One last decision: what type of board construction to go with?

[Hardtailed]

So this first scratch build I'm attempting it basically a Marshall 2204 type of circuit (50W JCM800 if you will), but I'm adding a 4th preamp tube that will power a Twin-like channel. Both channels wil be joined at the PI and have their own inputs (allows to A/B with different pedals in the signal path).

I've never built a board before, I've always did projects with PCBs.

I have two choices:
- Get a pre-built board from Metro or Ceriatone, then do the Twin channel on a small piece of perfboard
- Do a complete turret board from scratch, layout and all

The 2nd option seems like the better one, but the whole layout part scares me a bit, and I don't have any turret-board building tools or experience (though it hardly seems like rocket science).

Maybe I'm just looking for some reassurance on the board designing and building process

[defaced]

Do a layout in a illustration program (Inkscape is free) and once you have that, drill and assemble. Take your time and pay attention to lead dressing and you should have it. I also advocate doing a prototype on wood with copper nails as the turrets. I've got a 4 gain stage VHT clone built up this way and it's helped me significantly realize some shortfalls in my initial layout. I used 3.5" poplar with copper nails from Lowe's.

[Hardtailed]

Well since Marshall style builds are well documented, I guess I can simply duplicate an existing layout, then use an existing Twin-style layout to add that preamp channel to it. The rest is simply connecting all of this together.

[defaced]

That would be a good option. Using the simplest solution is usually the best.

[GibsonLover]

I'm doing a custom turret board right now. Start out on graph paper so you have a good feel for the scale. If you have a PC program all the better. You can print out one-to-one templates until the cows come home to ensure your fit and connections. It gives a real nice custom look, as if it were designed-in (because it is...) vs. fitting together bits from your parts box on terminal strips and stand-offs.

[Hardtailed]

Well, I guess I got cold feet

I went ahead and got the 2204 board from turretboards.com and will forget about the clean channel for now. I realized that doing it meant whether compromising the Marshall tone (the most important point for this project), or using relays. So for a first scratch build project (last one was a PCB firefly with PCB mounted tube sockets) I decided to go with something fairly safe.
I've been using my guitar's volume for clean tones for years anyway (gigging with a DSL100 on the Crunch mode all the time).

Also, at 35$, it wasn't much more expensive than ordering the supplies and the turreting tool.

I've ordered a variety of parts though that will allow me to experiment with more Plexi-ish values in some spots.

And since I MUST do something slightly different, I'll be adding a switch that allows the first two stages to be paralleled instead of cascaded (like a jumpered Plexi). I will be using a dual-ganged pot for gain so it works (instead of the usual fixed voltage divider after the first one, I will basically have a gain control after both stages, ala Tiny Terror, which will allow paralleling them while having control on both (I could also just have two pots, but I like the simplicity of the dual ganged one, I noticed on my Mark IV that I was always running both gains around the same level anyway).

I will also be putting a Resonance control from the get go, as well as a PPIMV. They will both be added right on the front panel so I don't have to do any kind of hack job later on. (Hey, I gotta make it worthwhile! Else I could've just went with a kit or a used real one).

I ordered a 16.5X8 chassis instead of 16.5X6.5 so I've got a little room if I want to add stuff later on.

Now I gotta decide if I stay with the classic both-trannies-on-one-side layout, or if I try something ala SLO with the trannies on each side and the preamp tubes on the front.