Thinking about building an amp (own design ish):

[Pott]

Single ended, EL84 or 6V6
Gain, switchable gain stage, EQ, gain, power valves, OT, LPAD (15W), 12'' speaker

Now where I need help and suggestions are mainly for the EQ type and the power valve.

I LOVE the sound of EL84s but I don't have that much experience with 6V6s. I just got suggested wiring the octal socket and using a yellowjacket which seems like the best of both worlds haha

I also have no clue what kind of EQ to use. I was thinking either a Muff style tone control or a bass + treble EQ. But in 90% of amps I keep everything on 5 or 6 and barely change it. But I do want some kind of tone shaping anyway.

I'm not going for a particular sound... just a low wattage, attanuated and above all cheap and easy to build amp.
My Holy Grail of clean tone is a super reverb. I am NOT aiming to go there as this amp WILL be very different... but I was thinking about basing the preamp design on the SR's. 12AT7 for the first preamp valve (so input stage, switchable boost stage) and 12AX7 for the recovery/last gain stage and the driver. I'd get some headroom and if I need more gain I could always pop in a AX7 in right?

No reverb or effect but I'd want a simple pre out/power in in case I'd want a reverb pedal in there.

No feedback loop, just keeping it simple for now. To compensate for no presence control, maybe a slightly brighter than average sound..? But I play Strats so not TOO bright hehe...

Any ideas or thoughts? I just thought it through. I'm NOT an amp designer and don't claim to be, but this amp would fill in some of my needs and shouldn't be too expensive.

What I'm aiming for is a reactive, harmonically rich amp with only one or two sounds from the actual amp, but which you'd control through the guitar (I believe the guitar to be a 'remote' control for the amp). So volume and tone control from the guitar to control the amp's tones, maybe with the footswitchable boost. Just something simple but THICK sounding for Blues and classic rock ;)

[jh45gun]

If it was me I would build a 5e3. It's not single ended but it sounds what your looking for as far as what the amp will do.

[Pott]

The Deluxe would be way too loud for my needs... Though I guess I could also put in an LPad in it. Dunno... I think I prefer EL84s in general.

[epluribus]

For simple with lots of touch, I'd base it on a later Tweed Champ, and then balance the saturation so no one tube gets harsh doing all the dirt. When I run an extra gain stage at all, I like a switchable clean gain stage before the "first" gain stage to function as an onboard clean boost.

As for the tone stack, I like 'em as small as possible to preserve the signal and gain--in fact, I use a ground lift to remove it from the circuit completely. If you want more, you can build one of the more elaborate stacks and put a ground lift on only part of the tone circuit so your three-knob BF becomes a single-knob Tweed stack. Personally, I just don't need that much EQ stuff.

FX loop--that'll take another tube and some extra circuitry. Not huge or complex, but more than just a couple of jacks. If it's too much, you might look at one of the SS kits to keep it simpler. The trick there is to make sure you stay within the headroom of the SS, as well as keeping noise out.

My favorite weapon of choice in a one-banger is an EL84, btw. I like the feel, the harmonics, and the rather round flavor of the dirt.

Disclaimer Dept.: If you haven't already, nail down the safety stuff for sure--deadly power in these things.

--Ray

[Blue Strat]

Try this for starters http://www.ax84.com/

If you haven't built an amp before it's highly recommended to start with a kit. Otherwise you're likely to end up with a pile of stuff that doesn't work and a lot of frustration.

Even engineers and competent repair guys don't necessarilly do well on a first build. There's a lot more to it than simply connecting the wires to the right components.

[Nolatone Ampworks]

Is the "Muff style" eq like what the Dr. Z Carmen Ghia uses? Roll it one way and treble is boosted, bass is cut, and vice versa the other way?

If so, then I LOVE that arrangement for a one knob tone.

One thing you may want to consider with this amp, it's going to be a low volume arrangement which suggests it may be a good choice for recording. Like many folks, I rarely vary off of a basic tone setting in NORMAL use, BUT, in the studio, I like to have a broad range of effect in the EQ controls so I have "novel" tones on tap should I want them in a mix.

That's the main thing I wanted to comment on.

[plexi67]

http://mhuss.com/Clips/BeastLights.mp3
http://mhuss.com/Clips/BeastCleanChords.mp3
http://mhuss.com/Clips/BeastDD.mp3
http://mhuss.com/Clips/BeastHotLead.mp3
http://mhuss.com/Clips/BeastJW.mp3

You might check out this amp, or building one as a statring point, and maybe add what EQ section you like.
You can find some of the buildinfo, on 18watt.com or SEwatt.
This is a SE design using a single octal,from 6v6 to el34,6l6,etc..
Their is also a Beast II useing a SE 35 watt OT,and using a switchable octal pair. That amp also uses a 5879 pentode channel,similar to the Gibson GA40 channel.

[Pott]

Well the two other options I was considering were:
That amp design at the back of Dave Hunter's book (any kind of power valve, pretty fun design)
A champ or Princeton

But I kinda want this to be MY amp if you see what I mean... just because I know I can if I apply myself to it :D

I have built an amp before. It also worked, after which I was the first surprised ;)

AX84 may be a good idea actually... will check some of their stuff. Thanks!


EDIT: just checked out the Ax84 P1, which seems to be the most adapted to my needs. It's not EXACTLY what I'd like but it's close and it'll do I think... Thanks guys!

[Blue Strat]

You can adapt almost any amp to meet your needs. The AX84 is probably a good baseline for your desires.

[stratman_el84]

Another possibility would be taking one of the Weber kits, like the Smokin' Joe and modding that. Single EL84, 12AX7 preamp and 12AX7 phase inverter. It's available as a head or combo. The link is to the head version. Schematic and layout is there also.

https://taweber.powweb.com/store/kits_weber.htm#SmokinJoeH

Cheers!

Strat

[stratman_el84]

Gah! I was thinking of the Smokin Joe II when I posted that! :o

No PI in a SE amp. :nono

There's only a single 12AX7 and an EL84 in the Smokin Joe I.

Apologies,

Strat

[doctorx]

Kevin O'Connor has a number of variations of the Champ circuit in TUT3, from the basic fifties circuit to one with a channel switching, JCM800 style front end. He gives ideas about fixed/cathode bias switching, multiple power tubes, master volumes, with and without NFB.

I rebuilt an old VOM hifi amp into a 5F1 circuit with no NFB using his tips and it sounds pretty good.

[redtoploader]

Use the at7 in the driver...not the other way around.