bottledtone
Over the years, I have gone round and round with ideas of what amp I actually want for myself, but still have no clue. Kinda funny since I'm building for others and help find what they are looking for....
I've gone through ideas of multi stage/channel amps to a basic 2 knob idea.
I just hope one day I will settle on a design ?
Help me out! What list should I be ticking off?
Blessings
Chocklit_Thunda
Here's my 2c
You are Benj Craig. Your amps and effects are highly regarded by many and you seem to have a vast array of knowledge.... I think that this could be the problem in that you've built so many kick*ss amps and effects for everyone else so you're stuck with too much possibility of what you can build....
So my opinion is that if you can build it, why not.
I rate you build a super dooperall inclusive amp! Maybe multiple amp circuits (like you can switch between a good clean vox/fender sound and then a loud overdriven Marshall sound or something to your specs) and also able to switch from an 18W to 5W and maybe even 1 or 1/2W circuits for different situations.
Think of those boss amp modulation pedals but instead it's a full tube amp that can switch between 2 or 3 classic sounding amps.
Also if you're feeling lucky (punk) you could throw in some built in effects like the Ibanez TSA15 has a tubescreamer built in... Maybe workable by foot switch....
But that's me... I have an efficiency/versatility fetish.... The more it can do in limited space the better... And I also like it when my amps do that too ?
AlanRatcliffe
...whatever he wants to. ?
...but first he must figure out what he wants - and no-one else can tell him that.
StefStoep
15w/5w - single channel - volume, Tone, gain..........maybe reverb........and build yourself all the pedals you need!
Attila
?...... just too many options, something simple I suspect
shaunf
Why limit yourself? I say one of each of your favorite sounding amps.
Chabenda
Bottledtone - you are a national treasure! An artist and a technical genius all in one! I am a little surprised that you haven't been approached by a comfortably off marketing whizz (preferably a member of the forum) with regards to setting up something on a more commercial scale! (as long as you don't move to China!). ?
Gearhead
Build a Compactron guitar head with only off-the-shelf components, fitting into a Hammond 1590 (or similar size) enclosure! Two toroidals for power, Hammond 109 or similar for output! 8)
You may take it to the next level by adding a lightning connector to form the effects loop through iPhone/iPad ?
Big-G
I think you should build an amp out of perspex, so everyone can see the innards at work, and install blue LED lighting to make it glow on stage! ?
Then when you are bored of it, you can send it to me! ? hehe!
G!
Keira-WitherKay
interesting question
my take on this ....based on my experience and knowing a few builders of amps and guitars ..... is the amp or guitar that you need /want ussually ties in with "where you are musically" yourself....
i know for me .... about 3 yrs back i wanted to get into experimental jazz seriously ...ala new york tele maestro Jim Campilongo.....
so i traded in my strat for a tele and my PA based sound system (i was routing my guitar through a processor then thru the PA ) for a Fender princeton design tube amp.... that had single channel and a nice clean breakup .....
if benj remembers we even discussed a build before i found a vintage amp ....
BUT that idea shifted back to traditional jazz a year later...and the tele and princeton was now sold on to finance a 335 type guitar and a clean solid state amp ....
so now i have a yamaha AS50 and a ZT acoustic lunchbox and 2x 40W battery amps for outdoors gigs which are just clean and i'm in tone heavan for my current needs ........
but musically we all progress and grow so i may want a reviera 4x 12 stack and a JEM in 5 years time ( mmmmm i very much doubt it ... but who knows... 20 yrs ago i playing top 40 covers in clubs ... 10 yrs ago i thought i'd swear off all things electric and go pure acoustic world music and 5 yrs later to present i found myself playing instrumental jazz standards for a living.... is this the end or whats next ????????)
so what i'm saying is if the builder is also a gigging player .... then that will influence what he builds for himself .......
so yes it depends on current needs .... and as i mentioned above they always shifting (unless one is stagnating musically )
Tokai-SA
How about this cool little amp, it's a Plexi built into a jerry can...and you can change the poweramp tube if you want. ?
JP Le Roux built it for himself...it sounds killer.
Lousy photos, took them quickly in the studio with my phone.
Attila
I remember his "Jerry Amp"
Hi spec at the time was:
"- Single- ended 1-20w output
- 2x ecc** preamp valves, 1x 6k6gc(1watt) - kt88 output valve(20w)
- 2 footswitchable channels - 1) marshall plexi fat, warm clean, 2) Marshall JCM800 overdrive, with master volume.
- shared eq
- serial effects loop"
Fingerpicker
I think the saying is "if you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there".
I think that your client's wish is generally the destination, and generally the wish is limited by what the destination is going
to cost him.
If you are your own client, and can build whatever you want, then you are in a mind spinning situation.
I think we would all like to be in your shoes as far as technical ability goes.
Maybe build the smallest amp you can with a view to fitting it in a Harley/4X4/caravan/trailer for those dudes with practice/travelling guitars
so they can practice on the road or on holiday.
I don't know either.
Nice situation to be in, though. Good luck.
Bob-Dubery
Try something different. Try a good amp for acoustic guitars. There are imported options available here, but the really good ones (AER) are very expensive.
Do some googling, figure out a good feature set and off you go....
Or how about as nice valve (thus warm sounding) DI/Pre-amp along the lines of the
Ridge Farm gas cooker?
domhatch
i think alan's right. and fingerpicker. you're in a pickle coz you're your own client, and you dunno so much what you want - you have no 'brief' as it were. worse than that, you can't even help your client decide what direction to head in based on the brief, for reasons stated above.
my job is all about making the client happy, even when their brief may be a little off base. i do find it helpful, from time to time, to get a lop-sided view of the 'brief'. so make like bob says, give yourself a little time off. do something completely different - but without wasting time. give the old acoustic side of things a bash. i think it's a fab idea. and potentially lucrative too. (well, at least somewhat productive and you probably won't lose too much...)
point being, if you do attempt it, you'll take your brain off the issue at hand, the grey matter will do its own thing, and probably arrive at this solution all by its lonesome.
worth it? dunno mate, that's up to you
dh|
bottledtone
All valid points and good ideas. I guess I'm giving myself too much choice.
Must just limit the list and see what will benefit my playing, and my pedalbuilding. (Must be a good pedal testing platform)
Oh and maybe what I won't fear my kids to destroy....
I just seem to go through the same loop of ideas I always go through. Like clockwork. I dream of AC30 tones, and it rolls on through a whole list, and back to ac30 again.
Out the box is the way to go. Reset my brain..
Thanks guys for your replies.
Chabenda
I think that Bob's acoustic amp idea is a damn fine one! That would widen your market and give your brain some serious stimulation.
Mr-M
bottledtone wrote:
Must just limit the list and see what will benefit my playing, and my pedalbuilding. (Must be a good pedal testing platform)
That's probably the most important consideration for you IMO. Typically most users would be playing their pedals through either amps with clean voicings similar to a Fender Blackface or a VOX AC. I would think building something that can do both or two amps covering those two tones would best suit your pedal testing needs.
Norman86
Hows that other idea we were speaking of the other day coming along?
any designs yet?
