Building a StewMac D-Reverb 22W Amp Kit! (Episode 1)

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[@RhettShull]

Dude, Matt has me rolling in this episode. Also, be careful on the amp build! They can hold enough power to put you on your ass even when they’re powered off

[@DriftwoodMatt]

Yeah, that seems to be the number one piece of advice, “don’t die” hahaha

[@davidedwards7172]

Been there done that.

[@stevescuba1978]

For real! One-tenth of an ampere can stop a person's heart, and those valves and capacitors can store many times that amount of power!

[@RogerBarraud]

@@stevescuba1978 1/100th can :-( (10mA).

[@RogerBarraud]

Dang Straight it can! I vividly remember the Wakeup Call I got when the metal crimp ring on the can of CO Contact Cleaner I was using to clean attenuators touched the +350V plate supply... and that was 45 years ago... it's as vivid as if it was yesterday. Upside: I'm still here to remember it, could have been much worse.

[@jennifer6833]

Maybe one day you two will be making “Driftwood Amps”? A boutique amp company that not only builds; acoustics,and electric, but quality musical instruments of all different forms.

[@MetallicA29]

Aaaaaaaaaand subscribed!

[@DriftwoodGuitars]

Thanks!

[@j_drichmond]

Uncle Doug’s channel is what you’ll want to bing-he’s repaired countless Fenders and has a series building an amp from scratch-including hand bending the chassis.

[@jamesrobinsonjr.9384]

That's what I was gonna suggest until I seen your comnent

[@Projacked1]

Not to mention these kits are way too expensive.

[@ZonkerRoberts]

Some tips: Be sure to MEASURE every resistor before soldering it in place - don't simply trust the color codes. Yes, the chances of getting a defective or mislabeled resistor are minuscule... but if there's a problem when you first power up the amp the confidence of *knowing* you tested every one will be a big help (mentally as well as electronically!) If you have a capacitance meter you should check every capacitor, too. Again, it's as much to reassure yourself if later troubleshooting becomes necessary. Also: Rather than just plugging it in and flipping the power switch when done you should, if possible, use a variac when powering up the amp for the first time. Bring the line voltage sloooowly up to 120VAC and watch the ammeter for unexpectedly high current draw. This could save you from some expensive smoke. In general, do everything much slower than you need to and triple-check every step. Troubleshooting an electronic device that has been constructed with defects is much more difficult than fixing a broken one that is known to have worked previously (been there, done that). Treat the construction as a process to be enjoyed rather than just a means to an end. Good luck and have fun!

[@dennissiler6672]

The beginning of every creative act is not knowing. Thanks for showing us your process and for being willing to make mistakes.

[@billmumbo2697]

Don't cut the red wire cut the blue one💥🇬🇧 Put the speaker back in the box step away from the box Good luck guys 👍

[@Sammywhat]

Fazio Electric may be helpful. She has a channel here on KZbin repairing amps and such. One particular video that comes to mind is how to discharge filter caps. Just a thought. 😉

[@eerbrev]

definitely recommend Fazio Electric! She's great.

[@RobertNolan]

She's popular lately, but Uncle Doug is who he should really be checking out. Every single thing you'd ever want to learn about amps, you can learn it from him with GREAT detail.

[@eerbrev]

@@RobertNolan Why not both? Fazio's got an incredible set of knowledge and skill herself.

[@Sammywhat]

@@RobertNolan True, but Fazio is a lot easier on the eyes! 😉😁

[@RhythemNBlues]

Uncle Doug (Obi-Wan Kenobi) Fazio (Rey)

[@scottkidwellmusic9175]

Y'all having fun makes these videos more fun to watch Looking forward to seeing the progress. Little known fact: electronics actually run on smoke. The electricity keeps it all contained. If the smoke gets out, it's bad.

[@mattfleming2287]

Matt’s a natural! Love the editing! You’ve got a lot more guts than I….tackling an amp? Good for you. Really looking forward to this series If you run into trouble, contact The Guitologist.

[@roosky203]

One of the best channels on KZbin right now

[@DriftwoodGuitars]

Thanks so much! Tell a friend haha

[@pierheadjump]

⚓️. Thanks Driftwood 😎 unboxing videos are passé. Please stop.

[@DriftwoodGuitars]

Sorry, not sorry

[@pierheadjump]

@@DriftwoodGuitars 🥺

[@jcool0122]

I've been building amps for a while now and I'd have to say that starting with a deluxe reverb is skipping a few steps. That being said, it is probably the penultimate combo amp. But from a first build standpoint, I'd have gone with a tweed champ or princeton. Actually, my first build was a blackface champ, now that I think about it.

[@thedutchdjentleman]

Really dissapointed you didn’t say “Transformer? I barely know her.”

[@DriftwoodMatt]

Hahaha no, you’re right, that’s on me!

[@marklane325]

How cool, I just built the Tweed Deluxe kit! Wanted to build the Deluxe Reverb but decided to start with the simpler 5E3 circuit. A little challenging for a complete noob like me but it fired up on the first try, and sounds fantastic. I'll be watching this series with interest, as I still want the DR! Enjoy the build, you got this!

[@shane1472]

I'm the same way guys I gotta get my hands on it

[@invsibl_monstrs]

You guys started with a Deluxe Reverb clone???? Bold move MFs! All joking aside, ,you picked a bit of a tricky build, especially considering potential noise issues - but having watched most of your videos, and Stew Mac's instructions, y'all will be fine. I'm looking forward to the series. Good luck gents and heed Juan Espinosa's suggestion - Uncle Doug's videos can be a great resource.

[@bernzeppi]

$1200 for the kit! You’ve got to be joking. Way too expensive for what it is.

[@erpringle]

You can buy a new deluxe reverb for that price.

[@samwalker7567]

@@erpringle the difference in quality is a thing. This is no-expense-spared, Fender's components are unfortunately often the lowest bidder.

[@ronaldbharvey]

"Nothing will come out of it when I first turn it on" -- hey, don't be so negative I'm sure you'll get a popping noise and a puff of smoke. I have gotten that with some of my builds.

[@cathalwhelehan]

Really looking forward to seeing how this goes (expecting a more head-scratching than catastrophes though - you're clever guys). Quite good fun watching a Stew Mac unboxing of this scale with their old school brown paper bags etc. It's roughly how I'd expect an amp kit to come packaged if I ordered it from Oleson's Mercantile in Little House on the Prairie.

[@alanmihalko502]

I know this comment is a year later then this video posted. I have a suggestion for possible future projects of this nature. Get a wire shelving unit on wheels and place all of the parts/components on the shelves. Some things, like the speaker should be stored in it's original box until needed. The wire shelving will help keep things organized during the build. They are available at Costco, Sam's Club, or other big box retailers for about $120 or so. Love the channel and content.

[@BuckJoFiden]

“A lot of packaging” Is much better than your amp turning up busted or scratched Mario. I got a 5E3 sent to Australia from Stewmac and was really impressed by the packaging. Btw that amp looks really nice, might be my next project 👍

[@erpringle]

My guess is that you can just about buy a new one already assembled for the price stew-mac gets for the kit. Close anyway, and I don't know about you but my time is very valuable. Yeah, I just looked up the price of the kit and it's just over $1200. That's friggin ludicrous. Stew-mac needs to reevaluate their prices because that's ridiculous. Good thing they gave it to ya, that was nice of em but they are still way friggin crazy with their prices, sorry but I had to put that out there because I know people will want to know what the kit costs. You can buy a new deluxe reverb, no, it's not "handwired" but still they're just about $1200.

[@steyer-crmg]

I think the cameraman shouldn’t speak unless properly mic’d. Not having a dig just saying what I see and hear. Maybe he could be added as a voice over after filming that would sound great.😎

[@MrAZed209]

@9:26 ....I'm thinking at the end of the build and something's not working right, it'll be like: Matt: "Arrggggghh....Where did we mess up?" Chris: "What do you mean 'WE'?" Matt: "......"

[@DriftwoodMatt]

Exactly! Hahahaha

[@chrisosseweijer2798]

Don`t you guys know how painful it is to see all that candy being unwrapped? I`m heavily depressed now.

[@tonyhunt4250]

Great Channel. I am just an acoustic guitar player, but this very entertaining.

[@johnathan.jerusik]

New subscriber wicked excited to watch!!! Love this stuff!!

[@danstiverson]

What happened to this? Did you find it too difficult? You haven't followed up o this for months.

[@jdsherman2001]

If sound doesn't come out smoke probably will.

[@dennisapplegate7553]

Build a power limiter and test all your pots, caps, and resistors. That alone can save you hours of headaches a d wasted time.

[@scottakam]

Cool. I've thought about building an amp kit several times. The main thing that has kept me away is the kits cost almost as much as a factory built amp and the resale value of kit amps is very low.

[@thhunter]

Same here. It looks like it'd be a fun project though.

[@scottakam]

@@thhunter indeed it does. I'm sure I'll end up doing it at some point in spite of all logical arguments!

[@DriftwoodGuitars]

Just remember, you don’t learn anything from just buying an amp though, so there’s an extra value in building it. Even if you take a small loss when selling it.

[@cfreeman5631]

Just go ahead and invest some time in watching Uncle Doug Videos

[@russeldavies1203]

Best camera work ever Chris!!

[@DriftwoodGuitars]

There it is! Thanks man!

[@Projacked1]

The prices on these 'kits' are ridiculous!

[@KleyDeJong]

Great project! I just finished a Princeton reverb clone with a few tweaks. If you run into any problems or are looking for some fun mod ideas shoot me a message, I'd be happy to help!

[@michaeldorman]

Also mojotone (who might be the OEM for the kit) have some good build videos, albeit not for this particular amp.

[@mendamp1715]

They are the kit provider. You get enhanced caps with the Stew Mac version.

[@gilmarriner3011]

You guys are great, I have subscribed!

[@kylemoran4343]

Sorry dudes, the camera got a little heavy !

[@noel3422]

Yet you sell guitars?

[@scottpickett9779]

Watch Uncle Doug.

[@arthurlove1002]

Lion dog liked it!

[@dalgguitars]

This will be fun!!!

[@eyeofamon]

I presume the StewMac instructions go in depth about electrical safety, especially with regard to the capacitors. Take this very seriously.

[@SolamenteVees]

BFDR as a first build? 🤦‍♂️ Subscribed.

[@DriftwoodGuitars]

Hahaha yup. Thanks

[@brianhanson9367]

buy a knife dude.

[@bpower6362]

Ok... first off... the thumbs up didn't feel like it was all heart felt. May want to practice with Matt (the pro). Second... great work getting Matt to open all the boxes for you. (...ill record you if you open the boxes... no no... I'll build the amp now that all the boxes are opened.) :) just kidding of course. Great videos guys. :)

[@-Madkrafter]

Good luck with the amp! A Deluxe Reverb was my first amp build as COVID kicked off. It is definitely more complex than a Champ but worth it. You guys will kick some 6V6 butt! YOU CAN DO IT!! My tip - put electrical tape over the lugs on the standby switch (if they’re Carling style). It will keep you from getting 400v to your thumb when you pick up the completed amp to put in the cabinet after you bench test it. Ask me how I know 🤨

[@bigjimbo820]

I noticed your pronunciation in reference to "Solder Gun". Note that for non Americans (everywhere else in the world) the "L" is not silent in the word "Solder"

[@larscw74]

Bunny ate some piece of paper, no clue what you are talking about, instruction manual you called it? What is that? Matt, the only opinions that really matter are the ones given by people in your circle. You're doing something you have never done. You are on YT so you are the resident expert right now.

[@rickp3646]

Guys, I'm so looking forward to this build. I've wanted to build a tube amp for so long and been tempted to pull the string on a Mojotone but just have not been willing to spend the money for something ill not use much. I Play at Church and we have a quite stage and use Helix for our interface and IEMs. So not much use in having a tube amp. But its still in the back of my mind. Maybe after watching you guys blow this one up ill not be tempted (HAHA ). Just kidding. Ill probably be more tempted. Looking forward to it.

[@fredberthiaume6883]

Check out some Uncle Doug KZbin stuff for some pointers on tube wiring. It may help in keeping you out of trouble. Good luck with the build.

[@kevinski5386]

I believe you picked the most difficult circuit of the Fender line to start with. When your done, you will be able to work on any other Fender amp. The grounding and lead dress on that rates a 5 on the magic hammer level of difficulty scale. And that’s normally a scale of 4

[@randyyount6293]

I’m building this amp kit right now. It’s challenging, but StewMac instructions are very good. Good luck Matt!

[@jbolt247]

Love what you guys are doing. Any plans on offering the electric as a kit build? I would love try the new concepts and innovations that you guys are doing and would love to own one but the price point is more than I can justify as an old guy basement player. Suggestions for amp build videos - mojotone has a few older video builds. Uncle Doug is one of the most knowledgeable amp techs I've seen on the tube. I'm sure he has a multiple videos on that circuit as well. Good luck, keep up the great work, and remember to keep one hand in your pocket when you are testing voltages. :)

[@toasteroverdrive1097]

Very nice well packaged kit. Definitely not me with my builds made out from parts from the recycling center.

[@barriepotter3753]

It was only after you removed everything that was stacked on top of the cabinet box that I noticed the “Do not Stack” labels!

[@ericcarpenter3263]

Is it too soon to ask about next amp?... Tweed Deluxe . Matt you and Chris will do great a great job, as always. this is gonna be a great series.

[@lonniezamarripa959]

I agree, put the speaker back in the box! Torn cones perform poorly.

[@ranman58635]

New title, don't get fried! Lol! Love Stew Mac! Creat camera work! Lol

[@SerenityGuitars]

I love Stewmac and all their tools and parts. I'm not sure an amp kit is in my future. Looks like a whole lotta work, whole lotta. Maybe a tweed 5w champ kit.

[@gavinhutton8455]

am waiting to see the next episode "matt messing up the amp". u should name it like that. The 3k old guitar is looking good after the neck and heel joint done. waiting for that..

[@dougmartin893]

Really cool. Looking forward to following your journey. Bon voyage, guys!

[@fiddlix]

You have a most excellent kit there. A little complicated for a beginner but doable.

[@geamax1]

Your epron right strap is twisted you messing with my ocd XD

[@FrankLafone]

Remember the golden rule - if you see smoke, you've let the magic out of the box!

[@joemcgraw5529]

Matt you have your work cut out for ya there " youu can doo eeeit " At least you have a instruction manual hee hee hee

[@richardsp2794]

Oh I cottoned on a while ago not to ignore the manual. Even on a pack of dental floss, let alone an amp kit!!

[@ksgtrpkr]

Looking forward to watching you every step of the way!

[@chuckhall1015]

Dudes...with respect, get yourselves a Kemper, Helix or such...skip the amp adventures and use your time building more awesome guitars!

[@DriftwoodGuitars]

We already have a kemper, but people want the amp they’re used too when trying a guitar out. Plus it’s always fun to learn a new skill.

[@Tetsaraku]

Well this is an awesome change of pace! Good luck!

[@ferdberfle5069]

One thing you said Matt, that made me cringe. Please don't try to use a soldering GUN!! If you use a gun, you run a much higher risk of burning up components than you would with a soldering IRON! I'd suggest a nice Weller soldering station. Variable heat control is a big plus. They only run a little over $100. I'm a retired US Navy Electronics Tech with a lot of hours of soldering under my belt and I'd hate to see your kit go up in smoke when you power it up the first time!

[@DriftwoodMatt]

You’re absolutely right! And I misspoke. We actually have a really nice soldering iron here that has variable heat control. It makes me seem like I’m way better at soldering than I actually am. Thanks for the input!

[@ferdberfle5069]

@@DriftwoodMatt I am relieved! ;D

[@DriftwoodGuitars]

Yeah it’s Hakko FX-100 soldering station. Super nice iron.

[@samwalker7567]

@@DriftwoodGuitars keep the iron tip well tinned and it should serve you well.

[@kimlange6420]

well....than....good luck with that :-)

[@geamax1]

You guys are taking it to next level. Great course!

[@daveandrew589]

If you want people to be able to test drive an 'amp' similar to what they're used to, why not just get a Kemper? Cheaper than multiple amps, smaller, quicker, tons of options.

[@DriftwoodGuitars]

We have one already, but people tend to not trust it still.

[@micheelariviereguitaremelo4085]

When is the next video of the 3000yo guitar?

[@DriftwoodGuitars]

we just shot the next episode today! Should be out on Thursday.

[@dalgguitars]

I totally want that kit!

[@paulcrowder]

I’d love to see you guys build a Stewmac acoustic guitar kit, just to get a master builder’s perspective on the quality of their kits.

[@DriftwoodGuitars]

That’s actually a pretty solid idea

[@DriftwoodGuitars]

Maybe do a give away after it’s done

[@mirkosrndovic]

I saw it comming :)

[@michaeldorman]

Just remember: potentially fatal voltages! Very danger!

[@davidedwards7172]

Agreed. I've been bit several times. Not adhering to safety protocols. Always make sure the amp is safe to work on. A multimeter and a way to discharge the caps will go a long way.

[@ObjectiveDynamics]

@@davidedwards7172 +1 for capacitor discharge! I used to work on a scientific instrument that had a big electro magnet on it. The magnet was powered by 50 volt, 80 amp dc supply with half a farad of smoothing capacitor. One time a guy switched off the supply and got bored waiting for the capacitors to discharge so he shorted the rails with a wrench. He survived but things went badly for the wrench

[@austinrogers9488]

Been wanting to check one of these amp kits out from Stew-Mac. Hell yes.

[@erpringle]

Over $1200, that's a joke, crazy price. You can buy a new deluxe reverb for that.

[@austinrogers9488]

@@erpringle true enough. Should have been more specific and just said 'one' of stew macs amp kits, not this one particularly.

[@bldallas]

Cool, this will be fun to watch. On a side note, I know StewMac sells really high quality products, but it bugs me that their amp kits cost the same, or more, than the Fender tube combos they are copying. This kit is $1300 and you can buy a brand new Fender Deluxe Reverb, 22 watt two channel tube combo amp for, you guessed it, $1300, with a warranty. Seems ridiculous, but I’ll get off my soap box now. Good luck with the build!

[@samwalker7567]

The bit you're missing is the quality of components. The Fender reissues use cheaper components and considerably cheaper construction of the internals - this is turret board based and with things like high quality capacitors, resistors, and tube sockets. The reissues are PCB-based and use cheap caps and potentiometers, they're known for failed PCB traces and leaky filter capacitors on the power supply. I'd wager the transformers StewMac are using are considerably better quality too, and they make a massive difference to the sound - almost as much as the tubes or the speaker but few non-electronics people really consider that. Built properly, this will go a lot longer than a reissue amp before it needs serious servicing and repair.

[@bldallas]

@@samwalker7567 so you work for StewMac, huh, Sam. I’m not missing a thing and you will never convince me the quality of the parts in StewMac’s kit are better than the parts used by Fender. The very premise is beyond ridiculous.

[@DriftwoodGuitars]

Bryan, unfortunately you’re completely wrong here. Sam is right, the components of this kit are WAY better than the $1,300 amp fender sells. This is equivalent to the $2,700 Deluxe Reverb you can get at Sweetwater but for less than half the price, and you have the pride of knowing you built it. No need to get nasty with people. Sam is making super valid and factual points here.

[@bldallas]

@@DriftwoodGuitars OK, I stand corrected. I’m sorry Sam.

[@samwalker7567]

I don't work for StewMac though I do build amps. All mass produced amps are built to a price point and Fender's are no exception. Ask why everyone doesn't buy $100 amps. Ask why people will pay five or ten times this price for boutique amps that use Fender circuits. The answer is because there is a difference! For what it's worth, Fender uses literally the cheapest components that meet the spec in their standard amplifier range. I say meet, not exceed, for a reason. The standard Fender amps are today built to the bare minimum. Even if the same were true of the StewMac kits (which it isn't), you still get the huge boost of a move away from a PCB to a turret board. That alone would be a worthwhile switch for the price. As it is they also use higher spec capacitors with better electrolytes, larger and higher grade transformers, and generally tighter tolerances on ever component. How is a turret board an improvement you might ask, when PCBs are more modern and represent a custom made board for the circuit as opposed to the generic design of point to point wiring? Simple. Durability and longevity. A PCB is designed with two things in mind. Firstly, to be easy to build for a non-expert as everything has a precise place, and to be fast to build. In other words, cheap and to bring manufacturing costs down. The compromise is reduced durability, rather than metal posts to which component legs are wrapped, all that supports PCB electronics is the solder and perhaps some hot glue. They're also designed to be soldered once, anyone who's repaired PCBs knows that even the most careful component replacement can result in lifted pads or cracked traces. For amplifiers that contain components, like the power supply capacitors, that have a lifetime well below that of the whole product, that's an issue. The best made capacitors in the world are good for maybe a decade, perhaps a bit more. That's a lot less than many amps still gigged today. Potentially you'd have an amp that after two repair cycles has to be either scrapped or totally rebuilt because the PCB has started to fail. Big limiting factor. Secondly, PCBs aim to minimise the footprint needed for a circuit, meaning smaller devices can be built with the same componentry inside. The limiting factor on an amplifier is the space needed for the tubes to be ventilated, plus the speaker cabinet if it's a combo. PCBs don't really offer a space saving advantage on circuits this simple when the circuit size is not a limiting factor of the chassis.

[@matthewf1979]

Oh boy, you picked a tough one for your first kit build. The AB763 reverb circuit is fairly complicated, even for experienced builders. It’s hard to track down hum, especially in the reverb circuit. It’s an amazing amp and worth the effort.

[@derrickd3gmail]

As for something to provide much needed guidance into putting this together, I highly recommend the Hacksmith. Just a few episodes will do.