps from custom work. If you just want something to play with and mess with on your own, it’s hard to beat a JCM800 clone.

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

Most of the kits right now that are low dollar may be subject to tariffs if being bought from outside the US - you’ll have to reach out to each to see. Barring tariff costs, Ceriatone has turnkey high gain kits that aren’t awful from a cost perspective. They will also let you tweak them without fear of messing up fragile PCB traces like in a 1959 or JCM800. PTP is very forgiving for tuning.

Most kits aren’t going to have the noise floor of custom builds though. That’s what separates kit amps from custom work. If you just want something to play with and mess with on your own, it’s hard to beat a JCM800 clone.

I hate pcbs, but i am not looking for high gain base at all. Just a simple clean amp that can get to edge of breakup.

 

[griff10672]

I hate pcbs, but i am not looking for high gain base at all. Just a simple clean amp that can get to edge of breakup.

then I would pick out a Fender clone from Mojo .... they have a ton of kits in that realm

 

[Rottweiler]

I have been looking at buying another amp for more clean to mean stuff since I love my main amp for high gain.

I am having a bit of trouble deciding, and in classic rig-talk form am interested in doing something to keep me from practicing guitar.

I am thinking of a trainwreck build or maybe something marshall plexi. Any ideas?

I want it to be as simple as possible so I don't blow something up. So single channel for sure

I do the same. speaker clips, amp clips, speaker changes, buy a cab, buy an amp, but practice decending triplets? I have time for everything but.

I also am looking at kits. I was thinking of starting small like a 5f2 or 5e3. My son plays some lower gain stuff and I thought it would be a fun project and get him to hang out for more than 1 minute.

The price of kits has gone up a bit in the last few years since I looked at them last. Ideally, I'd like to build a plexi or 800 PTP. I have a 50cl so I'd probably go the plexi route.

If you have an epiphone valve Jr, you can get a plexi SE conversion kit.

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

I do the same. speaker clips, amp clips, speaker changes, buy a cab, buy an amp, but practice decending triplets? I have time for everything but.

I also am looking at kits. I was thinking of starting small like a 5f2 or 5e3. My son plays some lower gain stuff and I thought it would be a fun project and get him to hang out for more than 1 minute.

The price of kits has gone up a bit in the last few years since I looked at them last. Ideally, I'd like to build a plexi or 800 PTP. I have a 50cl so I'd probably go the plexi route.

If you have an epiphone valve Jr, you can get a plexi SE conversion kit.

The 5f2 looks cool. But the reviews say the instructions are shit. I wonder if there is a YouTube video...I think I am going to pull the trigger

 

[CoreyW]

and in classic rig-talk form am interested in doing something to keep me from practicing guitar.

I feel personally attacked.

 

[Rottweiler]

"The Guitar Amp Handbook" by Dave Hunter is what got me interested in building a kit several years ago. Just haven't done it yet. The author does a good job explaining components and their contribution to the tone. Good schematics in there also.

If you can source the components, there is likely good info on the web and you may not need a kit. I haven't compared any reviews so I don't know who has the best pre packaged kit.

https://www.amplifiedparts.com/products/amplifier-kits