That is awesome, vood! What a fun project that must be for you! :AOK:
Cool happening tones, dude! I didn't know Jimmy Page came over to play it for you?
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That is awesome, vood! What a fun project that must be for you! :AOK:
Cool happening tones, dude! I didn't know Jimmy Page came over to play it for you?
What did you say?? :confused: ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Katastrophe
Repost:
You're right... Page plays sloppier.:master: The tone you're getting from the amph sounds very warm, even through my little computer speakers. Great stuff, DVM!Quote:
Originally Posted by duhvoodooman
Added:
I wish I had your talent with electronics. Put a soldering iron in my hand, and somebody better have a paramedic on standby, with a bed waiting at the nearest burn center.;)
Hell yeah buddy that's what I told him. This is my next amp! Great job Voo! It's inspirational stuff mang!Quote:
Originally Posted by stingx
Anybody interested in tackling this DIY amp project, refer to the resource links back in posts #1 and #10 in this thread. John Calhoun's PCB and detailed instructions (with full BOM/source/part # info) really make it quite straightforward! If you have basic electrical knowledge, decent soldering skills and can follow directions, this really isn't that hard to do.... :AOK:
man....i was so close... :thwap: :rotflmao:Quote:
Originally Posted by duhvoodooman
ww
Me too, I get lost all the time when driving. :(
Jeez...I gotta look at previous posts & *then* what?!?Quote:
Originally Posted by duhvoodooman
Hoo boy! I've got enough trouble trying to replace a speaker :D .
Me too! I really need (ok want) a GPS.Quote:
Originally Posted by Robert
DVM, I've been giving some serious thought to trying my hand at this little project. I've downloaded the guide and reviewed it. My biggest concern as far as tackling the project is with cutting out the chassis. I think I can get the round holes ok, but I have concerns about the hole for the IEC outlet. Could you explain how you tackled that one?
Also, did you make the chassis yourself or use something commercially available? Thanks for the input.
I used a Hammond 1444-16 aluminum chassis that I ordered from Mouser.com. John Calhoun includes a template for this chassis (10"x6"x2") in his instructions.
Re: the holes, I handled eveything on the chassis with a regular drill set, except for the tube holes (got some panel punches from our shop here at work for those; worked great) and the IEC connector, which one of our shop techs cut out for me with a jigsaw.
Hey Voo how are you going to handle putting the chassis in a brain head ermm I mean amp head? Some plywood and finish? Some plywood covered in tolex? I can't wait to see that baby when it's finished.
I have a set of Irwin Unibit stepped drill bits. Home Depot and Lowe's sell a set that includes a #1, two #3s and a #4. The #1 goes up to 1/2", the #3s go up to 3/4" and the #4 goes up to 7/8". This will cover most of your drilling needs. I like the Unibit brand as they drill nice round holes. Some of the cheaper knock-offs don't do such a good job. The Vermont American bit I have, for example, drills triangular holes when using a hand drill.Quote:
Originally Posted by duhvoodooman
I was thinking of having a machinist make me a template out of 1/2" aluminum plate for cutting IEC connector holes. The Greenlee punch is about $250 Yikes! I've had good luck with using a template with a laminate trimmer and a flush cutting bit with a roller bearing. Cuts through aluminum like butter. The downside: you have to clamp the open end of the chassis down as the bit throws little aluminum chips all over the place. Also, you can't cut ferrous materials with the bit/template.
I've used this method to cut 1 & 3/8" holes in aluminum chassis. I bored a 1 & 3/8" hole in a 1/2" thick piece of MDF and use that as a guide with my laminate trimmer and flush cutting bit. I'm too cheap to pony up the cash for yet another Greenlee punch (I already own 5).
tung
Thanks DVM and Tung. That gives me a plan of attack.
Really haven't decided yet. Either plywood with a tolex/vinyal finish, or maybe just a nice wood enclosure, stained & urethaned. I'm really in no hurry, because (1) I'm enjoying playing the little sucker too much, and (2) I don't lug my stuff around, so there's really no functional need for an enclosure at this point. I'll get around to it eventually, and you know I'll post it here, when I do....Quote:
Originally Posted by Tone2TheBone
Cool, very cool.
I'm ordering parts tonight!
On second thought..........
I made a spreadsheet for the parts and realized it's going to be $170 just for the electronics. Add a chassis, case, speaker & misc. and we're talking $250-$300 for a 1.5 watt amp - unassembled. Too much for me.
If anyone wants the spreadsheet email me (I can't attach an .xlr file here, can I?). Copying and pasting makes ordering parts easier.
Yeah, buying individual parts "a la carte" is rather expensive, but a big part of a project like this is the enjoyment of building it and the satisfaction in having YOUR own amp, when it's done. Not to mention the little sucker sounds great and is very flexible, with all the tube types you can swap in and out. And let me tell you--1.5W or not, this puppy can still be deafeningly loud in a small room! I typically play it with the boost gain at 50% and the main preamp gain at about 15%! Going up to 20% gets me yelled at!Quote:
Originally Posted by Dreadman
BTW, I have the bill of materials/source/part # info all spreadsheeted, too. If anybody wants it, just shoot me a PM. IMO, this is the ONLY way to go for orders of more than a few items at Mouser.com. They have a BOM import function that lets you just copy part #'s and quantities into their form, and it fills out the entire order for you. Huge time-saver.
I hear ya about the enjoyment and satisfaction part for sure and I know tube watts are big. I think I developed a "less than a hundred" mentality early on.
Who knows, I could revisit the idea again.
Any idea what kind of quantities one must meet to make a substantial dent in the cost? Has this been discussed at any point as a forum project?
I can hear the gears grinding in that head of yours all the way here in Ohio;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Dreadman
LOL
My gears never grind - they always mesh smoothly.
One way someone might think about in the saving part is look at different lower cost transformers a couple you might check are
http://www.edcorusa.com/products/tra...gle_ended.html
and
http://www.musicalpowersupplies.com/
MPS is out of his se output transformers but is soon to have more and a couple more choices
Hey DVM, I ordered everything for the amph build this morning. A few parts are on back order, which is actually ok because I also ordered the Veteran 30 from Warehouse Guitar Speakers, and I'd like to build the cab before I build the amph so I have something to test it on.
I'm looking forward to many hours of playing around with this project, and I'll do my best to post lots of pics.
You are going to have to supply us with a pictorial of the process.Quote:
Originally Posted by luvmyshiner
1) Because it will be entertaining and informative
2) It didn't happen, if you don't have pics.
Excellent!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by luvmyshiner
How experienced are you with soldering etc?
This is one amph which you'll be able to lift no matter how bad your back gets Shiner.
You know there will be lots of pics Strum.:beer:
Tot, in my younger days I had an amateur radio license and did a lot of soldering. The last major soldering job was when I rebuilt this beast about 4-5 years ago:
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/P2230001.jpg
She had a buttload of broken solders that I had to repair to get her working. However, that has been awhile back. I need to take a picture of the circuit board for the computer guys on the Fret. They'll laugh their tails off. It's like, 2' x 3'.:rotflmao:
This is my soldering iron:
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/P2230002.jpg
It hasn't been used in awhile so I'll have to clean the tip and re-tin it. But I think as long as I take my time I should be able to handle it. My biggest concern is that the soldering iron might be too powerful for this task. Do y'all think I should get something with lower wattage or will this work?
WHOA!! :eek: You really don't want to use that beast on the little Firefly PCB. W-a-a-a-y too much power. That's a soldering gun, not an iron. Get yourself a little Weller 25W job, or similar.
BTW, let me know what's backordered, and I may be able to point you to alternative sources or part #'s....
Thanks DVM, I was afraid that was the case. But any excuse to buy a new tool is a good one.:beer:
If I haven't received the back-ordered parts by the time I finish the cab and the rest of the build on Firefly, I'll pm you.:)
Nice beast!!!
I remember watching Soylent Green as a kid & whoever was the hero (Charleston Heston?) was wealthy & had a Pong game in his *HOUSE*!!!!
I thought
"Man, that's rich!"
It still brings me smiles to think about how far video games have come since those days.
I recently broke down and bought a "cold heat" soldering iron and much to my surprise it works very well. It's cordless (battery powered), , heats instantly, solders well and gets cool enough to touch in just a second or two. Here's the one I got:
http://www2.northerntool.com/product/200324393.htm
I can also personally recommend Northern Tool. I've done a ton of business with them and it's always been great.
+1 I started using them on a few items after Dreadman recommended them to me and I have been 100% satisfied.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dreadman
Maybe ill venture down the cold road again.I bought one of those cheapy tv specials and it stopped working its first guitar build:whatever:
Chalked it up as gimmicky,Dread how is the one you got!:poke:
It's a pretty good tool. Not for big stuff at all but very good on circuit boards and the like. Good quality and seems like it will last. I haven't tried to solder to the back of a pot yet and I don't know if it's got the power for that but for only $30 it's good to have around.
I just did a quick test and it will solder a jack terminal very easily but not quite enough power for tha back of a pot. Interestingly, I left it on the pot for about thirty seconds to see if would even come close and after that test the tip stayed very hot afterward for over thirty more seconds.
Sounds really great Warm tone and nice crunch :bravo:Quote:
Originally Posted by duhvoodooman
I got my first shipment from Mouser today, and I'm just like a kid at candy store. It's going to take me awhile to put this project together, but I'm looking forward to every minute of it. Now tell me, how cool is this!:bravo:
http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m...r/P2260001.jpg
did you get a 20w soldering iron to replace that branding iron you have now?
Not yet, but it's on the list. Along with the Irwin Unibit stepped drill bits that Tung recommended. But I'm planning on picking those up locally.
boy, I would use this opportunity to put a list of "Tools I need for this project" that is a little longer than that. Don't you need a radial arm saw, table jointer, router, Craftsman 250 pc socket set, Fender Strat and Marshall amp? I don't see you finishing this project without these essentials.Quote:
Originally Posted by luvmyshiner
Hmmm, good point Strummy. HEY, isnt' Father's day, or . . . um Easter or . . . something coming up??? I gotta get Baby Girl posting over here so she can get present ideas.:beer:Quote:
Originally Posted by just strum