18Watt.com

Ian,

Sweetwood and I are putting these kits together as we speak. I can assure you that a full set of instructions will be included with the kit. Our website is not quite up to date with all the necessary tidbits, but will get there in the near future. We make reference to 18watt.com as it is necessary to support this great forum. You can learn a whole lot by hanging around here and discussing the intricacies of the 18watt circuit.

Anyway, if you have any further questions about our kits, let's take it off line as this is not a place to advertise. You can reach me at:

darin at sweetwoodguitars dot com

StratoRat wrote: Maybe levels of access control could help in some of these areas. For example a newbie can only access the proven materails after downloading docs on basic information. After they have posted pics and wav files of an amp they have working they could then get access to the more expermental topics. I don't know... maybe this is too harsh...

Don't like this idea.
For example, would put members like Doug Hoffman, Kevin O'Connor (to name but a few) in the "restricted" zone.
A true newbie needs more and better information, not less.

Just my opinion.

You could always have a poll to take a vote on information that is in the newbie FAQ area. At least there would be a consensus of the members, plus the newbie would understand by the vote results how subjective some of the information is. For example, "The schematic symbol for a resistor is" should get 100% agreement, and "A resistor sounds like" vote would most likely not.

I've been here for a long time but I haven't posted very much as I am pretty new to this building thing and as I am learning from you guys I don't have much to offer that you guys don't already know.

Here is what I would like to see....(questions that I had). I know this stuff is all in the forums but it's not easy searching the forum as it is getting pretty big.

1) A safety section that details how to take safe measurements, drain caps, lists the areas of the highest voltages in the amp...etc.

2) An expanded troubleshooting/information section that lists the common problems that usually pop up and suggested fixes for them. Also, some basic information about the 18watt circuit. For example, Doug Hoffman has a great pic of current flow in an amp that answered quite a few questions for me.
http://www.hoffmanamps.com/charts/currentflow.htm

Just my thoughts.

I wonder if a newbie forum might be helpful or not? That way, those of us just starting out can ask our basic questions, whether it be about soldering, electronics, building, tools, etc. without cluttering up the technical forum. Then again, it may be weird splitting up the forums as ppl might be more confused as to where their post belongs. Just thinking aloud, here.

Access to info based on how long you have been here or how many posts you have made sounds like scientology to me. Sounds like a bad idea. If newbies can't get information here, they will go somewhere they can. I know I would.

I also don't think a newbie forum would work because most of the people with knowlege won't be surfing them.

I'd like to see a standard TMB and Trem version layout clearly identifying each section and their components with their respective names and "nicknames". Kinda like that guitar chord poster from the 80's. I know this would take some work (probablly not much for a senior bldr) but how else is one to know what is meant by cathode follower or bypass caps or grid leak reisistor if you've never been shown where it is let alone what it is and what it job is? I think it would eliminate a little of the guessing game I've experienced...

[I'd like to see a standard TMB and Trem version layout clearly identifying each section and their components with their respective names and "nicknames". Kinda like that guitar chord poster from the 80's. I know this would take some work (probablly not much for a senior bldr) but how else is one to know what is meant by cathode follower or bypass caps or grid leak reisistor if you've never been shown where it is let alone what it is and what it job is? I think it would eliminate a little of the guessing game I've experienced...]


YES PLEASE. That would be so helpful. I'm finally getting a hang of what is what and I realize it should be learned but I would rather get in, tweak, and get back to playing. I do love lurking here but the jargon (not the concepts) is overwhelming . One simple labeled layout of a standard 18w would save hours of frustration.

Something like this except for the 18 watt circuits?

In this line of thinking, you might check out Dave Hunter's Tube Amp Handbook. It looks at the innards of a lot of standard amp designs with a circuit by circuit analysis.

Yes that is great... I'll also look into the Dave Hunter book you mentioned RJGTR. I love this place

Basic differences



Original - 2 channel, not footswitchable, tone and volume controls for both channels, tremolo controls on one channel.

TMB - Original with the trem channel replaced with Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass controls.

Lite and Variants - One channel, high/low inputs, Volume and Tone controls.

Minimalist - Like a Lite, but no tone control. Use the guitar's tone controls.

NitroLiq wrote:Something like this except for the 18 watt circuits?

That is a great page...nice score! I wish there was a page like that for my 1981' 2203.

Thanks!

As a newbie I just wanted to say thanks for all the resources in this thread, awesome stuff.

As a very newbie I just wanted to say that only by reading a lot of stuff here I already found a few answers to my questions. I'm still in the planning-phase of building a TMB, but I know for sure that here's the place to be !

Greeny

So, how about an area for articles?

I'm a big fan of the way freshmeat.net operates. It's a nerd-based Linux site (I know, it goes without saying). People submit articles and Senior Members vote to determine the hierarchy of the articles. I've been told it's a fairly simple program that allows the whole system to work... not my field. But...

If I were putting together a Freshmeat-style article right now I would write about what 18watt variant most folks are building right now. I'd link to the schematic, the parts list, pictures of complete builds, gut shots, and to other relevant articles. I'd also provide a list of Vendors and plain folks that sell Kits for that build.

One other thing that confuses me, the Search feature in the Forum mode isn't very helpful.

But, I won't go away without saying, I love 18watt.com. If you don't change nothin' I'll still be fine.

Thanks,
-dustin