Hello! Bandit re-do

[BobbyBooby]

Hi,

I'm completely new to amp building.

I've got an old (late 80's) Peavey Bandit 65 that needs repair.  The speaker is only a couple years old (12" Scorpion) and the power supply is good.  I could salvage other parts off it possibly.  The cabinet is in good shape.

I have the schematics for the amp from Peavey.

Is it a possibility to attempt to build a "new" amp using the good parts from this old amp.

It seems like such a waste to trash this old warrior.

It just isn't worth taking to a shop for professional repair. 

Any suggestions as to how i might approach such a project?

Thank you.

[J M Fahey]

Hi Bobby. You have two widely different paths ahead, the choice is yours.
If you have to play with it in short time, just try to repair it and use it.
If you have something else to play with, and want to experiment; now you have an excellent testbed with about half of the homebuilder´s problems solved: cabinet, transformer, chassis, speaker, etc.
In that case you can pull the old PC boards, start by building a new power supply recycling old diodes and filters, and then experiment at will with pre and power amps.
One project you might want to test would be to build a Randall clone, which is not that complex and provides a unique sound.
You might start by the power amp, then the preamp, and later the reverb as an add-on.
Good luck.

[BobbyBooby]

Thanks for the reply JM. 

I have another Bandit to use (I like Bandits!  <3)) so I can afford to experiment with the busted one.

I seem to recall seeing something about the Randall clone.  Is that somewhere on this site?

You said to build a new power supply.  Would I be able to recycle the transformer from the Bandit?  It would nice to keep all that power that the Bandit has.

I use mainly a clean amp (Jazz).  My understanding is the power amp alone would be clean.  So if I do that first I have a usable clean amp.  Then I could build a pre amp to get overdrive.

Is that correct? 

[J M Fahey]

Hi Bobby. Well, if you play Jazz,I guess the Randall is not the best for you, although you can always play it clean. Google   Randall RG100 RG80 Schematic    , also somebody posted a schematic here in SSGuitar. Last but not least, search Ampix where our friend Enzo has posted truckloads of schematics. While there, have a good look at the Yamahas G50 and 100 , lovely Jazz and Country amps. You *don´t* need to copy it fully, start by a power supply and clean basic power amp, then build the simplest preamp you find and build it just to practice, then something more advanced, ... so on. You get it, it´s just like learning to play Guitar !!!
As of the power supply, you can reuse the power transformer (the single most expensive part),and at least the big filters and the diodes (or bridge). Having the skill to homemake PCBs sure will be good (or have a friend/schoolmate/etc. available who does or you can ask for some electronic´s student help). The +-40 Volts the Bandit offers is a little too much for an LM3886 or similar amp chip.
Bye.