looking for a low watt amp build

[pancho510]

i want to build low watt amp around 5 watts or so. i would like a good clean tone something like fender. It will be for playing blues/rock so i want it too get a little dirty too. any suggestion.
I saw a scematic for a trainwreck bluesexpress 2watt that look good but i havnt seen anyone on here who built one. I already have a hammomd 125a output transformer.

[tribi9]

Fender Champ

[10thTx]

How about the SoLow Watt?

https://tubeamparchive.com/viewtopic.ph ... w+watt+amp

With respect, 10thtx

[Blackburn]

How about an AC4? An EF86, EL84 and 6CA4. You could always just do SS rectified for even more simplicity.

[ampfab]

If you want a clean tone, build a 15w amp with a ppimv master volume. It will also be more versatile if you ever wanted to perform somewhere. Building an amp is a lot if work and a bit of money. maybe it's just me, but I get tired of 5watts real quick, it always ends up being cranked up to 11 within a couple minutes, then I only have one tone.
I hate to say it, some here may even want to have me killed for saying it, but when I want to play at personal volumes its hard to beat your iPhone with an irig and amplitude.

[Cantplay]

I'm currently building an Ampmaker Double Six.

It has switched multiple B+ taps to be able to go 1, 6, or 12W.

Inexpensive, and very well thought out. When I get closer to done I'll post a thread on it.

John

[Blackburn]

If you want a clean tone, build a 15w amp with a ppimv master volume. It will also be more versatile if you ever wanted to perform somewhere. Building an amp is a lot if work and a bit of money. maybe it's just me, but I get tired of 5watts real quick, it always ends up being cranked up to 11 within a couple minutes, then I only have one tone.
I hate to say it, some here may even want to have me killed for saying it, but when I want to play at personal volumes its hard to beat your iPhone with an irig and amplitude.

Just personal tastes. I play my little Champion 600 all the time with the volume set about half way. Drives when I hit hard and beautiful cleans soft. Just a stock Fender production amp made with shit parts in Asia. It's my favorite amp to play with the family around. It's broken in so nicely and even that awful Jensen speaker sounds great with my LP. Really love that cheap little thing. For purist tone, I really do think that amp is the absolute best buy for the price, used. Just stick a semi decent old 12AX7 in and you're ready to rumble for years.

[LeftyStrat]

How about the SoLow Watt?

https://tubeamparchive.com/viewtopic.ph ... w+watt+amp

With respect, 10thtx

I'll second this suggestion. Sweet sounding amp and surprising bass response for a low watt amp.

[tribi9]

Just personal tastes. I play my little Champion 600 all the time with the volume set about half way. Drives when I hit hard and beautiful cleans soft. Just a stock Fender production amp made with shit parts in Asia. It's my favorite amp to play with the family around. It's broken in so nicely and even that awful Jensen speaker sounds great with my LP. Really love that cheap little thing. For purist tone, I really do think that amp is the absolute best buy for the price, used. Just stick a semi decent old 12AX7 in and you're ready to rumble for years.

If you haven't done so, you should swap the grill cloth. I did it to mine and when I played the amp after the swap, It felt like it must have felt the first time, back when I was a kid when I was able to hear the difference between the quality of sound going from AM to FM.

That thing is just too thick, it dampens the sound too much.

To the OP, by Champ I meant the BF AA764 circuit.

[Blackburn]

Just personal tastes. I play my little Champion 600 all the time with the volume set about half way. Drives when I hit hard and beautiful cleans soft. Just a stock Fender production amp made with shit parts in Asia. It's my favorite amp to play with the family around. It's broken in so nicely and even that awful Jensen speaker sounds great with my LP. Really love that cheap little thing. For purist tone, I really do think that amp is the absolute best buy for the price, used. Just stick a semi decent old 12AX7 in and you're ready to rumble for years.

If you haven't done so, you should swap the grill cloth. I did it to mine and when I played the amp after the swap, It felt like it must have felt the first time, back when I was a kid when I was able to hear the difference between the quality of sound going from AM to FM.

That thing is just too thick, it dampens the sound too much.

To the OP, by Champ I meant the BF AA764 circuit.

I've heard this before, I think. I can't really say that this is or isn't an issue with mine. I play a Les Paul exclusively, so the volume is there, but not spitty or farty where I keep it. It gets that way dimed, and I can assume part of the nasty dimed sound is influenced by the suede grill. I personally dig it as is and maybe I like how attenuated the tone is because of it. Don't really know.

[pancho510]

thanks for the replies
i want to build something like the double six looks really cool
i want to add another channel i think.
I'm having problems with finding transformers i need multi taps on the output on power xformers. I found some from Edcor. Can i get some opinion on these power and output xformers
or advice on a good source to buy from here in the USA
https://www.edcorusa.com/p/747/xpwr145_120
https://www.edcorusa.com/p/523/gxse15-4-2_5k
the primary input impedance is 2.5k ohms is that the correct one to get?

[pancho510]

thanks for the replies
i want to build something like the double six looks really cool
i want to add another channel i think.
I'm having problems with finding transformers i need multi taps on the output on power xformers. I found some from Edcor. Can i get some opinion on these power and output xformers
or advice on a good source to buy from here in the USA
https://www.edcorusa.com/p/747/xpwr145_120
https://www.edcorusa.com/p/523/gxse15-4-2_5k
the primary input impedance is 2.5k ohms is that the correct one to get?

[gingertube]

For those interested in the SLOWATT.
I followed the link and noted it uses a pair of ECL84 (6DX8).

I have a small bookshelf HiFi Amp using push pull 6DX8. I recently did some tube rolling comparing quite a few brands from original (NIB) Mullards to modern production Russian.

This was one of those occassions where there is a pleasant but unexpected surprise. The modern production Russian tubes were clearly the BEST, well for HiFi that is. I expect that they will be best for Guitar as well.

That would probably tempt me into a SLOWATT if I did'nt already have a 6V6G push pull Guitar Amp which fills that need.

Cheers,
Ian

[LeftyStrat]

For those interested in the SLOWATT.
I followed the link and noted it uses a pair of ECL84 (6DX8).

I have a small bookshelf HiFi Amp using push pull 6DX8. I recently did some tube rolling comparing quite a few brands from original (NIB) Mullards to modern production Russian.

This was one of those occassions where there is a pleasant but unexpected surprise. The modern production Russian tubes were clearly the BEST, well for HiFi that is. I expect that they will be best for Guitar as well.

That would probably tempt me into a SLOWATT if I did'nt already have a 6V6G push pull Guitar Amp which fills that need.

Cheers,
Ian

Thanks, Ian. I recently purchased quite a few of the Russian tube off of eBay, but haven't gotten around to using them in an amp. I also want to try them as a reverb driver. From Jeff's clips, I'm really impressed with the bass response. That's always been an issue with the low watt amps I have built. Even 2xEL84 amps bother me in that regard.

You can get the Russian versions for a very good price off of ebay, as long as you don't mind the shipping time. I think 6FP4 is the anglicized designation.

[gingertube]

Lefty,
Here is a vintage OZ Amp which used 6DX8 as Reverb Drive/Recovery. It was obviously a higher impedance tank but for what its worth this is the trace I did and provided to Roly to put up on his OZ Amps webpages.
http://www.ozvalveamps.org/moody/moodyga40reverbcct.gif

Cheers,
Ian