Who are we? Let's get to know each other!

[mhuss]

...better late then never...

Mark Huss

50, married, no real kids, ten 'fuzz kids' (cats, dog and ferret).

Lots of builds and mods.

Day job: Ethical hacker for a large international bank.

Used to teach electronics in a previous life (including vacuum tubes ). Other former jobs include playing full time, electronics tech (microprocessor stuff), programmer (as'sy, C/C++, java, php, etc.), and SD manager.

--mark h

[benoit]

Ben A.

Fargo, ND (No, its not like the damn movie)

22

Getting married this summer.

3 Semesters away from a BA in music industry with an emphasis in audio production.

Played guitar for a long time but only seriously in the last few years. At school we get jazz crammed down our throats pretty hard, but its growing on me a little.

Guitars:
Ibanez Artcore hollowbody. Ok guitar but I hate the P-ups and will sell it when I get around to it.
Takamine Acoustic. Whatever.
Aria Pro CS400. Put in a 59 and a Jazz in it. Nothing much to look at but plays and sounds very nice for the 400 bucks I spent.
'76 LP Deluxe. Natural finish, minibuckers, all original. My baby.

Amp:
20 Watt Bassman. It sounds good but not good enough. Weird little amp, 15 inch speaker. Maybe I'll mod it sometime.

Acutal Building:
None yet. I'm working on the beginner project from DIY stompboxes and reading a lot for now but I'd like to eventually build and sell amps. I'm getting close to an amp build as long as I can scare some cash up somewhere.

[DaveH]

Dave H here. 45 yrs old, I repair and maintain large machining equipment as my day gig. I love old hot rod Harleys (pans and shovels), korina and humbuckers, and 70's -80's hard rock and metal. I've been building and doing tube amp repairs as a hobby for over 5 years, and have recently gotten drawn back into the r/c hobby as well after a 15 yr hiatus, this time I'm concentrating mostly on helicopters. I'm married and have one daughter, three amazon parrots, and live in the Greenville SC area.

I've built numerous amps, several being 'Wreck circuits....mostly Express style, with one being a variant using 6021 micro-miniature pencil type triodes in the preamp (the ones with flying leads) and a 6aq5 output.

[ApexJr.]

Guess it's my turn...

40/15 --- 55 years young

Been in electronic parts since I was 8 years old working for my
Dad in the electronic surplus business. Decided to go on my own
in 1992 and found my ninch in AUDIO.. Kind of like it and have
worked hard trying to find good deals for customers all over
the world.

Have 2 grown kids both 25 and a month apart, blended marrage
and 2nd time around.. And the best...

Happy with my life and strive to be busy...

Enjoy time with the wife and kids and glad they at least want
to be with me and think I'm cool... Enjoy going to football
games with my son and hanging out.

Steve @ Apex Jr.

[Bob-I]

Bob-I (pronounced Bobby) Robert Starr Ingram

Age... 25... but I have 30 years experience at it (so in human years I'm 55). I live in NJ but I'm seldom there.

Married 25 years, 2 "birth" children 24 and 21, one "foster" child, she'll be 3 in April (she's the one that named me Bobby )

After retiring from my last job a year and a half ago as a field engineer for a large IT company, I'm now a Product Manager for another large IT company, travel extensively around the world. Last year alone, Japan 4 times, China, Korea, Germany, Sweden, Canada and England twice as well as several cities in the US. I also traveled extensively with my last job so it's not new to me.

I built my first tube amp with my Dad in 1961, a Dynakit stereo 70. When I started playing guitar seriously I spent tons of time inside my Ampeg and Fender amps modding them. I started building amps about 7-8 years ago and just can't stop. I have 7 amps that I've built at home, and I've sold 3 in the past 2 years. My favorite design is the Dumble 90's model, but I'm in the process of building a 100 watt SLOclone.

I like hanging with other builders, so NJ folks, gimme a PM and let's hang, tell lies, and make tons of noise. Folks around the world, when I travel let's get together and I'll buy you a beer.

[Icetech]

Pat 36
Never married.. never will..
no kids...
Played guitar for 20+ years.. and still can't play 1 song.. endless noodler:)

computers for a living.. have done factory work... production welding.. prototype work..

Guitars are a 73 SG with a broken headstock that will never see light again:(

74SG... ( i wish gisbon would use the bridge they used on those years.. i had the normal bridge)

MIM strat with scalloped neck and buckers... which is now #1..

Buncha amps... nothing special though..

[RJ Guitars]

RJ - AKA Bob

50 years on this earth

Work in the rocket science business... (but it's only rocket science, it isn't brain surgery)

Live in the mountains of New Mexico with a great wife

O.K. guitar player with few good moments now and then - regular gig in a good worship band

Worry too much about my tone and don't practice enough..

I've built a handful of amps now, but really just starting to get the hang of it. I've got four chassis machined out and ready for me to start stuffing... I've got this bug bad right now.

I am greatly appreciative of this forum and everyones willingness to share their expertise.

rj

[tomrasdf]

Tom R here.

22 years

Senior in college @ Hillsdale College in MI and I call Batavia, IL home.

When I got my first tube amp my senior year in high school (crate vintage club 30), I caught a glimps of the el84s glowing through the vents atop the amp and have been stuck on it ever since. Built my first amp, a kendrick 5f1 clone kit, on my bed in my dorm. I moved my matress out to the back of my truck to turn the frame into a work bench and slept out in the january cold for the week it took me to conplete it. I only blew the breaker for my hall once. One year later after wasting sever hours of my physics professors time and reading as much as I could on the subject, I'm wraping up my second build (18 watt liverpool) and doing repairs for musicians on campus. Though I could never see myself doing this sort of thing for work, I can't imagine not building amps for years to come. It's just a facinating science/art.

As a musician, I've been playing guitar for 9 years, electric for the last 5 of those. As far as gigs go, I play in as may worship bands as I can find time for. I've been blessed enough to play with some extremely talented musicians in front of thousands of people, but nothing beats leading people in worship.

Quick thanks to those who keep this site running and contribute so much to it. It's a gold mine, a fantastic resource, and has been an amazing help.

[dartanion]

Darin Ellingson
37, married for 6 years this July
Run my own Consulting Business designing regulated computer systems for pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies.
No kids, but have a hoard of animals (which really are my kids )

Degree in Microbiology and Chemistry, also a few classes away from an MBA

Started guitar in Kindergarten on a cheapo nylon stringed POS

Started repairing my own gear over a decade ago, then started repairing friends and other musicians stuff a year or so later.

Now all I think about is amps....all day long.

Here's a sampling of things I've build, many numerous copies:

5E3
18watters (designed and sourced a LiteIIb kit with/for Sweetwood Guitars)
EF86 based 18watt lite
AB763s
Champ variants (my favorite is EL34 based in Wreck style cab)
PP 6973 based amp with an EF86 and Plexi like channel

Hobbies include, but not limited to:
MTB, Road Cycling, Rock climbing, Home Brewing, etc.

Started a band almost 5 years ago now and have finally got a solid line-up of like minded musicians. You can find us at www.soundclick.com/unclefungus

[BobW]

BobW = Bob Walters, I'm 55, married for 25 yrs. and have been playing guitar since 69 but had a dry spell in the mid 80s for about 5 years. I think it gave me a better perspective of the instrument. I still gig about 4 times a month in the North Alabama area. I was a tech for 12 years while going to school at night, and have been a EE since then. No I am not a computer wiz, most of my work is analog controls and power systems. Yes there are still a few of us left.
My first build was a Dynaco Mark III mono block (60W into 2 KT88s), still have it. I have always love Fenders and own lots of vintage fender amps and a few guitars (56 strat). In the past I worked as a music store repair tech in New Orleans, and also in Sherman, TX and now on and off in Huntsville, Al. I have always loved tweaking and repairing amps. My first clone build was a modified Bassman, and the latest (time permitting) is a SANO accordian amp. This is absolutely one of the best forums on the web, we all have a great friendship and knowledge base here.

[DaveBo32]

Hi All,
My name is Dave Boretti from Lawrence, MA. At 32 yrs old, I am currently (I say "currently", because I am being laid-off, along with 120 others come this september) employed as a Manufacturing Engineer Technician during the day and CAD drafter at night. So if anyone in the lawrence area that knows anyone thats hiring. I'm married to a lovely wife. We have a beautiful 6 month old baby girl, that takes my breath away. My hobbies are playing guitar, tinkering with anything electrical or mechanical, golf and fishing. I play mostly blues, but did play in a rock cover band for a little while. I built a 12ax7 overdrive pedal that worked for a week then died. I just recently built a D-lite amp that still needs a little tweaking. All and all, I'm just a laid back guy an new father trying to make the best of my life.

This forum has been a real help in my build. Thanks to all of you.

[Voodoo_Man]

John E. here.
19 year old living in a 59 year old body.
Retired with 4 grown kids and 6 grandkids. Currently gathering parts to start an Express build. Hoodwinked by "Mickey C" into being a moderator at his new Power Scaling site. Come by and see us. Thanks for letting me join this great community.

[Mr. dB]

I'm Dave, 50 years old, live sound tech at a music venue.

I've serviced my own guitar and hifi tube amps for years, and finally did an 18-watt Trem build a couple of years ago. I love that amp (and miss the community that spawned it...). My current project is a faithful copy of the Vox AC15, but progress is moving very slowly. Okay, I haven't touched it since December. I need to get my ass back in gear, 'cause it should be a stunning creation when I'm done.

[davewalker]

Well, now this thread's been resurrected I'd best make my first post.
I'm Dave (one of many by the looks of things!), 18 years old, a little way along the road to becoming a chartered engineer. I'm not necessarily looking to become the next big thing like most people my age, I just want to do something original with an original sound, instead of just buying someone's signature amp and going over old licks.
I've got a lot of experience with electronics and audio (most of my rig is custom), but not much in the way of all this "black magic" with tubes that isn't taught anymore. I've already found most of the answers to my questions in just a few days of lurking, so hopefully I'll be able to contribute properly soon.

[dartanion]

I'm Dave, 50 years old, live sound tech at a music venue.

I've serviced my own guitar and hifi tube amps for years, and finally did an 18-watt Trem build a couple of years ago. I love that amp (and miss the community that spawned it...). My current project is a faithful copy of the Vox AC15, but progress is moving very slowly. Okay, I haven't touched it since December. I need to get my ass back in gear, 'cause it should be a stunning creation when I'm done.

Dave,

Good to see you here. I loved the pictorial of your AC15 build. It would be a nice addition here if they decide to have a "Vintage Corner"!!! That build is spectacular!