Beginner project with pictures!!

[bedrich7]

Ok, so this is very beginner. I've got a couple tube amp books in the mail coming my way this week, but I wanted to get somebody's opinion on this before getting set on what to do.

The attached pictures are of an old tractor radiator I found in a field. The dimensions are: 9.5" X 9.5" X 7" (W,H,D). I gutted it and thought to myself "hmm.. could be a cool little practice amp".. at first i was just going to buy a crappy little solid state peavey or fender type practice amp and kinda throw it in there and retrofit it. But I really don't dig solid state amps and thought it would be pretty awesome to build a tube amp. I'm obviously way in over my head with this already as I have no experience building circuits and little understanding, but I am willing..

So with that said: Is this a feasible idea? Looking at all the kits, I don't think any of them will fit in this thing. I'll probly just have to use it as a speaker enclosure only and have the amp exposed like it sits in the kits. I really don't want to. Any ideas for me on what kits to get to make this work?

Thanks in advance

Ryan

[stingray_65]

sure, why not?

BUT!

what are your metal fabrications skills like?

what are your woodworking skills like?

what tools do you have available to you?

the radiator grill is just a cabinet. I'm not sure how all that tin will react sonicaly with your choice of speakers.

what kind of an amp are you going to build in it? an AC30 clone? maybe a 50W Marshal? how bout a simple little champ or princeton?

how about making it REAL HARD and design your own

OK I'm done with the sarcasm

depending on your electrical assembly skills Building an amp is not all that difficult.

That is making a basic assumption that:

A) you've chosen a tried and true amp
B) it is a simple straight forward design (tweed fender)
C) you have the resorces to build it

Get your feet wet and actually find out if you can build an amp.

I'll bet I'm not far off the mark thinking you can, you show an interest in it,you're willing to lay out hard earned money to educate yourself, you're willing to do tedious work (gutting a radiator like that wasn't easy I bet),
MOST OF ALL you have the willingness to ask .

be VERY careful building your first tube amp

It is very rewarding,addicting as all get out, expensive the moment you need money most and good golly it sure is fun!

I think if I wanted guitar sounds to come out of that old radiator shell, I'd build me a nice 5E3 Deluxe, get me one of those Weber signature series speakers from Ted and stuff that speaker into the shell making an extion speaker cabinet out of it.

that get up and a Hot Telecaster would be fun on the farm!

But hey I'm tired and cranky now, what do I know

RAY