I've been wanting to build my own tube amp for a while now and I think I'm going to go ahead and order the parts.
Anyone know a good source of parts(transformers, tubes, tube sockets, etc...) and maybe have any tips? I have a few old tube books and of course mostly they are similar to transistor amps. But I, of course want a decent sound also.
I know one can buy "kits" but these tend to be either over priced and/or low quality.
On a sunny day (Tue, 14 Oct 2008 07:07:43 -0500) it happened "Jon Slaughter" wrote in :
2 x 807 zero bias drive?
It's going to be class A but I'm not sure exactly what tubes I'm going to use. Probably try to make it switchable for different power settings. Basically the "stock" guitar amp tubes are the 6L6, 12AX7, EL34, EL84 and a few variants.
Although I'd like potentially to "branch" out into other non-standard types I also don't want to pay an arm and a leg for crappy tubes.
The main thing right now is to find a good transformer... looks like I'll end up spending more to build an amp than just buy a good one ;/ (which is a real shame since labor isn't even factored in ;/)
On a sunny day (Tue, 14 Oct 2008 08:23:00 -0500) it happened "Jon Slaughter" wrote in :
807very popular here, 2 make for 100W. 'Zero bias' drive, here an example:Near class A:
You may want to read this:
EL84 is rather low power, I used those in a guitar amp once, 4 IIRC.
That is why I spend say about 100$ on a Chinese 2 x 100W RMS transistor amp. Cheaper, better, and faster too, as it came working. Just forget about tubes :-) And the voltages can byte you too.
I guess I wasn't clear(actually I don't see that I mentioned it). The amp is specifically for guitar and not hi-fi.
Why not build a low-level distortion box and pipe it into a cheap commercial stereo amp? That would save a ton of money and give you a lot of versatility to tune the sound. You don't get a lot of choice or tunability from a pile of tubes and transformers.
John
On a sunny day (Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:07:57 -0500) it happened "Jon Slaughter" wrote in :
For 'amplification' one would like as little distortion as possible. For wave shaping, it is better done at lower power levels.
If you can specify the waveform (distortion type) you want, then you can can make that either digitally or analog at a low level, and then use a HiFi power amp. At least you would have a decent amp :-)
If you're in the US try Antique Radio Supply:
They have books on building and servicing guitar amps, too.
Be careful with their parts: sometimes the quality is excellent, sometimes it's cheap Chinese or 40-year-old NOS parts that weren't kept in dry storage.
Overall I'm pleased with them, however.
-- Tim Wescott Wescott Design Services http://www.wescottdesign.com Do you need to implement control loops in software? "Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" gives you just what it says. See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html
I've posted a Fender Deluxe Reverb service manual in the schematics group. It may give you some ideas.
Sorry, I don't know where to get parts. I do know two guys that do this, so if you can't find the parts then post and I'll find out where they get theirs.
Bob
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I'm curious why anyone would want to build a toooob amplifier these days. Other than an antique curiosity??
Distorted/"warm" sound... "warm" for sure... lots of heat.
When I was a kid, 50-60 years, I did build toooob amplifiers, because that was pretty much all there was. But, by 1957, I was designing and building solid state up to 30 Watts.
...Jim Thompson
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I love to cook with wine Sometimes I even put it in the food
You can't... the components in a tube amp react completely different than digital algorithms. Analog solid state tends to end up sounding very harsh(because of the way they clip as I mentioned).
If you don't believe me go to your local music store and ask one of the guys to show you how a real tube amp sounds. Compare it to a solid state amp and then to a modeling amp. The tube amp wins in sound quality.
Supposedly there are many factors in tube amps that make them sound better such as the power transformer "sagging", the tubes themselfs, etc... I do not know how much is true but what I do know is that tube amps sound much better than solid state... although some of the newer modeling amps do sound decent but still are not "reactive" to the playing. (they are not dynamic or "organic" as it's still just a simple algorithm that reacts the same way every time)
(Remember, I'm specifically talking about distortion here... but even then many people claim hi-fi tube amps are the best. (and I've seen research that claims they are))
They have these but generally the power amp distortion(along with speaker distortion) is also needed. A simple preamp tube driver with solid state doesn't sound all that great.
You would be supprised what they do with tube guitar amps though.
check out
and look at the back for all the switching possibilities.
I made that sound worse than it is -- you can tell from the catalog (usually) what you're getting. Just pay attention.
-- Tim Wescott Wescott Design Services http://www.wescottdesign.com Do you need to implement control loops in software? "Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" gives you just what it says. See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html
On a sunny day (Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:48:53 -0500) it happened "Jon Slaughter" wrote in :
Well, dear Jon, I have build several tube amps, how many did you build? But really I would not recommend tube amps, unless you like to look at red hot glowing anodes, those look nice, and show you that it is time to turn the volume down. And, if you have limited experience with electronics, the voltages in tube amps can kill, so better make something that works on 2 x 40 V with transistors.
Here's how to get your vacuum tubes:
;-)
-- Paul Hovnanian paul@hovnanian.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Have gnu, will travel.
Good Luck finding transformers! The logical thing to do here is to start browsing surplus stores, I'd think.
Let us know how it comes out!
Cheers! Rich
Umm, nothing audiofoolery surprises me any more. Except occasionally the prices.
Consider commercial recordings. Any guitar distortion is produced by signal-level electronics. They certainly don't go through tube power amps in the signal chain!
John
Evidence, please.
Everyone else here is talking about a transistorized final power stage that is running well below clipping, with the yube-style clipping happening before the final stage. The fact that you are taking about a transistorized final power stage that is clipping show that you aren't listening to what is being told to you.
..all of which can be modeled with digital algorithms.
-- Guy Macon
Absurd. Tubes aren't magic.
John
"Jim Thompson" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...
I suspect if you really wanted to, you could take a 100W transistor amp and make it sound like a 50W tube amp. Just put in the tube type distortion before the transistor amp goes non linear. I think the tube amps also used a lot less audio feedback and had higher output impedance.
Tam
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