gear_lover
New member
is it ok to build ur own amp?
i heard it be more expensive?
any comments?
i heard it be more expensive?
any comments?
building amp
- Thread starter gear_lover
- Start date
Definately cost much more (2X, 3X) than buying off the shelf. And if you are NOT an amp guru (one who specialise in amps for more than 10yrs), you will come up with an amp which sounds worse than cheapo samick or vantage amps at 10times cheaper than you built yours.
Remember, it takes a lot of engineers to come up with the electronic circuit, chasiss design, production roadmap....etc. And finally a production line to assemble these babys. Mass production brings cheap, quality and reliable products.
I remember builtin one out of a hifi cabinet when I was still schooling. It was sucessful and loud except it oscillates easily, the gain is difficult to control and the output IC blew at least twice by over cranking it.
As a hobby, it's fine.
Today, I am repairing amps, computer monitors....and stuff like that. But I started electronics when I was very young like 14.
It took me a lot of self study, sweat, blood and grind to learn what I know today. And still I have this to say, like playing the guitar, you need the special feel or touch on it, or don't touch it at all. That's why I don't play guitar, only repair them.
More than 50% you need some talent on this field.
Remember, it takes a lot of engineers to come up with the electronic circuit, chasiss design, production roadmap....etc. And finally a production line to assemble these babys. Mass production brings cheap, quality and reliable products.
I remember builtin one out of a hifi cabinet when I was still schooling. It was sucessful and loud except it oscillates easily, the gain is difficult to control and the output IC blew at least twice by over cranking it.
As a hobby, it's fine.
Today, I am repairing amps, computer monitors....and stuff like that. But I started electronics when I was very young like 14.
It took me a lot of self study, sweat, blood and grind to learn what I know today. And still I have this to say, like playing the guitar, you need the special feel or touch on it, or don't touch it at all. That's why I don't play guitar, only repair them.
More than 50% you need some talent on this field.
JMguitars
New member
gear_lover said:
It depends ...
If you define an amp as a device for sound reproduction, then theortically, something small with a few transistors can be built .... except it would sound like crap.
As Mikeman has mentioned, the few (in Spore) that have gone into the line of amp building are doing so for the challenge. Some of whom are not even guitar/bass players themselves but are looking at amp building as a hobby.
Just like any hobby, your costs are going to run in the thousands should you look to seriously take it up (the cost coming from procurring materials).
If your intention is limited to building an amp to use, I would honestly suggest you look for one of the mass-produced amps in the market. They would be much cheaper than any equivalent amp you would wish to build.
Last but not least, amp building is dangerous especially if you're building tube amps. There's a lot of voltage in there which can kill if you aren't careful.
MESAFIED said:
We can only at best mod the pre-amp to have tube as one of the stages. Again, not logical and practical unless you are into it just as a hobby to do research. Which is still a very costly affair, and the tone difference is very slight if even noticable. You can go wrong VERY easily. It takes equipments which can easily cost more than a car each to do the measurements just to create a part of the circuit.
Just for info, Vacumm Tube or Valve operate on high voltage (typ 350-500V), transistor amps are low voltage (typ +/- 24-60V). They are 2 different technologies althougther.
Sum it up, it's not just connecting the pins and it will work. AUDIO TECHNOLOGY is in itself a very complex and in depth field.
I hope I answered the questions clear enuff. My Advise, Go and buy that lovely amp on the shelf of the shop. It has being designed and built properly by PROFESSIONALS in the audio field of engineers. Go and buy that wonderful effect pedal to give you the tone and sound you want, you want to build your own pedal and sell many many and make money....... Keep dreaming, only as a hobby, ok. Very difficult to realise.
Same as would you rather use microsoft o/s or linux o/s?? Even linux today is already extremely advance with an entire team of programmers just to customise a suite, but that pales in comparision to microsoft hoarde (maybe an entire building of high qualified programmers) of programmers just to come up with one product.
i once posted a question about a DIY amp and they gave me this website....
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/forumdisplay/f-30.html
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/forumdisplay/f-30.html
