hey, everybody, I'm a stupid moron with an ugly face and a big butt, and my butt smells, and I like to kiss my own butt

U

usernamename

New member
And because of this I need you people to answer my stupid question.

I want (I think) a super sweet awesome shredding metal high gain amp. But theyre expensive and i cant get all of them where i am, and I can only test if im lucky a few.
So with my super research skills (listening to amps on youtube), reading some forums and seeing the odd player using a particular amp, I think i want a Soldano SLO
or a 5150 iii (unique huh). All the cheaper amps dont level up. The 5150 LBX sounds like crap on every video I've seen. The 5150 Iconic has solid state (ewwww) Seriously at 3/4 the price of a 5150iii, wtf) and they appear to haev some quiality issues, which sucks because it sounds great on most videos. The 6505 MH sounded like a winner until :resistor power attenuating:, plus no one anywhere near has one to test. PRS Mark somethingarather has noise issues, then the second had volume issues and again 3/4 price of 5150iii.

So i get to the point of, maybe build my own amp how hard could it be! rite! A soldano SLO kit is 2 fucking grand or something jesus titty fucking christ, a couple more 10s and youve got a 5150iii.
Sourcing parts yourself, 1-1.5k? Maybe i dunno.
So do I
a. spend all my money and get a 5150iii or maybe 6505 and live inn a cardboard box but be hopefully happy about it for years to come.

b. spend slightly less on a PRS or 5150 Iconic and probably grovel cuase i should just spend a couple hundred more and got a better amp.

c. torment myself finding the right parts and all the other building shit that goes with building stuff and build myself a SLO over probably 2 years because im a lazy idiot. (Ive never built a atube amp)

d. steal underpants.

e. there are too many options here.

f. the letter that comes after e.

g. buy a cheaper somethingarather and mod it. ahhhhhhhhhhhhh RABBIT HOLE!!!!

SO have any of you built a tube amp, and how was the whole journey and result?

I know the true answer is build amp, but im tired and want to go bed.
 
I've built my own tube amps and pedals. Once you've got the basics down, it's not hard. Just BE CAREFUL with the high voltage!
That being said, maybe try this pedal instead?
c2celectronics.com

Black Eye PCB Set

This is a PCB set for building your own Black Eye preamp. This is not a beginner project, so if you’ve never built a pedal before, then this isn’t for you. I’ve tried to make this as affordable and…
c2celectronics.com c2celectronics.com
 
I'll say a few things.

First, get to a store and actually try out the amps themselves. Youtube videos have their place to get a flavor of the sound, but you don't know what kind of other gear they are using (mics, guitar, etc) or how it will sound with your setup. I've got a 5150 LBX and am happy with it as a bedroom player. If you're willing to spend a few bucks on shipping, you can always get one from Sweetwater, Musicians Friend, Guitar Center and try it out for a week and send it back. You'll know firsthand if this is truly what you want. Then you can start saving some cash over a few months and work toward it. Or finance it.

Secondly, there are pedals out there (DIY or commercial) that can get you into the ballpark, but IMO they will never replace a great amp. Pedals will get you to a "close enough" scenario and are a much cheaper option.

Third, you're welcome to attempt a DIY SLO, but keep in mind that there is some serious voltages you'll be working with. I don't know how experienced in pedals/soldering you are, but pedals may be a good place to start if you'd like to go down that rabbit hole. From an amp perspective, DIY is marginally cheaper than just flat out buying it. It also depends how much time and effort you're willing to put into this, whether its via a kit or sourcing parts on your own. Either way, you'll need to do your research and be able to walk before you run. That being said, I haven't gone down the DIY amp route yet.

Edit: There are also some great chug machine pedals based on amps from here. G3, G4, or SLO (im finishing that one up) are decent for a bedroom player.

Also, solid state amps have come a long way over the years. Early 2000's, sure they were crap. You might be pleasantly surprised today.
 
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I highly recommend the Sushi Box Black Eye as a pedal build to get you in the Soldano ballpark, it sounds really great and as long as you follow the directions and use proper solder technique, you should have a successful build.

For high gain amps they are no joke to build, I have built five amps from kits and the sixth is a Rosamp.com SLO 30 kit. It is a great kit and will get you that SLO sound but is definitely not for beginners.

I REPEAT NOT FOR BEGINNERS!

AAELECTRONICS is really great and the PCBs they make are top shelf the biggest downside is sourcing transformers and chassis and parts, even as an "experienced" builder, I am second guessing myself a lot on this build.
 
The 6505 MH is actually a great little amp and the power soak function is very decent. It just suffers from the same problem all 5150/6505 suffer from, which is a sizzling high end I really don't personnaly like.

With what you mention though, it should be easy to find used, give it a shot and flip it if you don't like it. Depending on location, a real 6505 or 5150 is like 1k. A 6505 MH maybe 350?

Building amps is not made to save money. You'll spend close to as much as if you buy the original - unless you clone a boutique amp that has a markup because of the brand name - and you risk blowing it or yourself up.

jjjimi84 said:
AAELECTRONICS is really great and the PCBs they make are top shelf the biggest downside is sourcing transformers and chassis and parts, even as an "experienced" builder, I am second guessing myself a lot on this build.
Click to expand...
Yo update your thread I am curious where you stand in your transformer hunt and build progress!
 
If you've never built a tube amp before, I personally would not recommend a high-gain amp as your first build. I've built a handful of amps and am pretty comfortable, but when I wanted an SLO I decided I didn't want to build one and would rather buy an assembled head from Ceriatone (theirs is called FAS).

Black Eye from Conspiracy to Commit Electronics (very affiliated) is a great option to get you in the ballpark of that tone running through another amp. It's not a beginner build, but I did what I could to make it as easy to assemble as possible, and if you've built a couple pedals before and know how to take your time and follow instructions, it's not bad.
 
A third for echoing sentiments in this thread and recommending a Black Eye, it's an absurdly good pedal. Still watch out for the high voltage!! This is no joke!!
 
a used 6505/6505+/6534+ will make your pants sufficiently tight and not for a lot of money if you can be patient.
@Asdrael is objectively wrong 😜 those amps are fucking incredible and sadly the 6505MH sounds nothing like them, and unfortunately is very fizzy.

if DIY is a must, and you wanna do it ‘cheap’, the black eye as everyone suggests is a good starting point.

but if you really wanna build an amp, it’s not gonna be cheaper than buying a used peavey.

if SLO is something you really wanna get into, start reading this

Soldano

How the Soldano SLO-100 & 50W Functions
robrobinette.com
 
owlexifry said:
@Asdrael is objectively wrong 😜 those amps are fucking incredible and sadly the 6505MH sounds nothing like them, and unfortunately is very fizzy.
Click to expand...
Have to admit I didn't get that much time with the 5150 compared to my former 6505MH so I stand corrected. The fact that the 5150 was through a V30 (that I generally strongly dislike) probably didn't help.

But yeah, save money, buy a used Peavey if budget is tight.
 
I had the same problem with finding a metal amp. I builta 5e3 which is great but not metal. Then I built a jcm800 2204 50w with a few mods. That is a great amp. I use an sd1 or a ts808 (modded) to get the grind i want. I play in the basement with an attenuator. I rented a few amps to hear what they sounded like with my gear (dsl40, 5150 iconic, laney iron horse). They are all good amps but not what i wanted. I didn’t follow a kit but used the schematic and layout from mojotone. It is doable if you are patient and keeps your hands off 500v dc.

Pb
 
Just here to say...

No need for a click-bait title.

PedalPCB is a relatively safe place to visit, aside from IAIGF-type threads, so you really only needed to have

"I want (I think) a super sweet awesome shredding metal high gain amp, need advice..."​

would've sufficed.



Having said that, though, and since you posted the Thread-Title you did... Well, Internet rules apply — photographic proof is required that you are able to kiss your own butt.

I'm confident I really don't really want to see that. See what a can of worms you've opened?


Now... Go To Bed!
 
Hell if I could reach far enough to kiss my own butt, I wouldn't be wasting time on my butt. As nice as some of these high gain amps are, I'm always amazed at the amount of metal recording that were just a tubescreamer into an 800. Yeah, don't electrocute yourself. Carry on..
 
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