need advice for 1st TW build

[pinkmarkos]

hello everyone- Yet another newb here- After many years of playing and as many amps owned, I am finally going to attempt to realize the dream of my own amp build. I am trying to decide between a clone of an express or a liverpool. I have heard clips of each (esp the kuykendall clips), and I can't decide which one to build, because they both sound incredible- like the tone in my head. I love el84's (I have two el84 based amps now), but I had a jcm 800 for many years with el34s that i loved too. I am looking for about a cranked jcm 800 level of gain but with a more defined low end and less piercing high end- can a liverpool get close to that or is it voiced more like an AC30? i realize that conventional wisdom says to start with a simpler build, but i have done a significant amount of reading and research about how tube amps work and troubleshooting problems, and hopefully the experienced people that hang out here can help as well. lastly- anyone have any opinion about the ceriatone kits? or is it a better idea to source the parts per the BOM on this site? thanks to anyone who cares to weigh in- mark

[geetarpicker]

In my experience the Liverpool is brighter/fizzier and doesn't quite have the low end of the Express. Gain wise they are pretty similar, however the Express tends to have a little more gain and interestingly more clean headroom even with the added gain. My vote is for an Express. Also their are more choices for output tubes in the Express so you get more tonal possibilities. Many like to source their own parts (I did for my pair of clones I built for "stage" use) but the Ceria kit is sure a bargain and you can save some cash by getting the transformers domestically.

[pinkmarkos]

this is pretty much the way i have been leaning. i agree that the express has more possibilities with output tubes(el34's or 6v6's) even though i have yet to see much enthusiasm for the 6v6's in other threads. one of my current amps however uses 6v6's or el84's and (with old stock RCA's) the 6v6's sound great to my ears clean or high gain. since the ceriatone kit is coming from asia somewhere, i plan on getting the transformers and chassis from sources on the BOM to save shipping. thanks for the description of the gain- i believe my mind is made up. i will of course post pics when i get underway. this forum is really a great resource, and thanks in advance to everyone who has put in work to make it easier for others.

[drhulsey]

My Express clone was the first electronic device I ever built. It works great. I gig with it regularly, and didn't do myself any harm building it. With the information you'll find here, a reasonably intelligent person can build an Express. Keep your lead dress as close as you can to what you see in the Francesca photos, and the fact that this is amp is close to unstable won't give you a problem. It's a pretty simple amp. It just took a very saavy guy to design it

[M Fowler]

I ordered a built Express from Nik at Ceriatone so I could have that to play while building my Liverpool. For the Liverpool I used the forum's BOM and used the chassis, transformers and pots from Ampgarage members.

I must warn you that once you build your first amp it is addicting. I have been inside of amps since my teens or actually younger, wow. Back then I would find old RCA or Motorola hifi tube amps everywhere the single 6V6 or 2-6V6. Soldered 1/4 jacks into them and used those as my amps. Working on amps and building them are two different things and I really enjoy building them.

I hope you join us on a the build of your choice and let us know how it is going. Remember to always ask for help. The guys on this site are the best. The only things I don't like on the BOM is the tube sockets, impedence switch and I use the IEC plug for my power cords.

Mark

[declan]

Despite the advice to go with something simpler, there are a significant number of people who have built an express as a first amp, I am one of them.

Decent soldering skills, common sense, patience, attention to detail and following the 100's of pages of discussion both now and throughout your build will see you right.

Also remember that when you begin testing, your safety with high voltage should be your primary concern.

still have to finish my cab and its been almost a year

I was BRW (Before Ron Worley ) ....well his guide anyway, i think version 1 was out just as i was starting to test, no reason why you cant succeed with that alone...

good luck,

[Ron Worley]

Aw shucks, it weren't nothin'

I built that guide as I did my first Express (which was my first total build from scratch) so that I could sort of "walk myself" through the construction steps logically. Plus, I figured that many of the dumb ass questions I was asking could be avoided. I gotta update that thing if/when I get time.... and then do one for the other amps too.....

Declan, Say hey to Rob for me!

[pinkmarkos]

thanks guys for the positivity (is that a word?). just to update, i am in the process of acquiring all the materials. as this is my first amp, i need everything including the kitchen sink. i have everything except the PT/OT which i will get from toneslut (they're out of stock currently). this might be a topic for another thread, but what type of drill bit is best for drilling the circuit board? i received a set from turretboards.com, and they are beautiful. i don't want to ruin them. you guys are right, amp building is addicting- i'm already hooked!