I have built a few over the past years and have collected a few. Building an amp can be fun if your into building things with your hands or have a passion for electronics. Tube amps can also be very dangerous due to the HIGH VOLTAGES generated by the amp (were talking about a couple hundred volts or more).
Equipment:
DVM (Digital Volt Meter) A good one. (Something like this would be just fine
MS8217 Auto Ranging 1000V 10A DMM Digital Multimeter, Frequency, Capacitance, & Temperature )
Soldering Station (don't use the gun type or you will surely burn up the components) (I use something like this from Weller
Weller WTCPT: Weller Temperature "Tip" Controlled Soldering Station)
Illuminated Magnifier (like one of these
Search Results: ILLUMINATED MAGNIFIER - All-Spec Industries)
Small hand tools (needle nose, various phillips screwdriver sizes and flat head (slotted) sizes
Solder - 60/40 is fine but i like the Silver stuff but is costly.
You can also build your own cradle to hold the boards/amp in place while your work on it or you can buy em for about $150 (better to make your own if your handy with wood working).
The expensive part is getting everything together if you don't have it, like the equipment above and THEN you have to order the parts. You can take the risk and order just what you need or what the schematic has listed or you can purchase a few extra just in case. I purchase in small quantities of 40 to 50 of each component and measure each component before solder touches it. The Transformers and Speakers will be the most expensive. Stuff you will have to order will be:
Hook up wire - (solid or stranded)
Chasis - depends on what your building
Transformers - Power, Output, choke (if needed), Reverb Transformer (if needed)
Tubes - (oh yeah, these can get pretty pricey) (the new production stuff is just as good but you might have to try a couple)
Tube Sockets - Power and Preamp
Knobs
Potentiometers - anywhere from 1 to 24 can be used on a tube amp
Heavy Duty Switches for On/Off and Standby
Component Board - Different kinds, Circuit, Turret, Eyelet...etc.
Input Jacks
IEC AC Input
Fuse Holder
Lamp
Resistors
Coupling Capacitors - Go by what the schematic says or by what has been used/modded for better tone.
Theres more to the list but you get the idea.
So YES, it can get a little expensive but probably not as much as hunting down a vintage. Example: It would cost me less to build
a Blackface Deluxe Reverb Kit (all the parts for a complete amp. cabinet, speaker, transformers...etc.) then it would to by a Vintage Blackface Deluxe Reverb. Here are some kits (
https://taweber.powweb.com/store/kits_60a.htm ). A REAL one will run you about $1500 minimum and go up from there (I have one. Bought it at a garage sale for $20 and almost done restoring it). A reissue one will run about $1000.
Good sites for reasonably priced AmpKits:
CeriaTone.Com - DIY Guitar Tube Amp
https://taweber.powweb.com/store/kits.htm (Ted has an Orange Amp Kit (
https://taweber.powweb.com/store/6o100_ad.htm )
Hope this helps.