Marshall 18-watt clone coming along!

**famous beagle** · 01-27-2009

Hey y'all,

I'm over halfway done with my Marshall 18-watt clone build and thought I'd post some pictures. I ordered the kit from Weber, but I left out the tubes and the cabinet. I ordered some NOS tubes (this will be my first experience with them), and I'm building the cabinet(s) myself.

This is my first amp build. It's been a great learning experience, and there have been several "I should have done this before I did that" moments. But that just means my next one will go smoother!

**famous beagle** · 01-27-2009

(Forgot to post them in the original post!)

**antichef** · 01-27-2009

that looks like it's going to be so kickass... There's a guy in my neighborhood who builds his own amps. I hope to be doing it eventually.

**famous beagle** · 01-27-2009

This has been seriously fun. Can't wait to build one for my 3-month old son!

**Seafroggys** · 01-27-2009

Hmmm, a few questions.

How easy would this be for someone with limited building experience? (I have worked with wood and soldering before, but nothing on a large scale)
How expensive were these components?

A small wattage marshall-style amp is kinda what I'm looking for for my recording studio, so I am interested in this.

**famous beagle** · 01-27-2009

Originally Posted by Seafroggys

Hmmm, a few questions.

How easy would this be for someone with limited building experience? (I have worked with wood and soldering before, but nothing on a large scale)
How expensive were these components?

A small wattage marshall-style amp is kinda what I'm looking for for my recording studio, so I am interested in this.

Hey Seafroggys,

Hmmm. That's hard to say. Before I built this, I had built a few pedals, but that was it. So I certainly have "limited building experience" as well. Before I did that, I had read up on electronics on and off for about a year or so, but I still have so much to learn (as my many questions on this board will show!). I mean, now I can identify all the components, and I can understand schematic diagrams, although I still have a lot of trouble still turning a (fairly complex) schematic into a workable layout for the components.

With this kit, you don't need to be able to do that. You'll get the schematic as well as a layout that shows where the components go. So, for ... I'd say ... 85% of it, it's kind of like a paint-by-numbers thing. You do have to know, for instance, the pin numbering scheme for tubes so that you know what it means when the layout says pin number 1, 2, 3, etc., and how to tell the values of components, so you can tell a 470 ohm resistor from a 4,700 ohm resistor (resistors are color-colored with bands that tell their value).

All of these are things you could learn very quickly just with online resources. Part of the reason I spent a year reading up on things is because I want to understand what I'm doing. I don't wanna just be able to put together a pedal by looking at the parts and soldering them where the layout says to put them. I want to know why it's using a 100 ohm resistor, why is it a 10uf capacitor? That's just me; I'm a perfectionist and need to know the "why" in things.

Anyway, I think if you have a good soldering technique, and a willingness to look up things when you don't understand them and/or ask for help on sites like this, you could do it. However, in case you haven't been told already. Working on an amp can be deadly if you don't know what you're doing. I mean ... it can't be until you've finished it and turned it on. But once it has power, even after you unplug it from the wall, you can electrocute yourself if you don't properly discharge the caps before touching the components. I don't want to scare you or anything. But it's not something to be toyed with. As long as you read up on things and be safe, there's nothing to worry about.

I've been keeping a tally of what I've spent so far:

Amp kit and speakers (2 x 10): $630
Tubes (NOS): $220
Wood: $32
Vinyl covering: $30
Miscellaneous hardware (jacks, knobs, switches, handles, rubber feet, grill cloth, metal corners, paint, etc.): $130

So that's about $1050.00 in all for an amp that costs about $2300 as a reissue:

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/p...Amp?sku=482706

Of course, if you didn't go with NOS tubes, you could probably get an entire set of JJs for around $70 or $80 or so. So then your cost would be more like $900 or so. I just decided to go all out to try and make the amp the best I could make it.

**WhiteStrat** · 01-27-2009

I just want to say that I am profoundly jealous. I'm still in the middle of my first guitar build, but an amp is definitely next! Keep posting!

**Dr ZEE** · 01-27-2009

Looks great.
Good luck with first power-up moment

Post pics when you finish it... or as it goes.

btw

Originally Posted by famous beagle

But that just means my next one will go smoother!

I'd say, if next = new/different, then expect nothing smooth there , You'll get more of different "should have done"(s)

**famous beagle** · 01-28-2009

Originally Posted by Dr ZEE

Looks great.
Good luck with first power-up moment

Post pics when you finish it... or as it goes.

btw

I'd say, if next = new/different, then expect nothing smooth there , You'll get more of different "should have done"(s)

I'm sure you're right about that!