Tube Amp Making Course – Guitar, Bass, or Stereo Hi Fi
$1,700 – $4,300
Enroll now. Class Size is Limited. Discounts are Subject to Expiration.
Start your journey into the exciting realm of electron tube audio!
Students will make either a Tweed Deluxe, Bassman, or Champ tube guitar amp – or make a Specimen Stereo Hi- Fi Tube Amplifier.
Learn about the wonderful Stereo Tube Amp kit here. You may peruse the assembly instructions here: Instruction Book for Specimen Single Ended Stereo Tube Amp.
The legendary circuits in our outstanding guitar tube amp kits are the same that have made “Tweed” – era amplifiers revered among musicians. Our guitar amp kits include special component upgrades. For students who already have experience making tube amps, a variety of classic Fender amp kits are available to make in this class by special order. Orders for other amps must be requested at least 6 weeks in advance of the course.
Here is a great opportunity to build your own tube amp while learning about tube audio electronics and acquiring electronics shop skill.
Building an amplifier is the best way to develop the diagnostic skills necessary to troubleshoot and repair. Students who complete this course will be well prepared to take our Tube Amp Repair Courses.
We offer a significant discount for this course when combined with our Tube Amp Repair Courses.
-
Kit
Every aspect of the kits is as faithful as possible to the original design. The cabinets are pre-assembled. The parts included are excellent quality. Kit includes special component upgrades, and the schematic and layout diagrams.
-
Classroom
Class size is limited to 8 students.
Course is taught in a professional guitar service shop equipped with 8 individual workbenches stocked with specialized tools necessary for the course work. -
Workshop Safety
While we make every effort to keep the CSGM workshop clean it can be dusty and at times noisy. We recommend hearing, respiratory, and eye protection be used when working in the shop. We have this safety equipment available for use or purchase when in class and it is the students responsibility to exercise diligent use of these safety measures.
-
Fee
Fee Includes Tuition + Kit Cost, Tax, Shipping
Tuition includes instruction, reference materials and guided hands on workshop, use of workbench, specialized tools and all of the shop supplies and materials necessary. -
Terms
Please note that all registrations are final and non-refundable.
In the event that a student cannot attend a class, written notice must be given in advance to receive a credit to be used on another tuition. Valid credit may be transferred to another course date, or to another student, if so desired.
Course Description
Students will observe sequential stages of the tube amp kit construction process and then carry out the work on their own amps under the supervision of the instructor.
Students will obtain a fundamental understanding of the way a vintage tube instrument amplifier works, stage by stage, and learn the craft of point-to-point wiring and how to modify a circuit to shape tone by changing component values.
Students will learn to use chassis punches to open hole diameters to accommodate tube sockets and various other components. These simple methods enable any circuit designer to achieve great results without needing elaborate and expensive machinery.
All students receive a full-color layout diagram and schematic of the circuit along with instructive literature and the benefit of a fully-wired reference model on hand for one-to-one comparison during the course.
The instructor will guide the students through the construction/wiring process.
About the Kits
Each kit comes with its own schematic and layout diagram.
The legendary Guitar Amp Tube circuits that have made “Tweed”- era amplifiers revered among musicians are used in the Guitar Amplifier Building seminar.
The school pre-drills all the chassis and motherboards to prepare them for the student.
The Specimen Hi-Fi Stereo Tube Amp kit frame is made using Baltic-birch plywood and pre-constructed at Specimen.The circuit is derived from classic single-ended designs that began in the 1930s. The layout of this tube amplifier is simple and elegant, but most of all timeless, very well built, and great sounding!
The top, front, and back panels are made of aluminum and have been laid out with all the perforations for this circuit.
This design is by Ian Schneller who builds the Specimen line of hi fi tube amps.
Please Note:
For first time tube amp makers, I strongly recommend the Tweed Deluxe, Champ, or Stereo Hi Fi which offer the perfect level of involvement for the seminar. If you have your heart set on one of the higher-powered models, simply bear in mind that additional hours may need to be logged to complete the amp.
For students who already have experience making tube amps, a variety of classic Fender amp kits are available to make in this class by special order. Orders for other amps must be requested at least 6 weeks in advance of the course.
What Our Amp Course Students Are Saying
“I took this class a few years back and I really enjoyed it! Ian, the instructor, was really cool and it was an excellent learning experience. Highly recommended for anyone who knows a little about electronics and wants to learn how to build a guitar amp. I knew nothing of amplifier electronics when I took the course (I was only 19 years old at the time and my only experience at that point was swapping pickups) and it was a challenge, but that’s mostly because I opted to build a Marshall JCM 800 clone (it’s a relatively complex circuit, so definitely not for beginners). Regardless, it was a once in a lifetime experience and I got a great amp out of it too!”
“Hi Gentlemen,
GREAT workshop this weekend, it exceeded all my expectations. The playlists and the shop humor were right up my alley too, pitch perfect (ditto for Mike). I was especially pleased that Dane was able to walk out with a killer functioning amp, he is so stoked about that. A great learning experience for him for sure, it really pushed him and it paid off.
For me (as I said when we were leaving), I kind of didn’t expect to completely finish a Princeton Reverb way back when I signed up, but I can now see the finish line and will enjoy the final steps at home (many thanks Kye for jumping in and getting so much done Sunday PM!). If I get totally stuck, or just run out of life-bandwidth I’ll ping back and mail the chassis back to you for professional finalization.
BTW, I was able to finish off my Princeton Reverb after I took the class. Works GREAT, I gig with it every week. I might try to take your Amp Repair class this summer (assuming I can get the time off work).
We shall meet again I bet. Stay cool until then.”
—Dave Hill
