Goldtop11
Mojo & Blues
Hello everyone!
I'm seeking a little advice. I recently decided I want to take a stab at building my own guitar amp. My goal is to actually get good enough to make tweaks and somewhat design my own, but I need somewhere to start.
After looking at some stuff online, I really want to try and build a 5F1 Champ style amp, since it looks pretty easy and I really dig simple low watt amps. However, I've got a handful of problems.
First off, I'm on a budget. I'd really like to get the actual amp together for $150 or less. To reduce cost, there's a few things I'm not needing. My dad is an expert wood worker, so I can make a cabinet for the amp myself. I also plan on making it a head, so I won't need to worry about a speaker. I'm hoping this helps with cutting cost. I'm finding some kits for these, but they're all more expensive than $150 and include stuff I don't need (cab and speaker) or less than $150, but seem to be missing crucial stuff. (Like a transformer)
The second problem is that I know almost nothing about this. My knowledge on electronics is only what your average guitar players is. I know terms like wattage, ohm and potentiometer, but a wiring schematic looks like nonsense hieroglyphics to me. I thought it would be neat (and possibly save money) to source all the components myself and make my own little board, but the turret boards and chassis look very specifically laid out.
Anyways, say all that to say this, does anybody have experience building amps that could point me to some good resources for this? I've looked all over the internet and it seems to either be stuff from pros that is way over my head or step by step instructions for a specific kit companies build. I'm open to any suggestions such as other circuits to try or complete kits that fit my budget that I may have missed. Thanks!
I'm seeking a little advice. I recently decided I want to take a stab at building my own guitar amp. My goal is to actually get good enough to make tweaks and somewhat design my own, but I need somewhere to start.
After looking at some stuff online, I really want to try and build a 5F1 Champ style amp, since it looks pretty easy and I really dig simple low watt amps. However, I've got a handful of problems.
First off, I'm on a budget. I'd really like to get the actual amp together for $150 or less. To reduce cost, there's a few things I'm not needing. My dad is an expert wood worker, so I can make a cabinet for the amp myself. I also plan on making it a head, so I won't need to worry about a speaker. I'm hoping this helps with cutting cost. I'm finding some kits for these, but they're all more expensive than $150 and include stuff I don't need (cab and speaker) or less than $150, but seem to be missing crucial stuff. (Like a transformer)
The second problem is that I know almost nothing about this. My knowledge on electronics is only what your average guitar players is. I know terms like wattage, ohm and potentiometer, but a wiring schematic looks like nonsense hieroglyphics to me. I thought it would be neat (and possibly save money) to source all the components myself and make my own little board, but the turret boards and chassis look very specifically laid out.
Anyways, say all that to say this, does anybody have experience building amps that could point me to some good resources for this? I've looked all over the internet and it seems to either be stuff from pros that is way over my head or step by step instructions for a specific kit companies build. I'm open to any suggestions such as other circuits to try or complete kits that fit my budget that I may have missed. Thanks!
