New guy on an amp quest

[HW_Hack]

Quick background - Electronics degree (2yr) back in the '80s - then 5yrs doing digital debug on an assembly line - then 15yrs doing both debug and digital design. Lots of fussing over nanoseconds..

I haven't touched an op-amp since school and only in the past year fiddled with some BJT and FETs on some simple stomp boxes. Spent the past few weeks learning Eagle CAD and just FAB'd my first PCB for $11 - a basic LM317 - which is a pretty amazing price. So next up I'm going to keep it simple and do a Ruby LM386 amp and have that FAB'd --- only change is to add an input so I can connect an iPod for jamming.

On the cabinet side I've ordered a Jensen 8" MOD speaker to build a small combo-cab. This will all be small low watt stuff -- but I envision a bay in the cabinet where i can slide in different amp modules. After the Ruby I'd like to try a 2 - 5W design. As to effects all I really need is clean and overdrive - maybe slight distortion.

I'll have some questions as I start to breadboard up the Ruby and iPod circuit. As to the quality of my questions I can make no promises.

[Roly]

Welcome HW_Hack.

All questions welcome and taken seriously.  Well mostly.

[gbono]

Check out these 8" speakers from the Fender Acoustasonic 150...if the link doesn't work it is part type 299-079 at Partsexpress.

http://www.parts-express.com/fender-8-full-range-speaker-8-ohm--299-079

[HW_Hack]

I plow ahead as I have time - and of course I always think I should have bought 10" speakers, but then I need to start somewhere.

Here is the speaker I'm using -
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/jensen-mod8-20-20w-8-replacement-speaker

I found the huge Solid-State Guitar Amp PDF ---- wow a ton of good stuff in there

[J M Fahey]

Welcome to this  :duh  place   
And you already have a killer speaker.
Start with your Ruby and later you'll be able to upgrade to some very usable 10/15W TDA20xx based amp.

[JHow]

...And you already have a killer speaker.

+1 on this.  Those Jensen Mods are a great value.  I recently sold  a peavey amp where the speaker was dead so I replaced it with 12"-70W Jensen mod.  The buyer was playing the amp and made the comment that "These old Eminences are good" and I told him, no, it's a Jensen Mod.  "Huh!", he said.