Small Valve Amp Kits?

[andys]

I want to get hold of a small valve combo, but I am not that impressed by some of the ones on the market at the moment. I know you can upgrade them, but then you are talking about more than doubling their costs, and you can buy larger amps for that.

What I would like to find is someone who would supply the amp as a kit, or an assembled chassis, that I can use my joinery skills to build a good solid wood cabinet around and load with a good quality speaker.

Does anyone do something like this?

Either that or is there a good small valve amp on the market that I can customise?

What are other forum members views on the best small valve combos around at the moment?

Yours

Andy S

[Deleted]

I've heard good things about amp kits by Torres Engineering. I've no personal experience of them but there's probably some reviews on Harmony-Central. I think they used to have a UK outlet although a quick Google search only found their rather amateur US website. They offer various vintage style kits which you could mount in your own cabinet.

Good luck with your project.

Cheers, Iain

[robn]

Hi Andy,

This is from the very cheap end of the market but have you thought about the Epiphone Valve Junior Head?

www.dv247.com/invt/froogle/37447/

I've played the combo version, which was OK but could have done with a better speaker. The head has good write ups for a valve amp costing under £100 and would still give you your cabinet building project. I quite like the idea of an amp with only one knob - not much to go wrong there! A little open backed cabinet with one or two 8" Jensens would be nice ;D

You could have a nice little system for £160 or so.

Robn

[fitchmeister]

This site seems to do small amp kits - they got MP3 sound bites too - www.ampmaker.com

Roj

[Deleted]

Hi Andy

Try the following link for Torres amps, which looks reasonably professional.

www.torresamps.com/

I'm not an expert in electronics, but I've a 1980s Fender Deluxe Reverb II, which is point to point wired. Talking with an amp tech who serviced it for me when I bought it, he said this was the ideal scenario for customisation. He bemoaned the fact that most new valve amps have circuit board technology to reduce expense during construction, which he felt put significant limitations on customisation.

[Michael Messer]

Hi Andy,

Amp Doctor John made my champ amp. I am very happy with it. It is as good as an original 50s Fender. I think John charges £450.00 to hand-build one for you. Possibly a bit more to have the Jensen speaker, but in my opinion that is essential & should be standard. Each one is individually built, there is no production line at all. Hand soldered point-to-point ....etc. I can't recommend them highly enough. The idea was to launch it as a signature model, but so far we have not got that off the ground. John also builds beautiful De Luxe copies.



There is a page on my website about them.
www.michaelmesser.co.uk/MM%20AMP.htm

Shine On,
Michael

[robn]

Oh no!

I've got major amp envy

Robn

[Michael Messer]

Hi Robn,

I know a doctor who can cure your amp-envy problem. His name is Amp Doctor John and for around 500 quid he can cure you ;D

Shine On,
Michael

[robn]

Unfortunately Amp Doctor John wouldn't be able to do anything about the broken legs I'd get from my better half

Robn

[mistercanetoad]

Michael's Amp doctor sounds like great value.
I've had some experience of kit amps and do valve amp repairs for my local music shop. The best kits that I have come across are by Mission amps in the states. I made one of their 5E3 deluxe kits and it is a fantastic amp. 17.5 watts through a pair of vox blues is just the right volume for a medium pub gig and about the best guitar sound I've ever got. Other slightly cheaper kits that look okay are from Weber, again in the USA. Tube Amp Doctor (TAD in Germany I think) do good kits but they are not cheap.
Ceriatone in Malaysia will make you anything! and are cheap and pretty good from what I've heard. I've installed kits from Torres in the past and they were very poor, crap components and dubious designs. I would not recommend the Epiphone amps as I think important bits like the transformers are not good enough, although there is a modding community out there who get some decent sounds out of customised versions. Other good value readybuilts are available from Matamp (the Minimat has to be the cutest amp in the world) Orange and Cornell. The Messer champ looks like a bargain however and not too many controls to be fiddling with!!! Those tweed era Fenders certainly have a sound that is hard to beat.

Dave

[Michael Messer]

Thanks for your post, Dave. The Amp Doctor John amps are hard to beat. I am not saying that for any business reasons, because as yet I do not have my name on them and have nothing to gain by recommending John's work.

His amps are totally hand-built with top quality parts that are tracked down specifically for each amp. Everything is hand done, even the board is hand beaten from a sheet of metal. John does this as a part-time business-hobby and is not looking to produce any more than a handful per year. The equilavent amp from a designer amp company would cost 2 or 3 times more. Since getting one of John's Champ Amps I have used it on every gig & recording session. It really is unbeatable value.

Shine On,
Michael.

[Blues Pertti]

Hi

Is there any idea to have a Champ with reso? I mean the possibility to install suitable mic in my reso and play it through Champ. ...or is it waste of money ;D

Pertti

[Michael Messer]

Hi Pertti,

Acoustic guitars and resophonic guitars should not be amplified with valve guitar amps. Only magnetic pickups should be used with a guitar amp. Unless you have an acoustic amp. I prefer a PA system to amplify acoustic instruments.

Shine On,
Michael.

[Blues Pertti]

Thanks Michael,

Yes I do have acoustic guitar amp (Roland AC-100). Normally with my reso or acoustic guitar I use it's vocal channel and one SM57. Sound is pretty good that way. I was just thinking what would I get if I install magnetic pickup to my reso and use champ amp. But I might need a telecaster for that task.

Yours Pertti

[Michael Messer]

A magnetic pickup and a valve amp will work well. It will sound like a semi-acoustic electric guitar!

Shine On
Michael