Top products from r/GuitarAmps

My personal favorite is the Orange Micro Crush. It has decent volume, actually has pretty good tone once you dial it right, and most importantly, doesn't buzz. It also accepts a 9v power cord.

The only other one I have tried was the Danelectro N10. It was horrible. I mean absolutely awful. Terrible tone no matter what the knobs were set to, and buzzed constantly. And by buzz, I mean, every single piece in this thing would rattle around every time you played a note. Also, if you played too loud, it would just cut out. I spent 5 minutes attempting to get my money's worth out of it, and then took out the battery to save for my Micro Crush.

The next one I want to try, because I have an obsession with these little things now, is the Roland Micro-Cube. I've heard nothing but good about it, even though for that price, you could have a significantly larger practice amp.

Edit: I know what I said about the Roland, but I just got the Pignose 7100 as an impulse buy, while at GC for another impulse buy. I have a problem, I know. So this amp is, first of all, really cool looking and solidly built. Second, it requires 6xAA batteries instead of the usual 9v. ...Also, it seems to have a different 9V adaptor port than all other micro-amps and pedals I own. The tone is pretty good, up there with the Orange and I would say even clearer, and you can open the back for a more airy, spacey sound. I like this amp alot, and it may replace my love for the Orange.

There are tons of reasons, it could be bad grounding in the amp somewhere, it could be capacitors or tubes gone microphonic, etc, (Not sure if it's tube or solid state). Do you have a good power filter on the amp and pedals? I don't know what is the best out there, but I have a furman like this: https://www.amazon.com/Furman-SS6B-Plug-Surge-Protector/dp/B0002D017M/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1475258359&sr=8-3&keywords=furman+power+conditioner that I like. that may be all you need, but I'd suggest at least looking to replace your tubes also, see if one is microphonic (You can also test this by getting a pencil and gently tapping hte tubes to see if you get weird noises in the tube when you do it. There are a few good videos on the internet showing microphonic tube testing.

For $30, this little thing takes care of the whole problem for you: https://www.amazon.com/BEHRINGER-V-TONE-GUITAR-DRIVER-GDI21/dp/B000CZ0RKG

Three different voiced preamps - fender, Marshall, and boogie - and variable cab sim and built in active DI, and effective baxandall tone stack. It's a little noisy if you turn the gain up but for a backup amp solution it's great.

There's no reason to buy a powered switch with the Katana 50. Get something like this instead. Better yet pick one up at your local shop.

With the switches you can not switch the channels on the panel quite like that instead you are switching between your 4 customizable preset channels - which override your panel settings. In order to get back to your panel you'll need to press the switch on the panel itself. But you can set up 4 channels to your liking, save them and use the switch to switch between them to your heart's content.

I used an Eminence Legend V128 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BBDBEU

I would have probably be more patient putting it all together, I rounded corners and inner edges of the front frame before putting the grill cloth, it would have looked better had I waited a bit.

I used a combination stain and polyurethane finish but I wish I had just given it an oil finish... I could still do that but that would required not playing with it for some time and I'm really enjoying it...

It looks like parallel wiring so...maybe not cheapest way (if you have a soldering iron then definitely not cheapest) is to hook this up (I bought this for a 2x10 cab I built after I found the speakers had only 2 tabs not 4):

​

https://reverb.com/item/5704954-earcandy-2x12-guitar-amp-speaker-cab-parallel-wiring-harness-w-jack-cup-hardware-already-soldered

​

If you don't mind it (the connection) being outside you could use a spade bit to make the hole in the lower panel and put this in...you still need to make the internal speaker plug so I guess soldering iron is required.

​

So you are connecting this to the white and black wires before it goes to the speakers by cutting that wire coming out of your amp and solder the spliced end of something like this...

https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Fender-Replacement-Internal-003-8566-049/dp/B07HY7562T/ref=pd_cp_267_2/135-2771638-8671050?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07HY7562T&pd_rd_r=964ee13b-9535-46d0-9d04-770e20160a5c&pd_rd_w=B1hC6&pd_rd_wg=8kObF&pf_rd_p=0e5324e1-c848-4872-bbd5-5be6baedf80e&pf_rd_r=9NQK3BR8T94XD5HYGYZ8&psc=1&refRID=9NQK3BR8T94XD5HYGYZ8

​

I can double check this tomorrow and try to think it through so don't order anything yet.

​

***You could also just buy something like this and then solder the wire parts that you leave on the speaker clips to this (about 14 dollars cheaper than the ear candy thing on reverb) :

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Speaker-Plate-Round-Switchcraft/dp/B0716NH7XZ/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=input+speaker+jack+guitar+plate&qid=1573768232&sr=8-2

I was able to solve this by removing the tubes and using DeoxIT on the pins. Careful not to get any on the glass; it will remove the ink markings. Some fine sandpaper on the pins might help, as well.

EDIT: Re-typing my reply after I've had a chance to reread yours.

It is like the TOP image on your drawing. Just like this, the linked image is "before" on the left, "after" on the right. The AC power connects to both ends of the Primary wiring. Sorry if that wasn't clear before. DO NOT rewire anything about the PT secondaries that go to the tubes.

But, just the fact that you asked, says you really should do more homework before you continue, I think you're rushing this without having a real understanding of how the amp, and AC appliance in general, work.

At the very least, I would pick up Dave Hunter's book, which explains the amp workings in layman's terms. But there is a LOT of recources out there to get yourself more up to speed.

I've got this one:

Marshall MS2 Battery-Powered Micro Guitar Amplifier https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BVS7WQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_RZgWDbDG3GV6G

If you turn everything to max it sound ok for a pocket amp, but anything less is too little. Also, the clean channel might as well not exist.

Contact cleaner, $4.77 @ Amazon, but you can buy at probably any store like Lowe's.

CRC 05103 QD Electronic Cleaner -11 Wt Oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BXOGNI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_m1G9Bb2YS6DMT

And the place on the pot to spray it (about halfway down on the page)

http://www.mtdkingston.com/thezone/repair_and_maintenance.html

Very complete answer, thanks man!
I'll order a T-12AX7. Is this one okay or are there subtleties about ''Medium gain'' that I should look into?

I use these: Whitmor Supreme 4-Tier Shelving with Adjustable Shelves and Leveling Feet Chrome https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007MHD1K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_iRqVAbMB5FT87

I have the same guitar and also ooking for recommendations myself for a good shoegaze amp. The JC-120 looks great and so does the Fender Twin Reverb, but I really can't afford either. I would prefer a tube amp personally. I stumbled across this Monoprice Stage Righ 15wt, but I'm a little skeptical about the quality for the price, and I have no idea how well it handles pedals. Anyhow, here is a link... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016JDJE9E/ref=ox_sc_act_title_10?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

This is most likely the problem. I have the combo version and it does this in my living room. Older house where there are a few circuits for the whole place. Dimmer switches, anything with a motor, etc can add interference to a circuit. Try a different room. I recently got a few power conditioners to help eliminate the noise. Not a surge protector strip, a power conditioner. Amazon has some that aren't crazy priced ($55. Furman Power Conditioner, Silver... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009GI65Q?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share)

I would try it first after the pedals and before the FX loop return.

I would recommend the Ebtech, it's cheaper than the Palmer and it's got two channels so you could isolate before and after the pedals if need be. They would both do the job though.

this one?

https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-611815-Amplifier-Celestion-Speaker/dp/B016JDJE9Ehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bF20Ed2RvXY

anybody know what the circuit is based on? Blues Jr?

By the way, get the guitar grimoire green book. It helped me.
The Guitar Grimoire: The Exercise Book https://www.amazon.com/dp/0825835658/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_hzu2CbQSMXP45

https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-FSC-385-Footswitch-Guitar-style-Dual-latching/dp/B000VXKUL0

Hosa GPP-151 1/4 inch TS to 1/4 inch TS Right-Angle Adaptor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000068O45/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_qpxwybHV4QGW1

Should work and is cheap.

I've used this table to stack two combo amps: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006D50RO/