Kustom Defender 5h LED Mod, please help!

[DIYmastermind]

Hey guys. so i've got a kustom defender 5h amp head. i've had it now for about 3 months and with some mods and tube swaps, i've got it sounding perfect (for me and my ears). So far i've (not me, a guy i sent my amp to who did all mods i'm about to list) put a Classic Tone OT in there, recapped with sprague orange drop, added a standby switch, and added a tone and gain control. i'm completely satisfied with how the amp sounds. but.. honestly it's just kinda boring to look at.

I was prowling youtube about a half hour ago and found a vid of a guy who also modded his defender 5h. along with adding different controls to his amp, he had blue LEDs inside the amp. IMO, it looked awesome. just seeing the blue light oozing out of the amp immediately made me want to do the same. not just that, but it also matched the light for the on/off switch, which is awesome for my OCD. problem is, the guy was speaking some sort of middle eastern language. and browsing through the comments, i saw that he never responded to anyone who asked for a how-to (with english subtitles lol). and that brings me here to this fountain of knowledge.

I've found a place to get the LEDs. i'm going to buy them in strips, 5cm each strip, 3 LEDs per strip. i'm going to buy two strips and stick them on the left and right inside of the amp with the 3m adhesive backing (peel and stick). the product description states that resistors are built in, so all you have to do is add 12v of power and a ground. my question is...

Is there any way to tap into the amp itself for the 12v? so that when i turn my amp on and the on/off switch lights up, so does the inside of the amp. a detailed description of what exactly i'll need to do (and additional parts/supplies, if needed) would be amazing (as i'm a bit slow when it comes to electronics lol), but any advice would be apreciated.

Also, i'm aware of the potentially lethal voltage that lurks in tube amps, and i know how to safely discharge them. so please don't discourage me from this mod.. if it can even be classified as such haha. please and thanks!

[DrGonz78]

Trust me that you do not want to try to tap the amps power supplies. Rather if you must, mount a 1:10 step down transformer from the 120v already entering your amplifier. Now this is not the greatest idea but I think it better than trying find a way to tap into the power supply of the amplifier itself. Mounting this transformer will prove to be a hassle and it needs to be positioned in the chassis perfectly so it won't add hum to the amp.

Personally, a battery powered or wall wart powered alternative is much more practical and easier to remove if you ever want to get rid of the decorative item on the amp. For example, here is a product that would be easy to copy. http://monkeydream.com/led_bar_sale.html

[DIYmastermind]

Thanks for the advice drgonz. see, that would be a perfect (and easily removable) solution for me if only they made their light bars in smaller sizes  unless i'm mistaken the smallest (direct plug in, which is easy and basically fool proof!) bar they make is 17 inches, which is larger then the amp head. the amp measures about 12" wide (looking at it from the front), 7" long, and 4" tall. do you have any other ideas? i really love the simplicity of just mounting the bar and plugging it in, and if i could find that same option in a smaller size say, maybe 10", i'd be all over it. any ideas are welcome. i've heard of people just using batteries but i'd hate to have to worry about changing them all the time (hey, i might even use the amp as a night light when i'm done ), and getting the chassis even more cramped.

[DrGonz78]

This is a 10" option that allows you to control how you want to wire it up, battery or plug.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Red-24CM-LED-Strip-Car-Auto-Motorcycle-Flexible-Grill-Light-Lamp-Bulb-12V-LED-/161110711710?pt=US_Car_Lighting&hash=item2582f25d9e

[DIYmastermind]

That's IT man! Thanks so much! Absolutely perfect. I'm gonna go ahead and order it. Will post pics after I get it installed  :cheesy: thanks again drgonz!