Built my first amp!

[Blakemore Effects]

So, if anyone is interested in building an amp, the BYOC Champlifier kit was an awesome starting place. The step by step instructions make it incredibly easy to build, as long as you have soldering experience. Standard disclaimer: tube amps have lethal voltage, etc., etc. so don't build it unless you understand what you're doing.

Seriously though, the kit was a very enjoyable experience. The instructions were top notch, and everything fired up on the first try. I was also surprised at how dead quiet it is, and it's also louder than I expected. It sounds freaking great though! I can't really let it rip in my apartment, but it sounds great even at low volumes. I opted to go with a 10" Alnico Jensen speaker though, and I'm incredibly happy.

All that being said, amp porn!

 

[Luke V]

Nice. Great job especially for your first build.

 

[midnightlaundry]

Cool amp.

 

[JeffOlson]

Nice!

By the way, did the cab and speaker come with your kit?

 

[HoboMan]

AWSOME!

 

[smolder]

Awesome... welcome to the builder's club ; )

 

[donthasslethehoff]

looks very nice...my only advice...keep it...hand it down...your kids, future kids, whomever, will get a kick outta you having built it

 

[kirkw]

more details needed!!!!!

how long did it take to build? how much exp do you have? how scared were to blow yourself up???

how about the cab? you build it too?

 

[Blakemore Effects]

Nice!

By the way, did the cab and speaker come with your kit?

Thanks! The speaker and cab were not included. I bought the speaker from Guitar Center, and I got the cab from Weber Speakers.

looks very nice...my only advice...keep it...hand it down...your kids, future kids, whomever, will get a kick outta you having built it

Very, very good advice. I built this with my dad, so if I pass it down one day, it'll already have gone through three generations. Haha.

more details needed!!!!!

how long did it take to build? how much exp do you have? how scared were to blow yourself up???

how about the cab? you build it too?

I had never built an amp before, but I build pedals for my job, so I have quite a bit of experience soldering, just never on anything this high powered! Haha. It probably took about 3 days to completely populate the turret board though, and get everything all wired up. I did it in short sessions though, just to make sure I wasn't tired so I could follow the directions as close as possible. I was so happy it fired up the first time, because I was afraid I'd have to go back in to fix something and shock myself.

As for the cab, I left that part up to Weber Speakers. I was always awful at working with wood and stuff, so I decided to leave the aesthetics up to the professionals! Haha.

Nice. Great job especially for your first build.

Cool amp.

AWSOME!

Awesome... welcome to the builder's club ; )

Thanks a lot, guys!

 

[XmasTree]

1 knob?

..............one.............................knob...............................................

looks cool though

 

[eddy999]

Looks great! So what are you going to build next? No-one stops at one build

 

[Blue Strat]

1 knob?

..............one.............................knob...............................................

looks cool though

Less is better!

 

[5E3]

Well done! Congrats!

 

[mbargav]

Excellent; enjoy! Do you have a treble booster? Tweed champs sound great when hit with a TB, IMO.

My dad built me an SF1 and a 5E3, and they're my two favorite amps.

 

[Groundhogken]

Very nice.

Beware -- it's an addictive hobby.

 

[RupertB]

Very nice.

Beware -- it's an addictive hobby.

Truth. I just bought my first pro-built amp in... 24 years.
The last four were homebrews.


Well done BE. Champs are great little amps.

 

[Blakemore Effects]

1 knob?

..............one.............................knob...............................................

looks cool though

Haha. The one knob is surprisingly liberating! I kept trying to use my OD pedals, and I had way more fun when I was just going straight in. My Vox Virage DC straight into the Champ was some of the most fun I've ever had playing guitar. I just turned the amp up to 9, and got all of my tonal changes by switching pickups and using the volume knob on my guitar. Seriously liberating feeling from someone who used to have gigantic pedalboards. Haha.

Looks great! So what are you going to build next? No-one stops at one build

Thanks! And how right you are. I've already been looking into other amp schematics.

I was thinking either a Tweed Princeton, a Hiwatt 504, or a Matchless Lightening right now. Apparently the Tweed Princeton is the same as the Champ, but with an added tone knob. I looked, and it would be insanely easy to add a tone knob to my current Champ, but it might also be fun to build a Tweed Princeton, so I could run the two in stereo. Mmm. Haha.

Excellent; enjoy! Do you have a treble booster? Tweed champs sound great when hit with a TB, IMO.

My dad built me an SF1 and a 5E3, and they're my two favorite amps.

Thanks! I don't have a treble booster though. Any recommendations? Treble boosters are one effect I haven't really messed around much with.

Well done! Congrats!

Thanks a lot!

Very nice.

Beware -- it's an addictive hobby.

Yeah. I learned how addictive building gear is when I started building pedals. It just made sense to go to another addictive hobby that's even more expensive though!

Truth. I just bought my first pro-built amp in... 24 years.
The last four were homebrews.

Well done BE. Champs are great little amps.

Nice! What all did you build? And I figured the Champ was definitely a good starting point. I didn't wanna overwhelm myself on a first build. Now it's time to go crazy though! Hahaha.

 

[mbargav]

Thanks! I don't have a treble booster though. Any recommendations? Treble boosters are one effect I haven't really messed around much with.

I have a Retroman Beano that works really well with my SF1 and 5E3. The Analogman Beano is also a kickass treble booster.

 

[guitarcapo]

People will pay $1000 for an original 50's Champ with 50 year old components over buying a kit.


I personally never understood why.

 

[RupertB]

Nice! What all did you build? And I figured the Champ was definitely a good starting point. I didn't wanna overwhelm myself on a first build. Now it's time to go crazy though! Hahaha.

Matchless Lightning 15
Tweed Deluxe 5E3
California Dreamer (welcome home gift for my cousin)
Tweed Champ head 5F1, which started life as an Octal Fatness build

The Champ was a good choice for a first build. Simple & fun to play through. I run my 5F1 head into a Weber Blue dog for small-room duo gigs.

Enjoy your Champ!