How to build Fender Princeton tube guitar amp kit beginning to end D-lab

Another fine Tube amp theater for your pleasure. This amp arrived kit form to D-lab from a fellow in Kansas. I thought this would be a great opportunity to construct a kit form amp. All went well. I was amazed with the low noise and top performance. I'm sure Classic tone transformers deserve the real credit. They are my 1st choice for super sounding and dependable components. I had a great time making this video. 10 hours invested. I hope you find this of value. I will try to keep the videos coming weekly. It has been difficult with lifes events. I do this for you!

[@MrBeblis]

Love you channel, I have learned so much thank you for everything you do. My question is do you sell kits? The kit in the video is made by which company?

[@BryanSmith66]

thanks for the video

[@uptopmikep7065]

This sounds like a crappy amp kit if you have to make all those changes and missing parts. Why not start with a better quality kit?

[@kevinhealy187]

If you are building one of these, you have to start somewhere. Most of your tube sockets come from china. The replacement cost of changing to the more expensive socket was not that much money. The chassis is from china as well. I know something about finding these parts as I sourced this all on the web. The board is from Watts tube Audio. The transformers are from classic tone. I also sourced a tweed cabinet for it as well. I was going to do this build myself, but I knew my knowledge of wiring and some of the things he done made my choice of using him as my builder was a wise decision. I'm happier with the end results than if I would have gotten only halfway done and he is happier because he didn't have to tear it apart and fix all my mistakes. Price a finished version of this amp or a kit from some of the vendors. Also see if they are using the chinese tube sockets or capcitors you never heard of. I'm happy with the results. You seen the results of what the amp does sound wise. When I sent him the amp parts there were a few things missing but Terry doesn't charge that much for parts. Using the transformer upgrades make this a better amp as well.

[@TheAgentAssassin]

You sir are a legend! I WILL BUY AN AMP from you one day! works of art by a master builder ! HE should have gotten an Opti-Plex circuit though too.

[@steveh1273]

I bought a Marshall clone from a "reputable" clone amp maker that has sockets that look like those Beltons at the 5:00 mark. After taking the tubes out of them once, the pins are coming out with the tubes. They literally would fall out if up ended. Had them all replaced by a local amp tech.

[@RUaCEO]

Loved it, the intros to tube amp theater just keep getting better!

[@MrMrjauregui]

Recovering from surgery now, watching all your videos, thank you Terry!!

[@lolbou]

Great stuff again Terry, this is of highest value to me! Thanks a lot for all the knowledge, tech stuff and fun as well... I hope life's easier for you by now... Your videos just make mine go up to eleven! Cheers!

[@JobyP]

Hey! I'm the fellow in the video Bashing on this Killer little Amp! It goes from Crystal Clean and Almost Vox like Chime (without ever being Ice Picky) It also hit's Fire Breathing dragon Territory! as well as all the right stops between. Honestly Terry just asked me to play for a minute and I couldn't stop!!! This amps owner should be thrilled. If you wondered why I'm playing a phaser for a moment in the video it's because the D-Lab also repaired my Vintage Musitronics Phasor!!! And I had stopped by to pick it up! I do pedal demo's on my channel if you're into such things Just click on my Picture and you can see my channel. I'll probably have a demo of the Phasor up this coming Sunday... Great Video Terry and Great Amp!!! Happy to see a longer more in depth amp build...

[@lroy730]

And without the Hum of the Re-Issue Fender Champs.

[@JobyP]

Man... It was DEAD silent. Even with the Gain Cranked...

[@JobyP]

I wish Terry would have put the description of the guitar in the video too... It's a 1982 Epiphone Spirt but it was made at the Kalamazoo Gibson Factory. The pickups are actually Original Tim Shaw's They're pretty Hot tho!!! Thanks Chris.

[@WillyMcCoy50]

jobyregrets I used to have that exact guitar! I miss it!

[@JobyP]

K McCoy I was so happy to Find One, I had been keeping an eye out for one for years! I was wanting to buy a J Mascis Jazzmaster (the purple Japanese one) and the deal fell through and I just happened to see this guitar on Reverb. I love it to death! I do wish it had taller frets but she still plays good so I’m not sure I’ll bother with a re-fret.

[@TheGuitologist]

Sorry for all the comments today, binging on some of your videos. On the tripod noise, I spray mine with white lithium grease when they start doing that.

[@d-labelectronics]

Yes Sir, I'll have to get some. Maybe try a bit of WD40 for the next production

[@OIE82]

I guess since the PS is unregulated theres no way to calculate the bias resistor size?

[@perrystcolumbia8647]

Dear Terry, I am in process of this same build and I have carefully followed all of your suggestions as to mods to the layout as provided. My power transformer puts out lots of juice with 100 Ma output so I substituted a 1 K ohm 5 watt resistor for the 470 and of course the amp doesn't work. When I measure, I don't seem to have much if any B+. Any pithy suggestions?

[@Expedition18]

What kit? Very interested as well. Thanks 😀

[@PecanPie1102]

Thanks, much better then Netflix or News. How much did it cost?

[@Tonetwisters]

How about making and selling these kits? And thanks for doing this stuff for us. I'm a player not a fixer, and I love this stuff!

[@sneifert1968]

Link to this kit?

[@Valerifon1]

What an awesome build and video! I wish you were in Houston so I could apprentice with you for 2 or 3 months! Ha@ 😉👍 Could you have used a pot to determine what value you needed on the bias resistor? Thanks - Luther

[@charlesw318]

Great Work Terry can we order a kit like this one?

[@MIKE-D158]

Terry. Your videos are very inspiring. Thanks for all these videos! Loved the tips on the quality socket tips as well as adjusting the bias.

[@ukeukeaduke]

Hi Terry. Thanks for the info on this video. I built a 5F1 Champ kit with the same transformer upgrades. Couldn't figure out the noise issues. Checking the bias confirms the same issue that you discovered. Hopefully I haven't ruined the 6V6 tube. Also will try the 560K resistor on pin 5. You have been a great help. Thanks!

[@czgunner]

Where do you get those good tube sockets?

[@PhuketMyMac]

Great video and nice Tele

[@russellhltn1396]

I think it would be interesting to add a switch to connect/disconnect that feedback. Yes, it decreases gain, but it also makes it more linear - that might be desirable for certain sounds.

[@TheRoiderien]

Negative feedback lowers the distortion and also the output impedance of the amp, which leads to a flatter frequency response. Whether that's good or not depends on what kind of sound you're looking for out of the amp. The distortion could clearly be seen on the sinewave that Terry showed on his scope.

[@flintdavis2]

What’s Terry say about that?

[@zrkn1]

Very entertaining and usefull also thanks to the young man for the rockin demo. Cheers

[@richardmartin1491]

Hi, really like your lessons! I have question! I have a Marshall JVM 410 h. It started with a loud crackling poping sound. I replaced all four power tubes and tried switching out and replaced two of the Ecc 83 tubes. I get no output sound from speaker cabinet. It's a 1960 lead. Can get sound from the FX-loop return, When guitar is jacked in there. The amp has very few hours on it! I looked at the boards, saw no damage or Even ware. Only thing I could find is the 16ohm Jack for a single cabinet, dose not feeling like a tight Jack plugged in. The other inputs all feel much tighter. Can you tell me what voltages should be for bais for power tubes.

[@tomcaron9113]

My wife watches Downton Abby, I watch your videos. Thank you!

[@whynotme5926]

I am wanting to build a champ or Princeton for my first amp build. I have an old hammond Ao-33 amp and I need to figure out if those transformers will work for either one of those. I also have a bunch of el 84's and 5u4's, 6au6 , 12au7's, 12bh7, and I have some 12ax7's. I am retired so my money is tight and I probably can't buy a kit. So, if I can figure out what parts I have that will work and what parts I have to buy, I am about ready to go with it. Between, you uncle doug, and guitologist and a couple more, I think I have gathered enough information to make a mess!!!!!!!. Thanks.

[@audiotechlabs4650]

You hit another one out of the park! Great mods and you explained why! Keeping that bias current at bay was one great way to keep that 6V6 from burning up. Thankz

[@Andymonza66]

Hi, I am writing to you from italy, I am a hobby valves radio repairer, I would like to know if you know a way to see the tube's writer

[@stevetaylor4521]

Where in Italy are you? I lived in the Castilone Della Stivere area for many years back in the 1980's.

[@DeadKoby]

Hi Terry, I've used the CE Dist Ceramic sockets without issue... However, I put the "bear traps" on them... some type of retainer for non-octals. If I'm giving my amp to UPS, the tubes need NO chance of falling out.

[@kornami8678]

Good video and build but I would put the negative feedback (NFB) in because the asymmetric sign wave distortion (2nd harmonic?) at low power levels was rather obvious. That's typical of class A amplifiers. I know some people don't like NFB. And I guess guitar players are not adverse to distortion and even embrace it.

[@Bob-sv6rv]

Awesome, thanks for all the information. But I rather buy one from you. Without all the right equipment and experience, let the experts take care of it. D-Lab really knows what they are doing. Thanks again.

[@a.n.2504]

Where can I get a kit like this?

[@axe2grind911a]

Hilarious intro! Where did you buy they kit and how much did it cost?

[@d-labelectronics]

Thanks, That Robot, I received for my 8th B-day. I did not buy the kit, it was sent to me for construction. I believe MojoTone sells them.

[@landryland3]

Hey you should sell kits, especially because your upgrades are better.

[@stratmister009]

definitely agree, anyone who puts in the hours to assemble their own amp wants quality parts, nobody wants to build junk.

[@littlejohnny1498]

I noticed ,when you showed the output jacks one of them had the contact on it and the other two didn't and then when you showed them wired up, none of them had the contact lug. I wish more guys would show hooking up inputs and outputs, tone pots and volume pots. Beginners have more trouble with these things than any other part.I have wore out tone and volume pots wiring and re-wiring jacks tone and volume pots. I have read all about it and just get more confused. I wonder sometimes, why someone does not show this. Just showing it after it is wired, you can't see where all the wires go and some people call lug one on the vol pot lug 3 and such.I almost blew up my output transformer trying to hook up 3 jacks.I wish one person would take the time and make a video showing how to wire jacks and pots, if they are self grounded or not self grounded and such. I don't guess anyone will. I am the type of person ,that if you show me, I get it. I have a reading disability. The muscles in my eyes are messed up.I see pictures inside amps but you can't tell where all the wires go. It is hard to solve issues texting or typing.

[@dwebster50]

Inspiration Terry ....pure unadulterated inspiration...This is a blast . Nice gear & I got bitten by D lab . You don’t have to buy a $1200 Fender to have a cool amp. That is for sure ...keep watching for more . The bias and plate volts are critical to the life of a tube amp. The part quality is crucial to its life cycle. Alberta Dave

[@nymsmacgregor7232]

Could you please tell us how to wire the multiple jacks, at the very least, a 4 ohm and 8 ohm pair of jacks using an OT with a 4 and 8 ohm tap....? Thanks....Nyms

[@shea086]

I prefer the Chinese equipment. It's 1/10 the cost of USA equipment..Most normal people cant afford the rip off USA prices.

[@knowledge4thepeeps]

Very entertaining!!! I could watch these all day.

[@adriensauvaget2058]

Great vid as usual Terry ! Interested in that very nice Wavetech Function Generator you have here, is it a tube device ? Also do you know the approx size of the faceplate height by width ? Thanks and keep on the good work !

[@thomascowan1825]

Great little amp build. It just amazes me how you do this, plus you know exactly what to do with components to correct issues and greatly improve efficiency of the over all build. I wish I could attain your knowledge. You are truly a" MASTER" in your field and you do this for fun?

[@Nugmania1]

cool, get a killer player to demo your stuff

[@electrolytics]

Another excellent Tube Amp Theater. Always bringing value and entertainment. I even watch most of the radio videos. Great productions all around. Thanks alot!

[@garysloan8163]

A Belton/Micalex quality production.

[@markkinney8257]

Nice! Sounding amp this thing kick butt for sure! Tone that amp is clean and powerful! Cool!

[@joepalooka2145]

At 21:28 that resistor has the dreaded label "OMC China". How much more is an "OMC USA"?

[@tommessina5973]

Hey Terry watched this video by you along with another one today and I have a question about the symmetry to the sine wave output on your scope. It does not look like you have equal positive and negative sides of he waveform. I have seen this before on my scope also and I ended up changing an inverter tube in the amp I was working on to fix this issue and recently I saw an Uncle Doug video where the amp he had on the bench had the same kind of output although I don't recall how he fixed it. I was wondering if the next time you build either a push-pull 6v6 or one like this single 6v6 if you could please show the waveforms at the output of the first preamp stage and then also at the output of the inverter as it would interesting to see if the waveform has changed in one of those stages or in the output stage. Thanks and I really like your videos also.

[@brucetaylor8973]

If you don't use the 22K resistor to the speaker jack, what happens with the wire? Do you just leave it disconnected and if so, do you even need to put that resistor on the board to begin with?

[@tomk1tl]

That is what I had to do is install a 1K bias resistor in my HB Princeton amp...works FB...

[@kevinhealy187]

It was of great value to me. Learned some more. But now I see there is no substitute for experience and Robert Mondavi!

[@scratchback2001]

IDAK! INSTANT DESTROYER AND KILLER! WE'RE DOOMED! YOU BUBBLE HEADED BOOBY!

[@jimcole6423]

Terry, you do an outstanding job all the way around. Thank you for sharing and keep up the great work!

[@Bigjoedo66]

Another great video!! These little amps scream through a Jensen P10R. Great cleans and great overdrive

[@RamonRayPinon]

Hello Terry! Your videos are great Love the way this amp sounds. Where did you buy kit and do you build and sell these?

[@83roadstar]

How about A Mesa Boogie Tremoverb repair vid,at your convenience of course! :)

[@baronvonchickenpants6564]

Brilliant

[@harislondo2962]

Great !!!

[@teleguy2650]

Great video. Could you have used one o/p jack with a 3 position selector switch?

[@davea.8499]

Oh yeah, this is real intertainment. Im going to have to watch it over. Im building this same amp.

[@Mauitaoist]

Great work thanks for bringing stuff out here for us guys that need this stuff we can't find it anyplace else

[@brentstewart59]

This is a great video and a sweet sounding little amp. Thanks Terry I gotta have one of these now... cheers buddy

[@rocknazca56]

jo jojojojo

[@smstiao-tecnologia]

Hello Tery, plus a highly professional service of yours, congratulations for the result!

[@taylorfiddlin]

Can’t understand how there are not more views...or more thumbs up

[@skycarl]

Once again great information that is very hard to find out there. Thanks again Terry.

[@johnwrench4speed]

Nice video. I am a bit of an ignoramus when it comes to building and wiring amps, so my question: Is there a direction to wiring resistors (I see all of those different color bands and in different order, what to they mean?)? Thanks.

[@d-labelectronics]

Hello, no polarity to resistors, the color bands are their value. You can find charts on the web

[@jonnybeck6723]

Geeze Louise, Terry... that is one sweet sounding single ended jewel! thanx and.... cheers

[@medhawk4885]

What you do definetly is of value to us sir. How much does a kit like that cost?

[@kennethgilbertdds7249]

Hu-friedy dental instruments. Good taste. German steel.

[@d-labelectronics]

Who will be my 10K subscriber? Only 6 away!

[@johnmccabe7645]

a fabulous episode of tube amp theatre! And a great build with excellent tips

[@peterjmcgee4680]

I think the Vino's gotten to your brain little too much red my friend

[@CC-te5zf]

Is that a PMEL sticker on the old audio generator?

[@bevo65]

Awesome tutorial. Also, thank you for your service -- AIM HIGH!

[@tacmason]

way cool-also a better Guitar / Amp tester. Good stuff Terry !!

[@MichaelLloyd]

Really enjoyed the video and tips Terry. 73 NE5U Mike

[@remley8877]

Danger...warning Will Robinson! Love the video 😆

[@okiwatashi]

That sounds great, time to get building. Great video as usual Terry

[@BobBlec]

Terry: VERY cool amp build! And Captain Laser ROCKS!!!

[@robertphillips597]

That amp has got some serious growl!! Excellent job..

[@kendavis8046]

Great video. Great advice. Great entertainment. I'm now at a loss for words, except to say thank you for the wonderful content!

[@Survive2022]

Who do you order parts through?

[@d-labelectronics]

TubeDepot & MojoTone

[@dylan-reece]

Terry? you are my HERO! that was the best opening credit scene yet my good man!

[@d-labelectronics]

Thank you! I had a blast making the video. Found a cool spot behind a school that looked like an alien planet. The rest was history

[@silvermica]

That first part of the video made me feel like I was at Woodstock and I took the brown acid.

[@Germinalx]

Use this player from now on. Finally sounds like an amp someone would want!

[@rciancia]

Terry, another well done episode. Love your advice on the tube sockets, very very good to know. On the cathode resistor, I generally use a decade box but same result. I do agree on the quality components - I also try not to use cheap caps. Great great job Terry..... As always. Ron

[@d-labelectronics]

You must have a high power decade box?

[@rciancia]

Terry, I have a homemade 20W box I made. Only values in there are 470, 1K , 1.5K , 2K and 4K. Its meant for quick tests.. not for leaving on very long :)

[@anthonyorzino7728]

I’m relatively new to D-lab Terry. You have great expositions! I can tell you love to teach. I’ve been watching and refering a lot lately because I too have a Champ build with all the whistles but no ‘bell(s)’ like tone! I’ve incorporated ALL your suggestions but no success. I already have a store bought new Champ but am building one w/a 10 in. Cab. Oh well… I just wanted to say (I’m assuming that Tele is yours?) that Tele has a GREAT sound. I’ve seen it demoed a few times and love the sound of both pick-ups! No matter who wass playing it. I know it’s the sum of all the parts but those pick-ups shine. Keep the quality coming.

[@gastonb2745]

Love it! Always entertaining and very, very informative. Almost makes me wanna buy an oscilloscope! Haha. Hey, but I have an important technical question, Terry. What vintage wine do you drink when assembling an amp like this?

[@d-labelectronics]

Robert Mondavi

[@philtaylor5053]

Take a beer after every OK, take a shot after every RIGHT.

[@fugamantew]

560k resistor on 6v6 input?

[@derekdlick2516]

The intro of this video makes want to watch the btbam mordecai video.

[@MrTIM2U]

Groovy baby. I am building a tweed Princeton and intended to repurpose old transformers but after your video, no way! "Or you'll just kick yourself later" I'm ordering new Classic Tone transformers today.

[@wadehicks9270]

Mr Terry Sir, I think you do excellent work. And it's also great to watch a video and not have to hear a bunch of cussing all time. Great job Sir and thank you for taking time to make videos to help those who like learning electronics done the right way 😃

[@d-labelectronics]

Thank you Sir, I do like to keep it clean. I agree, cussing adds no value

[@parachuteman4]

Great build and tips on components. That amp sounds great

[@augusteaston-calabria2422]

Thank you! These videos are incredible. I'm gonna start building!

[@michaelinglis8516]

Another great video, so much fun to watch!

[@stratocaster3374]

Great video Terry. Love your channel. Could you share a schematic of the 3 speaker jack upgrade on this 5F2 video?

[@georgelackey622]

Very nice! Sweet sounding amp!

[@jambajoby32]

18:30 that’s what my gf said when she took me home