That was where we started, a few days ago.  Since when I've been busy, wielding a hot soldering iron (when I remember to switch it on) and inhaling those lovely solder fumes ...

1.  Bare Chassis.

2.  Chassis with some of the big stuff bolted in place

3.  The power board, test layout.  Just making sure I had all the right bits *and* in the right places (apparently, you have to make sure both are correct - right bits / wrong places or right places / wrong bits won't do).

4.  Board, and bits, now with added solder.  As well as the right bits / right places, it gets harder.  Some of the right bits / right places also have to be the right way round!  Naturally, I swapped some of them around before adding the solder, which then meant removing the solder, putting them the right way around, and then re-soldering.  Make that mistake once, and don't make it again.

5.  Now let's plug it in and wait for the bang.

(there was no bang, so there's more to come ...)

6.  In the absence of bangs, keep on with the right bits, right places, right way round rule ... this is the second board which will do all the sound magic stuff.  Again, just a test layout to make sure.

7.  Again, with added solder, and some more added wires.

So far, so good, so (reasonably neat and tidy).  The next bit got a bit trickier.

8.  The trickier bit.  Wiring in the front panel controls.  Doing this when the board is already full of components, and mounted in the chassis, means poking a soldering iron around in some fairly tight spaces, trying not to dislodge the wire that you're trying to solder to something else that's already got other bits soldered to it.

The the help of some tweezers and my extra-long nose pliers and my third hand, all wires now soldered where they needed to be soldered.

Only once did I forget that it's not just the tip of the soldering iron that gets hot, and one should really keep the shaft of the iron away from one's fingers.  Still, the smell of burning flesh mixed well with the molten solder.

9.  Do a few more checks.  Actually, quite a lot of more checks.  I went through the build diagram ticking off every single component, making sure it was in the right place (and the right way round) and was securely joined to whatever it was supposed to be securely joined to.  Probably an hour's worth of checking and ticking.  

And then 5 mins of "oops, seems that I missed that bit, I'll add it in now".  Only missed one piece (a connecting wire from one of the control pots into the board).

Can you guess what happened next??

Well, there's a funny thing.

I switched it on (still no bang), the little light on the front shone brightly and the valves slowly built up a nice amber glow.

Plugged a guitar in, and a speaker cab, and ....

Wow.

Time for a big grin.  Firstly, it worked.  Secondly, it sounds wonderful.  Probably not the sort of amp that you're going to use for some late night jazz noodling (does anyone ever play jazz other than late at night?), but as a rocky rock amp for rockers, this ticks the box.

The power knob on the LHS dials it between 0w-5w (like an attenuator I guess), the rest of the controls do what you'd expect them to do.  The boost mini-toggle actually has 2 levels, in pos1, it boosts the oomph, and in pos2, it extra boosts the oomph.

I've just run it through an old Marshall 1x12 cab in the workshop so far and haven't fully wound it up yet.

Yet.

Electronics aren't really my thing.  I can wire a plug, and wire a couple of pots in a guitar, but beyond that.

Oh, beyond that, I can apparently now build valve amps.

@tv101 

Congratulations on your successful electronic build, it was a good decision to avoid the bang.

Back in my working days I inadvertently put 240v AC into the 24v DC circuit of a control system while trying to diagnose a fault, it made quite a bang. With an £800 circuit board and months to replace it, wasn't my best moment.

Ouch @Robin!

@tv101 An Amp?!!! Woohaaa! Yes go! 30 watt tube?

5w is plenty loud enough for my needs @clinton!  The "Power" control dials that down to about 0.1w, with anything in between available at the turn of the dial.

I already had a "clean" (ie Fenderish) 5w valve amp, which was great with some pedals in front of it, particularly for drive/boost.  This amp has all the drive/boost I'd ever need, but still has some clean-ish sounds in it too.

Just made a simple protective box for it this morning. 

Need to get my hands on some decent woods to make a proper cab for it (all my wood stocks seem to either be 2" thick, or <10mm for some reason!) and do some design work for the front piece.  I really want something ~18mm thick for the strength, although it's not as heavy as I'd expected.

@tv101 That is freakin awesome!!!

Thanks @clinton.

I've long fancied doing an amp build.  I was booked to do an amp-building course a few years ago, but C-19 arrived, so that course got cancelled. 

Then I found these kits (business is owned by someone I vaguely know) and his build guides are - I have just proved - idiot proof!  

Enjoyed the process, and obviously the switch-on is really satisfying, so half of the voices in my head are saying "do another one".  Trouble is, the other half of the voices are saying "you've already got more amps than you need".  I don't mind having the voices in my head, but I'd prefer it if they could all agree ...

😀

@tv101 Respect,sir!!👍😃

Often wondered if I should have a go at something like that, would probably end up with an awesome sound - most likely BANG!!🤣🤣👍

I was expecting a bang, or at the very least a FIZZZZZZ-POP @brie.  This is the first time I've attempted anything like this.

But, it was a painless and bangless experience!  Have a look at ampmaker.com and particularly the build guides (here).  I followed the guide, carefully and methodically, and you can see the result.  I refined my soldering skills on a couple of pedal kit builds, but that's really the only skill that you need, other than reading!

I can also hear the result, and it sounds many times better than it looks.

And very well worth it.  If I'd gone out and bought something like this, my good lady would probably have asked why I needed another amp (and she'd have had a fair point).  But, because it's something I've built, she's fully supportive and thinks it's excellent.

On that basis, I now just need to find a build-an-F-Type-Jaguar kit ...

Hey! Hey! @tv101. Nice job. Thanks for the link too.

🙂🎶🎸🙏

Got a place local to me, modulus amplification, he does various kits including a plexi clone. Waiting on him modding it more to be able to fit a regular effects loop so I can use delay pedals in it though.

@tv101 Congrats on new skills!

If deciding to make a correct bang, you also have to create some sticky smoke. I did that once, by accidentally dropping a screwdriver into a Twin Reverb under power.  🙄 

@nsj I've been thinking of buying a kit from him for a couple of years now, seems really good for the money.

@tyreman he's really sound too, very helpful.

Do they have a shop @nsj? One of my sons has just moved over to Angus so I could pop in on the way.

🎶🙏🎸🙂 

@russ He has a unit in Maryton just outside Kirriemuir, you could go on the site and click the contact tab right down the bottom it gives you his phone number, emai, etc. Just give him a shout.