The first tube amplifier I build was when I was still at school (1969), and was a small 12 Watt combo amp with two old 10″ radio speakers. The speakers were “improved” by coating the cones with a hard laquer paint. A few years later I switched to playing bassguitar and I needed a heavier amp. I then build a 50 Watt head based on a Marshall design. The speakerbox was fitted with two special 12″ Fane speakers. After a few years I stopped playing because I spent more and more time doing recording and PA work. After the summer of 2005 while doing a soundjob on a jam session I was short of one tube combo amp (We have enough SS amps). I decided just to build one instead of buying one, just for fun.
Unfortunately, there are no pictures or schematics anymore of my old amps. The little combo was later rebuild to serve as a headphone amp in a studio and the 50 Watt head with cab was sold. I only once saw it back 15 years ago to replace the OT for the owner back then. I never heard or seen it again.
Since the last tube amp I had build, a lot has changed, there are no more electronic supply shops around the corner, so just running outside to get one missing resister isn’t possible anymore. But instead there is Internet, which brings a lot more information available and a wide range of web shops to get the right parts. But still of great value, the old books. Time to get the dust off them.
- T-Jam 45, a 45 Watt combo amp.
[warning]All Vacuum Tube equipment uses high voltages and is dangerous to work around. The author is not responsible for any “problems”, bodily or property, resulting from use of information, schematics or anything else contained on these pages.[/warning]