June 2009 \ Features \ Field Report \ Tube Amp Building Seminar: Specimen/Chicago School of Guitar Making

Tube Amp Building Seminar: Specimen/Chicago School of Guitar Making

Chris Burgess

A first-hand account of the Chicago School of Guitar Making's Tube Amp Building Seminar
Premier Guitar June 2009
(3 of 14)



These Specimen horns, powered by an EL34 hi-fi stereo amplifier connected to an iPod, provided great music for all three days of the weekend seminar. The amplifier is Schneller’s own version of a design by Joseph Esmilla (posted on the Angela Instruments website), and Specimen now offers classes in building it.













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Comments

 (5 comments) display by
UsernameComment
tubeamp100
on 11/25/2009 		I have noticed that passion for the personal creation of any perfect tone is insatiable. It is the driving force behind all of the sounds we revere and love. Yes, tube powered magic is infatuating and those who have ever dreamed of creating a hand made manifestation of a desired tone starts here. This school seems to offer a first person encounter of that realization in the most practical of ways, kudos to those who will seek and find...
ZP
on 07/01/2009 		GDS Amps (www.gdsamps.com) also regularly runs amp building workshops, where you learn as you build one of their legendary Marshall 18W clones. I'm not affiliated to GDS in any way at all. Just that Graydon Stuckey of GDS is generally recognized as the father figure of the Marshall 18W revival, which started a few years ago and eventually led to Marshall producing their own 18W "clone", the hand-wired 1974X. Mojo has also been known at times to slightly cut corners in product quality, while GDS' quality is always impeccable.
CaptainPickg uard
on 05/30/2009 		I was bitten by "the bug" a year and a half ago after building my first amp from a kit. It's great that Specimen makes this program available - it would have accelerated my understanding of not just the theory, but the actual task. Amp company? I can tell you having built 2 completely custom amps out of five amps total, that there is a big difference between building a kit replica of a tried a tested amp and a building a "paper to play" all custom layout. Still it's great fun on any level to play instruments and amps that you have built yourself.

on 05/29/2009 		Now all you have to do is start an amp company...
Mike Beck
on 05/28/2009 		Good article. Maybe a little more meat in a online blog for the different types of kits available with some reviews too....



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