Turn a Radio Into a Guitar Amp

This is a bit of a visual guide on how to turn a radio into a guitar amp. It is a very easy process, and even though i got the polarities wrong on this hack, it still worked perfectly.
If you want a more step by step guide, then please visit my Instructable page below:
www.instructables.com/id/Conve...

[@Awsumdude234]

If you don't want the guitar to have that overdrive effect, you can turn down the volume on the guitar itself (probably to 3) and turn up the volume on the radio. I found this out quite a while ago. It comes in handy ;)

[@TheKing-jt4bg]

This remind me the story of Manal, a band from Argentina, they were the first band that recorded blues in spanish, from 1968 to 1971, they hacked a reel to reel tape recorder to use it as a guitar/bass overdrive

[@dimchandeliers]

I did this back in 1977 by plugging my guitar into a Radio Shack FM transmitter that had a 1/4" input jack. No mods necessary!

[@AndrewAlex92]

"Pretty dirty goddam sound" caught me off guard 😂

[@ozzelot3349]

Thank you! I saw your instructable a few weeks back, and today I went to the flea market and got a mid-80s Tesla Avanti. I'll change the pots, buy a jack and see how it goes.

[@lonesoulsurfer]

Ozzelot nice work. Good luck with the project

[@ozzelot3349]

Thanks! I figured out the pin to connect the signal to, just need to get the correct jack now... Also thinking of adding a switch to turn off the radio entirely, since that's waaaay easy on this thing. It's super cool.

[@triplesevensix291]

You dirty bastard! Lol. I gotta get some old radios from car boot sales now. I love how dirty they sound. The older the better. I've known about these hacks for years but still aint done one myself. Good job man. I love the lo fi sound. ;)

[@lonesoulsurfer]

TRIPLESEVENSIX haha - thanks man. I did an update to this hack recently which can be found in the link below kzbin.info/www/bejne/enTbo3aEaaiEmaM Have fun

[@TEAMSTEAM4LIFE]

I'd really like to hear it with an electric.

[@malboyce3468]

Cole Clark nice guitar !! and interesting amp build that I think I will try - Thanks man :-)

[@oscardanielginting1548]

making a tape radio as a guitar amplifier is a little more difficult than an active speaker. First the components are fairly rare. But it will be easier when we find the input.

[@djDEADBOi]

is there a video with this and an electric guitar?

[@brano_1410]

I kinda like the distortion :D

[@sezzfreeman3249]

hey bro now goto a shopping center get the 20dollar wireless mic and use common sence you will have a blast the store is calld target any way just rip the top off the mic and put guitar cord on there great quality and i walke d over to my neighbors house playing it,im retired i teare everything apart and hack it,i made a universal garage door remote,my buddy and i drove through about 500 houses in a track opend evry garage door as we drove by ,any ways good job sir.

[@brettknoss486]

what are you touching with the wire?

[@nextellcup8]

awesome

[@Kennynva]

For the battery connection plate I just fined an old radio and pull it out and solder it into the old ones place,,and i use the spring end for the negative side...

[@tannerdouglas5873]

Do you have an acoustic or electric? Just curious. My acoustic and preamp aren't working with a saddle pickup and preamp, but my electric works.

[@ou-rb2gv]

soldered just one wire? to just one spot?

[@guyvaderproductions8882]

An acoustic guitar is never referred to as an axe!

[@triplesevensix291]

Firewood that gets chopped by an axe maybe? If its a shit guitar that is.

[@sumanahmed7723]

Make a video where we can get this things

[@analogpedals]

A radio recorder with mic/aux inputs does not need modifications. My Crown CRC530 and National RQ445 sound very Deacy-ish with a Rangemaster, TS or EQ before.

[@Drugaddict22]

This is awesome

[@lonesoulsurfer]

Finally - the one and only Ron Jeremy has cornets o one of my videos. Now I can die happy 😉

[@uncleboogie69]

nice

[@liamk8698]

What radio is that

[@rickdeeks4569]

how do you stop the sound of the radio signal coming through?

[@lonesoulsurfer]

Rick Deeks you just move the dial until you have static. You can still use it as a radio as well.

[@sumanahmed7723]

Its good

[@mcopado]

I don't know if you check comments to this old video- thanks for it by the way. But I have a couple questions. I found a great 1970 Sears Roebuck radio today for 7 bucks and I want to use it for a cigar box guitar amp. If you have a radio that takes batteries AND can be plugged in, is it safe to use with AC, or do I have to use it only with batteries? I can't get a clear answer, most of the people who post these things say no, but they also say they no nothing about electricity and radios, so I don't know how accurate it is. Also If I have a dual band Am/FM radio, can I wire the jack into the two way pot instead of the volume knob, that way let's say I could keep the am band and swtich the pot to the fm side for the guitar (actually what I'm considering doing is putting in a mini computer audio jack so I can use it as speaker for my computer or headphone jack on my phone.) I'm also considering swapping out the tuning knob with an Artec Psychknob effects board/pot. I'm wondering if that would work and if I'd run into trouble with powering it, especially if the amp could work plugged in. Any thoughts? www.cbgitty.com/amplifiers-amp-kits-parts/psycho-knob-board-internal-distortion-boost-overdrive-for-guitar-or-amp-now-with-pre-wired-leads/

[@lonesoulsurfer]

+Michael you can use AC power but it can obviously be dangerous, especially if you are messing about with the insides. I'd suggest that you just use DC as it's safer. I'm not too sure if you can wire it to the 2 way pot but maybe experiment and see how you go. You should still be able to use the radio if you attach the jack to the volume pot. Mmm... not too sure about adding the effects board but it's def worth a try. Good luck!

[@Luisnahualiztli]

super chido

[@vintagelife6879]

hey there, i did it my vol pot had 3 ins, i put the guitar in 2 of them, there is sound but i still hear the radio talking hehe, how do i fix this_

[@lonesoulsurfer]

Howdy. Just tune the radio to static and you should be able to cancel out any talking (or music!)

[@JesusRocksTryPrayin]

Where the fuck did you get that? :D that's badass

[@norrlins]

where do you attach the blue wire from the jack socket

[@mrmaggot34]

Darren Waller ground.

[@mk_rexx]

Will this work with a microphone (3.5mm, like the one built-in a webcam)

[@lonesoulsurfer]

Not sure really but if it did it would be a pretty dirty sound that would come out the speaker.

[@balticgaming-simonthomas6415]

What is the blue wire connected to ?

[@randomsongs8478]

Anywhere. Ground.

[@translateslowly]

So where did you put the blue wire? That's ground right? So any ground point will work?

[@lonesoulsurfer]

Yep you got it. I just connected it to the ground battery terminal

[@MichaelStoneham]

just want to say in doing this mod you need to disconnect the radio dont you otherwise it will come through.

[@albin6382]

How Burzum - Filosofem was recorded

[@triplesevensix291]

Lo Fi to fuck!! ;)

[@Drugaddict22]

At this dude is a racist prick,fuck Varg Vikerfag.

[@tohstygohstygal]

@@Drugaddict22 So, you use a homophobic slur to insult a racist? I'm glad you thought that one through.

[@youvegotmailfromonetheodor9062]

@@Drugaddict22 seperate the art from the artist

[@michaeldukes7558]

hey mate, where's the instructable? I've got the radio, just need the knowledge.

[@lonesoulsurfer]

+michael dukes sorry man, forgot to add a link. I have done so now in the comments above

[@theassassin757]

m.instructables.com/id/Convert-Any-Radio-Into-a-Guitar-Amp/

[@ou-rb2gv]

what is the blue wire from the jack connected to?

[@lonesoulsurfer]

+Jason Farrow Check out the Instructable attached to the clip in the comment section. This should help you. basically, the negative wire from the jack gets attached to the negative battery terminal inside the radio and the positive gets soldered to one of the lugs on the potentiometer. You need to touch each lug to find the correct one. There is usually 3 or 4 of them. To do this, plug your guitar into the jack, turn on the radio, touch each lug, strum the guitar. If you hear it come out of the speakers, that's the lug you solder to.

[@Kennynva]

I would think it (the blue wire) is attached to a ground somewhere...like the screws that hold the radio circuit board in the radio...

[@temmink2012]

So where did u put the blue wire to?

[@minitos1]

+mr. TC Ground.

[@wildduces07]

Cool ever tried a old car or truck radio

[@lonesoulsurfer]

+wildduces07 I haven't but it would definitely work. You would just have too hook it up to some speakers and a 12v battery

[@nicholasalbeck7114]

How bout don't cut solder with clippers? anybody?

[@geetar82]

Nicholas Albeck you sound butt hurt. Anybody?

[@aryagupta1667]

where is ground wire goes

[@emilcarr7190]

+arya Prdyuman That just attaches to ground on the potentiometer, should just be a blue or a black wire.

[@zasmrcaveman5725]

Nice shop floor

[@adrienlatouffe3236]

i hate that sound, but pretty good job anyway!

[@TEAMSTEAM4LIFE]

You made a Pro Jr hahahahahaha

[@pittsburghwill]

ANGUS ANGUS TNT

[@randybird9979]

did I miss it, I just seen one wire connected

[@lonesoulsurfer]

Randy Bird one wire is connected to ground (negative battery terminal) and the other is connected to the volume pot.

[@randybird9979]

thanks for the reply, I will try this, the radio I am using is a solar powered, do you think it will work, I asked all my neighbors and older radios are hard to come by, no body has one, and again thanks

[@kuimbiful]

It was a beautiful vintage radio. It's a crime for antique electronic. You should have used a transmitter AM.

[@robertguise6343]

Sounds like a bag of nails to me better spend your money. On a cheap second hand practice amp But if you really want to do this better to buy an old working valve radio

[@mrmaggot34]

Connor Powell I hacked a tube radio this week. It is cool. Know how to use a multimeter.

[@davevernon4993]

lol.

[@kuimbiful]

It was a beautiful vintage radio. It's a crime for antique electronic. You should have used a transmitter AM.

[@tomjones239]

A damned good Sony radio too. They don`t make AM radios like that anymore. It`s probably a DX machine...

[@maxs.3238]

So what?! There are hundreds of thousands of old radios out there and he did a mod on this one that 1. Is pretty easily removed and 2. Made this thing into smth useful again, so I don't see any problem here

[@inthepub]

More like millions of old radios, that are going to be useless once analog broadcasts finally shut down. There will be plenty of them left unmodified for the museum.