Looking for inspiration on housing your amp? It comes in all shapes, sizes and colours...
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Ian's Ab Fab SE-5a Just when I think I've seen it all, something drops into my Inbox and proves I haven't. "As you can see, I didn't fancy the usual black tolex look"; Ian's email could be the understatement of the year. This colourful half-stack looks like a prop from an Austin Powers movie. Groovy, baby, indeed. :) There are some great details - the handles on the side of the speaker cabinet are drawer handles (from B&Q, or raided from the kitchen, I don't know...), and I like the braided gold fabric 'stuff' used instead of conventional plastic piping.
"The build (my first) went nice and smoothly and the amp worked first time - great stuff. It sounds fantastic." Inside the oversize speaker cab is a Celestion G12 greenback.
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Chris' SE-5a With its dovetail-jointed cabinet in English oak, Chris' PP-18 looks fantastic and undeniably classy. I love figured wood and the oak here has light flaming to contrast against the tight grain. No need to overdo the finish: "five coats of beeswax", says Chris. "It takes pedals better than any other amp I have tried and still stays very quiet and hum free. Through a 4x12 and pushed with a Digitech SC2 it sounded absolutely huge."
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Aidan's SE-5a Some customers prefer to build the amp into a ready-made donor head. Here, Aidan has put the SE-5a circuit into an old Marshall head cab found on Ebay and teamed it with an old Marshall 1x12 cab. "I chose a Celestion G12 vintage speaker (100dB/W sensitivity) to try to get the best out of my 5W and it really does work. Get the gain and Master past 6 and strike the strings a little harder and this amp really starts to sing. ... I also found some Mullard valves on Ebay, so the whole thing is British-made now! The sound is amazing, and that's not just me, several people have tried it now and don't believe it's a 5W home-made amp."
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Adam's PP-18 Proof that a logo can really help to finish off an amp, here's Adam's PP-18 in head format. The gold contrasts superbly with the purple levant. If you want to add a logo to your amp, look for a local trophy engraving shop or a silk-screen print shop. Either should be able to turn your idea into a suitable screw-on plaque.
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Roberto's PP-18 Not all amps work first time - Roberto's cage-covered PP-18 needed some troubleshooting, due to hum. "I rewired the valve heater 'chain', the grounding and some of the output transformer wires and the hum just disappeared. I wanted to use it as a platform to tweak to my liking, but this thing sounds so good as is that I think I'm going to leave it this way." |
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Keith's super-tidy PP-18 I like to see attention to detail, and this amp has it in abundance: the wiring layout is text-book and the cabinet finishing is just as good. Proof, if any were needed, that with care and time, even first time amp makers can create an amp that has the build standards of a boutique builder. "Just to let you know that I finished the amp and I'm very happy with the results. It sounds great. Both the clean and distortion sounds are very impressive and you get the best of both worlds. I'm running the amp through two Vintage 30s and there's loads of volume." |
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Ian's PP-18 head You don't have to follow the Marshall style: for Ian's PP-18 amp build, he decided to use the same style as his studio's Mesa Boogie setup; a hardwood cabinet with wicker grille. Not content with that, Ian also used the PP-18 Basic Kit to convert an old Peavey combo into a true valve amp.
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Paul's multi-channel amp This flexible amp is made with Amp Maker parts and has no fewer than four preamp circuits driving a pair of power valves - a 6V6 and EL84 in parallel. Paul's 4VA amplifier takes circuit ideas from Tweed Fenders, JTM and JCM Marshall amps, and uses front panel switches to take them in and out of circuit. You can find out more at his 4VA amplifier Web site. |
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Martin's 36W amp The Amp Maker AK06 is a 36W amp that's not (at the time of writing) quite ready for launch, but Martin is one of a number of builders who have been champing at the 36W bit. "It's a 36W Lite, based on the schematics over at www.18watt.com using the Amp Maker PT04 and OT04 transformer set and the AC11 steel chassis. I've also added an EF86 channel to give an alternative flavour."
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Colin's cool half-stack A mixture of old and new styles for Colin's SE-5a build: vintage piping and red tolex with aluminium 'treadplate' material for the front panel. Together with the matching 4x8 cabinet, it looks terrific. "The finished item is a vast improvement on my Vox Valvetronix 30W amp - easier to get where you want and the clean is cleaner than the Vox's clean!" |
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Scott's 18W SuperLite TMB At first glance, Scott's amp looks like an SE-5a, but inside is a modified 18W circuit. Using the same transformers and chassis as used in the PP-18, Scott used the SuperLite circuit which has enough gain to allow Treble, Middle and Bass tone controls. "Amazingly it even seems to have worked first go!"
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Daniel's modded PP-18 A number of 18W amp builders have wanted the amp's natural overdrive tone at lower room levels. By far the smartest approach is reducing the power supply voltage inside the amp, and Daniel's PP-18 has just such a modification. Called VVR (a MOSFET-based circuit developed by some amp gurus at www.sewatt.com) it adds an extra control to the front panel to control the high voltage inside the amp. As for the finish: "Fake cowhide... Yeah, I know, but better than the bright orange fur my wife wanted". :) |
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Peter's mini-stack Peter did a fantastic job of documenting his build, from opening the box to the finished mini-stack. I'll add a link to his photo-album soon, but for now here's a taster, with the first photo showing some of the chassis planning. It's a vital step for those customers who do not opt for the Time Saver kits, and an hour spent checking positions and clearances and marking up the chassis is time well spent. Peter opted for a super-smooth tolex for his cabinet, shown here atop a 2x12 speaker cab.
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Chris' SE-5a Once again, it's the neatly executed logo that finishes this amp off. Chris had his logo engraved with his name in a script-style by a local specialist engraver in Newbury. This type of logo uses a black-on-white sandwich of plastic and the engraver removes the top layer to make the logo design (just like the Hiwatt logo). It looks fantastic against the elephant grain tolex.
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Rafaele's PP-18 Here's another vote for the beauty of a natural wood finish: a simple pine box ("sanded hard - I have pain in every muscle in my body!"). The finishing touch is cool - a "PP-18" logo made up from metal lettering from a car accessories shop.
Very kindly, Raf has also uploaded some videos to YouTube. They show just how well the PP-18 responds to the way you play and to the guitar control settings. Visit Raf's YouTube videos. |
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Chris' SE-5a head Here's another builder using car model lettering to create a logo. In this case, Chris found the 'CKS' letters at a car badge shop on Ebay, and - by accident or design - the colours perfectly match the red tolex of the cab covering. "I attached the steel front panel with high strength cabinet magnets from Homebase. It makes it easy to get at the valves if I need to change them". |
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Richard's SE-5a with... stop-gap cab! Don't try this at home! Richard had a completed SE-5a amp chassis and couldn't wait to try it out with the 2x12 cab that was on the drawing board. So he temporarily mounted a 6in speaker in a cardboard box, and used packing stuff for 'damping'! "What a sound!! Think early Shadows, John Barry 7, Bert Weedon. Using a Strat with standard USA pickups it screeches from the bridge, down to mellow and still twangy at the neck."
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Andy's Tweed mini-stack It's amazing how a few cosmetic choices can give an amp a different character. Andy had a Tweed-covered speaker cabinet and decided to do a matching SE-5a head. So his front panel is cream-on-brown with cream chickenhead knobs instead of the SE-5a's standard black and gold livery. It's really effective - one of my own favourites, actually.
Andy's an electronics engineer, and has uploaded a detailed blog of his SE-5a build: see Andy's SE-5a Basic Kit build. It's a "warts and all" review/blog, but I'm always happy for feedback that helps me improve the kits for future customers. But it's also a VERY good illustration of how to cover a cabinet with tweed. Thanks for sharing, Andy. :) |
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Reden's 18W variant Reden used Amp Maker parts to build the 18W TMB that's a popular build over at www.18watt.com. It uses a second channel with an extra valve to provide more overdrive than the normal 18W channel.
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Peter's distressed head There's one sure-fire way to avoid getting scuffs and tears on a newly made cabinet - start with a cabinet that's already distressed. That was the approach that Peter took with his PP-18 amp build. It has some nice details, too, such as the three circular vent holes in the front and back panel cut out for the mains and speaker sockets. "The guitar sounds ******* magic through the PP-18. Brought a smile - especially the neck pickup. Drove me to a couple of Hendrix riffs right there stood on the settee (wife'll get me for that)."
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Hywel's SE-5a head Cool story: this SE-5a amp kit was bought as a Christmas gift for Hywel by his father. Once Hywel had built the amp, his grandfather then helped to make and finish the cabinet. The cab uses an Amp Maker headshell and Hywel opted for a front-side ventilation slot to show off the valves.
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Gary's SE-5a tweaking For most customers, the amp kits are built and kept standard, but the great thing about valve amps is that they're so easy to tweak. Gary even tweaked the look of his chassis, getting it powder-coated in black - if you're doing something like this, obviously you've got to plan it from the beginning.
In addition to the amp cosmetics, Gary also tweaked the tone, adding an extra valve for more gain.
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Tomeu's PP-18 head I'm in awe of Tomeu's build. I pride myself on neat layouts, but Tomeu's PP-18 goes beyond anything I've done and just about anything that you'll see from top-dollar boutique amp makers. The care and attention to detail are terrific. I like Hiwatt's ultra-tidy style of layout and lead dress, but this is something else.
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Martin's incredible AC-30 clone Some people deserve medals, and Martin is one. His meticulous planning and handiwork squeezed a full AC-30 Top Boost clone into the Amp Maker AC11 chassis, using the PT04 and OT04 transformers for power and output. It's a substantial project, carried out with his 16yo son, and required some extra chassis work to add the extra preamp valves and a lot of work on the tag board layout. Understatement alert: "It's squeezed into your standard chassis without too much trouble! The head and cab were a joint effort but the orange tolex was definitely NOT my choice".
I'm especially delighted to hear that since building the amp, there's been great news: "A real bonus of this project was that Gareth showed off some of his handiwork, and got an Arkwright Scholarship out of it, so we're all chuffed.".
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Steve's SE-5a head "The amp sounds great and my son has been doing quite a bit of recording with it". Steve went for the classic smallbox Marshall style although with elephant grain tolex. "I ran out of covering material, hence the wooden rear panel, but it gives it more of a boutique look."
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Diego's PP-18 head Diego's another first-time amp builder who also made the cabinets for his amp project - both head cabinet and the matching speaker cabinet. If you're in Mallorca, check out Diego's band, The Red Suns. I'll get there one day, Diego! :)
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Etienne's SE-5a head I love the steer skull ornament on Emmanuel's SE-5a (a plastic toy or perhaps the world's smallest steer...?). Look along the control panel and you'll see that Emmanuel has made the standard SE-5a but added some extra circuitry: "If a guitar is plugged into the first input, the two Gain controls can be used to mix bright and dark sound at will." |
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Angus' be-denimed PP-18 This is as unique as it is wacky: an amp covered in denim instead of tolex. Well, if tweed's good enough for old Fenders, why not denim for a rocking amp? "I tried my best to get the front seam straight but it wasn't having it!"
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John's SE-5a mini-stack Another great result from someone who's way better at woodwork than me. John made up both the head and speaker cab for his 5W mini-stack. He used grille cloth from a really helpful guy who specialises in vintage-style grille material, cabinet coverings and odd cabinet hardware - Sid Chaplin's Traditional Radio Grilles.
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Simon's SE-5a stack Customer's cabinet choices are driven by several different needs. In Simon's case he wanted a brighter sound for country rock. "Both cabinets were home-made with 12mm birch ply - very light to transport. The speakers are Jensen P10Q and P10R in a half-open backed cabinet. Very happy with the sound; new valves and alnico speakers have cleaned it up and brightened it a little, so it really suits courntry/rock now."
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Neil's pine PP-18 head By far the simplest way to make a head cabinet is to use pine. It's a softwood, so it's easy to cut and work, but you won't get the same resistance to wear and tear as tolex. Still, the world's full of old pine furniture, so it can't be that bad. Neil's given the pine on his PP-18 an antique pine finish, and the knots add to the charm. |
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Dave's SE-5a half-stack Dave's half-stack has a lot of nice touches. The vent grille - from a car accessory shop - is angled backwards, and the piping slots go around the cabinet instead of running back-to-front. "The SE-5a was finished last week, and the build went extremely well as a first project. The sound and quality are exactly what I wanted and I'm very pleased with the results. The amp and speaker cab cost as little as £20 to make but I think the overall outcome looks the part."
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Tim's PP-18 head Here's the same 18W amp kit in small-stack form. The cab is a 1x12 and Tim's used the same grille cloth for the head's front panel. This helps to create a much more modern look.
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Daniel's PP-18 "In one sentence, it's... very 'evy, very 'umble; very purple, very loud." :) I've lived in the UAE myself, and still can't believe that Daniel managed to round up the cabinet materials out there. "The purple tolex is from a fabric shop in Abu Dhabi - it was really meant for covering bedroom furniture. The grille came from a waste basket, and the wooden case was made by a guy who claims to be a carpenter but took two goes to get it right." Commendably resourceful! :) |
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Looking for combo ideas? If you're undecided about whether to make a head or combo, or just want to see what other Amp Maker customers have done with their combos, click through to the Customer amp gallery: combos page. |
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Add your photos, MP3 clips, etc If you've built an Amp Maker kit, or made your own amp using Amp Maker parts, I'd love to add it to this page. I'm happy to include photos, MP3 sound clips and any ideas and tips you've got to help inspire other amp builders. Of course, I'm also happy to add links to your band's Web site, your amp-building blog, etc. |