Portable DIY valve amp for beginner?

[Andy123]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/KLD-Pilot-1...8AAOSwbpVbeD8g

Chassis is available and they will ship to Aus

Looking at that now, I'm having second thoughts. My "Plan A" of butchering a cake tin seems inadequate now looking at the precision that's gone into this. Buying the chassis puts the amp part of this project around the $250 mark. Throw in a speaker and materials for building the cab and we're getting well north of $300 - which is about what you'd pay for a ready made 5w amp (well the Pit Bull one anyway).

[Simon Barden]

And for just over $300 you could get a new 50W Boss Katana, which whilst a solid state modelling amp, is a very nice sounding amp indeed, and with its 1/2W mode, is fine for home practice but loud enough for gigs and also has decent effects. Or get a used valve amp for that amount.

[DrNomis_44]

Thanks Doc, that P1 looked like just the ticket until I realised they don't ship to Aus.

I've found this but don't know if it would be appropriate:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/KLD-vintage...0AAOSwON5bmPzD

For a bit less than the price of the Lamington Jr you get a 15w kit with a 3 band EQ and reverb, all on a PCB.

Looks like its BYO cake tin, cab and speaker, but other wise thumbs up?

Rather than using a cake tin as the chassis, you could use one of the Hammond chassis that Evatco have in stock:

https://www.evatco.com.au/chassis-st...mmond-chassis/

[Simon Barden]

In fact Evatco do a 5W amp kit with B/M/T controls which might fit the bill.

https://www.evatco.com.au/ak5-5watt-amp-pack

[Dedman]

And for just over $300 you could get a new 50W Boss Katana, which whilst a solid state modelling amp, is a very nice sounding amp indeed, and with its 1/2W mode, is fine for home practice but loud enough for gigs and also has decent effects. Or get a used valve amp for that amount.

I've found this with a lot of the pedal kits too, fine if you just want the experience of building your own, but if you want a pedal and can't afford to stuff it up , it's cheaper to go buy one.
In this case the PB 5w or a Vox Nutube head and a Boss EQ pedal would probably work out cheaper.