1/13/2007
Building a Deluxe tube amp!
What, am I crazy? Has lunacy crept into my soul and taken over? Why would I want to do such a thing? Well, to tell you the truth I only know I want power. I want to plug my guitar in and have a beautiful piece of equipment that blows my head off. Have you ever looked at a tube amplifier and all it beauty.
Photo from http://www.alteraudio.it/
Now in most guitar amps they stash all the goodies so you don't see them. Well, I'll have none of this. The people will know something is up when I haul out a full tube head in all it's glory. Well, even I am to young to appreciate tubes because they didn't even teach me about them in electronics school. Yes, I have had some schooling in electronics but no schooling when it comes to tubes. I have done plenty of research on the web to find out about tubes. Transistors clip your wave form. Tubes do not. Its that plain and simple. Than is why they are much sought after.
Deciding what to build.
Well, there are bunches of amplifiers out their. I chose on schematics not on sound preference. The first place I'll turn you on to is schematic heaven. http://www.schematicheaven.com/fender.htm . This is where I looked through bunches of schematics. I found a schematic for the 5e3. That was a Deluxe from Fender and it caught my eye. The next thing to do was look on the web for mods that have been done to them. I found a research paper the a few phycsists had modified this amp. After reading the paper I decided that I have made an excellent choice in the amplifier and I would use these guys mods. Here is their document.
Now the fun begins. Finding the parts.
Well, this I can assure you is not fun. There are very few places that sell parts where you can get all the stuff you need. You can find kits for a 5e3 but usually not modded and again they hide all the tubes. Well, this is where I am at. I have ordered a bunch of stuff and am awaiting for them to come. I decided that my amplifier shall be a stereo amplifier. I am thinking about putting a microprocessor in the amplifier that will looks at the tubes tempature and will automatically take the amplifier out of standby mode. So far I have decided that the case should be kick ass.
This is the case I decided on, found it on Ebay at a decent price searching tube amp It has a big front panel and hopefully enough room on the top to put 2 5e3 tube amplifiers. Having an amplifier like this means you will always have enough stuff to jam with. If you have ever heard 2 instruments into one head it sounds like crap. Now, in my box their will be two amplifiers. There will be a set of locking switches that will put the amplifier in fake stereo mode negating the need for a stereo cable.
The resistors inside the amp should all be carbon composition as the resistor type affects the sound. I have received my first shipment of resistors. They came from Mouser Electronics. This is a full set of resistors enough for 3 amps. These things look old.. I head off on a job tomorrow in PA so I will be gone a few weeks. All my stuff should be here by the time I get back. Keep tuned.