Another #124 build - some quick questions before I start

[mathgeek]

Hi everyone, I've been reading this forum and devouring all the wonderful information here. Thank you to everyone in this community for making this resource available.

I'm a mediocre guitar player who likes amplifiers and beautiful music (obviously played by others). I have a few different guitars, single coils and humbuckers, and a Plexi-type amp that was made by a wonderful guy in Chicago, Uncle Larry Tweed from P to P amps, a Car Rambler and Super B, and some digital modellers.

I'm still sorting through which to pick from my collection but I really like the Dumble sound and have tried a Two Rock signature reverb amp in my neighborhood and though it sounded great. That said I really think the Amplified Nation amps sound tremendous and have been debating buying an amp from a vendor or building one to get a better understanding of how it works and the tones that I like.

I was wondering whether any of you much more experienced experts have any thoughts or advice for me on the best way forward. I'm thinking of building the #124 using Taylor's chassis and boards. I've read almost all of the threads here and have, in the distant past, built my own mono-block hi-fi amplifiers that sound great. I'm generally pretty handy and knowledgeable about electronics more broadly. So I’m not worried about getting hurt or sloppy with the high voltages - but I am concerned with my ability to really dial in the tone in the finished amp.

I was also wondering if any of you recent builders have an updated bill of materials, in case that would save some of the legwork on parts that aren't readily available anymore. Note that I have been through the ones on the forum and have a general starting point ready to go. My sense was starting with Taylor’s chassis and boards and mercury magnetics transformers and choke would get me on the right path.

Thanks in advance for any advice you have.

-A

[xtian]

Welcome! All parts for ODS builds are readily available, if you're ok with modern components (like me; I have no attachment to "legendary" components--new stuff is perfectly good).

I think Mercury iron is overpriced.

I can recommend the PCBs from aaelectronics, a member here. https://www.aaelectronicspcb.com/produc ... pecial-pcb

[martin manning]

I guess it depends on whether you want a traditional ODS eyelet board construction or the one piece PCB If using am Amp Nation chassis, you might as well use the board set that goes with it. The PCB eliminates a few flying leads, but I don't think it's that many.

[mathgeek]

Thank you for the feedback. I have been impressed by the breadth of the AA Electronics boards. How do they sound? I'd planned to use the eyelet boards from amp nation. I suppose the AA Electronics solution is a lot of simplification and a bit more 'paint by numbers' versus the alternative.

Best, Anand

[martin manning]

There really shouldn't be any difference in sound. I prefer the eyelet board construction, both because it's like the originals and it's modular.

[mathgeek]

Excellent, thanks Martin!

[Raoul Duke]

Welcome!
As a recent beginning builder (who has let the hobby consume him) - my opinion is that you can’t go wrong either way - but I like making the boards myself or using high quality boards like Taylors. AAs boards get great reviews but I’ve never tried them. I also think the best sounding amps I’ve built seem to have Heyboer transformers, although I have one with Hammonds and one with Pacifics and they sound pretty good too. Never sprung for Mercury although I’m sure they are high quality.

I also agree that modern components and iron can get you what you’re looking for. What I’m finding is that the key is in the construction methods and the final tuning of the amp - which sometimes takes a little while depending on your ability to translate “what you built and hear” into “what you want it to sound like”. The critical listening skills and ability to equate that to the choice of value plus the second and third order effects of those changes is what I’m finding is the true spirit of what HAD and KFs wizardry is/was.

If that makes any sense?

PS - the guys that commented before me are fantastic coaches and won’t steer you wrong