trinityamps.com

I have been considering buying a Triwatt Kit but I was wondering what everyone's thoughts are on how difficult it is to build.

I've heard really good things about Trinity and also that the instructions supplied with the kit are very good. This would be my first build so I would prefer very thorough and detailed instructions on what to do every step of the way. Is this what I can expect from the manual?

I have soldering experience and recently bought a Hakko 936 and all the necessary tools in preparation for a build, so I'm set there. But would this kit be recommended for a first build? I can certainly follow instructions to a T and am very meticulous about paying attention to details and getting things right but lack of experience in building amps has me questioning the confidence I need. If the manual is very good, I am certainly up for giving it a try and learning something new.

I am also looking at David Allen kits which I hear are wonderful but the cost to import through UPS is ridiculous and after reading about the Triwatt, it sounds like it might really be what I'm after and also makes sense to buy something close to home.

Any thoughts or advice is very much appreciated.

Thanks.

How comfortable are you with soldering? Have you built anything else before?

My first amp build AND soldering (except for copper water pipes ) was an sIII kit. Then again I'm a mechanical engineer which doesn't really help in electrical matters but does give you a mindset.

Had one or two very minor issues such as making a connection to the grounded leg of a tag strip but it started up after that was fixed.

I had a bit of trouble with the Triwatt, missed a couple of connections but that was it. The Triwatt is more complex than the sIII's BUT if you are patient and thorough and take your time it's possible. The layout is your friend PAY ATTENTION.

I think the Triwatt will be LESS complex than an Allen due to their reverb and tremolo sections.

Trinity's manual is very good and don't forget the forum is a great source, although sometimes it may take a day or so for an answer.

Mandatory warning: Read ALL of the safety material first until you understand it!!!! Dicharging a cap through you could be fatal, installing it backwards could cause it to "fail catastrophically" i.e. blow up. Get a DMV and check all of your resistors before installing, KNOW WHICH CAPS are electrolytic and CHECK THEIR POLARITY when installing.

Hope this helps without being too discouraging.

Thanks jcny. Not discouraging at all. I'm open to any and all advice and very much appreciate it.

I'm comfortable with building an Allen but heard somewhere that the Triwatt was a much more complicated build, so wasn't sure. If you think it's less complicated, that's good news. I guess it's all relative to how much you know about this stuff.

That's why it's important that any kit that I buy have excellent instructions with it. A well written and detailed manual is like having someone to hold your hand through the entire process and for a first build, that would certainly give me a confidence boost.

I'm very excited at the idea of doing this but just want to be sure that I don't jump in over my head the first time around. I know some might say build a smaller amp first to get my feet wet but I don't see the need in building something that I don't really want.

I would certainly be patient and take my time. The satisfaction of building an amp for myself and learning so much along the way would make the hours invested worth it.

I would guess the manual is only available if you buy the kit? It would be nice if it was online somewhere, I'd be interested in reading through it before I place an order.

It's good to know that there are people here that are available if I need help and that Stephen's support is excellent. Goes a long way to sealing the deal.

Any other thoughts or advice is welcome.

I think the manual is available on the main page of the trinity forum under Resources.

Look for the Builder Guide Update Post.

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dig it

Personally, I would suggest going for one of Trinity's 18W models as a first build. Still fairly challenging, but less complex than a Triwatt or Allen.

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Great tones come in small glass jars!

I don't know if this is a helpful response, but...

I built an Allen Old Flame as my first ever attempt at amp building. It fired up perfectly the first time. For the record, I had built a whole slew of kit guitars and then guitar pedals, so I know how to solder, but I never attempted an amp.

I would guess that the Triwatt can't really be any more complicated than an Allen Old Flame. If the manuals are comparably helpful, it should be reasonable. Of course, knowing if the manuals are comparable is the tough part.

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Go Buckeyes!

Are there any comments on the TRIWATT manual that builders would like to share. How useful it was, accuracy etc?

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

Well, I was in the first handful of Triwatt builders, and I had no issues with the manual. In fact, I basically built it based on the layout using the manual as a reference document, but this was my 6th or 7th build.

It is a complex build and there's a LOT of connections. I think all of the kit builders will agree that it's very easy to miss a connection on this one (pretty much every one of us missed a couple). I did have some noise issues with the OD and it took quite a while to iron that out - it was a lead dress issue, and this amp is VERY sensitive in that regard. I had done a 2204 clone previously so I was no stranger to higher gain amps but I still spent quite some time working the kinks out of my build.

Personally, I do agree with Zaphod that it probably isn't a good choice for a first build. But with that said Stephen's documentation & support are second to none and I think jcny is probably right. If you're thorough & take your time, you'll most likely have success. It's a kit that requires great patience though, and can take some time even when complete to get it running up to snuff.

Like previous posters, I don't want to discourage you. The Triwatt is an absolute GEM when you get it up & running, but it will likely require some hard work and frustration if it's your first amp build.

Now, with all THAT said, perhaps we should talk about what you're looking for in an amp. The Triwatt, like it's inspiration, is a bit of a different animal as guitar amps go, and would be a VERY different amp from the Allen designs. I'm guessing here, but I suspect they're heavily inspired by 50's/60's Fenders, and the Triwatt is NOT that amp. Do you have a frame of reference for the type of tone you're looking for?

Kirb

P.S. I recently build a Blackface Deluxe Reverb clone and that was a MUCH more complex build than the Triwatt. However, working the bugs out of it was far simpler because it is in no way as "touchy" as the Triwatt. Perhaps that will give you a frame of reference compared to the more complex Allen kits. If you dig that Tweed tone, you won't find a better kit than Trinity's Deluxe, BTW.

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SG + Brit tube head = Nirvana

I want to know why it is that we're all enginners and none of us can spell
Just a joke guys; don't get literal!!!!
LJ

Actually, I'm not an engineer...well, software engineer I suppose, but I don't have the ring...

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SG + Brit tube head = Nirvana

That's rite. Speling is considerd bad manners amung us enginners. We don't spell and we're proud of it!


This one place I used to werk, us EEs used to call the software engginers "softies". We used to play electrical pranks on them.

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Great tones come in small glass jars!

We used to do the same type thing with the "plumbers" computers.

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SG + Brit tube head = Nirvana

been awhile since I was back
This was fun to read
All true
Can't't form a scentence; lucky if I can spell;
But there is nothing;
like reading a schematic
Cheers, guys
littlejac