I'm going to start to learn how to build amps. Advice anyone?

[Nephilim]

Ok, I'm going to spend sometime between now and September 2012, when I go back to uni, learning how to build amps. Hopefully by then, I'm going to build a replicate Peavey 6505.

I just wondered if people could give me advice on things to buy, books that will help, as well places where I can buy circuit boards, pots and other parts.

After buying what i need, tool wise, I'm going to try and replicate a small high gain valve amp for metal. Does anybody have any advice on what amps I could start off trying to build? Even if it's just a 1 channel amp.

Cheers,
Mike

[Transcend]

Before attempting anything read up about how to work safely with high voltage electronics. This isn't an easy game you are going into it requires many hours of reading & tweaking and completely understanding how everything works together

The 5150 is a very tricky amp to replicate if you are inexperienced

You ideally want to start off with something single channel & low gain.

Also for your first amp i would start with a "kit" as then you already have everything needed.

[Frank]

You might find it useful to start off with preamps or valve overdrive pedals before launching into a full amp build. Apart from using slightly safer voltages, they're simpler to build and you don't have to worry about output transformers. You can even run some overdrive units from 12 Volt supplies if you're a total newcomer to electronics.

If you need a crash course in the basics then you can't do much better than The Valve Wizard

http://www.freewebs.com/valvewizard/index.html

And I'd recommend a good look through the thread on safe working with high voltage electricity at diyAudio ...

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/tubes-valves/30172-safety-practices-general-ultra-high-voltage.html

[Frank]

Another good link

http://ampbooks.com/home/amplifier-calculators/cathode-capacitor/

Lots of easy to use calculators for tube stages, resistor power ratings, bypass caps. Helps to illustrate how plate and bias voltages determine the operating point of an amplifier.

[jpfamps]

There is plenty of free info on the web. See our links page for directions to what I've found to be the better sites:

http://jpfamps.com/jpf-links-links

re books, I would advise buying Merlin Blencowe's excellent Designing Tube Preamps for Guitar and Bass. This is the best book on the market I've found.

There are plenty of vendours selling parts and chassis for amp building. I would advise starting out with a simple kit. The Ampmaker kits are good value, and the instructions excellent.

re tools, assuming you are building from a kit with a pre drilled chassis, as a bare minimum you will require a soldering iron (I would advise a 50w temperature controlled iron), solder, desoldering braid, side cutters, wire strippers, snipe nosed pliers, adjustable spanner, screw drivers, multimeter.

[Frank]

Another one you may find useful, the Maplin Magazine articles that got me started with valve technology. Sadly they don't have the section on power amps but I found this a good introduction to how valves and amplifiers work.

http://www.r-type.org/static/maplin-1.htm

That makes me all nostalgic for the days when you could walk into a high street shop and buy valve amp transformers.

[darkbluemurder]

Hi,

Building amps is a lot of fun but as has been mentioned here you need to become familiar with the necessary safety precautions. I became interested in modifying amps around 1998/1999, and it took me through a lot of reading books and schematics and until the end of 2001 until I felt confident enough to make my first mod to an amp. I built my first amp (a top boost style preamp into a 6V6 - later EL34 - cathode biased power amp) in 2008 after reading a lot more and doing various repairs and modifications. I still have not done a channel switching amp but I probably could do with some more reading.

As regards the 6505: not to discourage you but to build such an amp would probably cost more than to just buy it. IMHO that project would only make sense if you plan to do serious component and construction upgrades but that would not be a beginner's project by any stretch.

Cheers Stephan

[forestcaver]

I'd recommend an ampmaker kit as a good introduction - good value for what you get and a good introduction...