Beginner, want to build a TAD 5F1 kit

[motzu]

Hello,

I'm going to order and build a Tube Amp Doctor (TAD) 5F1 kit:

Amp-Kit Tweed Champ Style 5F1 Röhren, AMP Kits und Lautsprecher - Tube Amp Doctor

It's my first amp build. I've done a couple of BYOC effect pedals so far, and plenty of guitar-work (pickup/pots swapping, electric guitar wiring, etc.), but never an amp, and never a tube amp.

I own a 40W Weller soldering iron, solder, wire cutters, screwdrivers, a soldering pump and desoldering wick, a cheap drill and a cheap digital multimeter .

I have basic knowledge of what resistors, capacitors and so on are supposed to do (I'm a bit fuzzy on how vacuum tubes quite work though), and I've build myself a capacitor discharging tool out of a couple of alligator clip wires and a 5W 220 kOhm resistor, which I intend to use with a couple of wooden chopsticks, so hopefully I won't get electrocuted.

My questions, to begin with, are these:

1. Will a 40W Weller wide-tip (Philips-screwdriver head type) soldering iron do? It's not a soldering station or anyhing, just a plain-old plug-it-in-the-mains soldering iron. Do I need more wattage? Less?

2. Is there any other essential tool I should have that I don't?

3. Assume I'm a beginner (which I am). What books/materials would you recommend? I'm not interested in designing and building amps from scratch, all I want to do is to be able to troubleshoot and service my own amps and do robust kit builds. I strongly prefer hands-on stuff, if possible.

4. If you would be so kind, could you take a look at the pictures they took while building a 5F1 from that kit and tell me if there's anything potentially wrong with that? Something you would do in a different order, perhaps something that's supposed to be connected to ground but isn't, anything at all? Amp Kit: Tweed Champ 5F1 - Amp Kit Projekte - TAD Online Shop

5. Anyone here built a Tube Amp Doctor kit? If so, how did you find their documentation for the build? People on the Internet say they've received a schematic, a layout picture and a detailed picture of where the mains transformer's wires go, is that what you got?

Anything else you might want to add that I've maybe left out or is apparent I don't get, let me know.

Thanks!

[dodona]

the high voltages of a tube amp can be lethal. Let a expert doing the job.

[motzu]

the high voltages of a tube amp can be lethal. Let a expert doing the job.

Thank you for your post and the warning. Yes, I am well aware of that, hence my mentioning that I've built myself a capacitor discharge tool out of a couple of alligator clips insulated wires and a 5W resistor (insulated with tape). I'm thinking that with not that many capacitors inside a 5F1 and taking the time to discharge all of them and then check with a multimeter I should be safe enough.

Should things get too messy I will of course revert to having the amp examined by an expert.

As a sidenote, if everyone would wait around for an expert, when all the contemporary experts retire we'd need to throw away our amps when the electrolytic capacitors die in them. Also, we'd have no Ramones.

[motzu]

To my shame, I've discovered this thread: http://music-electronics-forum.com/t6359/ that answers some of my questions. The others are still about specific things about the TAD kit and my tools (or lack thereof) and I appreciate all the answers.

Here's a beginner-friendly document I don't see mentioned a lot, and one that I find useful:

The Trainwreck Pages

And a bunch of links all on one page:

http://www.freewebs.co.uk/valvewizard/links.html

[chipaudette]

It's expensive, but I really liked this book...

Tube Amp Books - - TUT - The Ultimate Tone

It doesn't have high production values, but it's packed with info and it's THICK!

Chip

[motzu]

It's expensive, but I really liked this book...

Tube Amp Books - - TUT - The Ultimate Tone

Thanks, Chip! It just so happens that I have a friend studying in Canada as we speak, maybe she can find it at a library there and make a Xerox copy of it.

[Regis]

Thanks, Chip! It just so happens that I have a friend studying in Canada as we speak, maybe she can find it at a library there and make a Xerox copy of it.

Here's a thought, how about buying it instead of stealing it?

[motzu]

Here's a thought, how about buying it instead of stealing it?

Regis, those are strong words and I'd reconsider them if I were you. Going to a library and borrowing a book is not stealing it - it just so happens that none of the libraries in my country carry that book. It is an expensive book, and I'm at a stage where I'm not sure which books I need. Would you fork over $72 for the book + God knows how much for shipping to Europe + customs taxes for a book where all you know about it is a 3-lines recommendation on an Internet forum?

So if you don't know that I didn't intend to buy the book once I decided it's worth it, I would suggest that you think twice the next time you hurry to judge a situation and try to brand someone you don't know.

Have an excellent day.

[JHow]

As a sidenote, if everyone would wait around for an expert, when all the contemporary experts retire we'd need to throw away our amps when the electrolytic capacitors die in them.

I agree. At some point you have to jump out of the airplane with your chute and see if your training took.

Think things through first, then act. Yes, there is a risk, but you minimize that by being careful.

[motzu]

I agree. At some point you have to jump out of the airplane with your chute and see if your training took.

Think things through first, then act. Yes, there is a risk, but you minimize that by being careful.

Thank you!

I've found this link where people recommend what seem to be many interesting books and websites: I need some books on Building Amps? - The Gear Page , and I thought I'd share that here too, in case anyone else is interested.

As for the book we've passionately been discussing previously, it turns out that my friend could not find it in any library she has access to in her town, so I won't be able to read any of it, under any circumstances, unless I pay for it first. It's a real shame, because it looks like an interesting book, but with nothing to go by, like a sample first chapter at least, it's a risky and not so cheap purchase.

[fyl]

Going to a library and borrowing a book is not stealing it

Sure, but copying it in full is counterfeiting, pure and simple.

KOC spent a lot of time producing this book, he deserves payment for his work.

[JoeM]

Sure, but copying it in full is counterfeiting, pure and simple.

KOC spent a lot of time producing this book, he deserves payment for his work.

+1

You wouldn't go out and steal a soldering iron just because you couldn't afford it would you?

[motzu]

Sure, but copying it in full is counterfeiting, pure and simple.

KOC spent a lot of time producing this book, he deserves payment for his work.

Counterfeiting is copying with an intent to sell or otherwise profit from the copies, usually trying to pass off the copy as genuine (such as money, or handbags). When I specified "Xeroxing" I was hoping to make my intentions clear, in that I only wanted ONE copy, ON PAPER, for my own perusal, with intent to figure out if the book is worth buying.

Furthermore (and I only mean this hypothetically), I can see no difference of much consequence between my friend borrowing the book from a local library, reading and returning it without paying the author, and the situation where she would have acted as a proxy for me, where I would have read the book, if I never intended to distribute the book to others or make money off it.

Yes, the author deserves to be paid for his hard work. No, I can't get the book unless I'll fully pay for it, in advance, without any inkling that it will actually help me. Shipping international orders is $25 BTW, and I'd have to pay customs taxes on BOTH the book's price AND shipping. If you'd do that sight unseen in my stead, more power to you.

So, rejoice! I won't be reading that book, and that guarantees that the author won't be paid by me. Had I read at least part of the book and found it worthwhile, the author would have gotten his money. This way, he won't, and justice will have been served.

So far, creating this thread on this forum has done this for me:

1. had someone trying to convince me to give up because I'm not an expert;
2. managed to spark a discussion wherein I've been called a thief and a counterfeiter;
3. had me post answers to some of my own questions;
4. got no replies (other than the book recommendation, for which, in spite of all the diversions, I am still grateful) that answered any of my actual questions.

[motzu]

+1

You wouldn't go out and steal a soldering iron just because you couldn't afford it would you?

Proof by analogy is fraud. Obviously it's not the same thing, but if you'd really like to go down that road, I wouldn't pay for a 100W soldering iron when I need a 25W soldering iron either. Fortunately, it's easy to know that a soldering iron will work or not based on specified power, but you can't know that a book will work for you based on anything on it's cover (hence the proverb).

And I never said I couldn't afford it, but I dislike being swindled on principle. With analogies, you wouldn't buy an expensive guitar without playing it first, would you?

[JoeM]

motzu,

no one here is trying to give you a bad time, but posting that you're going to copy a book isn't going to win you any popularity contests either. Sorry if I offended you, that was not my intent.

That said, there are very helpful and extremely knowledgable people here willing to help.