Weber Amp Kits?

[Laroosco!]

How easy are amp kits to assemble?

I'm good enough with a soldering iron to rewire guitars all day long, but is thhat good enough to put together an amp?

I'm asssuming that these sound good when built right?

 

[cnardone]

If they give you a loard and tell you how to lay it out, it is not that difficult. I have a Wreck clone on my bench (I did the layout) the squels like a pig though. So it is not simple. If the amp is not high gain it makes it much easier.

cmn

 

[doctord02]

The Weber kits assume you already know your way around an amp... they dont offer you any step by step instructions as I recall. Just a schematic and maybe a layout drawing.

If you have never built an amp before I'd think twice.

 

[Pedro58]

I think the guy at Mission Amps will rebox it for you in a more logical way, provide directions, and offer part upgrades for a price. Reasonable from what I remember. That might help close the gap between novice and intermediate for you.

 

[memphisrain]

I built his 6M45 kit (JTM 45) and I had pretty much no previous knowledge. I had done a filter cap change on my SFSR, but other then that... nada. I just went and bought a decent iron and solder and put the parts in slow and methodical like. Worked out great. I had one small problem that they helped me solve and I was golden. It turned out to be a great sounding amp. I haven't been able to compare it to an original, but I really like the amp.

The board he has over there is great. They'll get you through practically any problem.

mR

 

[gulliver]

Half the key to soldering is having the right tools/supplies. Surf the web and you'll find all kind of advice, right down to a video on technique.

Those kits look nice, $350 for the basic guts isn't bad...

 

[BobbyRay]

Sorry Laroosco!

I really gotcha thinking now huh?

 

[Laroosco!]

Originally posted by BobbyRay
Sorry Laroosco!

I really gotcha thinking now huh?

It's your fault!!!!!

I just got back from playing a friend Tweed Deluxe clone and it kicks ass!!!!
Now I have to have one.

 

[Derelict]

these kits have me thinking about doing one myself.....

www.ceriatone.com

 

[Laroosco!]

Originally posted by doggage5050
these kits have me thinking about doing one myself.....

www.ceriatone.com

DAYUM!!!! That Matchless Lightning kit has me drooling!!!!

 

[calieng]

A lot of the Weber kit parts are some of the cheapest parts you can find. The amps don't sound bad when finished but you can count on replacing switches, tube sockets and other parts throughout the life of the amp. The jacks are especially bad so don't even consider using them. At least get some Switchcraft jacks if you are going to build a Weber kit (caution - the orientation of connections on the two types of jacks are different).

There was also a major screw up with the cabinets that took me 6 months to finally get a refund after many emails and finally threatening to file a dispute with the credit card company. I understand some people are still trying to get cabinets for kits ordered many months ago. Read the references to Tubegarden on the Weber forum.

Overall I had a very bad experience.

I'm sure others have had a better experience with Weber.

 

[fullerplast]

Originally posted by calieng
A lot of the Weber kit parts are some of the cheapest parts you can find. The amps don't sound bad when finished but you can count on replacing switches, tube sockets and other parts throughout the life of the amp. The jacks are especially bad so don't even consider using them. At least get some Switchcraft jacks if you are going to build a Weber kit (caution - the orientation of connections on the two types of jacks are different).

There was also a major screw up with the cabinets that took me 6 months to finally get a refund after many emails and finally threatening to file a dispute with the credit card company. I understand some people are still trying to get cabinets for kits ordered many months ago. Read the references to Tubegarden on the Weber forum.

Overall I had a very bad experience.

I've had to help a friend (who had build other kits successfully) get through a Weber kit and agree 100% with these observations. The schematics as supplied are not always tested or guaranteed to work; they are "starting points" that should get you close. Some of the designs (like the 18W TMB in particular) resulted in virtually every builder having assorted oscillation problems.

In addition, he had to redrill holes in the chassis to get components to fit and even with the cabinet he finally got, he actually had to cut away the baffle brace about a half inch to be able to mount any speaker.

The price is very attractive and still *may* be worth it even if you throw out the many cheap components *and* you just want a platform to experiment with. For somebody not experienced, I'd suggest staying away from Weber kits. There are many kits from GDS, Allen, Ceriatone, and others that appear to be pretty bulletproof and well tested, with much better quality components and instructions.

 

[gulliver]

I like those small metal cage type heads like what THD uses, is there a place where you can buy those to put the guts in?

 

[Laroosco!]

Originally posted by gulliver
I like those small metal cage type heads like what THD uses, is there a place where you can buy those to put the guts in?

Those are fashioned after old Masco amps. You can find them relatively cheap on eBay