How to Build A Tube Amplifier

taipan1013 · « **on:** 10 Oct 2015, 04:57 pm »

On my bucket list is how to build a tube amplifier. I am retired and live in the Springfield, MO area. Over the last 3 years I have tried to find someone in the area to teach me how to build a tube amp without any success. I have also tried to form a local audio club but did not have any interest. I found a school in Chicago that had a weekend stereo tube amp class but not now it only teaches you how to build a guitar amp. IS THERE ANYONE IN THE MIDWEST WHO WOULD BE WILLING TO TEACH ME HOW TO BUILD A TUBE AMPLIFIER??????? ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. Greg Edwards.

TrungT · « **Reply #1 on:** 10 Oct 2015, 05:39 pm »

You can start out with kits.

Welcome to AC

taipan1013 · « **Reply #2 on:** 10 Oct 2015, 06:02 pm »

TrungT thanks for responding to my message. I thought about OddWatt kit. Any recommendations
You have for a kit? Thanks again for your help.

Guy 13 · « **Reply #3 on:** 10 Oct 2015, 06:34 pm »

Quote from: taipan1013 on 10 Oct 2015, 06:02 pm

TrungT thanks for responding to my message. I thought about OddWatt kit. Any recommendations
You have for a kit? Thanks again for your help.

Hi taipan1013 and welcome to AudioCircle,
TrungT is wright, kits are a go way to learn about tune amplifiers.
Internet is full of kits.

Guy 13

JerryM · « **Reply #4 on:** 10 Oct 2015, 06:40 pm »

What's your budget for a kit? Do you already have a solder station and multimeter?

taipan1013 · « **Reply #5 on:** 10 Oct 2015, 07:12 pm »

Jerry thanks for responding to my message. I have a soldiering station and meter (limited experience with meter). Before moving to MO I had a friend in NJ who would help me pick out a board and I would source and soldier the components on the board. He would then put the other components (power supply, transformer, etc) and test them. I can solider but need the knowledge of what the other parts of the amp do and how to hookup them up and test them. As for the kit I am more concerned about getting a good quality kit with good instruction that would help me build my own am in the future. I was consider the OddWatt mono block (I think it was around $600-$700) but thought that I might want to start with a less complicated amp (what do you think?). Appreciate your help. Greg

JerryM · « **Reply #6 on:** 10 Oct 2015, 07:18 pm »

Something like this might be a good choice: http://www.s5electronics.com/l8stereo.html.

ACHiPo · « **Reply #7 on:** 10 Oct 2015, 07:44 pm »

I built AtmaSphere M60s many years ago and still love them. It was a great experience. Not sure if Ralph still sells kits?

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #8 on:** 10 Oct 2015, 08:07 pm »

Quote from: taipan1013 on 10 Oct 2015, 04:57 pm

On my bucket list is how to build a tube amplifier. I am retired and live in the Springfield, MO area. Over the last 3 years I have tried to find someone in the area to teach me how to build a tube amp without any success. I have also tried to form a local audio club but did not have any interest. I found a school in Chicago that had a weekend stereo tube amp class but not now it only teaches you how to build a guitar amp. IS THERE ANYONE IN THE MIDWEST WHO WOULD BE WILLING TO TEACH ME HOW TO BUILD A TUBE AMPLIFIER??????? ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. Greg Edwards.

Hi Greg,
Do you are a electrician tech?
If you are not a experiancied tech hired a good one to built for you.
I can inform you what is the good sound options as hard wiring.

Tube amps even small deal w/hi DC voltages
which can KILL you in afew seconds.

So there is few members that are prone to teach how to built a kit.
There is various safety precautions one MUST take on testing a tube amp.

Around 500VDC and up corona effect can KILL you by discharge even if you dont touch the amp.
Take care.

Flyin_V · « **Reply #9 on:** 10 Oct 2015, 08:10 pm »

In the past 18 months, I've built a Nelson Pass ACA amp kit, a Transcendent Sound Mini Beast kit and two Bottlehead Stereomour amp kits. Of these, the Bottlehead was the easiest and BY FAR had the best, clearest, most detailed instructions. Every step is documented on a DVD with large, full color pictures and text explaining what to do and also what to watch out for. I damaged a couple of parts in the assembly process. When I called in the morning, the part was sent out that afternoon. The cost for this excellent customer service? No charge! This amp uses the 2a3 tube for 3W and with all stock components, it sounds real good. With a couple simple upgrades, it sounds very, very good. Everyone seems to say their products sound better for their price point than you would think. They have a forum with a lot of participation by the company principals and questions are usually answered within hours. They make other, less expensive kits also. I don't think you can go wrong with a Bottlehead project.

They also have some 'how to' instruction videos on their website.

Happy soldering!

Lary

Guy 13 · « **Reply #10 on:** 10 Oct 2015, 08:19 pm »

Hi Greg,
I have a Bottlehead Crack headphone amplifier
and many DIY guys on different forum (Mainly on Bottlehead forum)
say that it's easy to put together and support is second to none.
Circle is point to point and simple.
There are many up-grades and tube rolling is almost unlimited.
All their units are very affordable.
Mine was built by a AudioCircle member,
because my eye sight is not too good and he did a better job than me with the wood and top plate.
I will try to download a picture, I hope I will succeed.

Guy 13
Audio 13 is only a company name I would like to start when I am retired.

taipan1013 · « **Reply #11 on:** 10 Oct 2015, 08:28 pm »

Thanks to everyone's response to my note. I really appreciate the suggested kits. I will research the kits. ACHIPo it appears they still make the m-60 but it looks like a kit I would want to do when I have more experience. Fullrangeman you hit the nail on the head for me. I really am concerned regarding working on building tube amps on my own. i have the same concerns you mentioned and that is why I was hoping to find someone with experience to teach me. I have looked for local schools and schools for away but I have not found one that really goes into teaching you how to build tube amps. Thanks again for everyones comments. I really appreciate your input.

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #12 on:** 10 Oct 2015, 08:46 pm »

Take a look at these safety instructions:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/tubes-valves/30172-safety-practices-general-ultra-high-voltage.html
The teacher may be legally liable if you die.
I already was paralyzed by a charge of a condenser,
if I was alone in the room I would have died.

taipan1013 · « **Reply #13 on:** 10 Oct 2015, 08:52 pm »

FullRangeMan thanks for the information. Greatly appreciated.

maplegrovemusic · « **Reply #14 on:** 10 Oct 2015, 09:16 pm »

If you are willing to travel .. The audio society in MN used to have classes on amp building . They may still .

taipan1013 · « **Reply #15 on:** 10 Oct 2015, 09:19 pm »

maplegrovemusic thanks for input regarding MN. Will check it out.

JerryM · « **Reply #16 on:** 10 Oct 2015, 10:05 pm »

Quote from: FullRangeMan on 10 Oct 2015, 08:46 pm

...I already was paralyzed by a charge of a condenser,
if I was alone in the room I would have died.

Please tell me you were building a crossover...

taipan1013 · « **Reply #17 on:** 10 Oct 2015, 10:41 pm »

Afraid to tell you my friend was helping build an amp and preamp. I have rebuild cross over on my old Gale speakers. I also build crossover for Continuum speaker kit.

Brad · « **Reply #18 on:** 11 Oct 2015, 07:13 pm »

I'll second the Bottlehead recommendation, for both clarity and completeness of the instructions.
I've met the Oddwatt guys at LoneStar Audio Fest, and while I haven't built any of their kits, the sound quality was good, and they were a great bunch of folks.
Building a Bottlehead kit may limit your choice of speakers, but there are a lot of higher-sensitivity speakers out there these days.

Good luck - let us know what you end up with and how it goes.
Be careful with the potentially lethal voltages involved.

My upcoming build is a TubeLab Simple SE (more of choose some options and gather your own parts project, not a complete kit)

taipan1013 · « **Reply #19 on:** 11 Oct 2015, 07:21 pm »

Brad thanks for the input. Last year i went to the LoneStar Audio and heard the OddWatt. Seems they have a good reputation. They have kit for around $600 I thought i might interested in purchasing. The bottlehead kits seems more expensive and as you say your are limited regarding the speakers you put with their amp. If it were you would you go with the OddWatt or BottleHead kit?

Did you go to the LoneStar Audio this year. Last year I went and was very disappointed. The year before I went and they had many more vendors and audiophiles.

Good luck with your project and thanks for the help.

Grreg