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Author Topic: Kit or prebuilt  (Read 11384 times)
djroge1
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« on: November 26, 2008, 04:51:34 AM »
Hi all. Obviously I'm new here as I just heard about CeriaTone this week.

I want the Overtone, but I'm not sure if I should get the Kit 2 or Kit 3?

I have some limited experience reading schematics and wiring my guitar, but I've never worked on an amp.

Who here has built their amp? How hard was it? Would you recomend this for a beginner amp to build?
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nickm57
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« Reply #1 on: November 26, 2008, 05:48:12 AM »
It's not an easy build.
If you have made some pedals and serviced some amps then I'd say yes, You'll need good soldering technique.
check this link to get an insight to what is involved.
[url]http://thenormster.com/DumbleLite/BuildersGuide/D-Lite%20Assembly%20Guide.htm[url]
Nick
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mcinku
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« Reply #2 on: November 26, 2008, 11:07:04 AM »
OTS is definitely not for you. You should start with the Champ or 5E3, learn about how amps are working and then you can go for more complex build.
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djroge1
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« Reply #3 on: November 26, 2008, 07:02:23 PM »
Thanks for the advice and input.

Yeah those pics look like a lot. I would hate to buy the kit and then get overwhelmed with all the parts and I could see that as a possibility.

What makes this such a difficult or complex build? Is it the extra features added?

I looked at the schematic of the champ and it has less to wire.

There is a part of me that want's the satisfaction of knowing I built it.
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mcinku
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« Reply #4 on: November 26, 2008, 08:47:03 PM »
It's not just the complexity of the build it self, it also the troubleshooting process if something goes wrong. You will need experience to do that. So starting with something small and upgrade to big and more complex, seems like a smart way to go.
 Wink
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Jimmyd
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« Reply #5 on: November 26, 2008, 11:42:50 PM »
Buy it built by Nik's team.  Wonderful work.  Benefit is it will work properly and  you get to spend more time making music.

jim
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djroge1
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« Reply #6 on: November 27, 2008, 05:26:11 PM »
Quote from: Jimmyd on November 26, 2008, 11:42:50 PM
Buy it built by Nik's team.  Wonderful work.  Benefit is it will work properly and  you get to spend more time making music.

jim

The thing is, I think it would bring a lot of personal satisfaction building my own amp - even though it is a kit. I know it did when I pieced together my home made strat.

I'm thinking about building one of the Champs first then I may have a better understanding if I want to tackel the OTS. However, the amp I really want is the OTS and part of me thinks "why waste my time with the champ?"
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lstead
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« Reply #7 on: November 27, 2008, 07:44:35 PM »
Hi! the last time i built a tube amp from scratch was 30 years ago and i managed to get the OTS right pretty much first time.  i have modded it a bit since then and it has given me immense satisfaction to have built such a fine sounding amp.  i say if you go at it carefully, it is do-able. it is a complex build, the hardest that Ceriatone make, i think [barring its 100 cousin, of course!]  on the other side the cost of having a first class build by Nik is ludicrously cheap; so you pays your money and makes your choice?? laurie
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jezzbo
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« Reply #8 on: November 28, 2008, 07:49:11 AM »
hi,

I build 3 ceriatone amps so far.
Started with the DC30 (not the most easy amp but not as difficult as the ots)
No mistakes.

Second, a 5E3 (simpler than the dc30 en OTS), no mistakes.

thirth, the OTS 50W, 2 mistakes,
1. wrong resistor in biasing (the 9V battery of my multimeter was to low, and I didn't see the flashing icon on it's display  Embarrassed )
2. wired the switches for PAB and OD on the back upsidedown.

My advice is, buy the kit you really want and work VERY SLOW. Check every connection ad least 3 times.
Don't rush. It takes me several days (weeks) to put an amp together.

There are good movies on ampbuilding on youtube.
There is a guy on this forum (or was it ampgarage.com?) that put a series of movies about ampbuilding on youtube. By watching them I learned a lot.

Read a lot on amp forums and ask questions. (and post pix of every step.)

and most important, work safe! there is high voltage in those amps!

Have fun!  Smiley
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mcinku
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« Reply #9 on: November 28, 2008, 09:34:57 AM »
But before you start make sure you know your way around inside an amp...

Learn how to check, measure voltage (plate,cathode, heater (B+1,B+2....), how to set bias, HOW TO DRAIN CAPS!!...

If you don't know what all that means, I would still suggest not to start with a build, until you learn more about it.
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jezzbo
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« Reply #10 on: November 28, 2008, 01:05:32 PM »
Indeed, mcinku is right. Learn these things first.
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djroge1
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« Reply #11 on: November 28, 2008, 04:12:17 PM »
All great advice thus far folks. Thank you.

I'm very rusty with the volt/ohm meter so yes I'll have relearn using it. I have been reading ot to drain the electrical charges too. I've not learned how to set bias, but I have come across some articles on how to do that. I also live close to a guy that repairs amps so perhaps if I get into trouble when (if) I build I can get some hands on advice.

I've also seen some of the videos on youtube - Soundgaragetales.com and in fact I emailed the guy, Gabi and asked him what he thought about a beginner building this amp. His recommendation was to try something easier to get my feet wet - like the 18watt british series.

I've not decided what to do at this point, but I will for sure keep investigating and learning before buying.
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dannysgrandpa
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« Reply #12 on: November 28, 2008, 09:26:01 PM »
I guess that I am an exception to alot of rules. I had a good deal of experience with a soldering iron, but, not with amps. I went ahead and ordered kit 2 and took a great deal of time building the OTS as my first build. I made a couple of mistakes, but, none were really big mistakes. The amp works perfectly and sounds fantastic! There are alot of great minds on this and other forums and people here are very helpful. Nik at Ceriatone is very good at answering email questions. If you are feeling adventurous and have a bit of confidence in your ability to follow the layout and photos from the Ceriatone web site, I say go for it! I even built my own head cabinet. and I'm just a guitar player! Grin Wink Bill

* amp 19.jpg (52.69 KB, 640x480 - viewed 771 times.)
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Make a joyful noise...that is smooth, tight and punchy! I believe that God likes tube tone.
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