Dale Read’s chassis-only amp

For a home-only amp, it’s possible to forego the cabinet, as Dale has done here. He’s added a ‘roll cage’ for valve protection. 🙂 “I finally got round to building the SE-5a amp I collected from you back in September. Building it was a breeze; your instructions are very clear and easy to follow. It sounds great through a 4×12 Marshall cabinet.

“I have attached some pictures of the finished product you might like to add to your gallery page. I went for the stripped down lightweight racing version adding a roll cage to the valves and covering the under side with lightweight transparent plexi to show off the hand built circuit. I moved the pre-amp valve over one place to get both valves under the ‘roll cage’.”

If you’re going to do this my recommendations:

  • you MUST add a plate to cover the underside of the open chassis
  • double check your insulation for the output transformer (there’s a high voltage present on the upper row of lugs)
  • dust the chassis top and valves regularly!