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DIY Tube Amp Kits? Anyone bought one?

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  • DIY Tube Amp Kits? Anyone bought one?

    Has anyone out there bought a tube amp kit from Weber, Metro or another outfit? I'm looking at the Metro Marshall Plexi kit. By all accounts, they sound great and have great customer support.

  • #2
    Ceriatone and Mojo are also very nice.

    Word up for parts: Avoid Angela Inst...they are getting a bad rep on the amp forums.
    I prefer Weber over all of them.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Cygnus X1 View Post
      Word up for parts: Avoid Angela Inst...they are getting a bad rep on the amp forums.
      Interesting. I've spent a lot of money (hundreds) there with no issues, but it's been years ago.

      What were the problems?

      As I've been ramping up to do more builds, I was checking them out as a source.

      Back to the original topic, I build my own from parts. I'm too afraid I might get some sub-standard stuff. In the same vein, I build my own PC's from parts as well.

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      • #4
        DonP, check out some of the popular building sites, there seems to be a problem there. Shame, as Angela used to sell some nice NOS Fender parts.
        I'm only reporting what has been passed along.

        Weber used to have a bad rep for having cheap pots, etc.
        But the quality has gone up.
        I still rate them as second or third best for kits.
        If a buyer knows what they are sourcing, then Weber beats them all for price, quality, and service.

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        • #5
          Post some sites if you could. I know of AX84, Plexipalace, and a few others.

          Which site would be the "jcf" of amp builders?

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          • #6
            Originally posted by DonP View Post
            Post some sites if you could. I know of AX84, Plexipalace, and a few others.

            Which site would be the "jcf" of amp builders?
            So an insane asylum filled with amp builders as opposed to guitar players?
            "Dear Dr. Bill,
            I work with a woman who is about 5 feet tall and weighs close to 450 pounds and has more facial hair than ZZ Top." - Jack The Riffer

            "OK, we can both have Ben..joint custody. I'll have him on the weekends. We could go out in my Cobra and give people the finger..weather permitting of course.." -Bill Z. Bub

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Ben... View Post
              So an insane asylum filled with amp builders as opposed to guitar players?



              AmpGarage, DIYTube, Hoffman, Weber Forums.

              None of them are all that huge...they tend to group together different types of builders. Some HiFi, some rock guitar, some vintage. Like the difference between a JCF site and a Fender site.

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              • #8
                So, I went with the Metro 100W Plexi kit. I'll report back when it's done.

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                • #9
                  OK, now I'm making the whole "Weber" connection. After going to the site, it appears to me that you can buy everything you need in a kit, then all you have to do is wire, solder, and tweak. So the only "handmade" part of this deal is the housing you build to store the chasis.
                  "POOP"

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by SEEGERMANY View Post
                    OK, now I'm making the whole "Weber" connection. After going to the site, it appears to me that you can buy everything you need in a kit, then all you have to do is wire, solder, and tweak. So the only "handmade" part of this deal is the housing you build to store the chasis.
                    Getting the parts together is the easy part. The kits just save you the hassle of sourcing them all.
                    The skill in amp building is in the wiring, soldering and tweaking.
                    Not as easy as it looks.
                    Not many people can follow a schematic either.
                    -Rick

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by SEEGERMANY View Post
                      OK, now I'm making the whole "Weber" connection. After going to the site, it appears to me that you can buy everything you need in a kit, then all you have to do is wire, solder, and tweak. So the only "handmade" part of this deal is the housing you build to store the chasis.

                      Yes.
                      There are "kit" amps that come with all the parts and pieces. I have never done this. But it is a great option to learn, and maybe save some money (not a big savings, really).

                      Other builders source their own parts and build the amps to a schematic. I have done this.
                      Then there are builders who modify those designs.

                      On up the tier, to builders who design around a particular sound they are looking for. Or who design given the hardware available. I'm in this category. An "ear tweaker".
                      I use voltage and current measurements to keep things in safe ranges of operation.

                      Then way up there is the pros who have all the equipment to design, build, test, break in, etc. Many thousands of dollars worth. Like anything else, there are many different levels.

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                      • #12
                        Gotcha!
                        "POOP"

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by SEEGERMANY View Post
                          Gotcha!
                          Not really.
                          I was just explaining for the benefit of those who may not know.

                          I already went into detail how I build mine at the moment.

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                          • #14
                            So, I finished the build a couple of days ago, ran into a few road blocks and have it up and running now. This was quite a learning experience. I've been fixing guitars for years and reading up on tube amps for quite a while, but was always mystified when I opened them up unless there was something very obviously wrong like a burned resistor or something.
                            Building this thing from the ground up was eye-opening to say the least. I'm already planning my next build.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by dirtyroadie View Post
                              So, I finished the build a couple of days ago, ran into a few road blocks and have it up and running now. This was quite a learning experience. I've been fixing guitars for years and reading up on tube amps for quite a while, but was always mystified when I opened them up unless there was something very obviously wrong like a burned resistor or something.
                              Building this thing from the ground up was eye-opening to say the least. I'm already planning my next build.
                              Congrats!


                              Got any pix?

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