Can I Cannibalise my SS amps to make stomp boxes?

[veronica speedwell]

Well can I, Can I?  I have two functioning solid state amps, both of which make a good fuzzy noise but not much of a clean tone.  One of them also has a short spring accutronics reverb tank too.
What I'd like to do is turn them into to a pair of distortion units (pedals?) and a reverb unit.
Is this possible?

[J M Fahey]

Technically possible? .... maybe.
Practical? .... not much if at all.

Big problem is that when you want to build a certain schematic, you'll certainly miss at least some parts so you'll have to order online anyway.
You won't find use for the chassis, cabinet, speaker, transformer, etc.

Maybe some pot fits you; knobs will definitely do, maybe some jack.

In a nutshell: in, say, a $30 or $40 cost Pedal, (including case, footswitch, etc.), maybe you'll save a couple dollars.

And that will force you to somehow use the recycled parts which will have 1/4" leg stubs left.

Your decision.

[Roly]

Welcome @veronica speedwell!

You could, but as JM has suggested, it's a bit of a pointless exercise.

The primary expenses in building stomp boxes are the box itself, knobs, controls, and connectors.  The actual electronic bits inside that make up the circuit are a very minor part of the overall cost.

There is also a massive amount of other electronics stuff going into land fill that is worth interception and ratting; but overall the exercise you propose just isn't worth it, you would be better off gaining some experience by getting into these amps and trying to find out why they don't perform well, and fixing that.

HTH

[phatt]

Did I hear "Reverb Tank" mentioned?

Well as long as you don't wish to run it all from a 9 volt battery then you can likely build a stunning reverb with all that stuff. :tu:

Or with a bit of plastic tube and a small speaker you can use those small Amps to drive a Mouth Wah/Talkbox setup.
just some possible uses rather than trashing it?

Phil.

[joecool85]

Did I hear "Reverb Tank" mentioned?

Well as long as you don't wish to run it all from a 9 volt battery then you can likely build a stunning reverb with all that stuff. :tu:

Or with a bit of plastic tube and a small speaker you can use those small Amps to drive a Mouth Wah/Talkbox setup.
just some possible uses rather than trashing it?

Phil.

I need to add a "like" button to the forum.   :dbtu:

[Enzo]

I thought that was what your [informative] box was for.

I don;t facebook, so maybe that is my problem, but over at M-E-F, they have the "Like" turned on, and every day, I get a message notice, only to find once I open it that someone "liked" some comment I made.  Maybe I am alone, but I find that annoying.  Not annoying that someone liked what I said, but annoying that it has to take my time to point it out to me.

[phatt]

I thought that was what your [informative] box was for.

I don;t facebook, so maybe that is my problem, but over at M-E-F, they have the "Like" turned on, and every day, I get a message notice, only to find once I open it that someone "liked" some comment I made.  Maybe I am alone, but I find that annoying.  Not annoying that someone liked what I said, but annoying that it has to take my time to point it out to me.

You Sir are perfectly Normal,,, :dbtu:

but Yes it's hard to fly like an Eagle when you are surrounded by Turkeys who just gobble up any trivia.
Phil.

[DrGonz78]

I gave Enzo a +1 on his informative rating here for that last post, but it was not annoying... I swear :lmao:

Yeah in your case Enzo you probably get a million of those Likes!! The likes reminds me too much of FaceCrook... Remember the good ole days when you actually didn't get annoyed by being liked? Thanks a lot computer age!

[phatt]

Did I hear "Reverb Tank" mentioned?

Well as long as you don't wish to run it all from a 9 volt battery then you can likely build a stunning reverb with all that stuff. :tu:

Or with a bit of plastic tube and a small speaker you can use those small Amps to drive a Mouth Wah/Talkbox setup.
just some possible uses rather than trashing it?

Phil.

I need to add a "like" button to the forum.   :dbtu:

Hi Joe,, thanks for the thumbs up,,Just my brain was plugged and working lol.

For those looking for clues I did build a MouthWah out of junk.
Simply added a line out socket to this one.

http://www.ssguitar.com/index.php?topic=2607.0

The line out runs to the Main Amp as per normal.

The internal LM1875 powerchip drives a small 5 inch speaker in a box on the floor which has a foot switch for instant control.

Of course you need a mike setup to pick up the sound from the tube end.

Way to fiddly for the small live gig I attend but a lot of fun to setup.

My thoughts on a small amps like these; They are often trashed and if you get one for nothing or close to it,,,Tiss a great learning tool for those wishing to get an understanding of how to make a Bigger one.

How the PSU works, How the circuit is laid out on the board.

Phil.

[Roly]

Remember the good ole days when you actually didn't get annoyed by being liked? Thanks a lot computer age!

I mostly did industrial where they were more than happy to leave you alone to get on with it, but the latter phase I was dealing with consumer clients again and more than once I've had to say "For God sake STOP HELPING!"

One chap I didn't have to tell asked me "What's that?" as he put his finger on the HT line of his valve amp while the soup was boiling.  After he did a bit of an impromptu Fandango around the workshop I said " I suppose it's too late to tell you not to touch that?", and he decided to "leave me to it".

[J M Fahey]

Remember the good ole days when you actually didn't get annoyed by being liked? Thanks a lot computer age!

I mostly did industrial where they were more than happy to leave you alone to get on with it, but the latter phase I was dealing with consumer clients again and more than once I've had to say "For God sake STOP HELPING!"

One chap I didn't have to tell asked me "What's that?" as he put his finger on the HT line of his valve amp while the soup was boiling.  After he did a bit of an impromptu Fandango around the workshop I said " I suppose it's too late to tell you not to touch that?", and he decided to "leave me to it".

I BEG YOUR PARDON?   8|

Your customer was showing you he is more up to date than you, and showed how to do things the way Pros do
http://youtu.be/1lozkT1zrIU

:loco   :duh   :lmao:

[joecool85]

I thought that was what your [informative] box was for.

I don;t facebook, so maybe that is my problem, but over at M-E-F, they have the "Like" turned on, and every day, I get a message notice, only to find once I open it that someone "liked" some comment I made.  Maybe I am alone, but I find that annoying.  Not annoying that someone liked what I said, but annoying that it has to take my time to point it out to me.

Maybe I'll leave it the way it is then.  The difference is that the "informative" builds up your "chip points" whereas a "like" button doesn't, it simply puts a note at the bottom of that post saying that "joecool85 likes your post" etc.  That said, you raise a good point that it is obnoxious getting notifications that someone likes your posts.  I believe you can turn those notifications off though.