Beginner: which amp to build?

[Gene Ballzz]

So whats the main differences betwen a 5E3 and say a Blues Jr? Blues Jr seems to have more features going on. How do they compare tonally?

I'm really not sure how I can answer that without offending avid, happy Blues Junior users and owners, other than to say that the BJ uses EL84s for power tubes and both amps "amplify" guitar signal with a similar number of watts. I personally dislike nearly everything about the BJ, except for the concept of being a convenient to carry package! There are many very valid reasons that folks still fawn over the 5E3, 60 years after Fender stopped making them and the fact that they are the most often cloned/built/used amps on the planet! Of course, a few years back, even Fender started making them again, for those very same valid reasons! You won't really understand until you own a bone stock one, with all its warts, etc!
Just The Way It Is!
Gene

 

[Timonew]

How about a N5X British Overdrive amp from https://www.ampmaker.com - a 5W single ended Class A amp with VVR (lowers the voltage to the power amp stage) so you don’ t need an attenuator to get bedroom levels.


The build guide is fantastic and explains the components and schematic then guides you step by step in building and testing the amp.


£220 in the UK - a little more than an overdrive pedal.

 

[Caleb Thacker]

5E3 or Champ circuit.. it's the proverbial training wheels to amp building. And virtually verything we have now came by way of those lights at the beginning of the tone driven tunnels..

* Just a tip.. if you want to accelerate your abilities.. get the guitar amp handbook ..and as you become more adept .

SPECIFICALLY BUILD PARAMETRIC EQ KITS THAT YOU CAN FIND.. PAIA COMES TO MIND... this will be ESSENTIAL TO YOUR ABILITIES LATER ON WHEN YOU BEGIN TO BRANCH OUT IN CREATIVITY IN REGARDS TO THE TONE STACK/EQ PHASE OF YOUR CIRCUIT

 

[RJW]

How about a N5X British Overdrive amp from https://www.ampmaker.com - a 5W single ended Class A amp with VVR (lowers the voltage to the power amp stage) so you don’ t need an attenuator to get bedroom levels.


The build guide is fantastic and explains the components and schematic then guides you step by step in building and testing the amp.


£220 in the UK - a little more than an overdrive pedal.

Thanks for the suggestion. This seems like a good option for me. I would want good instructions. I noticed some companies have kits that purposely don’t come with step by step guides. I get it but I’ll be needing some good instructions. I’ll check these guys out some more

 

[RJW]

5E3 or Champ circuit.. it's the proverbial training wheels to amp building. And virtually verything we have now came by way of those lights at the beginning of the tone driven tunnels..

* Just a tip.. if you want to accelerate your abilities.. get the guitar amp handbook ..and as you become more adept .

SPECIFICALLY BUILD PARAMETRIC EQ KITS THAT YOU CAN FIND.. PAIA COMES TO MIND... this will be ESSENTIAL TO YOUR ABILITIES LATER ON WHEN YOU BEGIN TO BRANCH OUT IN CREATIVITY IN REGARDS TO THE TONE STACK/EQ PHASE OF YOUR CIRCUIT

Already got the book. He starts with the Princeton circuit iirc. That is part of why I thought to ask about the Princeton initially.

 

[myersbw]

Already got the book. He starts with the Princeton circuit iirc. That is part of why I thought to ask about the Princeton initially.

Should you happen to go a 1x12 style Fender (even Matchless) build...consider a WGS G12Q speaker if looking at the 20W style of power or less. One Nashville friend commented to me as it being the closest modern speaker matching vintage Jensen tone. I have one on order.

 

[ibmorjamn]

Not trying to spoil this but most of the amp parts sites are out of stock on many of the popular items.

 

[saxon68]

Not trying to spoil this but most of the amp parts sites are out of stock on many of the popular items.

Most of “everywhere” is out of stock. Long lead times are the name of the game anymore.

 

[neikeel]

How about a N5X British Overdrive amp from https://www.ampmaker.com - a 5W single ended Class A amp with VVR (lowers the voltage to the power amp stage) so you don’ t need an attenuator to get bedroom levels.
The build guide is fantastic and explains the components and schematic then guides you step by step in building and testing the amp.
£220 in the UK - a little more than an overdrive pedal.

If you are in the UK these are a great deal and excellent back up from Ampmaker too.

 

[Soundmasterg]

Agree with many of the others. You can't go wrong with a tweed deluxe 5E3. They sound great, you will learn a lot by building it, and they aren't a super difficult amp to build first time out. Simple is better until you get the hang of it.

Greg

 

[Matthews Guitars]

What is your skill level with regard to electronics knowledge and troubleshooting ability?

More complex amps would require a greater ability to understand the circuit and troubleshoot it in the event of a problem. And ALWAYS expect a problem.


My next build, which will start when I have a suitable chassis for it, is a Trainwreck Express clone. I've got all the major parts for it, except the chassis.

It's a simple amp with great tonal possibilities.

 

[StrummerJoe]

Clue #1 "Beginner" - it's in the title of the thread.

Clue #2, the actual first post. Read it.

 

[TXOldRedRocker]

Bringing a year old thread back to life. With all the chat on MF about kits, attenuators, etc., I decided I would like to dabble in this and see how it comes out. I’m not an EE. I’m a software developer. So absolute beginner.

Instead of ordering a kit and working through it, I’m in North Carolina. Today is day 1, of 2, of Mojotone’s amp building class. We’ll build a 5E3 Deluxe amp, but with the ability to ask questions and be guided through the process with their amp gurus. While it would be a great challenge building one in isolation, at home, I hope to gain much more knowledge doing it in this setting. I’m looking forward to getting started, in about an hour and a half.

Maybe this will just be my first build, and I’ll build some Marshall circuits in the future.

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

I was told the Stewmac " '62 Brit-Plex" is a repackaged Mojotone "British Stle 45W" kit. The Stewmac kit comes complete with a case/ cabinet, the Mojotone enables you to buy the amp kit and case separately, which can spread the cost. Neither are cheap though.

Stewmac has a how-to video, which you should be able to follow for either and / or as a general guide for other amp builds.

Bear in mind that in addition to the kit you're going to need the following tools:

- soldering iron $20 to $30
- digital multimeter that can read capacitor values $30 to $50
- variable ac power supply, so you can run the amp up slowly while you test it, $50 to $100
- 8 ohm 100 watt dummy load to simulate a speaker $40 to $60

You'll also spend $20 to $50 on 63/37 solder (do NOT use lead free solder), replacing off spec resistors etc, tube retainers, etc.

It's do-able with patience, paying attention, checking, double, triple and quadruple checking at every step. Watch a few videos on how tubes work and how tube amps work first too.

If you want to assess your skills, try building something simpler like a pedal kit first.

 

[BlueX]

Bringing a year old thread back to life. With all the chat on MF about kits, attenuators, etc., I decided I would like to dabble in this and see how it comes out. I’m not an EE. I’m a software developer. So absolute beginner.

Instead of ordering a kit and working through it, I’m in North Carolina. Today is day 1, of 2, of Mojotone’s amp building class. We’ll build a 5E3 Deluxe amp, but with the ability to ask questions and be guided through the process with their amp gurus. While it would be a great challenge building one in isolation, at home, I hope to gain much more knowledge doing it in this setting. I’m looking forward to getting started, in about an hour and a half.

Maybe this will just be my first build, and I’ll build some Marshall circuits in the future.

Nice! I would have taken such a class myself if it was available around here. Your 1st, but I'm sure not your last. It's addictive!