While looking at other threads i came across the Weber kit amps....I'm after that vintage fender tweed tone, however i don't have a vintage wallet to pay for such an amp....These kit amps seem like a reasonable alternative at a decent price....Has anyone had any experience with Weber, or know of other really solid amp kit companies??... I don't think i would be ready to build my own and would have more confidence in having it built for me by the kit supplier...It seems like an affordable way to get a somewhat custom tube amp...I'm after a Neil Young-esque type of tone...what model should i be looking at? I don't need an extremely loud amp as I only practice at home, record, and have the odd jam with a couple friends...I would want something with a 12" speaker .... Can anyone suggest a specific model? Any opinions would be great or other suggestions definitely welcome...I would like to keep the amp in the $600 range....
http://www.missionamps.com/5e3.html They have complete chassis kits for the 5E3 (Tweed Deluxe). You can also buy a cab from them loaded or unloaded. About three years ago I bought and built one - my first and only time to do the kit thing. It wasn't fall-off-a-log simple, but it wasn't brain surgury.
Bruce at Mission supplies great parts, something I'd be looking for in a kit company. His prices are a bit higher though. you get what you pay for in this world. Bruce also has great support. I built one of his 5E3 kits a long time ago and it was an outstanding experience. He's got a private webspace that hosts a lot of photos of the build process. The weber kits have some less expensive parts (mostly chinese) in there. BUT, if you are on a budget, they offer great value. A friend of mine built a weber kit. In his opinion, you need to get some new switches and pots, but for the most part his amp sounds pretty good. Weber support exists pretty much only on-line and there isn't much that comes in that kit besides a schematic and layout diagram. For that Neil Young tone, you need a 5E3 Tweed Deluxe that runs 6L6's. I think there's a Weber kit for that.
thanks guys, i will definitly look into the mission amps...obviously i would save a fair amount of money if i build it myself...i'm a competant DIY'er but have never done any in depth electrical work...are the directions supplied sufficient...and other than a sodering iron, would i need any other speciality tools??? Is this something a beginner at electronics can realistically tackle???
If you are motivated, you can do it. Can you solder a new set of pickups into your guitar? Can you put together a puzzle? Bruce has a lot of photos so it kind of walks you along. Attention to detail is a must. Just follow the layout and look at the digital photos.
Good luck...I bought one and waited months without getting email responses and even tried calling several times. I eventually gave up and got pay-pal to give me a refund. I'd really like to build one of the smaller Weber kits but there are a few...I'm really just looking for that early Tele (I and II) era Jimmy Page tone.
I built a Weber JTM45 kit for a friend. The major components like the transformers, filter caps, tube sockets and chassis are great. The resistors, pots and capacitors are ok, not top quality but you can alway upgrade later. I haven't received the cab yet but I expect it'll be good quality as I've built using these cabs before. The kit is very complete. All parts are included, even cloth covered wire. The only thing you need is tools. This is a complexity 3 on the scale of 1-5. If you haven't built before I'd stay with a 1 or 2. I recorded this clip, volume on about 3, tones on 5. After a few riffs I turned the tone controls one at a time from 0 to 10. I haven't been able to capture the sound of this amp cranked, somehow I'm just not capturing it. It's huge and fat. http://www.patmedia.net/bob-ingram/Luis/Clean1.mp3 Service from Weber is excellent. While building I cracked the rear panel. After some choice words I e-mailed Ted asking the price of a replacement. He sent a new one the next day, FREE. Can't beat that.
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