Anyone ever built a GDS 18w Marshall-style amp?

[hammertime]

I was just on the Sonar website, and a guy posted a Red-house intro that he played on a GDS 18 watt amp that he built,http://forum.cakewalk.com/tm.asp?m=622864, and it sounded pretty fucking cool. I'll see if I can get the link. I've never heard of these guys, but this type of amp is definitely what I'm looking for. http://www.gdsamps.com/18wattbuyparts.html

[soundguy]

easy enough to build tube amp.

the messageboard at 18watt.com really makes it beyond simple with the support you'll get. If you build the trem version, the layout for the trem circuit is pretty critical but its still a fun amp to build.

dave

[stillafool]

Thanks. When I get some more bread, I think I'm going to get some of these DIY kits, maybe that amp, and possibly some of these Hamptones, and some other shit. I'd like to get good enough at tech stuff that I can service my own gear. My last Marshall sounded killer, but I got rid of it, after 10 years of being screwed by every amp-service guy in the Bay Area.

easy enough to build tube amp.

the messageboard at 18watt.com really makes it beyond simple with the support you'll get. If you build the trem version, the layout for the trem circuit is pretty critical but its still a fun amp to build.

dave

[Miko of Kensington]

Graydon is a nice guy. The 18-watt market owes a lot to him. He's like the Gyraf of guitar amps. They are great sounding amps. But there are some more affordable alternatives. See these guys.

www.ceriatone.com

Complete amps for kit prices.

[hammertime]

I checked out that ceriatone site, and it was cheaper, but shipping is so expensive, and I they only had a sound clip of that high-gain super amp (can't remember the name). I wonder if they cut corners on any parts (e.g., the transformer), in order to cut costs, or they're just cheaper because they're in Southeast Asia.

Graydon is a nice guy. The 18-watt market owes a lot to him. He's like the Gyraf of guitar amps. They are great sounding amps. But there are some more affordable alternatives. See these guys.

www.ceriatone.com

Complete amps for kit prices.

[Party Chief]

I thought those ceriatone kits were just the PCB board. They seem incredibly cheap for a complete amp kit

I am going to try a kit from Mission-it will be my first diy amp.

the 5E3, check it out:

http://www.missionamps.com/

this weber site has some marshall stuff:

https://weberspeakerscom.secure.powweb. ... tord_r.htm

I am fond of the idea of building an amp for less than a 1/4 of what it would cost on the street. I know it is a little more complicated than walking into that boutique amp store, but that is most of the fun.

[inverseroom]

I built a Mission 5E3...Bruce, the dude there, is a really nice and patient guy and the amp sounded great.

[mikelevitt]

I've built the mission 5e3, and it is fantastic. Top notch parts, beautiful cabinet, and great support from bruce.. I built mine with carbon comp resistors, MM output tranny, and a Weber alnico and it sounds perfect.

I'm also working on a Weber 18 watt TMB, but unfortunately I'm stalled as he waits for power transformers and can-caps to come in...

With the Weber kits you get no docs or instructions, just the parts and a layout and schematics you can download. Plus the circuit is not an exact marshall repro - there are a few changes. Plus the Weber transformers are not exact repros of the Marshall stuff either - Weber tends to make the kits work with stuff he can order in bulk, as he's trying to make it work at a price point. And you use his copper cap rectifier, as there's only 1 6.3v tap for the heaters (though I have heard there may be enough juice to heat the rectifier off the supply for the other tubes, and I wired mine that way - hoping!!!)

But if you can deal with that, I think it's a cool deal. Cabinet and faceplates are very nicely done. Cool aluminum chassis. And for $400 - how can you go wrong? Wish I could tell you about the tone, but I'm waiting, waiting....

Graydon's (GDS) on the other hand are the closest thing you can get to the real thing. He's been obsessive at stuff like sourcing trannys that are exactly like the originals. His kits come with full instructions. They cost about $1000 or so, which is a lot, but not bad considering Marshall's repros of this amp are about $2000 or so...

Mike

[nacho459]

Kits are really expensive, and you can find these 18w Hammond amps on ebay for like $50 I think they have a 12BH7, two 12AX7's a 5AR4 and two EL84's They should be simple enough to mod one of these into a Marshall. I turned one to a rack mounted power amp for my studio.

I've come to the point now where I won't pay more then $400 to build of buy a guitar amp. I mean you can buy a Mig 100 for $350 and mod the hell out of that. Last month I built a little 5w 2 ch recording amp that has a Fender channel and a Vox/Marshall channel and are only cost me a few hundred bucks for parts.

Unless you are gonna buy an SLO or use high end parts like Mercury Magnetic transformers. Guitar amps are cheep and easy to build.