How to Scratch-Build a Vintage Amp, Part 1: Research and Methods

In this video series, Rusty and I will explain and demonstrate all the steps required to scratch-build any vintage amp, beginning with selecting a suitable amp, studying its structure and design, and establishing the multi-step process by which the construction will proceed.
Although I have chosen a Supro Tremo-Verb Model 6422RT for this demonstration, the principles described can be applied to the recreation of any vintage amplifier. Since this is a scratch-build, rather than a restoration, possible improvements to the circuit, controls, cabinet, and cosmetics of the amplifier are possible without altering the value and collectibility of a real vintage amp.
If you enjoy videos such as this, please subscribe to my YT Channel, to gain immediate access to over 100 additional videos, and to be notified each time a new video is posted. Thanks for watching :)

[@elliottorion4235]

Wanted to start learning how to make amps and found your vids. Then I saw Rusty at the beginning of your vid and he looked like a senior dog. This video was 8 years ago so I imagine he isn’t here physically anymore, lost my dog of 18 years just a couple days ago and it still hurts. Hoping learning about guitar amps can give me something to do between school and occasionally work. Thank you for the knowledge and thank you for the cute dog.

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks for your kind words, Elliott. Rusty passed away several years ago and is indeed sorely missed.

[@michaelpukmel9175]

Hi Uncle Doug, Not sure the best place to post a thanks, but sincere thanks to you for all of the great instructional videos, and answering my beginner questions! Last night I went out to home depot and got the last item I needed (push tab connectors for the speaker wires) to get my first amp build, based on a Fender Deluxe AB763 schematic, running. It sounds great, I could not have done it without your videos. It took about a year to figure out what to build, watch your videos (some several times), learn abut building and most important HV safety, make a bill of materials, print schematics and layouts, order parts, get the mechanical stuff together (all the holes drilled and stuff moved around so that everything fit), learn how to strip ans solder again, check and re-check and test what I could and ask lots of questions. It sounds like a Fender! The tiny room in my house I use for an office is tiny so 22 watts (or thereabout) is plenty of power. Thanks!!!

[@UncleDoug]

You're welcome, Michael. Your work list is a perfect example of how to properly plan and execute an amplifier build. It's very gratifying to hear that our videos were helpful and that your first project went so well. Congratulations !!!

[@davesimmons6517]

Right off the bat , here is an EXCELLENT how to video ! It's clear, one to one user friendly and for me, without even having yet to watch it in full, just by noticing that it begins with a progressive goals list, I know I'm on a winner here. . . . Congratulations - well done !

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks so much for your very nice comments, Dave. Rusty and I really appreciate them. We have posted 150 similar videos and hope you get a chance to watch them all.

[@masonlamb7007]

"A very, very wise man who speaks in a very mellow and soft voice." Uncle Doug, this should be on your business card, because it describes you to a T! Thanks for all the great videos; I've learned so much, and look forward to many, many more.

[@UncleDoug]

+Mason Lamb Wow, thanks Mason. I honestly never thought of that, but really appreciate the fact that you did. You're welcome for the videos......we all hope you enjoy them :)

[@sootikins]

+Uncle Doug Yep, Mason got it right. I was thinking exactly the same thing as you spoke those words on the video and I'll bet hundreds of others were too. Your voice and style of narration get the points across very clearly while being "easy on the ear".

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks so much, Sooti, and regards to the kitty in your icon. Many years ago I needed part time work while attending college, so I applied for a job as an evening FM radio disc jockey......and ended up being hired as the janitor !!! The things we endure in our youth :)

[@sootikins]

+Uncle Doug Station Janitor is closer than I ever got to working in radio, and there was a time when I REALLY wanted to work in radio. My Icon Kitty (his name is Hunter, he's a spotted Bengal) sends his regards to you and Rusty, and a low growl to Jack. Hunter can not seem to get along with other cats but he would probably enjoy Rusty's company.

[@UncleDoug]

Rusty is big on low growls, Sooti, so they would probably be best of friends :)

[@UncleDoug]

Good Friends: Your comments have no reply capability, so I'll answer up here. You really need to acquire some background knowledge, especially in safe handling of high voltages, before attempting a build like this. Also, if you want to build a similar amp but without the reverb and tremolo, I would suggest a Fender Champ circuit instead. Best of luck.

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks, GF and good luck :) Strange....this time it let me reply ???????

[@UncleDoug]

I finally figured it out. You have to go to your YT preferences and check "Anyone" can comment or reply. Actually, Rusty told me :)

[@jcurious5840]

I also had questions about safely handling of high voltages, because every amp building tutorial warns about it. Are there any tutorials on electrical safety for amp builders?

[@kenjimac2211]

Good Dog!!! :)

[@ScottMcCulloughBmax419]

Yet another example of why Uncle Doug has the best channel on KZbin. I'm eager to watch this series as it progresses!

[@UncleDoug]

+Scott McCullough Thanks so much, Scott. I hope we make it worth your while.

[@toxicgraphix]

Thank you, Uncle Doug, for handing down your knowledge to us. I am looking forward to the rest of this series.

[@UncleDoug]

+toxicgraphix You're welcome, TG. To be honest, I have no idea how it will turn out, but I plan on learning a lot along the way.

[@philhooper5769]

I'm about to graduate with my electrical engineering degree. Watching your videos has made me love what I study (as opposed to just getting through). Thank you so much.

[@UncleDoug]

You're welcome, Phil. Congratulations.....an EE is a challenging and potentially quite rewarding achievement.

[@mrdunngoofd]

You are a great teacher. Not only is this video really well planned and laid out, but you go into a good amount of depth on each topic without overkill and you keep the viewer interested. I'm learning a lot and plan to continue watching this series. Thank you.

[@UncleDoug]

You're welcome, Sir G. Thanks for your very nice comments :)

[@damuelkohlberg890]

The best waste of a Saturday I have ever had that I can remember. Thank you and i look forward to more

[@UncleDoug]

We're flattered that you chose to spend your Saturday with us, Sam. You are always welcome :)

[@pregister]

Uncle Doug for President! Thanks much for being so generous with your time and experience. I'm really looking forward to this series.

[@UncleDoug]

+Peter Register You're welcome, Peter, and thanks for the kind words. I'm hopeful that it will be a rewarding experience for both of us :)

[@Raginwolf]

Hey Electronics genius Uncle Doug. I have this Marshall practice amp that I loved everything about it. The TDA2050 opamp cooked one day...so since I've been attempting to repair my own gear...perform repairs and modifications... Could please tell me if it is a good idea of mine to replace that opamp, which I am certain , at least I'm pretty sure the tda2050 opamp is the output stage. So...it would be sweet to put a tube/MOSFET hybrid opamp in its place. Borbely has a schematic that theoretically should work. Please any tips? Thank you Sir.

[@Wim37u]

Hi Jack and Rusty! Thanks a ton for sharing your knowledge. So i finally took your build-your-own-vintage-style-amp howtos seriously and guess what, it not only finally works, it blows my shoes off every time. Thank you so much! Regards to Doug, yours, Jens.

[@UncleDoug]

You're quite welcome, Jens. Congratulations on a very successful and rewarding first build.

[@michaelreed2517]

I have been following your posts for over a year now and they have inspired me to build my own amp, which I have recently started. This series of videos are going to be great and especially useful for me as I aspire to design and build my own amp one day. Thanks Uncle Doug.

[@UncleDoug]

+Michael Reed You're welcome, Mike. Rusty and I wish you the very best :)

[@raymondheath7668]

I was racking my brains trying to figure out where I saw chassis building drawings and then it hit me, that massive pile of old '73 magazines. Most of the projects showed how to fabricate a chassis for the project. can't wait to follow this project

[@UncleDoug]

I hope you enjoy it, Raymond.

[@kwsailer1]

I don't know your background, but your videos are the best technical instruction that I have seen (and I live in that realm). Best to you and Rusty! Ken

[@UncleDoug]

+kwsailer1 Thanks so much, KW. I've had several careers......and teaching (math and science) was one of my favorites. I'm really glad that you're enjoying the videos.

[@garym2282]

Uncle Doug, I recently came across your channel and have absolutely enjoyed watching and learning. Although, I must say I barely have the electrical knowledge to change a light bulb. Your style and approach coupled with Rusty's intense work ethic are quite entertaining and I look forward the upcoming videos in this series. Thanks, Gary

[@UncleDoug]

+Gary M You're welcome, Gary. Rusty and I hope your enjoy our videos :)

[@nathanpoole6342]

Uncle Doug I know nothing about electronics. When I was 13 I had a friend that was a little older that did, he was real good with radios and things. We would pick things up off the side of the road or at a garage sale and he would fix them. I really enjoy your videos and the projects that you do. I would guess that at one time you were a teacher or you learned from a very good teacher. I want to encourage you to keep making vides al long as you can, sure seems you like sharing your knowledge.thanks

[@UncleDoug]

+Nathan Poole Greetings and thanks, Nathan. Yes, I was a math and science teacher for many years, and have been interested in electronics even longer. Rusty and I are glad you enjoy our videos and thank you for watching :)

[@southamericanrocker]

Thanks Uncle Doug! Thid is just what I needed. I have tubes, speaker and transformers for an AX84 P1 build, that I have been delaying for the last 12 years. I will watch the whole series to fill in the blanks in my limited knowledge. And I will build that P1 at last! When finished I'll be sharing for anyone intered here. The AX84 P1 was a "collaborative" amp design site that is now off line :( but luckily I managed to find the Schematics for the (I think) latest version of that amp. Thank you again!

[@budandbean1]

O Boy, O Boy, O Boy, can't wait Uncle Doug! Thanks for doing this!

[@UncleDoug]

+Buddy Martin You're welcome, Buddy. The series should answer a lot of questions, and I will learn a lot from making the videos. It's a win....win :))

[@budandbean1]

+Uncle Doug You are right , it's a win...win

[@jumbojane5592]

Perfectly structured youtube video. Felt like I was watching a scientific journal.

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks, Smoky. Rusty sends his regards :)

[@sa230e]

Man, it's like you read my mind with this video. I'm working on a scratch build of a (modified) vintage amp, too. Only I've never done it before so it's great to have someone walk you through it. Can't wait for the rest of the series, Uncle Doug.

[@UncleDoug]

+sa230e What an excellent coincidence, SA. Hopefully, both our projects will work out successfully :)

[@valentinocolaon6060]

Good description of a SE amp sound. It tells you everything, leaves nothing behind.

[@UncleDoug]

+Valentino Colaon Thanks, Valentino. I really love SE tone, and I guess it shows :)

[@aerostoon]

Uncle Doug, you mentioned one time that you were a teacher in your career. Well guess what, you still are and the thousands of us "Ampoholics" are humbly your students. Every new video is like opening the best Christmas present ever on Christmas morning. Thanks so much! Aero

[@UncleDoug]

+Aerostoon Wow, thanks so much, Aero. I guess Christmas is coming early this year.....let's hope it doesn't end up being a lump of coal :) :)

[@audiotechlabs4650]

You have come back from the summer break with a bang. The Elvis amp set the stage for this series. This will be a big project and you have thought it out really well! Thankz

[@UncleDoug]

+Audio Tech Labs You're welcome, ATL. Now that I've launched this boat, it should be interesting to see if it sails onward to glory......or sinks into infamy. Either way, it should be an exciting cruise :)

[@djvycious]

I have my popcorn and beer ready +Uncle Doug! Looking forward to this series!

[@UncleDoug]

+Cameron Walker You better get a keg, Cameron, because Rusty, Jack, and I are coming over to watch it at your house :)

[@areyouavinalaff]

love the intelligence, humour and Rusty. cool vids you do.

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks so much. We're glad you enjoy them :)

[@fpvtv2222]

I 'm thinking about building this along with you. It will be my first amp build. Thanks for making these videos.

[@UncleDoug]

Good luck with your first build, FP. Be careful :)

[@wreckoningday]

Man, Uncle Doug, I've been gearing up to build my first amplifier after building pedals for about 2 yrs and I was looking at this EXACT amp! I looked at the 1622 but wanted to start w something smaller and found the 6422. Thank you for doing this series, I'm really stoked about building this w your direction!

[@UncleDoug]

+wreckoningday What a great coincidence, WD :) Rusty and I hope that the series benefits you, and your project turns out well.

[@wreckoningday]

+Uncle Doug I have no doubt that Rusty will help me stay calm and collected thru the process

[@UncleDoug]

You can follow his lead to total relaxation :)

[@TaoXIA-xi9uu]

Thanks uncle Doug, it helps a lot. I’ve always been dreaming building a Hiwatt amp myself!

[@UncleDoug]

Study up and give it a try when you're finally ready, T.

[@voxburn]

Uncle Doug, you're the real MVP. I've learned a ton watching your videos, built 2 amps and know I'm hooked. I've been looking for my next project, I love single end amps and one with tem and reverb is very interesting. I look forward to the next one.

[@UncleDoug]

+Mark T Thanks, Mark. Rusty and I are glad the videos are helpful.

[@KenGrunke]

I have the Gretsch 6150T, without the reverb tank. This series will be invaluable in restoring my amp, which has a badly dog-chewed up case. It does have good sound with no detectable hum without an instrument plugged in. I was going to let it go for $75, so glad I didn't. A thousand thanks!!

[@UncleDoug]

You're welcome, Ken. It's a great amp.....you made the right decision.

[@KenGrunke]

For sure, Uncle Doug. I was fairly serious about playing in my younger days, but I was born with stiff wrists which made it very hard to fret a guitar in the normal position and ended up being so frustrating I just quit playing. I wasn't interested in lap slide guitar at the time, but now I'm pretty motivated to try it. Looking at a lot of plans for building one, as I have the tools and skills. That will come before the amp restore, which is perfectly useable as is, just looks like crap! As can be seen here: www.token.crwoodturner.com/gretch/index.html

[@UncleDoug]

Boy, that missing cabinet corner and seriously blemished control panel are going to be a real challenge. Please let us see this when you are done.

[@dot_boi]

Love Your Videos! Keep Doing awesome work! I'm a metal head and I'm looking in building a unique tube amp. I went and researched for a few months about how they work and basically how to build them. Iv looked everywhere for something like this and finally found it, thanks so much!

[@UncleDoug]

+Guitar Guitar You're welcome, GG.....glad the video series is helpful :)

[@Dan79istheman]

Uncle Doug! You've done it again.... Brilliant.

[@UncleDoug]

+Dan79istheman Dan, my old friend, it's great to hear from you. Thanks for the kind words. I hope Rusty and I make you proud :)

[@Dan79istheman]

+Uncle Doug without a doubt!

[@UkuHeyHey]

Your the best uncle that I am not related to I ever had!

[@UncleDoug]

+Cameron Huebner Thanks so much, Cameron. I guess it's better to be able to choose your uncles instead of being stuck with the ones you're born with :)

[@LiouSantos]

Looking forward for the other videos. I was going to build a small tube amp, but now I'll wait to watch this series. Thanks for sharing you knowledge

[@UncleDoug]

+Leonardo Liou You're welcome, Leonardo, and best of luck with your project.

[@TheGuitologist]

Just so you know, the actual model numbers for the amps you mentioned are S6422TR, not RT. I have demonstrated the Supro, Airline, and National versions of this amp on my channel. They are easily in my top 5 amps of all time. I happen to also very much like the reverb. It is super cheesy and cannot be reproduced today (unless you hand make your own reverb tanks!

[@UncleDoug]

+Brad Linzy (The Guitologist) Thanks for the info, Brad. I look forward to watching your demos.

[@colderwar]

Nice to see you and Rusty back Doug. I'm thinking really hard about building a valve amp myself, this video series will really help.

[@UncleDoug]

+Anglo Spanish Racing Thanks, ASR. By all means, take the amp-building plunge.....its like being Dr. Frankenstein......you take a bunch of inanimate objects and some electricity, and create something that's "alive".

[@robinwest2490]

Hi Doug. A quick FYI... I just finished step 1 of the Supro build which was: Chassis prep, power supply, pre-amp, tone-stack, driver, and power amp section. There was fairly loud 120 cycle hum with the pre-map tubes out, so, I hooked the 6V6 to B2 instead of B1 and that killed the hum. I guess only one 33uf cap was not enough to kill the ripple, in my situation. On to the vibrato circuit... PS, the 6SL7 sounds great. I also added a cathode follower as section #2 in the 6SL7 ahead of the tone-stack. More to follow...

[@UncleDoug]

+John Heaphy It sounds like you're making good progress, John. Keep us posted :)

[@justinb2924]

I love your videos and have been watching them for years. Your knowledge, attention to detail and craftsmanship are attributes not often found in the production of electronics today. I wish you'd create more videos of this type. Maybe a more complicated build like a Marshall Plexi. Regardless, I will keep following the awesome videos you create. Thank you so much.

[@UncleDoug]

Wow, thanks so much for your very nice comments, Buck. Jack and I really appreciate them.

[@justinb2924]

@@UncleDoug And thank you for responding. Take care.

[@Thermionman]

I love the sound of single ended 6V6..........wonderful tone in a Gibson Skyark GA-5 that I have....and singing clear overdrive when turned up....I also have a Westinghouse radio console AM/Shortwave that has single ended 6V6 output and has a very warm sparkling tone... but one of the most wonderful amplifiers I have heard is this Bell and Howell reel to reel that I used for an audio amplifier for watching TV/VCR/DVD etc..........You have to turn the tape motor on to activate the amplifier but don't really hear the motor.....I hooked a big hiFi floor speaker up to the external speaker jack ....and the sound is out of this world....warm and rich beyond words....especially old movie orchestral soundtracks............The only problem is are these single ended amps are very low powered .so one day I would like to build a single ended 6V6 amplifier using 3 or 4 tubes in parallel .to produce around 15- 20 watts......that would be awesome and quite loud and distortion free for living room........could build two for stereo!

[@UncleDoug]

+Chris Shippam I agree with your affection for SE 6V6 tone, Chris. I've never seen or heard of an amp that used more than 2 output tubes in parallel. If you do build this, be sure to share some photos and an evaluation of the performance.....I would be very interested to see (and hear) how it turns out.

[@jtriodeski2042]

Thanks again Uncle Doug for all your help. I used a lot - a whole lot of your methods to scratch build my 5f1. I am on a 5e3 right now and wast figuring on a Marshall 18w next, but I may have to rethink that now!!

[@jtriodeski2042]

+John Chrzanowski Oh and I really like the white noise sign off at the end. I remember waking up to that plenty of times after falling asleep with the TV on.

[@UncleDoug]

+J Triodeski You're welcome, JT. We're glad the videos were helpful. Best of luck with all your projects :)

[@charlesmatthias9459]

Thanks,Uncle Doug,for your wonderful videos'!I'm sure that I am not alone in my appreciation of you taking the time to put these great and insightful videos' together for us!

[@UncleDoug]

You're quite welcome, Charles. We're really glad to hear that you enjoy them :)

[@shamanthnag1]

Uncle Doug, i have this thirst of learning about pre amps and eq and compressors circuit designs and crafting my own gears for my studio, and i am a beginner and your videos really helped me to understand how the things work from your other videos, really love your explanations which can be understood by a layman like me, by the way your "popcorn" example to explain 12ax7 and 6v6 tubes on the othervideo made me your fan(i m a popcorn lover too). i must confess i like your videos and wait for rusty to turn up and give you suggestions in the middle. with much love and inspired from your videos, from india

[@UncleDoug]

Greetings, Shamanth. We're glad to hear that our videos are helpful, and sincerely appreciate your kind comments. Best of luck with all your projects :)

[@jeffm8122]

Uncle Doug, you've done it again. I'd never seen Airlines, Nationals or the likes of your Supro mini-amp until you put them in front of me. The amount of time and effort invested by you certainly doesn't go unnoticed. This one is no exception, a big project based on a circuit that is usual but unusual at the same time. Hope that makes sense. The design guys at Valco must have spent a lot of time doodling at the drawing board because they have so many variations on a theme. Chasing that elusive 'tone' of course. I see the CBO has a starring role and Jack, well cats will get you every time. Looking forward to the next chapter. Thanks again.

[@UncleDoug]

+Jeff M You're welcome, Jeff. We all appreciate your kind words of encouragement.....and may need them (and some whiskey) before this challenging project is completed. It's interesting that the Supro version of this circuit generally sells for 2 to 3 times as much as the other brands. I need to invite Jimmy Page over to the house to play all my guitars and amps......it seems to make them very valuable :)

[@jeffm8122]

+Uncle Doug I find 'a wee drop' (about three fingers) makes a schematic look a lot clearer. What a difference a name makes. If Jimmy comes around he may make an offer for your gear you can't refuse. Good for you, but rusted-on followers like us won't have anything to look at. (the Russian pole dancers have gone off a bit). Ah well, you would just have to make some more projects. Keep well.

[@UncleDoug]

We will, Jeff.....same to you :)

[@SiliconSet]

Great video Doug, many thanks. Jack and Rusty are a riot.

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks, SS, from all of us :)

[@Jonw8222]

Nice idea for new video series! Can't thank you enough for your videos that helped me do some repairs/upgrades and general designing of my amps thanks to your vids. They are modern PCB high gain amps but the basics behind them and the theory transferred over nicely. Especially the power amp/preamp videos. The current limiter video helped a lot as well. Thanks especially to Rusty, who we all know is really pulling the strings behind the scenes.

[@UncleDoug]

+JonW You're welcome, Jon, and quite astute to realize that Rusty really is the puppet master around this madhouse. We're glad the videos were helpful and appreciate the time you spend watching them :)

[@DrHodge-ri5do]

A very wise man speaking in mellow tones... A perfect description of Uncle Doug! This could turn into a series of epic proportions. Maybe Disney will buy the rights? Eager to see this one unfold. - though Rusty seems exceptionally obstinate.

[@UncleDoug]

+Dr. Hodge Thanks so much Dr. H. Rusty's agent is trying to get us a Netflix deal, with payment in Sprague Orange-Drop capacitors and T-bone steaks :)

[@stephanematis]

Looking forward to the entire series!

[@UncleDoug]

I hope you enjoy it, Stephane :)

[@RestoreOldRadios]

Looking forward to this series. Best, Don

[@UncleDoug]

+RestoreOldRadios I hope it thrills and amazes, Don. If not, at least I hope no one is injured in the fire or by smoke inhalation ;)

[@zuheyr1]

I have constructed a 300B SE amp very few W from Kit. Fantastic

[@michatroschka]

gonna save that series for a nice evening with some beer! thanks for those well made quality videos!

[@UncleDoug]

You're welcome, M. Let us know when the party begins :)

[@michatroschka]

@@UncleDoug i will!! thats gonna be tubes thursday or something hahaha

[@CraigHollabaugh]

You're my hero. Thanks Doug and trusty Rusty.

[@UncleDoug]

+Craig Hollabaugh You're welcome, Craig. It's good to hear from you. Thanks for watching :)

[@Barnekkid]

Wow, this is going to be a great series. And that Rusty sure has attitude!

[@UncleDoug]

+Barnekkid I hope so too, BK. Don't let Rusty fool you. It's all an act. Once the camera is off, he pitches in and works like a dog :)

[@FLyyyT_]

Back to the reason why I subscribed. Very exciting :) thanks for your hard work!

[@UncleDoug]

+SNEAKxxATTACK You're welcome, SA. It's good to hear from you :)

[@earlyjp]

Thank you, sir. I was so pleased to discover your channel recently, and I am very much looking forward to this informative series.

[@UncleDoug]

+James Early You're welcome, James. I hope you enjoy it :)

[@ej222]

Love your channel. I will be watching this as you go for sure

[@UncleDoug]

+ej222 Thanks, EJ :)

[@gerardcousineau3200]

Can a beginner jumped into making of a 50 watts double ended amp that will be similar to the single ended you are describing in this video ! Thank you Uncle Doug you're an inspiration.! I have a 1966 lifco single ended, I like it but the repaired that was done lately was like a butcher job ! At least it's working ! After playing with a garage rock band and using vintage tube amps I was converted ! That's when I did get the lifco ! The lifco needed a lot of work I did some but when it came to the electrolitic capacitor (3in 1) and resistors I give the job to someone else (I asked that any parts removed be kept and returned to me) after at least 50% of the resistors where removed and the 3in1EC, the amps was returned to me with three Chinese EC, I never saw the colors of the old parts they did removed ! That's the reason now if I could I'll do the job myself ! Finally I have to admit I really like the lifco anyway ! P.S. when I did get the lifco recently it was a 100% original but not working ! This event made me very interested in working with and on classical amplifiers ! Thanks again Rusty, Jack and you Uncle Doug ! Have a great day ! :)

[@UncleDoug]

+gerard cousineau Greetings, Gerard. I would imagine that a novice could successfully construct a 50W DE amp, but I wouldn't recommend it. It would be like trying to ride a large motorcycle when you don't even know how to ride a bicycle. As you found out (the hard way) just about the only way to get repairs done right is to do them yourself. It's why I got started in this field long ago. Best of luck with your Lifco :)

[@Sloggeth]

Thanks for this Uncle Doug. Can't watch it now because my flight for ATL is leaving in a few minutes, but I'll be watching tonight for sure. I have an unfinished scratch build that I need a little help to push over the finish line.

[@UncleDoug]

+Sloggeth You're welcome, Slog. Have a safe flight and get ready to finish that project :)

[@PoJoWo]

Fantastic... Badger the tripod lurcher and I are waiting with baited breath. Your comments about single ended amps ring very true. I think the usually simple eq also highlights the tone of the guitar in a very direct way making sure you have your act together... Continuing the old wise man analogy they too often cut straight to the chase. I think the mid scoop of the bigger amps is often used as a hidey hole by some players. All the best from Wales sir.

[@UncleDoug]

+PoJoWo Thanks so much, and best regards to both you and Badger. SE's forever :)

[@LastL98]

Greatly appreciate your videos. I've learned and am continuing to learn an incredible amount of information. You're an incredible teacher, person and builder. Look forward to ALL of your videos. Thank you so much!

[@UncleDoug]

+LastL98 You are quite welcome, LL, and thanks for the very kind words. It's great to hear that the videos are helpful.

[@SkitaEkul]

Hey!!! I think I just figured something out. You can probably take the whole front of the cabinet of and turn it up side down on the read one. That would make the cabinet square like the gray one. Look at the skews on the front panel and look at the werd stripe on the side of the gray one. Great series by the way. Im a fan

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks, Skita :)

[@chadith]

Can't wait to wait this series. Thanks Uncle Doug!!!

[@UncleDoug]

+chad smith You're welcome, Chad. Thanks for watching :)

[@tectalabyss]

I am very much looking forward to this series. All the best. Bobby

[@UncleDoug]

+Bobby Tectalabyss I hope you like it, Bobby :)

[@camilo1455]

I'm glad I found you. Been warming up to your content over the last few months and this looks like the beginning of a great series. I've got a lot of catching up to do. Thanks for the content.

[@UncleDoug]

Welcome aboard, Camilo.

[@daveanderson6323]

Great series Doug. I'll be watching.

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks, Dave.

[@mauricerogerson5825]

Yep. I LOVE my 5W Silverface Champ. It's the one I play 99% of the time.

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks for sharing, Maurice.

[@dagog2570]

I like how we can always depend on rusty :)

[@UncleDoug]

+Dago G I would be lost without him, DG :)

[@mrsakeru]

Really looking forward to build my own amp! Thanks Uncle Doug and Rusty! :)

[@UncleDoug]

You're welcome, Joji. Best of luck with your project.

[@frankpeterson8308]

Will definitely follow this series. I have almost all the parts layin around, I might build one just for fun.

[@JCHaywire]

Again we soldier on without Rusty. I like to think he's still very supportive--acting, perhaps, as a moral compass as you venture into this ambitious project. I couldn't be happier. This could easily be the Uncle Doug tour de force, coup d'etat, or some other hifalutin foreign phrase du jour. But clearly you need that moral compass. Thanks again for excellent content well-presented.

[@UncleDoug]

+JC Haywire You're welcome, JC, and thanks for your very kind appraisal. I concur that without Rusty's moral guidance, I would definitely be adrift in an existential sea of mediocrity, but now, after marinating in his positive influence, I can dare to set lofty goals and strive for them.....at least after I finish this beer and pole-dancing video.

[@GregsGarage]

Looking forward to this series. Nice work UD and R.

[@UncleDoug]

+Greg's Garage It's good to hear from you, Greg. Thanks :)

[@attackofthepacifists]

This is really cool. Thank you for doing this series. I need to learn more about all of these components and what their functions are before attempting a serious build, but this is so interesting to watch!

[@UncleDoug]

+Attack Of The Pacifists You're welcome, AP. I'm glad the videos are helping you develop a fuller understanding of amplifier construction, and look forward to hearing of the successful completion of your first project. Best of luck :)

[@redfishbum]

Thanks for this!!! I'll be watching every one!! Probably.....many, many times each. Love the pets!

[@UncleDoug]

+redfishbum You're welcome, Red. Good fishing and thanks for watching :)

[@TheBonedady]

it is always great to see you and rusty doing a video. this series has me hooked already. can't wait to see how it turns out. as always thank you for adding to my knowledge base.

[@UncleDoug]

+jeff greenwell You're welcome, Jeff. Rusty and I are glad you're on board for our new video series. Thanks for watching :)

[@GB-iy3wt]

I love your videos Uncle Doug! I'm learning so much. Much appreciation for all the time you take on these. :D

[@UncleDoug]

You're welcome, Garrett :)

[@wboet]

Dear Uncle, many thanks for your effort for all this and your heartful reviews of your pets. N O W: Special thanks for your good pronounciation, I'm German and it is a pleasure to listen to an American with understandable English. So I learn about Vlave-Technic and improve my understanding of american English. I woul appreciate if you could think somtimes to pay attention to specialites of our 220V currency at least theoretically. Sorry for mistakes, regards, Andreas

[@UncleDoug]

You're welcome, Andreas. I appreciate your nice comments and will keep your request regarding 220VAC in mind.

[@parentteachernight]

Thank you for all of your detailed and informative videos.

[@UncleDoug]

+parentteachernight You're welcome, PT :)

[@muttamps]

Hey UD! I follow a similar process when building amps. Looks like this is going to be a good series, can't wait to see the rest of it! I appreciate your patience to commit the process to video.

[@UncleDoug]

+Mutt Amps You're welcome, MA. I think the process follows a fairly logical progression, except I left out the part about re-ordering all the parts I forgot to order the first time around :) Thanks for watching.

[@GretschGod]

Uncle Doug... You are that wise man! Really looking forward to the series. :D

[@UncleDoug]

+GretschGod You are too kind, GG, but Rusty and I really appreciate the kind words. Thanks for watching :)

[@squareyes1981]

Looking forward to binging through this series. Thanks for sharing :)

[@UncleDoug]

You're welcome, Ian. We hope you enjoy our videos.

[@jjheaphy]

Reverb installed and working. Now I have to get the case ready.

[@UncleDoug]

+John Heaphy You're moving right along, John. We wish you continued success.....

[@AaronWayneOtto]

Great idea. Can't wait for the rest of this series.

[@UncleDoug]

+Aaron Otto Thanks, and thanks for watching, Aaron.

[@sinecure45]

If this series comes on fast I expect it will put the kibosh on my NCAA football watching season. What a great project, and it might end up sounding like the model 24, rumoured to have been used by Jimmy Page on the Led Zep album!

[@UncleDoug]

+Jay Blue Let's hope it sounds that good, Jay. Thanks for watching :)

[@skycarl]

This is great and with perfect timing. Been thinking about doing something like this. Thanks UD and can't wait for part two.......Carl

[@UncleDoug]

+skycarl You're welcome, Carl. I hope the series is helpful :)

[@HungryFreaksDaddy]

Wooo! Can't wait for more in this series!

[@UncleDoug]

+HungryFreaksDaddy Thanks, HFD. I have the majority of Part 2 recorded, so it should be posted in the near future.

[@newtboys]

I'll definitely join for part 2 and more.

[@UncleDoug]

+John Schmaus Thanks, John. See you then :)

[@bullthrush]

I'm looking forward to this series, and learning a few more point to point tips. Rusty looks ready for a game of tennis ball, and I guess the camera passed Jack's sniff test. :))

[@UncleDoug]

+bullthrush Greetings, Andrew. I hope it all works out.....but, just to be safe, I upped my fire insurance. I accidentally left the camera on for a while when I was out of the room and Jack took advantage of my absence.

[@YulehHabibi]

AMAZING!!! this is incredible Uncle Doug!!! So happy you are doing this.

[@UncleDoug]

+YulehHabibi Thanks, YH. I hope you enjoy it :)

[@jeromebenedetti6333]

It's always a pleasure to see your video

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks, GG. It's also always a pleasure to hear from nice viewers......like you.

[@AndyWragg]

Sterling work as always Uncle Doug. Wont be long before my home built JTM45 clone is complete.

[@UncleDoug]

+Andy Wragg Thanks, Andy. Be sure to share it with us when you're done.

[@alvagoldbook2]

Uncle D! What an awesome project! Looking forward to see how this turns out. I have my own process for amp building, but I'm still quite new to all this, and learning how someone else would approach this I'm sure will give me a lot of insight. Thank you for posting this!

[@UncleDoug]

+Alva Goldbook You're welcome, Alva. I hope you find some useful info in the videos :)

[@mixolydian2010]

Thanks Doug this is going to be a great series. This could be my first valve amp. All the best to Rusty and Jack, he seems more interested than Rusty. Colin

[@UncleDoug]

+mixolydian2010 You're welcome, Colin. I am grooming Jack to take over after Rusty retires. I'm not sure when that will be since it's hard to tell if he is retired yet or not :)

[@tbdalva]

Wow UD, this is going to be great, when I was young I used a Fender Twin Reverb, then the thing got heavier so I switched to a Deluxe Reverb, well, that gained mass with time too so I got a Princeton Reverb, now I gig with a Vibro Champ.I love reverb so I have to use a pedal.Anyway, looking forward to the series.

[@UncleDoug]

+tbdalva I agree completely, TB. My days of lugging Fender Super Sixes up 9 flights of stairs are long gone. As you mentioned, even the Deluxe Reverb is getting too heavy and the Princeton Reverb will follow soon. The thought of a compact, portable amp with both reverb and tremolo seems very appealing......and the SE novelty just makes it better.

[@ryanbrown3833]

This is going to be great, Uncle Doug!

[@UncleDoug]

+Ryan Brown I hope so, Ryan. Either that or a very expensive, time-consuming disaster......either way, I guess we'll learn something :)

[@ryanbrown3833]

+Uncle Doug, A college degree is more expensive, and this king of learning is fun. I build amps too, but I roll my own.

[@Snowcountry556]

This looks like it will be a really good series. Do you have an expectation as to the overall cost?

[@UncleDoug]

+Sam Matthews I will keep close tabs on that and report it, Sam. I think a lot of people will be very surprised by how expensive scratch building is, even if you use reasonably priced parts (i.e. transformers).

[@wardcheryldarcie]

looking forward to the rest of this series!!!

[@UncleDoug]

+wardcheryldarcie Thanks, Ward :)

[@DeadKoby]

Super Groovy! This may inspire me to reproduce a 63 Gibson amp I already have. I've been told my amp sounds super cool when cranked loud, but with the original Alnico speaker and original tubes and transformers.... I'd rather not hurt it. So I wanted to clone mine.... and then rock the repro. The other super cool SE Amp I built uses an 807 power tube for a whopping 12watts of Single End power. I named that amplifier "Braddock"

[@UncleDoug]

+DeadKoby Greetings, DK. I think you have the right idea about preserving the original amp and cloning one for modification. It would be an interesting video to see and here a comparison.

[@stevenwilliamdewitt]

Very nice! Can't wait to see what's next.

[@UncleDoug]

+Steve Dewitt Thanks, Steve.....neither can I :)

[@KenIn_NH]

Doug, Any chance you could make your content available for off line use? you make very interesting and educational videos and I'd love to be able to watch these on my long train ride into work. would make that time so much more productive! Thanks!

[@UncleDoug]

+Ken Reynolds I haven't thought about it, Ken, but it's an interesting suggestion. I will definitely keep it in mind......and thanks for asking :)

[@gerryroberts662]

Doug and rusty, such a great great video..thank you..

[@UncleDoug]

Thanks, Gerry :)