First post here, but I've been reading up a bit already.
It's time I got a decent amp, and I got ruined about a year ago by playing a Trainwreck at the Dallas guitar show. I don't think I can deal with having anything else at this point.
My budget is super tight on this, so a clone or DIY is really the only option. And to be honest, DIY is really the only option.
I'm thinking of building a Rocket clone at this point.
My boss is big into tube electronics, and has been building and repairing this stuff for probably 40+ years at this point. He's volunteered to help me build a TW clone. In fact he said: "You do to the mechanical, I'll do all the soldering". From what I've seen him do with hifi's, I'm confident in his ability to debug and tune just about any audio circuit (we also work at an electronics factory, so test/build equip. is a non issue).
He seems to want to do this as a scratch build, but I'm thinking it may be a lot easier to just buy a kit and get all of the small parts/chassis in one go. Is there money to be saved in going the scratch vs. kit route? What are the quality trade offs?
Any rough ideas on what a scratch build would cost (sans tubes)?I did see the BOM spreadsheet over in the files section, but $580 seems pretty high for what I'm seeing in the list. We do have a ton of this stuff sitting around here (all the screws/sockets/etc...), esp considering the original heads sold for $650 (how did he make any money at all??). Any likely changes in costs since the BOM was put together 2 years ago?
No idea what to do for a speaker cab, but I do know that total volume level is going to be an issue with my sound guy. The cab will likely be in a closet to the side of the stage, and I may need to run an attenuator to get the level down far enough. Any cab suggestions in this environment?
Kit Questions
Moderators: pompeiisneaks, Colossal
Re: Kit Questions
J,
Welcome to TAG.
The Rocket is a great choice and a whole lot easier to get built right the first time compared to the Liverpool or Express.
I have built Rockets for about $600-800 and ones with more features as high as $1200 in parts alone.
If I were you I would at least contact either the owner of this forum Allynmey or rjguitar for at the minimum a chassis and transformer package.
Going with a complete kit for your first built would really save a whole lot of headaches.
Mark
Welcome to TAG.
The Rocket is a great choice and a whole lot easier to get built right the first time compared to the Liverpool or Express.
I have built Rockets for about $600-800 and ones with more features as high as $1200 in parts alone.
If I were you I would at least contact either the owner of this forum Allynmey or rjguitar for at the minimum a chassis and transformer package.
Going with a complete kit for your first built would really save a whole lot of headaches.
Mark
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analogjunkie
- Posts: 50
- Joined: Thu May 27, 2010 10:30 pm
Re: Kit Questions
welcome
i would get a kit and save yourself some trouble. rjguitars.com is a good one to look at he has everything you would need for a tw build.
you should get good parts, saving $20-30 on components will fall short of a 'decent amp' and in the long run could stand to give you more problems then its worth.
i would suggest doing a bit more research, and buying simply a kit. i built a wreck recently, and it was my 8th amp build. i spent a good amount of time sourcing the right parts at the best price, and still spent nearly $700 when all was said and done after the shipping for the stuff and all.
im a newbie around here, so some of the elders might have some better wisdom for you, but if it is your first build I would bet it will be more trouble then its worth to try and build from scratch. also $650 in 1983 was a lot of money, and considering after 10 of 12 of them were sold, KF double the price, it was still an expensive amp for your average player. you could buy a brand new truck for $4500 cash in 1983. my old home 4 bed 2 bath cost $28,000 in 1981. be smart, save your money up and buy the right things for the job the first time. best of luck
i would get a kit and save yourself some trouble. rjguitars.com is a good one to look at he has everything you would need for a tw build.
you should get good parts, saving $20-30 on components will fall short of a 'decent amp' and in the long run could stand to give you more problems then its worth.
i would suggest doing a bit more research, and buying simply a kit. i built a wreck recently, and it was my 8th amp build. i spent a good amount of time sourcing the right parts at the best price, and still spent nearly $700 when all was said and done after the shipping for the stuff and all.
im a newbie around here, so some of the elders might have some better wisdom for you, but if it is your first build I would bet it will be more trouble then its worth to try and build from scratch. also $650 in 1983 was a lot of money, and considering after 10 of 12 of them were sold, KF double the price, it was still an expensive amp for your average player. you could buy a brand new truck for $4500 cash in 1983. my old home 4 bed 2 bath cost $28,000 in 1981. be smart, save your money up and buy the right things for the job the first time. best of luck
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Gibsonman63
- Posts: 1033
- Joined: Wed May 27, 2009 1:59 pm
- Location: Texas
Re: Kit Questions
Shipping charges aren't listed on the BOM. Going with a single vendor will reduce shipping costs.
rj has been good to deal with. You can request a price list, delete the items you have on hand from the quote and buy the rest.
BTW, there's a nice Rocket for sale on this site if you can scrape together the cash. For the asking price, you would be hard pressed to buy the amp parts, tubes and cabinet, much less the labor.
rj has been good to deal with. You can request a price list, delete the items you have on hand from the quote and buy the rest.
BTW, there's a nice Rocket for sale on this site if you can scrape together the cash. For the asking price, you would be hard pressed to buy the amp parts, tubes and cabinet, much less the labor.
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jtaylor996
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2011 5:30 pm
Re: Kit Questions
I'm 30. You're making me sick here! Yea economy! :barf:analogjunkie wrote:welcome
also $650 in 1983 was a lot of money, and considering after 10 of 12 of them were sold, KF double the price, it was still an expensive amp for your average player. you could buy a brand new truck for $4500 cash in 1983. my old home 4 bed 2 bath cost $28,000 in 1981. be smart, save your money up and buy the right things for the job the first time. best of luck
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RJ Guitars
- Posts: 2662
- Joined: Tue Nov 14, 2006 3:49 am
- Location: Los Alamos, New Mexico
- Contact:
Re: Kit Questions
The parts package for a Rocket can easily be $800-$1200 if you want authentic parts, so these builds are not for the faint of budget. Some of the parts are getting hard to find so I doubt you'll see any big discounts on them. You can substitute parts but you might not get the same result... even though you might get a great amp.
Somebody mentioned a pre-built clone for sale and I think those are where the savings are at. Some of these guys have the amp building disease so bad that they can't stand to not have an amp project going all the time. Before you know it they have built themselves a dozen or more amps and they will sell an amp for the cost of parts just to get cash enough to build another one.
By the way I am not like that, I can quit anytime I want to...
rj
Somebody mentioned a pre-built clone for sale and I think those are where the savings are at. Some of these guys have the amp building disease so bad that they can't stand to not have an amp project going all the time. Before you know it they have built themselves a dozen or more amps and they will sell an amp for the cost of parts just to get cash enough to build another one.
By the way I am not like that, I can quit anytime I want to...
rj
Good, Fast, or Cheap -- Pick two...
http://www.rjguitars.net
http://www.rjaudioresearch.com/
http://diyguitaramps.prophpbb.com/
http://www.rjguitars.net
http://www.rjaudioresearch.com/
http://diyguitaramps.prophpbb.com/
Re: Kit Questions
Sure you can. Only twelve steps to go...RJ Guitars wrote:By the way I am not like that, I can quit anytime I want to...
Re: Kit Questions
Rawnster has one for sale in the forum for 800.00 bucks right now.
http://ampgarage.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=2
http://ampgarage.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=2
"It Happens"
Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump
Re: Kit Questions
Don't even get me started rjBy the way I am not like that, I can quit anytime I want to...
Mark
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jtaylor996
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2011 5:30 pm
Re: Grab it
Trust me, I want it. I just need to get the CFO on board. Been a bad month of bills, so right this second may just not work out for me.angelodp wrote:You better grab that Rocket Rawnster built quick. Tone machine for sure.
Price is a gift.
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jtaylor996
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2011 5:30 pm
Re: Kit Questions
This is the TW I fell in love with:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MO_vTzIExQ
Can anyone confirm which model it is?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MO_vTzIExQ
Can anyone confirm which model it is?
Re: Kit Questions
It looks like is a Liverpool set with very low volume to take pedals.
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Lonely Raven
- Posts: 878
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Re: Kit Questions
What's with that weird guitar cable he's got?jtaylor996 wrote:This is the TW I fell in love with:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MO_vTzIExQ
Can anyone confirm which model it is?
ETA: that player rocks. He's got a fun, fluid, bouncy style, and does the EVH without overdoing. Good stuff!
Jack of all Trades,
Master of None
Master of None
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jtaylor996
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2011 5:30 pm
Re: Kit Questions
Not sure on the cable. That's the Rockett pedal booth at the show, and Chris Van Tassell on the guitar.Lonely Raven wrote:What's with that weird guitar cable he's got?jtaylor996 wrote:This is the TW I fell in love with:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MO_vTzIExQ
Can anyone confirm which model it is?
ETA: that player rocks. He's got a fun, fluid, bouncy style, and does the EVH without overdoing. Good stuff!
That guitar was very impressive as well. It's a Scott Lentz strat, with Amalfitano SP pickups. Chris was very knowledgeable and helpful answering all my questions while my jaw was hanging wide open.
Jerry Amalfitano was at the show as well (he's local), so I had a great time talking with him, too. Those two booths were definitely the highlights of the show for me.