building a tube amp (first timer!)

[rabies]

Interested in building an easy EL84 or 6V6-based SE tube amp. First time builder here. Have read a lot about and used a lot of tube amps (Dave Hunter's book and some others) but little practical experience other than successfully replacing a PT in a Crate a while back and biasing power tubes with a bias rite. I have done some soldering when replacing pickups in my guitar.

So I found out about this:

http://www.ax84.com/p1.html

and available here:

http://shop.dobermanamps.com/product-p/kit-p1.htm

And read this:

SE are generally easier to build than P/P. No issues with PI's , bias power supplies and such, and 10 watts SE can still be pretty loud. Also, yes you need at least three gain stages to drive the power tubes. So, you could use 2 pre-amp tubes. Three gain stages for , well for gain, use the fourth stage as a cathode follower to drive the tone stack, and you're in business.

Thinking of building a guitar amp, many questions

So is this a good beginner kit for me? Any tips? Main thing I'm concerned about is low level of complexity to build and draining filter caps (if required) to avoid electrocution. Can be a cheap(er) 5-10W kit and doesn't need to sound phenomenal.

thx.

[tubeswell]

Any of those SE amps are good for starters. I began with a 5F2A - same sorta thing.

Angela Amps site has a good article on building a single-ended amp

http://www.angela.com/catalog/how-to/Single.6V6.html