pix of Custom built guitar amps/cabs

[frequencycentral]

Can I play too?

[tubelectron]

Love that little Vox. I've got one of its big brothers and I've thought of doing something similar with it, only thing is it sounds pretty good as it is.

Slacker - the immediate big brother over in size to the VOX Escort of the same era is the VOX Super Twin, a 2x5" SS combo delivering 20W and fitted with a small spring reverb unit - is that the model you have ?

Congratulations for your starting handmade amp job in progress.

[tubelectron]

Can I play too?

Good ! A very nice release, indeed - maximum skillness an taste.
More convincing than the ZVEX nano amp I had in hands some weeks ago...

I guess your subminiature amp may be something like that : a 12AX7 preamp stages looking like the 12AX7 input circuit of a Fender, but with a simplified tone corrector (or may be just a treble damping ?), a 12AT7 wired as a final stage close to a Fender amp reverb driver. Right ? This supposition is tempting for a trial...

I guess again that it works on a HV PSU - I usually use the wall-wart AC/AC adaptor + low power voltage elevator transformer, but this is not enough compact and subject to induction if not shielded. Do you use the same method here (I doubt, but...), or a DC/DC LV/HV converter ?

Again, very pretty unit for the eye and certainly for the sound too +++

A+!

[slacker]

Slacker - the immediate big brother over in size to the VOX Escort of the same era is the VOX Super Twin, a 2x5" SS combo delivering 20W and fitted with a small spring reverb unit - is that the model you have ?

No, mines an Escort 30 from the late 70s early 80s. That Super Twin looks interesting though.

[mr. mügatu]

Here's some pics of my 18 watt.. I wish they were bigger, and better resolution, but my camera sucks

[mr. mügatu]

Sorry, I moved the pics...

[birt]

that looks nice, i love the very minimal looking layout

[mr. mügatu]

Thanks Birt. That's what I was going for as far as looks go. I wanted it to be sort of mysterious I guess (for lack of better words). From the design of the faceplate (props to Weber Faceplates) to the head box itself (Sour Mash Guitar Cabs) clean and simple seemed fitting for an 18 watter. Not to mention this thing sounds fantastic. I just really love the ability to experiment with different tubes in this thing. I have to say, Dave over at Triode Amplification really knows how to make an amp.

I was actually going to use a piece of black metal (haha...) for the grill to make it look more like a blonde Mesa, but I couldn't really find what I was looking for. I used to have this old console turntable/radio from the 60's that I ended up trashing, but before I did, I took the grillcloth off just in case I ever needed some, and whaddya know. 3 years later, I finally found a use for it! And I think the grillcloth looks just as good, if not better than the perf would have.

[sst4270]

@Mr. Mugatu,

Can you provide any more information about the amp?  And possibly some gut shots?
I'm particularly facinated with how small the chassis is...

Oh, and by the way. I love the minimalist appearance as well.

It looks like you're running an octal preamp section.

Regards,

Steve

[mr. mügatu]

Sure thing sst...

I honestly don't know much about this amp really, I do know that all the tubes in it right now are NOS 1956, and it has a raw tone pot, which lifts the tone stack at about 11 o'clock to give you more headroom.

Here are some shots of it before it was put in the box; I bought it from Dave at Triode Amplification exactly like this.
I designed the face and backplates, and went to Weber to have them made
I then designed the cabinet, and went to Sour Mash to make that, got all the hardware, and put it all together.
I had to cut pieces of wood for spacers, so the amp would be exactly in the center of the box, and to provide a backing for the faceplate, along with support for the cord wrap brackets in the back.
You'll also notice tube sockets on the rear of the chassis, those were put there to fill in two holes that were there. Obviously, since removed and covered with the backplate.































Sorry I couldn't provide you with more detailed information. Next time I talk to Dave I'll see if he can get me some info on this, and I'll be sure to post it up here
I'm just really stoked on this amp.   

[slacker]

Here's mine from earlier, now finished. Unbelievably it fired up first time and it sounds great, just got to make a cab for it now.

[mr. mügatu]

Looks great slacker!

where did you get your chassis? I'm looking for one like that, just maybe a little longer, for a switch system I'm building

[slacker]

Thanks, the chassis is from Maplin, basically the UK version of Radio Shack. I'd guess Mouser and places like that would have them.

[tubelectron]

The job is done, slacker, and it works at the first start - no so frequent for me.
"you just have to make a cab" now... I found that it is the longest operation in DIY amp building process, IMHO...

here are some links about the Vox SuperTwin we spoke about in previous posts :

schematic :
http://www.voxamps.com/downloads/circuits/suprtwin.jpg

views and informations :
http://www.voxshowroom.com/uk/amp/super_twin.html
http://www.voxshowroom.com/uk/amp/super_twin_back.html
http://www.voxshowroom.com/uk/amp/super_twin_control.html
http://www.voxshowroom.com/uk/amp/super_twin_openback.html

These seems to be quite rare - the few ones I found wer sold way too much considering its average condition or were unpresentable-near-junk, so I left...
Nevertheless, it would be a good base for a small tube combo + spring reverb (a size 8 accutronics would enter), as the original control panel has volume, treble, bass, reverb. To be found in mint condition, at affordable price, like was my small Escort...

A+!

[birt]

this amp is far from finished, but this is a first peek at what it will look like.

(the belgians and maybe the dutch around here will know who that is. for everybody else: think of someone a bit like Liberace)

[Taylor]

I don't know who that guy is (Googling "Belgian Liberace" got me nowhere) but I like your amp.

[Maurits]

That must be Eddy Wally!
Koning!

[geertjacobs]

I don't know who that guy is (Googling "Belgian Liberace" got me nowhere)

Well, you asked for it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8QlyRtc2NQ&feature=related

[mth5044]

Not much compared to some of yours

[theundeadelvis]

I'm kind of embarrassed to post my pics after seeing some of the amps in this thread. But I'm a team player, so here goes!

This guy is an EL34 Champ. Built completely from scrap parts and wood I had laying around (except for the handle):




Some 5E3 builds and a standalone reverb: