I've been getting back into guitar lately and think I'll want to put together an amp relatively soon to replace the cheap starter I'm using. Anyone have any ideas on a good one to put together?

budget?

Hrmm. I'd like to keep it cheaper for a first guitar amp...say less than $300 (though I can be persuaded to up it).

must be new or are you open to used?

I'm wanting to actually build one, like possibly something off of ax84.com or likewise. I might consider buying a complete amp, though, in which case I'm open to used.

Gibson Gibsonette

more gibsonette info

by the way, it doesn't have to say gibsonette just be something within or around the same family that's including the GA-5 to GA-9

i believe the schematics are available online.

Cool, thanks for the suggestion

-edit- forgot to mention, my guitar is a PRS SE Custom, for tonal purposes.

i also have a paul reed smith.

checkout "geek" on diyaudio, and his website/webstore and the forum he runs...

I don't know much about guitar amps, but I have some interesting 6v6 tubes if you end up buying/building a 6v6 amp.

I don't know much about guitar amps, but I have some interesting 6v6 tubes if you end up buying/building a 6v6 amp.

Hmmm, we might have to talk. I'm working on a 6v6 based amp project now...

Hmmm, we might have to talk. I'm working on a 6v6 based amp project now...

How many 6v6 tubes does your amp use?

My amp (Sound Quest SQ-84) uses 4 6v6 tubes, so I bought some quads. One of the quads I bought looks like barely used rebranded+rebased gray glass RCA tubes. I'm not actually 100% sure about this, but the plate structure looks to be the same as the RCA tubes I have, and they sound like my RCA tubes.

The problem is that only 2 of the 4 tubes have identical construction. The construction of these 2 tubes look like my regular RCA 6v6gt tubes.

The other 2 tubes look like my military RCA tubes (VT107A), but these 2 also have slightly different construction from one another. One of these also makes a little "clink" sound if you flip the tube upside down or shake it a little. I couldn't find any shorts or loose parts, and the quad works and sounds fine in my amp, but I'm still kind of worried about the tube possibly shorting out later on.

So basically, I can sell this quad for cheap, but it's probably more useful for an amp that uses 1 or 2 tubes at a time without tube matching issues.

I use to have that amp...it's nice.

I'm looking more into the Gibson amps 909 mentioned, and it sounds like a good bet and not hard to put together. I do worry about it working ok for metal, though...maybe with a nice distortion pedal (Boss MT-2 maybe). I guess I could just use it as a practice amp (not like I'm gigging right now anyway) and add a headphone output to it as well.

How many 6v6 tubes does your amp use?

Just 2. PM me if you'd like to discuss this more.

Just go for a micropower amp. I'm tempted to have a 1 watt tube amp built. That way yuo get nice tube crunch without making the windows shatter.

The 6v6 is a pretty craptastic tube... like, 12au7 bad. I have had several pieces of gear that used them, and the best by 10000% is the Pope 6v6gt ... I don't get why people like the RCAs. If you want the RCAs, for some unknown reason, rumage through old console sets and organs.... they're pretty common there.

I use to have that amp...it's nice.

I'm looking more into the Gibson amps 909 mentioned, and it sounds like a good bet and not hard to put together. I do worry about it working ok for metal, though...maybe with a nice distortion pedal (Boss MT-2 maybe). I guess I could just use it as a practice amp (not like I'm gigging right now anyway) and add a headphone output to it as well.

if you do decide to build one, you might want to find/try the jensen blue speaker as i believe they were the real original deal back in the day.

A Marshall clone?

Perhaps. I've heard good things about Marshall's for metal. Thanks Dusty Chalk.

I've also heard good things about Ampegs and MesaBoogies (drool). I'll have to see if I can find any schems for either out there.

-edit- also, I'd prefer to just build a head to use with a cab instead of making a combo amp. Any suggestions on a decent but cheap(ish) 1x12 or 2x12 cab?

I'm pretty new so I cannot give you any good suggestions; however, I heard my friend's Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier head with a Fender cab which sounded great together.

Are you getting a combo amp? I started guitar recently and I use a Marshall 100W combo amp that I got for cheap, but I have no idea if it's good or not.

I like the boogie mk2 a lot

I've had a number of amps from Peavy to Fender and back, tube and SS. I really believe it's all about the sound, meaning I suggest you go test some out.

The last one I sold was a Peavey Chorus (dual 6" or 8" w/reverb) that was great for traveling and small gathering (family, friends, etc). Lord knows my husband is glad the Fender Quad 10" Super Reverb is gone! He hated carrying that thing at as it weight a ton!

Since I don't get out much anymore I just plug into my computer and it works. But there are so many amps now with great options and sizes for every budget that it's really worth the look.

I tend to like a Marshall sound but not their amps and many new amps have sound simulation that is really sweet. I love Trace Elliot and Dean Markley for acoustic but Crate is making some nice ones now. Recently I've seen some small but sweet amps on eBay that sound pretty darn good and have quite a few features for their size. Good luck!

a vox ac10 clone would be the move, I am not a fan of 6v6 guitar amps and think the early vox sound is to die for plus it is low volume so you can crank it to get that tube scream sound for low powred guitar I like the el84

Thanks for the further suggestions guys. I'm still doing research on this and making small plans. It's probably still a month off due to the wonders of wedding costs and other stuff unless I decide to sell some stuff.

personally I believe that the 6V6 is one of the special audio tubes. I think that I like it better as a pentode as opposed to wired as a triode, the pentode has fun bass. I also like the EL34 and the 6BM8 (which in Japan is like out 300B in status). The 6V6 is sweet and hass good bass and sounds good when you push it. Nice tube lots around. The Electro Harmonic will let you runn at higher voltages but then if some one sticks in a regular 6V6 you will be poppin bottles. 6BQ5 is also on the special tube list, lots of fine guitar amps built around that one (audio too).