Ok, let's start off this year by building another amplifier. After reading the schematics, this amp looked significantly different than anything else I've come across, so let's find out if different is good.
After having this amp for half a year, I've named it "Lucky Badger". This guitar amp is weird in a good way, and I can't think of anything else that sounds quite like it.
I'm a big fan of Weber stuff! Only speakers I use. their power and output transformers are affordable and sound great! If you are an amp builder, they are a great parts source. This is the first amp kit of theirs I've heard and it sounds really good! Ted's son TA Weber is doing a great job of continuing his father's work.
The "Bright" channel sounds perfect. Master vol on max and use the pre-amp vol as a "Master" to get it chrystal clear so the tone-stack gets really sensitive. A beautuful design, sounds very VOX-like. Like the 4 6V6 idea, like a lower volume "Twin" but warmer. Great job!
I'm temped to tone-tweak it a little... but since this was filmed, I made an adjustment so I could relax the bias just a bit. It was riding the MAX safe line... now it's more in the normal zone.
'Natalie', my granddaughter's name..! Cool project, nice looking amp and it sounds like you could do a lot with it. . I'd love to own one, but hey expensive toy..Great video DK..Happy New Year..Ed..uk.😃
I think I like the "puzzle" challenge of building these. The drawings make it look simple. I suppose I should just be thankful that this wasn't a troubleshooting adventure.
Although Weber's amp kits aren't cheap... when you compare them to a pre-assembled amp OR to other marketed kits, they actually are a great deal.. at least for me living a modest distance away from their HQ.
I set it at about 7.5 watts/tube. 62% ish. I went back later and changed resistance values in the bias circuit to get more negative voltage. Originally it was at the 70% tipping point, and I thought it sounded bloated.
Nice one mate! Always great fun building valve stuff, with nice clean terminals & wires to work with for a change ay? You did a neat job of the wiring too; it looks good!👍 Shame they forgot about the bias pot mounting hole though!🤪 Derrr! How could they forget that? Well done she worked first go yay! I wouldn't have used such a prominent speaker impedance knob though, if it was my design. Too easy to accidentally change, or for some knob-twiddling klutz to stuff up. - Although you said it was YOUR amp! No inference or insinuation there! Cabinet looks pretty good although plain. Maybe some kind of cursive name plate of 'Natalie', or 'Crystal' etc would add some 'interest'. It sounded good too, & as you say, the bright & normal channels sound totally different from each other. This may be a good thing, & make the amp more versatile. I heard some nice crunch there too. I would have liked to hear you make her scream too (lol) but never mind! Overall though mate - great job 10/10!
I THINK they are using a chassis that is normally used by a different amp... so the changes from amp 1 to amp 2 are sometimes not all implemented. Fortunately it was aluminum. The Stainless Steel ones are not easy to drill.
@ @zenscapeUKmedia I called it a she because the model is a 'Natalie', & this seemed to be the most logical 'gender' to give it. Geez, you're not gonna start an argument over the gender of a bloody guitar amp are you?
@nevillegoddard4966 No, no argument. I don't get why people give objects names. Its weird. Just as long as you don't buy "her" a card on "her" birthday or take pleasure from making "her" scream. That would be a bit worrying. It's just an inanimate object. A well assembled one, none the less.
@@@zenscapeUKmedia Oh, good mate! Well, as far as 'humanising' inanimate objects goes - When I put SO many hours, sweat, &/or $ into a project, whether it's to build it from scratch, to repair it, or to renovate it, & try to do the best job on it I can, an 'attachment' can emerge for that object. I know every part of it 'intimately', so to speak. Getting it going is like bringing it to life, producing a newborn child, in a way. Not literally, of course. But it 'has' some of my 'spirit' in it, in a way. That's why they say something was 'lovingly' built by hand. Well I sort of build stuff that way - to last forever, & funnily enough, most gear I've built, even 30-odd year old stuff, still works! Like my 2003 Li'l Blaster 125W subwoofer I built for my house, that's still working, is gonna be used in the back of my car now, with it's simply superb sound as good as it was when I built it. I 'love' my Li'l Blaster!
You knew Kobe would crash his heli into a mountain way back in 2007?! Let's play Mega Millions together lol Seriously though, cool kit. I'm afraid of troubleshooting high voltage...
You'd figure that putting the amp together would make it cheaper, like guitar DIY kits.....but nope. It's still 1500 USD to get a full kit w/ cabinet for a Brit 100W amp. No thanks. I'd rather have just as much "fun" sourcing the parts out, finding a used cabinet and doing this for about $500.
