Anyone here build a Weber amp kit?

[RoboPimp]

I've been drooling over these for quite a while now. I'm looking at the 100 watt marshall plexi, the high power tweed twin and a few others. Anyone here have experience with them on the kits or otherwise? I have limited experience and have just been building pedals to date but seem to be doing well and I have always been pretty good with this kind of stuff.

the kits look really nice to me but what do I know.

[scottosan]

Originally posted by RoboPimp
I've been drooling over these for quite a while now. I'm looking at the 100 watt marshall plexi, the high power tweed twin and a few others. Anyone here have experience with them on the kits or otherwise? I have limited experience and have just been building pedals to date but seem to be doing well and I have always been pretty good with this kind of stuff.

the kits look really nice to me but what do I know. Yes, the kits are a bargian, but I would be prepaired to upgrade a few parts along the way(switches and jacks & stuff). Also the layouts aren't true to spec, but rather his interperatation.

[mamberg]

I think you want to talk to Stratotone, he has a link in his sig, and has built more than a few amp kits.

[Stratotone]

Originally posted by scottosan
Yes, the kits are a bargian, but I would be prepaired to upgrade a few parts along the way(switches and jacks & stuff). Also the layouts aren't true to spec, but rather his interperatation.

Parts are better than they were in the past. Regarding the layout, it's not too bad but I deviate a bit.

You're not going to find a better deal on an amp kit that includes the headshell or cabinet though. Transformers even sound good IMHO...

Pete

[Stratotone]

Originally posted by RoboPimp
I've been drooling over these for quite a while now. I'm looking at the 100 watt marshall plexi, the high power tweed twin and a few others. Anyone here have experience with them on the kits or otherwise? I have limited experience and have just been building pedals to date but seem to be doing well and I have always been pretty good with this kind of stuff.

the kits look really nice to me but what do I know.

If you have any specific questions, email me at okstrat@cox.net and I'll answer them to the best of my ability. these kits are an amazing value IMHO, but only if you know what you're doing. It's a good way to end up with a pile o' parts too.

Pete

[RoboPimp]

I think I do have enough basic ability to not end up with a pile of parts. It might not work first try but I think I can do it.

If I get something I'll be sure to post my results here.


Originally posted by Stratotone


If you have any specific questions, email me at okstrat@cox.net and I'll answer them to the best of my ability. these kits are an amazing value IMHO, but only if you know what you're doing. It's a good way to end up with a pile o' parts too.

Pete

[MrSage]

Hey Robo, I was drooling over the Weber kits, too.

I ended up going with a kit from Marsh (www.marshamps.com) and I couldn't have been happier. It came with color instructions, which the Weber kits don't, and the parts were top quality. Spragues and Atoms all around.

The kit included everything I needed and it sounds great.

www.voxblues.com/projects/#champ

[Stratotone]

Originally posted by RoboPimp
I think I do have enough basic ability to not end up with a pile of parts. It might not work first try but I think I can do it.

If I get something I'll be sure to post my results here.




Hopefully nobody took my 'pile of parts' comment the wrong way, but it is what a lot of people can end up with since the Weber kit is parts and a link to their DIY forum. A few things that will confound a newbie on his kits:

1) grounding
2) lead dress
3) ways to cut down on noise/hiss

etc. I'd recommend for a first build, for anyone to put together a champ or an AX84 P1 kit as a start. Then build something a little more complex, gradually going up the ladder. The skills you learn on the smaller amps can be applied to the larger ones.

Pete

[nayr]

I'm actually in the beginning stages of building a 5a40 combo kit right now. Most of the parts seem pretty high quality, excluding the pilot light assembly which was made entirely of plastic. I swapped that out for a fender style light assembly.

If you go with Weber, be sure to check and double check the layout against the schematic, because with the 5a40 and 6a40, the schematic has a few issues and incorrect part values on it. Also, you'd be well served to print out the BOM and check it against the actual parts they send you, since it seems they go by the (incorrect) layout instead of the schematic when they send you parts. Ted Weber has been very helpful in quickly mailing me the right parts when I find something missing or of the wrong value.

All in all I would say the Weber kits are great if you don't mind possibly dealing with some glitches here and there. The customer service is great and there are tons of helpful, knowledgable people on the kitbuilding forum, so you shouldn't worry about being left with a useless pile of parts

[MrSage]

The AX84 people are really really helpful as well. Definitely go there for advice if you run into any problems.

[0rbitz9]

I built a Weber 5F1A Champ kit back in
Febuary. This was my first attempt at
building a tube circuit, so I did have to
bone up on some stuff such as twisting
the AC power wires to minimize hum,
and grounding schemes for the amp.
Most of the info I needed was available
on the Weber amp building forum, but
it took some time to read through all of
the threads.

The kit was a bit like a puzzel, since there
weren't any instructions. In a way this
was good, because it forces you to learn
as much as possible about the circuit,
instead of just mindlessly following a
bunch of instructions. My project was
very successful, and the amp sounds
just as good as my friend's vintage
champ that he bought used, and had
professionally restored. I'm glad that I
started out with one of the simple
amps first. I'll probably get one of the
Bassman or Plexi kits some time in
the future.

[tennisdude]

would someone mind giving me a runthru of what some of the numbers mean for the various kits, in terms of amps that they might represent of certain large name brands?

[tigger_ferret]

I built a Weber 5E3x2 as my first build.

I didn't have to many problems putting it together but I would recommend doing as much reading as possible and trying to gain as much knowledge even before you start building.

I wouldn't want to try anything to difficult to start with and there is the difficulty scale that I would tend to follow, once you have built a champ or deluxe then maybe you could try a twin or something a little harder

As far as sound and quality I think it is a great sounding amp and your not gonna get anything cheaper but I think there are some upgrades that you may want to make.

Also keep in mind they are not exact replicas so if you want an exact 100wat plexi clone then you may want to look else where and then price will probably be close to double

[tennisdude]

wow that 5e5a is extremely attractive. why don't i have any fucking money :mad:

[Vince]

Originally posted by tigger_ferret
I built a Weber 5E3x2 as my first build.

I didn't have to many problems putting it together but I would recommend doing as much reading as possible and trying to gain as much knowledge even before you start building.

I wouldn't want to try anything to difficult to start with and there is the difficulty scale that I would tend to follow, once you have built a champ or deluxe then maybe you could try a twin or something a little harder

As far as sound and quality I think it is a great sounding amp and your not gonna get anything cheaper but I think there are some upgrades that you may want to make.

Also keep in mind they are not exact replicas so if you want an exact 100wat plexi clone then you may want to look else where and then price will probably be close to double

I was looking at one of them - how does it sound. Are there any differences sound wise between it and a straight 5E3?

[Vince]

Originally posted by tennisdude
would someone mind giving me a runthru of what some of the numbers mean for the various kits, in terms of amps that they might represent of certain large name brands?

Go to http://www.ampwares.com/ffg/contents.html for a list of amps and chassis/schematic numbers.
Because Fender changed the layouts/circuits of their amps without necessarily changing the model name, they are refered to by their circuit numbers - a 5E3 for example is a tweed deluxe.

[PolyFmorf]

Originally posted by MrSage
Hey Robo, I was drooling over the Weber kits, too.

I ended up going with a kit from Marsh (www.marshamps.com) and I couldn't have been happier. It came with color instructions, which the Weber kits don't, and the parts were top quality. Spragues and Atoms all around.

The kit included everything I needed and it sounds great.

www.voxblues.com/projects/#champ I have my eye on that. I want a small 5w or < tube amp kit I can mic up.

I also have my eye on the Mission Amps (http://www.missionamps.com/index.shtml) scholar kit and build my own cab.

I also want DOCS to go with a kit.

[Richard Guy]

Regarding Docs, we supply a ~ 30 page manual and four additional loose pages of 'easy-build' guides. It is recommended that the builder go over the manual first and while building, refer to the colorful 'easy-build' guides. The manual describes what each component does so that you have a base-line for doing gain and tone mods. The info is easily converted to assist in modding any tube amp. In addition, I am poised and ready to assist via telephone or email :thu: :freak:

[PolyFmorf]

Also have my eye on the 1/2 w Gilmore Jr. :)

[Stratotone]

Originally posted by PolyFmorf
Also have my eye on the 1/2 w Gilmore Jr. :)

For a first time builder, you can't do much better imho. Great instructions, great vintage tones, and the crazy little thing comes with mercury magnetic transformers, and it's cheap... what's not to love? :)

Pete