How to Scratch-Build a Vintage Amp, Part 1: Research and Methods 

Wanted to start learning how to make amps and found your vids. Then I saw Rusty at the beginning of your vid and he looked like a senior dog. This video was 8 years ago so I imagine he isn’t here physically anymore, lost my dog of 18 years just a couple days ago and it still hurts. Hoping learning about guitar amps can give me something to do between school and occasionally work. Thank you for the knowledge and thank you for the cute dog.

"A very, very wise man who speaks in a very mellow and soft voice." Uncle Doug, this should be on your business card, because it describes you to a T! Thanks for all the great videos; I've learned so much, and look forward to many, many more.

Good Friends: Your comments have no reply capability, so I'll answer up here. You really need to acquire some background knowledge, especially in safe handling of high voltages, before attempting a build like this. Also, if you want to build a similar amp but without the reverb and tremolo, I would suggest a Fender Champ circuit instead. Best of luck.

Thank you, Uncle Doug, for handing down your knowledge to us. I am looking forward to the rest of this series.

Thanks Uncle Doug! Thid is just what I needed. I have tubes, speaker and transformers for an AX84 P1 build, that I have been delaying for the last 12 years. I will watch the whole series to fill in the blanks in my limited knowledge. And I will build that P1 at last! When finished I'll be sharing for anyone intered here. The AX84 P1 was a "collaborative" amp design site that is now off line :( but luckily I managed to find the Schematics for the (I think) latest version of that amp. Thank you again!

Man, it's like you read my mind with this video. I'm working on a scratch build of a (modified) vintage amp, too. Only I've never done it before so it's great to have someone walk you through it. Can't wait for the rest of the series, Uncle Doug.

Yet another example of why Uncle Doug has the best channel on RU-vid. I'm eager to watch this series as it progresses!

Uncle Doug, you're the real MVP. I've learned a ton watching your videos, built 2 amps and know I'm hooked. I've been looking for my next project, I love single end amps and one with tem and reverb is very interesting. I look forward to the next one.

Uncle Doug, I recently came across your channel and have absolutely enjoyed watching and learning. Although, I must say I barely have the electrical knowledge to change a light bulb. Your style and approach coupled with Rusty's intense work ethic are quite entertaining and I look forward the upcoming videos in this series. Thanks, Gary

You are a great teacher. Not only is this video really well planned and laid out, but you go into a good amount of depth on each topic without overkill and you keep the viewer interested. I'm learning a lot and plan to continue watching this series. Thank you.

I have been following your posts for over a year now and they have inspired me to build my own amp, which I have recently started. This series of videos are going to be great and especially useful for me as I aspire to design and build my own amp one day. Thanks Uncle Doug.

Looking forward for the other videos. I was going to build a small tube amp, but now I'll wait to watch this series. Thanks for sharing you knowledge

Uncle Doug for President! Thanks much for being so generous with your time and experience. I'm really looking forward to this series.

it is always great to see you and rusty doing a video. this series has me hooked already. can't wait to see how it turns out. as always thank you for adding to my knowledge base.

I'm glad I found you. Been warming up to your content over the last few months and this looks like the beginning of a great series. I've got a lot of catching up to do. Thanks for the content.

Nice to see you and Rusty back Doug. I'm thinking really hard about building a valve amp myself, this video series will really help.

Will definitely follow this series. I have almost all the parts layin around, I might build one just for fun.

You have come back from the summer break with a bang. The Elvis amp set the stage for this series. This will be a big project and you have thought it out really well! Thankz

Hi Jack and Rusty! Thanks a ton for sharing your knowledge. So i finally took your build-your-own-vintage-style-amp howtos seriously and guess what, it not only finally works, it blows my shoes off every time. Thank you so much! Regards to Doug, yours, Jens.

Love Your Videos! Keep Doing awesome work! I'm a metal head and I'm looking in building a unique tube amp. I went and researched for a few months about how they work and basically how to build them. Iv looked everywhere for something like this and finally found it, thanks so much!

AMAZING!!! this is incredible Uncle Doug!!! So happy you are doing this.

This is really cool. Thank you for doing this series. I need to learn more about all of these components and what their functions are before attempting a serious build, but this is so interesting to watch!

Hey UD! I follow a similar process when building amps. Looks like this is going to be a good series, can't wait to see the rest of it! I appreciate your patience to commit the process to video.

Right off the bat , here is an EXCELLENT how to video ! It's clear, one to one user friendly and for me, without even having yet to watch it in full, just by noticing that it begins with a progressive goals list, I know I'm on a winner here. . . . Congratulations - well done !

Greatly appreciate your videos. I've learned and am continuing to learn an incredible amount of information. You're an incredible teacher, person and builder. Look forward to ALL of your videos. Thank you so much!

Hi Uncle Doug, Not sure the best place to post a thanks, but sincere thanks to you for all of the great instructional videos, and answering my beginner questions! Last night I went out to home depot and got the last item I needed (push tab connectors for the speaker wires) to get my first amp build, based on a Fender Deluxe AB763 schematic, running. It sounds great, I could not have done it without your videos. It took about a year to figure out what to build, watch your videos (some several times), learn abut building and most important HV safety, make a bill of materials, print schematics and layouts, order parts, get the mechanical stuff together (all the holes drilled and stuff moved around so that everything fit), learn how to strip ans solder again, check and re-check and test what I could and ask lots of questions. It sounds like a Fender! The tiny room in my house I use for an office is tiny so 22 watts (or thereabout) is plenty of power. Thanks!!!

Thank you, sir. I was so pleased to discover your channel recently, and I am very much looking forward to this informative series.

O Boy, O Boy, O Boy, can't wait Uncle Doug! Thanks for doing this!

The best waste of a Saturday I have ever had that I can remember. Thank you and i look forward to more

Uncle D! What an awesome project! Looking forward to see how this turns out. I have my own process for amp building, but I'm still quite new to all this, and learning how someone else would approach this I'm sure will give me a lot of insight. Thank you for posting this!

I have my popcorn and beer ready +Uncle Doug! Looking forward to this series!

love the intelligence, humour and Rusty. cool vids you do.

I was racking my brains trying to figure out where I saw chassis building drawings and then it hit me, that massive pile of old '73 magazines. Most of the projects showed how to fabricate a chassis for the project. can't wait to follow this project

Great video Doug, many thanks. Jack and Rusty are a riot.

I have constructed a 300B SE amp very few W from Kit. Fantastic

Nice idea for new video series! Can't thank you enough for your videos that helped me do some repairs/upgrades and general designing of my amps thanks to your vids. They are modern PCB high gain amps but the basics behind them and the theory transferred over nicely. Especially the power amp/preamp videos. The current limiter video helped a lot as well. Thanks especially to Rusty, who we all know is really pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Uncle Doug... You are that wise man! Really looking forward to the series. :D

Great idea. Can't wait for the rest of this series.

Wow, this is going to be a great series. And that Rusty sure has attitude!

I love your videos and have been watching them for years. Your knowledge, attention to detail and craftsmanship are attributes not often found in the production of electronics today. I wish you'd create more videos of this type. Maybe a more complicated build like a Marshall Plexi. Regardless, I will keep following the awesome videos you create. Thank you so much.

Man, Uncle Doug, I've been gearing up to build my first amplifier after building pedals for about 2 yrs and I was looking at this EXACT amp! I looked at the 1622 but wanted to start w something smaller and found the 6422. Thank you for doing this series, I'm really stoked about building this w your direction!

Uncle Doug I know nothing about electronics. When I was 13 I had a friend that was a little older that did, he was real good with radios and things. We would pick things up off the side of the road or at a garage sale and he would fix them. I really enjoy your videos and the projects that you do. I would guess that at one time you were a teacher or you learned from a very good teacher. I want to encourage you to keep making vides al long as you can, sure seems you like sharing your knowledge.thanks

I love your videos Uncle Doug! I'm learning so much. Much appreciation for all the time you take on these. :D

Really looking forward to build my own amp! Thanks Uncle Doug and Rusty! :)

Looking forward to binging through this series. Thanks for sharing :)

A very wise man speaking in mellow tones... A perfect description of Uncle Doug! This could turn into a series of epic proportions. Maybe Disney will buy the rights? Eager to see this one unfold. - though Rusty seems exceptionally obstinate.

Thanks,Uncle Doug,for your wonderful videos'!I'm sure that I am not alone in my appreciation of you taking the time to put these great and insightful videos' together for us!

I really look forward to these videos you put together ...lots of inspiration for me to work on my own projects! :)

I don't know your background, but your videos are the best technical instruction that I have seen (and I live in that realm). Best to you and Rusty! Ken

Uncle Doug! You've done it again.... Brilliant.

Can't wait to wait this series. Thanks Uncle Doug!!!

Love your channel. I will be watching this as you go for sure

This is great and with perfect timing. Been thinking about doing something like this. Thanks UD and can't wait for part two.......Carl

I'm about to graduate with my electrical engineering degree. Watching your videos has made me love what I study (as opposed to just getting through). Thank you so much.

I am very much looking forward to this series. All the best. Bobby

Thank you for all of your detailed and informative videos.

looking forward to the rest of this series!!!

Looking forward to the entire series!

Thanks for this!!! I'll be watching every one!! Probably.....many, many times each. Love the pets!

Back to the reason why I subscribed. Very exciting :) thanks for your hard work!

Looking forward to this series. Best, Don

This is going to be great, Uncle Doug!

Wooo! Can't wait for more in this series!

Uncle Doug, you mentioned one time that you were a teacher in your career. Well guess what, you still are and the thousands of us "Ampoholics" are humbly your students. Every new video is like opening the best Christmas present ever on Christmas morning. Thanks so much! Aero

Uncle Doug, you've done it again. I'd never seen Airlines, Nationals or the likes of your Supro mini-amp until you put them in front of me. The amount of time and effort invested by you certainly doesn't go unnoticed. This one is no exception, a big project based on a circuit that is usual but unusual at the same time. Hope that makes sense. The design guys at Valco must have spent a lot of time doodling at the drawing board because they have so many variations on a theme. Chasing that elusive 'tone' of course. I see the CBO has a starring role and Jack, well cats will get you every time. Looking forward to the next chapter. Thanks again.

Great series Doug. I'll be watching.

Looking forward to this series. Nice work UD and R.

You're my hero. Thanks Doug and trusty Rusty.

Very nice! Can't wait to see what's next.

Looking forward to this series!

Perfectly structured youtube video. Felt like I was watching a scientific journal.

It's always a pleasure to see your video

Uncle Doug, i have this thirst of learning about pre amps and eq and compressors circuit designs and crafting my own gears for my studio, and i am a beginner and your videos really helped me to understand how the things work from your other videos, really love your explanations which can be understood by a layman like me, by the way your "popcorn" example to explain 12ax7 and 6v6 tubes on the othervideo made me your fan(i m a popcorn lover too). i must confess i like your videos and wait for rusty to turn up and give you suggestions in the middle. with much love and inspired from your videos, from india

gonna save that series for a nice evening with some beer! thanks for those well made quality videos!

That will be an awesome series! I'm really looking forward to it! :)

I like how we can always depend on rusty :)

Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and time. Your videos are great!

Thanks for this Uncle Doug. Can't watch it now because my flight for ATL is leaving in a few minutes, but I'll be watching tonight for sure. I have an unfinished scratch build that I need a little help to push over the finish line.

Thanks again Uncle Doug for all your help. I used a lot - a whole lot of your methods to scratch build my 5f1. I am on a 5e3 right now and wast figuring on a Marshall 18w next, but I may have to rethink that now!!

Good description of a SE amp sound. It tells you everything, leaves nothing behind.

Great Project Doug, very exciting :D

I'll definitely join for part 2 and more.

If this series comes on fast I expect it will put the kibosh on my NCAA football watching season. What a great project, and it might end up sounding like the model 24, rumoured to have been used by Jimmy Page on the Led Zep album!

Dang Uncle Doug, this is awesome... Thanks a million

Doug and rusty, such a great great video..thank you..

Hooked! Thank you for making these videos! Very inspiring stuff. Greetings from Finland! //Henrik

This is superb. Thanks, Doug, for posting this excellent build! ~ S ~

Cool videos as always, thank you very much for your work. I have a few friends that work at the new Supro on Long Island, NY. They might be interested to see this

I love rusty and this video!

Great amp selection, Sir...

Your the best uncle that I am not related to I ever had!

I have the Gretsch 6150T, without the reverb tank. This series will be invaluable in restoring my amp, which has a badly dog-chewed up case. It does have good sound with no detectable hum without an instrument plugged in. I was going to let it go for $75, so glad I didn't. A thousand thanks!!

Sterling work as always Uncle Doug. Wont be long before my home built JTM45 clone is complete.

I'm looking forward to this series, and learning a few more point to point tips. Rusty looks ready for a game of tennis ball, and I guess the camera passed Jack's sniff test. :))

Very interesting approach.

thank you so much for posting this video!

O boy, new videos! Great!

Lot of work for Rusty :) I will stay tuned:)

the beginning of the video made me miss my jeep haha great video as always.

Thanks Doug this is going to be a great series. This could be my first valve amp. All the best to Rusty and Jack, he seems more interested than Rusty. Colin