Amp Head Kits (Any Opinions?)

[Mr. P ~]

I should have searched for old threads on this topic, but I am covered up at work, so I am just going to appeal to you folks and see what happens.

Yesterday I got a couple of (working) Corin 2X12 extension cabinets for $80. I play in a band at church, but we use electronic drums and all instruments go by direct box to the board. No amplifiers on stage.

So now that I have these cabinets I want to fix one up to use like a split cabinet twin reverb.

Do any of you have experience with Kit Heads in the 25-40 watt range?

I know Krish and Coastie have done some nice work, but I don't remember if that was a kit build or a from scratch build.

I taught PWB assembly and soldering for McDonnell Douglas, Boeing and NASA, so the assembly part is not a problem. I just am ignorant as to what I would want exactly, other than 100% tubes and Point to Point wiring.

So I am just stirring the pot to see what you guys will suggest. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[griehund]

I've started collecting info on a bassman head.

Here's what I've found so far.

Don't know if this is too big for what you want. Mojo has a head cab and will customize it to your specs. Default can definitely make more intelligent suggestions than I can.

 

[Default]

Way to put pressure on a guy, Cliff, lol!
There are quite a few sources for heads. It's more important to ask yourself what tone you're looking for. 6v6 and el84 = 15-20 watts. Pair them up with an efficient speaker and they are probably too loud, unless the sanctuary is huge. 6l6 and EL34 are going to be crazy loud in a small space. You could even go with a five watt and mic the cab.
What tone do you prefer?

 

[beinhard]

Hi, P

I have built a few Weber kits, including a 6M45 (Marshall JTM45 clone).
Also have a 6A20HP (similar to a Vibrolux Reverb) which is still waiting to be finished.

Weber kits are probably among the least expensive alternatives.
The components they use are ok, but sometimes just barely.
No instructions are included apart from schematic and layout drawings, but they have a very helpful and friendly web forum, and Weber customer service is excellent.

Would I recommend them?
Yes, if you are on a tight budget, or if you want a platform for experiments and modifications.
If what you want is to build the one and only amp of your dreams, maybe not.
If you need detailed step by step instructions and expect all parts to fit perfectly, look elsewhere.

beinhard

 

[Mr. P ~]

Way to put pressure on a guy, Cliff, lol!
There are quite a few sources for heads. It's more important to ask yourself what tone you're looking for. 6v6 and el84 = 15-20 watts. Pair them up with an efficient speaker and they are probably too loud, unless the sanctuary is huge. 6l6 and EL34 are going to be crazy loud in a small space. You could even go with a five watt and mic the cab.
What tone do you prefer?

Thanks, for the input. You have hit upon my biggest delima, what tone do I want. I really don't know.

I suppose before I really shop for an amp to build I will have to decide what I want. I guess long term electric players have messed around with enough amps that they know what they want. I have only been playing electric regularly for a couple of years and as I said with no amp, just my trusty Damage Control Womanizer and a JBL Ion 15 monitor. The Damage control uses a 12AX7 in the preamp circuit and another 12AX7 in the Optical Compressor circuit. It operates like a all tube amp in that any change in one setting effects everything else.

My real use for this amp is just to learn how to use an amp, and I will be using it in my bedroom first, so 10-20 watts may be more reasonable.

Thanks again.
Curtis

 

[Mr. P ~]

Hi, P

I have built a few Weber kits, including a 6M45 (Marshall JTM45 clone).
Also have a 6A20HP (similar to a Vibrolux Reverb) which is still waiting to be finished.

Weber kits are probably among the least expensive alternatives.
The components they use are ok, but sometimes just barely.
No instructions are included apart from schematic and layout drawings, but they have a very helpful and friendly web forum, and Weber customer service is excellent.

Would I recommend them?
Yes, if you are on a tight budget, or if you want a platform for experiments and modifications.
If what you want is to build the one and only amp of your dreams, maybe not.
If you need detailed step by step instructions and expect all parts to fit perfectly, look elsewhere.

beinhard

Thanks Beinhard! I have looked at the Weber kits and they look reasonable (or barely as you said), I like the looks of the Allen kits too.

As far as ability, over the past 20 years I taught circuit board assembly, cable assembly and soldering for McDonnell Douglas, Boeing and NASA. So a schematic will probably do for me.

I just have to figure out what Tone I would like.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Mr. P ~]

I've started collecting info on a bassman head.

Don't know if this is too big for what you want. Mojo has a head cab and will customize it to your specs. Default can definitely make more intelligent suggestions than I can.

I think I have looked at this Bassman kit too. I like the stainless chasis and the nice eyelet boards. :mrgreen:

 

[Default]

I would go over to guitar center and try a few out. Try a Vox AC4 for EL84s, a Champion 600 for 6V6s. A Superchamp XD has digital processing and tubes. Just putz around with them and see which sounds better to you. A few of them have recording outs, so you can run them into PAs. Are we talking country-flavored praise music?
Keep us posted!

 

[beinhard]

My real use for this amp is just to learn how to use an amp, and I will be using it in my bedroom first, so 10-20 watts may be more reasonable.

10-20 watts is still going to be awfully loud for bedroom playing.
My 6M45 is maybe 30 watts, and it is WAY too loud to be useful at home.

In my cave in the basement I have an old Hughes & Kettner Crunch Master.
Probably less than 5 watts from a single EL84 power tube, and still loud enough to bother the neighbors.

beinhard

 

[Mr. P ~]

I agree with both of you on the power issue. I stopped in at Guitar Center at lunch and they have a Dr. Z Remedy head stacked on a couple of Mesa Boogie 12" extension cabinets. I will go back and fool around with that sometime this week as well as try out some of the other options in town.

Last night I took one of the 2X12 cabinets and sat my Kustom Tube 12 practice amp on top. I connected the external speaker which shut of that nasty little 8" Celestion. That sounded pretty good. However, I then set the Kustom for clean and ran the guitar through my Damage Control Womanizer and that was impressive. I turned the master on the Kustom up full and put the Womanizer at about half............like you said the 6 or 7 watts I was using would have brought the local police to my quiet neighborhood if I had kept at it very long.

I expect that in a side by side comparison, my rig vs. the Dr. Z/Messa would have been like comparing a VW Beetle to a Ferrari!

If you have never heard of the Womanizer, here is a picture of it. It's a shame they don't make them anymore.

 

[mad dog]

Were it me, I'd go with a David Allen kit. He sells them both ways ... with very detailed instructions and support, and without. Priced accordingly. Thing is, this guy sells some really wonderful amps. My encore head was kit built, one of the best sounding, most flexible amps I've come across. A one channel take on the BFVR formula, with some excellent features (RAW knob, 2 knob reverb, MV, bias vary tremelo.)

It would be a hard choice as to which one to build. Probably the brown sugar, another 2 x 6L6 circuit, only cathode bias.

MD

 

[Mr. P ~]

I am leaning more and more towards the David Allen Kits.

Thanks for the inputs guys!!!

 

[markus]

I've got no idea of amps, but this is interesting to read. Thanks guys!
Markus