Wanted - Experienced Amp Builder For Custom 5E3 Sized Made-To-Order Build

[guitarmike2107]

I say buy the Frenzel.

Your basically asking someone to build you an amp for a rate under minimum wage, which is fine if its a friend who is doing you a favour or enjoys a project.

Buying a kit and putting it together yourself is also a good idea, I think you will find the internet full of guys willing to help.

[MWJB]

Initially, I was prepared to accept the possibility that Francis 57 was a slightly niaive amp fanatic, who didn't really figure the unrealistic nature of his enquiry, however, on discovering the items he has for sale on e-bay, he is well aware of the cost of things & obviously thinks somebody owes him something for nothing.

[mooreamps]

I can buy a FRENZEL SDP with 6L6s, fully decked out, caged and shipped for $750 right now so it would be nice if this 'garage build' would come in significantly under that.

Yes, and I wish I did not have to shell out 15 grand for my Brand new Harley, but the good folks in Milwaukee had a different opinion about the value of their fine products... So, if you want a really good sounding "tube" amp, and an amp built to last, you have to make some choices here in this one.. I still think you should buy a Ceritone kit or something, and learn about this one yourself..

-g

[J M Fahey]

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WOW !!!
No clueless beginner here !!

[cminor9]

Initially, I was prepared to accept the possibility that Francis 57 was a slightly niaive amp fanatic, who didn't really figure the unrealistic nature of his enquiry, however, on discovering the items he has for sale on e-bay, he is well aware of the cost of things & obviously thinks somebody owes him something for nothing.

Yep, I looked at the before replying. This guy is trying to resell it, methinks. Either way, bad form. I foresee this thread ending up in the sewer drain, unless it's kept around as a cautionary tale.

[mooreamps]

WOW !!!
No clueless beginner here !!

Well, maybe not "too" clueless... I snagged his client....


-g

[Chuck H]

I'd like details but I guess that's bad form. Or at least a disclosure of bad form

[J M Fahey]

I *imagine* what happened, but must or somebody will
Way to go, Gary!!
He he

[Chuck H]

Right... In light of the circumstances I can't decide if I'm behind Gary's maneuver or not I think I am

[Ronsonic]

Years ago, in a very different trade, I learned that guessing at motive wasn't helpful.

I get similar requests and usually it's out of ignorance of how things get made. Despite the fact that we live surrounded by human artifacts a lot of people have no idea how that happened or how the prices of those things get established.

"I don't want to pay what this boutique amp costs, so can you build me one?" Usually comes from someone who really doesn't know that it takes as much or more of my labor and my labor isn't any less expensive. Or at least never thought about it.

Our OP here, seems to be looking for something a little less "professional" than what I or any of the other experienced builders here would turn out. Might be a good match for a hobbyist who is happy to have someone buying his parts for him and a couple spare bucks for the next build. But "experienced amp builder?" Not gonna happen.

[J M Fahey]

Might be a good match for a hobbyist who is happy to have someone buying his parts for him and a couple spare bucks for the next build.

I would have been interested in, say, 1969 or 70, when money for parts came out of my "cinema+pizza" allowance.
But, caveat emptor, those days I used shielded wire everywhere, out of desperation I tried it even on filaments, and had unsolvable problems with hum, ground loops, hiss, radio detection, you name it.
Now I ground an input jack to a filament pin and get no hum.
Well, not really, , but I think you understand what I mean.
Things come out good, without any (conscious) effort.
Seems that the old dog, at last, has learnt the tricks.
Mind you, I still *might* be interested in building an Asimovian "Ultrawave" transceiver, faster_than_light communications, just for the Unobtanium parts and a couple pizzas ... but ... a Tweed amplifier?
A little too late for that.
Oh well.

[Chuck H]

When considering the motivation behind both the OP and Gary let us examine that Gary was somehow able to establish a potential client of the OP. How could this have been possible unless said client did indeed exist? Therefore I opine that the OP's intention was to outsource the building of a "hand made" amplifier and flip it. Good reason to question the OP's intentions were already brought to light, whereby Gary was enabled to pursue his path. And in this light Gary's path, while morally questionable, seems somehow more like poetic justice.

[überfuzz]

francis57 - Why don't you have the experienced almost free of charge labor builder posting pictures and stuff here in the forum. That way you and the rest of us can follow the build. When he/she is done you can ask for sound clips so that we can examine the tone, break up etc and give feedback, tell what needs to be done before approving the hand made amp.

[cminor9]

francis57 - Why don't you have the experienced almost free of charge labor builder posting pictures and stuff here in the forum. That way you and the rest of us can follow the build. When he/she is done you can ask for sound clips so that we can examine the tone, break up etc and give feedback, tell what needs to be done before approving the hand made amp.

I think ol francis ain't comin back round these woods no more.

[Chuck H]

We may have been a little rough on him. And maybe he's just a guy who thinks he knows enough about this stuff to order a custom amp. He did post a pic on his profile. Looks like an average guy. Maybe he just wanted an amp. Maybe not. His criteria was unrealistic either way. If he wanted help with a build we could have done that. But asking for another member to dig through their old transformers and parts to build him a fully outfitted amp for $500 bones is just silly. What's the word on that Frenzel? I looked at it on line. I wasn't impressed with the layout. Where are they made? Not in the US I'll wager. Maybe "assembled" here. Not that it's any denotation of quality but it's certainly a different price point.

EDIT: Hmmm... I just read the "about" section on their web site and it sure reads like they're made here. I can't imagine how unless the owners are doing this strictly for fun.