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I am fixing to purchase my first 18 watt kit upon selling my blues Jr and a vox actv4. I have posted on 18 watt about recommended reading and was originally thinking of the GDS kit but have decided to get the Plexi from Trinity as my first build. It seams that there are so many knowledgeable builders here and one thing has been Stephen emailed me back so quickly with a few answers to my questions.

My question is once the plexi is built I can further mod it to the TMB if I wish. Also I am going to build my cabinet as I am a custom kitchen builder and designer and have a nice home shop. Are there plans available for the cabinet. I was originally thinking of the head kit but I think I am know leaning towardsa 1x12 combo.

Thank you all for any responses

Skip Jack

Every one of the 18 watt amps uses the same board so with a few mods, you can have any of the 18 watt designs plus you can easily tweak yours. Since there are turrets to mount your components, it is easier to mod than the eyelet style boards.

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Stephen
Web: www.trinityamps.com. Facebook: facebook.com/trinityamps. Twitter: @trinityamps

Good news I've sold my two amps and will be ordering my first kit this Monday with Trinity. I have collected some tools over the last couple of months but I have a couple of questions.

1) I bought some 60/40 .032 rosin core solder at RS will this be OK to use?

2) I am torn between the combo and head kit. I like the looks of the head better. Can I use the head kit andmake it a combo?

3) I have also watched many videos on soldering do I need to clean the areas with alcohol when done.

I'm looking forward tothis build and hope to get the much needed help from this forum along the way.

Skip Jack

1. Good stuff, over priced but will do the job just fine.
2. Not really. The chassis is different depending if you build a head or combo.
3. No. Sometime its nice to clean excess flux away but you don't need to do it with alcohol.

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http://pdfelectronics.com

Although you can mount a head chassis in a combo cabinet like Marshall did with their original Bluesbreaker . A JTM 45 head. The difficulty is in changing tubes as they are hard to get at, you have to reach up and around to get at them.

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Stephen
Web: www.trinityamps.com. Facebook: facebook.com/trinityamps. Twitter: @trinityamps

Ty both for the quick response.

I will stick with the combo and not try to re invent the wheel.

Order was sent today via USPS.

Thanks for all the help look forward to posting pics through out my build with questions.

Skip Jack

If you post pics, we can comment and help on your build.

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Stephen
Web: www.trinityamps.com. Facebook: facebook.com/trinityamps. Twitter: @trinityamps

Good news 18 watt plexi should be here within a few weeks.

Question

1). I downloaded the PDF for the cradle. Is this a big help for working on the amp. If so I will build during my waiting period?

2) My work station does not have an outlet. I will need to run a 10ft extension cord for soldering and initial power up will this have an effect on the voltages? I'm working in my office not my wood shop.

3) Does differant types of woods really have an effect on the tone of the amp? Obviously im talking about the cabinet. I do not want tolex as im not a gigging musician.

Thanks for all the help, I will be full of questions in the coming weeks.

Skip Jack

1. If you have the time then why not. I find mine useful.

2. No worries

3. Some say baltic pirch (the plywood 90% of amps are built) with gives a sharper more focused sound then pine cabinets (what the other 10% is made of). Pine is said to be softer sounding (also a softer wood). I can't say I can hear any differences.

_________________
http://pdfelectronics.com

Just an update, my 18 watt Plexi has been shipped along with the VRM. I have not ordered tubes as of yet or a speaker. I have been reading many posts on speaker selection and was initially thinking of a 1x12 but and maybe doing a 2x12. It seams the bomb is a great combination and with the excellent service I got from Stephen I would like to help support his business.

This is the first forum I have ever been on and wanted to try my hand at posting a couple of pictures so when I start my build I can post them and hopefully get some advise that will be much needed. Also do I need to start a new thread for the questions or do I post them on this thread? The pics are of my tools I have compiled over the last few months for the build, some I had and some were purchased. Also you can see my beauty sitting there that my daughter gave me for Christmas when she was 16 along with her mom and step dad.

I am planning on building the amp cradle over the 4th of July between some BBQ and a few cans of my favorite beverage.

Please see if I am missing something on my tool collection.

Now the waiting game, the kit has left Canada so I am unable to track at this point but feel it will be here by Wed. if not I will get it next week.

Skip Jack

Figure 12 to 14 days to clear customs and make it down to you.

I'm in western NY and it's usually 10 to 12 days to get to me.

Tools look good. Small Philips screwdriver required. I hope it doesn't take 12 days.

_________________
Stephen
Web: www.trinityamps.com. Facebook: facebook.com/trinityamps. Twitter: @trinityamps

Got the screwdrivers

on the 12 days oh well its all good. Good things come to those who wait.

I'll be when I open the box and when I finally get it together.

Skip Jack

Wow..so many tools. I finished my first build a couple of months ago and if you pay attention to what you're doing and engage the brain a time or two, it works out pretty darned good.

I did a custom cab where I basically had head grafted onto a speaker cab. This allowed me to have the faceplate face forward on the amp and the tubes sitting upright. It takes some space to the cab, but I wouldn't do it any other way. Now I can build heads whenever I want and jack into the speaker in this amp.


I put a 1x12 Eminence Private Jack in for a speaker. Lots and lots of depth to the sound.. seriously lush.. and LOUD. I think a 2x12 would be too much. Took a while for the speaker to break in and loose a bit of brightness, but really worth it.

Cab looks very nice. I got confirmation that the kit is in my city. Will get it next Mon or Tuesday and its the combo. Its hard to tell from the pic what is the wood? How did you attach top/bottom to the sides? I keep going back and fourth on a 1x12 or 2x12 especially for home playing. Did you install the vrm? How heavy is ur rig? Did you have any major issues on ur build? How sweet does your girl sound

So many questions


Skip Jack

I had the cabinet built (I lack the tools and more importantly, the skill). Joints are all dovetailed; cabinet is white pine. I didn't want a tolex finish, just a personal thing; took three coats of stain to get the right dirty blonde look I was going for. The cabinet was built to be oversized; I could easily swap the baffle and put a 15" or 2 10"s in it if I wanted. White pine is very light, the cab surprised me for being such a feather weight. Add in transformers and a decent speaker and you probably go to 30 lbs or so when all is said and done.

I didn't install a vrm; I might though. The amp is loud on its own; add in an efficient speaker and its pretty hard to take the volume above 1 in any sort of single person use.

The build went very well. The instructions included are pretty clear, and the build diagram is as well. There is also a good thread on this site with photos that helped me understand a couple of things when I wasn't certain. I was pretty good about double checking everything as I went and when I was done, the amp fired up properly first time.

A shot from the final soldering phase.




Soundwise, brighter in tone than I'm used to. You hear people describe Vox's as "chimey" and I can see how that word comes into play in comparison to american sounding amps. The amp is very articulate; everything you do (for good or bad) on the fretboard comes thru the amp.

With the speaker and cabinet setup I've got going on, everything sounds BIG...there is so much depth and dimension to the sound that my other amps all sound tinny and weak at the same volume level. I'll probably sell off my Traynor 40w to clear up the floor space.

Nice job. Well done!

_________________
Stephen
Web: www.trinityamps.com. Facebook: facebook.com/trinityamps. Twitter: @trinityamps

I actually thought it was Beech wood for the cabinet. (No pun intended). Very nice and clean looking build. After ur comments on how loud it is I might just stick with a 1x12. I am getting the VRM so I hope I can drive the tubes at a lower volume.

Thanks for the response when you get your issues figured out I hope you post some clips. would like to hear that eminence private Jack speaker. I also am going to build a tolex free cabinet, have not settled on a design yet or even the wood selections, I think I will have my hands full on the build.

Skip Jack