Ceriatone Forum

A schematic  is not something that  I get.  I'm more of a mechanic. Show me a diagram and I think I can assemble and solder as shown. This being said, can I build an amp?
I have a Fender Twin that  I love. A Dumble clone is an amp I  am  dreaming of on a shoestring budget. If my skill level is enough to assemble  an amp with the right parts I think I want to attempt a build. Can a mechanic build an amp?

I'm sure you can.  But please don't start with what is probably the most complicated amp that DIYers build.  Start with a well documented kit of a simple amp like a tweed Deluxe - http://www.tubedepot.com/tweeddeluxekit.html.  The Deluxe is a great sounding amp yet is simple enough to start learning the techniques you will need to build more complicated amps.

..Joe L

The  entry level amp I would like to do is on You Tube. The guy took an Epiphone Valve Junior and on his third video he modded it again into a Fender style amp that sounds like Billy Gibbons at NAMM. The mods were ever changing and by video #3 I was not sure what parts and values he used in his final conversion. Any amp guys with a keen eye that can supply me with a bill of materials for this mod project? I have a Valve Junior if someone can give me some building directions.

Yes, you can build without reading a schematic. But if you can't read a schematic and don't understand what ever part does, don't expect to be able to troubleshoot any problems that arise.

Fender was pretty unique in making and supplying printed layouts, the vast majority of companies never did, but the Fender examples are incredible resources to understanding the concept of amp layout.

Let's have a little history/business lesson.

The people who built amps at Fender, Marshall, etc. were skilled labor. They were trained in the process, procedure and best practices to build tube amp. All the knowledge of soldering technique, lead dress, heat sinks, part placement, etc. were drilled into them in training. It was very much an extension of assembly line production. They were given a layout to show what went where; but layouts are often incomplete (they leave out things like filament wiring) because they assume a basic level of training and "common knowledge." You can build a thousand amps from layouts and not have to learn a single thing about which. part does what.

None of these people needed to know a thing about tube amp design or repair...that was a different department. It certainly helps if they can compare a layout to a schematic and not inconsistencies. Some kit companies have had changing or inaccurate layouts, and having the schematic makes it easier to compare.

The schematic on the other had is the road to the circuit, it shows every component and how they relate and interact in a simple representation. When designing amps and mods, repairing amps, determining voltages, etc. it's much easier to work from a schematic. It can take me minutes or hours to trace through an amp chassis or a layout to figure out what I can see in a second on a schematic.

If you don't see the answer to your question between the lines...yes, a mechanic type can build an amp, and they do build the amps for most commercial operations. But you need to really spend a lot of time studying and learning all the things that Fender, Marshall, Dr. Z or whomever sits people down in classes and teaches them before they let them touch a chassis. I'm on record for saying most people who try and build a kit...shouldn't. Most don't take the time to learn to do it right. They end up with unreliable or noisy amps. The reason people recommend starting on smaller amps is do you develop the basics before you tackle something that may need to have every wire placed perfectly to avoid introducing noise. Thankfully for you, the internet is infinite in amp-building knowledge and chassis gut shots to study.

No.

1.) You didn't supply a link.

2.) Pictures and videos rarely show all the parts and what connects to what. You can't eyeball it, everything need to be traced out and blueprinted. This doesn't require making a schematic...but as I noted above...it makes it easier to work everything out.