ASSEMBLY

MANUAL FOR BUD

GUITAR TUBE AMP
KIT

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Acknowledgements
This manual was developed and published by:
TubeDepot.com LLC, Memphis, TN

Written by:
Josh Phelps

Edited by:
Josh Phelps
Michelle Keller
Christian Magee

Design and Artwork by:

Josh Phelps
Ben Siler
Christian Magee

Special thanks to the following for their design help:

Joe Austin Ben Siler Matt Kirby
Allen Towery Ryan McCrory

Copyright © 2019
TubeDepot.com LLC
1958 Vanderhorn Drive
Memphis, TN 38134
(877) 289-7994
info@tubedepot.com

REGARDING THESE BOOK MATERIALS

Reproduction, publication, or duplication of this booklet, or any part thereof, in any manner,
mechanically, electronically, or photographically is prohibited without the express written permission of
the publisher.

The Author, Publisher or Seller assumes no liability with respect to the use of the information contained
herein.

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For permission and other rights under this copyright, contact TubeDepot.com.

Table of Contents
Preface…………………………………………………………………………………….……...4

Chapter 1
Safety……………………………………………………………….…………………….5
Chapter 2
Tools and Supplies………………………………………………………………………..7
Chapter 3
Parts Inventory/Population Charts…………………...…………………………………...8
Chapter 4
Cabinet Construction………………………………………………………………..…...13
Chapter 5
Chassis Preparation Part 1…….…………….………………………………………...…14
Chapter 6
PCB Assembly Part 1…...………………………….…………………………………....14
Chapter 7
PCB Assembly Part 2………….…………………………………………..………….....16
Chapter 8
Power/Output Transformer Installation…………………………...……………..……....17
Chapter 9
Chassis Preparation Part 2………………………………………………………..……...17
Chapter 10
Testing……………………………………………………………………….…………...20
Chapter 11
Speaker Installation……………………………………………………………………....21
Chapter 12
Power Up and Testing……………………………………………………..……………..22
Chapter 13
Schematic……………………………………………………..……………….………...23

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Preface
BUD Guitar Tube Amp Kit Introduction:

The BUD vacuum tube amp kit, employing a timeless tonal recipe that includes a genuine Class-A, low
wattage, all-tube signal path, includes everything you will need to complete the kit in a few hours with
astounding results. Made up of two 12AX7 gain stages, tone stack, single-ended EL84, American made
iron and a Jensen 10” driver, The BUD is an affordable, fun to build, great sounding amplifier kit that will
be a revelation for you and your tone.

BUD - All new, living things begin as a bud. Like plants and flowers bud before they bloom - new and
seasoned musicians need to BUD. Maybe you’re starting a new journey into tubes. Perhaps you might be
an old hat looking for a new style. Could it be true that low wattage amps actually sound better and can
breathe new life into your tone? Whatever the reason, BUD is the answer.

“Tube amps are expensive,'' they said. “You can’t afford a tube amp. It’s out of your reach.” That was
then, and this is now. Designed for the budget conscious, the all new TubeDepot BUD is a powerful
sounding, vacuum tube amp kit you can play in your bedroom, onstage and in the studio. Sounding more
like a vintage behemoth, this portable and easy to build kit will astound you with its simple, yet creamy
tone.

Let’s Get a Little Technical:

For the BUD, we spec’d high-quality, American made Classic Tone Power and Output Transformers.
Classic Tone uses only premium materials and paper layer windings - like the vintage era Classics! The
BUD Class-A circuit uses a single JJ 12AX7 to drive a single-ended, sweet sounding JJ EL84 power tube.
With the included ​Jensen MOD 10/35 8Ω speaker, t​his little amp offers a wide spectrum of tone​.​ The 10”
speaker delivers the full, rich and creamy tone only a full size driver can convey. The chassis is laser cut
and formed right here in Memphis. There’s no cutting or drilling that could ruin your hard work with one
slip. With all the holes already in place, you’ll have no problems with assembly of the chassis
components.

The BUD can also be bought as a stand-alone head. Just select the ‘No Cab / No Speaker’ option when
making your selection. The head can be plugged into any guitar cabinet with great results. We use the
BUD with our shop Mesa cab loaded with Celestion speakers and it sounds amazing.

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Safety
WARNING!
TUBEDEPOT ™ PRODUCTS ARE INTENDED
FOR MUSIC-INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS AND
SERIOUS, PROFESSIONAL-MINDED
ENTHUSIASTS. ALL TUBE AMPLIFIERS
CONTAIN AND OPERATE ON ​LETHAL
VOLTAGE LEVELS. THE ​MISUSE ​OF YOUR
TUBEDEPOT ™ PRODUCT OR ​FAILURE TO
ADHERE TO THE FOLLOWING ​DIRECTIVES
MAY RESULT IN ​DEATH ​OR ​SERIOUS
BODILY INJURY​.

Customers must check each of the following and click ​“I UNDERSTAND”
to proceed:

⬜ ​FOLLOW all instructions, and observe all safety warnings, stated in the Instructions or
Assembly Manual provided with your TubeDepot™ product.

⬜ ​DO NOT use your TubeDepot™ product in any manner different from its intended,
advertised purpose as stated in the Instructions or Assembly Manual provided with your
TubeDepot™ product.

⬜ ​DO NOT test, turn on, or attempt to operate any TubeDepot™ pedal, amplifier, amplifier kit,
or any other TubeDepot™ electronic device or system UNLESS that device or system
has first been properly grounded to a three-pronged AC outlet using an unmodified
three-pronged plug.

⬜ ​DO NOT test, turn on, or attempt to operate any electronic device or system into which any
TubeDepot™ vacuum tube, resistor, capacitor, jack, adapter, connector, or any other
TubeDepot™ electrical component has been installed UNLESS that device or system
has first been properly grounded to a three-pronged AC outlet using an unmodified
three-pronged plug.

BEFORE attempting to install any TubeDepot™ vacuum tube, resistor, capacitor, jack, adapter,

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 connector, or other electrical component to pre-existing electronic device or system,
ensure that device or system is disconnected from its power source.

⬜ ​BEFORE handling, opening, reaching inside of, or attempting to replace any component of
any TubeDepot™ amplifier or any other electronic device containing TubeDepot™ or
any other kind of vacuum tube(s), wait at least 10 minutes from the time the device is
turned off for tubes to cool down AND disconnected from its power source and drain
filter capacitors to ensure any residual electrical charge has dissipated.

⬜ ​NEVER attempt to test, operate, handle, or touch a TubeDepot™ pedal, amplifier, or any
other TubeDepot™ electronic device or electrical component in rain, snow, and other
precipitation, wet or damp conditions, in or near standing pools of water, or in the
presence of any tangible surface moisture whatsoever.

⬜ ​NEVER attempt to test, operate, handle, or touch a TubeDepot™ pedal, amplifier, or any
other TubeDepot™ electrical device or component with wet or damp hands or while
wearing wet or damp clothing.

DO NOT ​attempt to alter or modify any TubeDepot™ product in any manner whatsoever unless
in accordance with precise instructions included in the “Recommended Modifications”
section of the Instructions or Assembly Manual provided with your TubeDepot™
product. A TubeDepot™ product may be safely modified ​ONLY ​if the Instructions or
Assembly Manual provided with that product contains a “Recommended Modifications”
section.

I UNDERSTAND

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2 Tools and Supplies

You’ve got your BUD. Let’s get unpacked and BUILD.

Tools Needed for Build - Not Supplied with Kit:

● Soldering Iron
● Solder
● Automatic Center Punch
● Step Drill Bit
● Cordless Drill
● Deburring tool
● Drill Bit
● Wood Glue​ - to glue cabinet joints
● Electronics Cleaning Brush​ - to apply glue to cabinet joints
● Bar Clamps - to clamp cabinet while drying
● Wire Clippers

Optional Tools - Not Supplied with Kit:

● Helping Hands with Magnifying Lens
● Countersink Drill Bit

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3 PARTS INVENTORY /
POPULATION CHARTS
3.1 Parts Inventory

Quantity Part Inventory

Large Items
1 10" Speaker Cabinet with Back Panel and 9" Cleats
1 BUD PCB
1 Jensen MOD10/35 - 8Ω
1 BUD Chassis
1 Classic Tone 18111 Power transformer
1 Classic Tone 18030 Output transformer - 4Ω / 8Ω
Hardware
8 6-32 Phillips Pan Head - 1/4"
3 #6 Female/Female Hex Aluminum Standoff - 1/2"
4 6-32 Phillips Pan Head - 3"
8 6-32 SAE Flat Washer
6 6-32 Machine Screw Keps Nut
4 8-32 Phillips Pan Head - 3/8"
4 8-32 Machine Screw Keps Nut
6 Wood Screw, Fine Thread - 1"
2 Solder Tab with Lock Washer
2 Rubber Grommets - 3/8"
2 Rubber Grommets - 1/2"
1 Lock Washer, Internal Tooth - 1/2"
1 Locking strain relief

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 Control Panel / Chassis Components
1 Carling SPST Toggle Switch
1 120V LED indicator
2 British Style Set-Screw Knob
2 Glass Fuse (3AG size: 1-1/4" x 1/4" ), Slow-Blow
1 Fuse Holder with Conical Cap
1 Switchcraft 11 1/4" Jack
1 Switchcraft 280, 1/4" Straight Audio Plug
1 3 Meter - 3 Prong Power Cord
PCB Components
2 Belton 9 Pin Miniature PC Mount Socket
1 JJ ECC83s / 12AX7 Preamp Vacuum Tube
1 JJ EL84 / 6BQ5 Power Vacuum Tube
2 1/2 Watt Carbon Film Resistor-10K
1 1/2 Watt Carbon Film Resistor-12K
1 1/2 Watt Carbon Film Resistor-33K
1 1/2 Watt Carbon Film Resistor - 68K
2 1/2 Watt Carbon Film Resistor-470K
1 1/2 Watt Carbon Film Resistor-1M
1 1 Watt Carbon Film Resistor-47
1 1 Watt Carbon Film Resistor-1.5K
1 1 Watt Carbon Film Resistor-2.7K
1 1 Watt Carbon Film Resistor-5.6K
2 1 Watt Carbon Film Resistor-100K
1 2 Watt Metal Oxide Power Resistor-10K
1 3 Watt Metal Oxide Power Resistor-68
2 3 Watt Metal Oxide Power Resistor-4.7K
4 Xicon .022µF / 630V
1 Silver Mica 10pF / 500V
2 Nichicon 22µF / 450V
2 Nichicon 1µF / 50V
1 Silver Mica 500pF / 500V
1 Nichicon 100µF / 50V

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 1 Nichicon 47µF / 450V
1 Alpha 16MM Audio Pot, PCB Mount - Smooth - 250K
1 Alpha 16MM Audio Pot, PCB Mount - Smooth - 1M
2 1N4007 Diode 1A / 1000V Rectifier
1 503 1/4" Jack
Shielding / Wire / Shrink Wrap
2 2" Aluminum Shielding Tape
1 20 Ga. Stranded, High-Temperature PVC Wire - Yellow
2 20 Ga. Stranded, High-Temperature PVC Wire - Black
2 18 Ga. Stranded, High-Temperature PVC Wire-Black
2 18 Ga. Stranded, High-Temperature PVC Wire-White
1 Black 1/8" Heat Shrink Tubing

3:2 Population Chart

TubeDepot BUD PCB Population Chart

Resistors
Description SKU
R1 1/2 Watt Carbon Film Resistor - 68K R-293-68K
R2 1/2 Watt Carbon Film Resistor-1M R-293-1M
R3 1 Watt Carbon Film Resistor-2.7K R-294-2.7K
R4 1 Watt Carbon Film Resistor-100K R-294-100K
R5 2 Watt Metal Oxide Power Resistor-10K R-262-10K
R6 1 Watt Carbon Film Resistor-100K R-294-100K
R7 1/2 Watt Carbon Film Resistor-33K R-293-33K
R8 1/2 Watt Carbon Film Resistor-10K R-293-10K
R9 1/2 Watt Carbon Film Resistor-470K R-293-470K
R10 1/2 Watt Carbon Film Resistor-12K R-293-12K
R11 1 Watt Carbon Film Resistor-1.5K R-294-1.5K

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 R12 1 Watt Carbon Film Resistor-5.6K R-294-5.6K
R13 1 Watt Carbon Film Resistor-47 R-294-47
R14 1/2 Watt Carbon Film Resistor-10K R-293-10K
R15 1/2 Watt Carbon Film Resistor-470K R-293-470K
R16 3 Watt Metal Oxide Power Resistor-4.7K R-283-4.7K
R17 3 Watt Metal Oxide Power Resistor-4.7K R-283-4.7K
R18 3 Watt Metal Oxide Power Resistor-68 R-283-68
Capacitors
C1 Xicon .022µF / 630V CP-XI-022-630V
C2 Silver Mica 10pF / 500V CP-SM-10-500V
C3 Nichicon 22µF / 450V CP-NI-22-450V
C4 Nichicon 1µF / 50V CP-NI-1-50V
C5 Silver Mica 500pF / 500V CP-SM-500-500V
C6 Xicon .022µF / 630V CP-XI-022-630V
C7 Xicon .022µF / 630V CP-XI-022-630V
C8 Xicon .022µF / 630V CP-XI-022-630V
C9 Nichicon 22µF / 450V CP-NI-22-450V
C10 Nichicon 1µF / 50V CP-NI-1-50V
C11 Nichicon 100µF / 50V CP-NI-100-50V
C12 Nichicon 47µF / 450V CP-NI-47-450V
Diodes
D1 1N4007 Diode 1A / 1000V Rectifier D-1N4007
D2 1N4007 Diode 1A / 1000V Rectifier D-1N4007
Potentiometers

P1 Alpha 16MM Audio Pot, PCB Mount - Smooth - 250K RV16A-PCB-SMOOTH-250K

P2 Alpha 16MM Audio Pot, PCB Mount - Smooth - 1M RV16A-PCB-SMOOTH-1M
Input Jack
503 1/4" Jack P-CHK-503

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3.3 Wire Population Chart
TubeDepot BUD Wire Population Chart
Filament
1 Green from 18111
2 Green from 18111
B​+
1 Red from 18111
2 Red from 18111
Wires
W1 Black from fuse holder side tab
W2 Black + Brown from 18111
W3 Black/White + Brown/White from 18111
W4 White from AC cord
W5 Red/Yellow from 18111

W6 Black from chassis wall tab

W7 Green/Yellow from 18111
W8 Red from 18030
W9 Blue from 18030
W10 N/A
W11 Yellow wire connects to speaker jack tip
Speaker Jack
Sleeve Black wire from 18030
Tip Green from 18030 and Yellow from W11

For 240v operation, remove only Black/White from W2 and Brown from W3. Then connect them
together and heat shrink off the excess exposed wire. You’ll also need to sub the 120v indicator lamp for
a 240v. If you selected your proper wall voltage at the time of checkout your kit will include the correct
light.

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4 Cabinet Construction
9” x 3⁄4” x ¾” Cleat Installation:

⬜ ​Step 1 -​ Place assembled cabinet on a flat table with the speaker baffle facing up.

⬜ ​Step 2 - ​Make sure the rear baffle is inside the cabinet and pushed all the way up toward the
control cutout / top side.

⬜ ​Step 3 - ​Reaching through the speaker cutout, draw a line along the edge where the rear
baffle and the side-wall meet. Do this on both sides. ​This line is very important
because it determines the depth of the rear baffle.

⬜ ​Step 4​ ​-​ Use a fine point pencil to create a nice, crisp line.

⬜ ​Step 5 - ​Apply some glue to one side of the 9” cleats and clamp them in place along the line
you drew. Allow these to dry for at least 3 hours.

⬜ ​Step 6 - ​While the cleats are drying, measure and draw a line ⅜” from the outside edge of
the rear baffle. This line should be along the short (9 ¼”) edge. Do this on both
sides.

⬜ ​Step 7 - ​Mark three points on each line that represent the screw placements.

⬜ ​Step 8 - ​Place the cabinet on a flat table, speaker baffle facing down, and put the rear baffle
in place making sure the baffle is pushed all the way to the top - toward the control
cutout.

⬜ ​Step 9 - ​Use a countersink drill bit to create 6 countersunk holes on the points that you
made.

⬜ ​Step 10 - ​Use the provided wood screws to fasten the rear baffle in place.

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5 Chassis Preparation Part 1
⬜ ​Step 1 - ​ Locate the four grommets. The two larger ones are for the power transformer. The
two smaller grommets are for the wires that are on the output transformer.

⬜ ​Step 2 - ​ Install the two large grommets in the larger holes and the two smaller ones in the
smaller holes. These are in place to prevent nicking of wires as they pass through
on potentially sharp edges from the holes. Once installed, use a screwdriver shaft or
an orange wood stick and work it around for a proper fit.

⬜ ​ Step 3 - ​Next, install the strain relief. The strain relief goes on the rear panel on the far left
side facing the opening of the chassis. It is essential that this is very tight. Only
tighten the removable nut at the base at this time. The loose part is going to tie
down the AC cord which will be covered later.

⬜ ​Step 4 - ​Next, install the fuse holder. Insert the rubber washer then install the holder through
the panel first. The large brass nut will go on the inside of the chassis. Hand tighten
it to make sure the orientation of the tab is facing upward for easy access and
soldering when it’s time to install the AC cord. Now, finish tightening the brass nut
down and make sure the holder can no longer rotate. Once it’s in place, take your
fingernail or a flathead screwdriver and slightly elevate the side tab.

6 PCB Assembly Part 1

Tech Tip:​ When working with solder, make sure you have a well-ventilated work space with
an exhaust system collecting the dangerous fumes, or even a small, cheaper fan on a bench
to help protect you. If you can feel the breeze on your face you know that it’s working.
There are very bad things in solder that you don’t want to breathe in.

⬜ ​Step 1 - ​Align pin 9 on your tube sockets with the 9 next to the tube socket cutouts on
your PCB.

⬜ ​Step 2 - ​Give a visual inspection to make sure that all the pins are going through and the
sockets are all the way in.

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 ⬜​ Step 3 - ​ Set your soldering iron to 350 degrees centigrade. Solder a single pin on one side
while applying a slight downward pressure on the PCB. When the solder
connection is dry, this will anchor the socket into place.

Tech Tip:​ We recommend using Kester solder which you can purchase at
TubeDepot.com. While soldering, do not feed solder onto the soldering iron
tip. Feed solder only onto a properly heated surface. A properly heated
solder connection will be a seamless and shiny connection.

⬜ ​Step 4 - ​Solder all of the other pins.

Tech Tip: ​Solder is not structural, but it can help support the socket pins
when you’re changing tubes repeatedly through the life of the amplifier. You
want to use a little bit of excess solder when you’re installing the pins. It will
help ensure that none of these solder connections break.

⬜ ​Step 5 - ​ Flip the board over and solder the pins one at a time from the top side to ensure a
good connection on the top pad and bottom pad.

Tech Tip:​ Go around freely and solder all other connections using a
generous amount of solder. A properly heated solder connection will be a
shiny, seamless, and solid connection. The pad will be covered in solder and
the pin will have a seamless connection.

⬜ ​Step 6 - ​ Next, insert the input jack into your PCB where the PCB is labeled “input”
and solder its pins into place ensuring that solder makes it through and is present on
the upper and lower pads.

Tech Tip:​ It’s essential for every solder connection on this amplifier to have
a solid connection on the top and on the bottom.

⬜ ​Step 7 - ​Insert the potentiometers into P1 (250k) & P2 (1M) then solder them into place
from the backside. You will need to slightly bend the outside two pins by gently
wiggling the tabs into their holes.

⬜ ​Step 8 - ​Take a pair of pliers and pop off the indexing pins located by the shaft base of your
pots.

⬜ ​Step 9 - ​Locate three 6/32 screws and the three included threaded standoffs then attach the
standoffs to the three holes on your PCB.

⬜ ​Step 10 - ​Test fit the PCB into the chassis to make sure you have proper alignment on your pot
shafts, input jack, tube sockets, and standoff holes.

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 Tech Tip: ​If the sockets are not 100 percent flush, it’s okay because it is very
difficult to get those sockets perfectly flush. It’s the nature of how they are
made. The tube will seat just fine.

⬜ ​Step 11 - ​Remove the board and do the final installation of the components of the PCB
following the population chart from the front of this manual. Start with the large
polarized capacitors (these capacitors must connect their positive side to the “+”
symbol on your PCB) and you will have a level/elevated surface to solder the rest
of the components so that you are not pressing the resistors down flat against the
PCB.

Tech Tip: ​The resistors that will need to be elevated (1/16” air gap spacing
under the components can be done with a 3” x 1/4” cut out section of a thick
business card) from the board are going to be R17, R16, R5, R6, R4, and
R18.

⬜ ​Step 12 - ​Install all the remaining components following the population chart in the front of
this manual. After all the components have been installed, do a visual inspection
and make sure you have a solid and seamless connection on all of the PCB pads on
the top side and bottom side. Also make sure you have installed your jumper wire
at “J1”. You can use any excess lead that you have clipped off of your other
components to make the jumper. Once this is complete, clip off any remaining
excess length of the component leads that are protruding from the backside of the
PCB.

7 PCB Assembly Part 2

⬜ ​Step 1 - ​Cut two pieces of the 22 gauge black wire that is included with your kit to four
inches long.

⬜ ​Step 2 - ​Repeat with a piece of your yellow 22 gauge wire that is included. Strip your wire
back about 1/8”.

⬜ ​Step 3 - ​Tin the exposed wire tips.

⬜ ​Step 4 - ​The two black pieces of wire are going to be soldered to the tabs on your AC switch
and then they will connect to your PCB through the back side by the two solder
pads in front of “switch”.

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 ⬜ ​Step 5 - ​Flip the board over and make sure there is a solid connection on both sides. Clip any
excess leads.

⬜ ​Step 6 - ​Solder the yellow wire to W1 through the back side. Once in place, gently fold the
wire so that it runs parallel to the bottom side of the board without touching it.

8 Power/Output Transformer
Installation
⬜​ Step 1 - ​ Remove the rubber bands from the transformers, gently straighten the wires from
the transformers, and carefully insert them through the holes in the chassis. Be
careful not to strain the wires where they come out of the transformers. Find the
four 8/32 screws and four corresponding kep nuts.

⬜​ Step 2 - ​Take the black and white, brown and white, solid black, and solid brown wires from
your power transformer and insert them through the grommet on the wall of the
chassis closest to the grounding tabs and your AC cord. The remaining wires need
to go through the remaining grommet.

⬜​ Step 3 - ​ Gently pull the wires through making sure not to strain them. Gently twist together
your green wires and then also twist together the red wires. Now install your 8/32
kep nuts and screws.

Tech Tip: ​The kep nuts should start to cut into the chassis, which is what you
want. You want a solid, tight screw connection. They may spin a little and
you’ll have to grab the other side with either a crescent wrench or a socket.

⬜ ​Step 4 - ​On the output transformer, the yellow, black, and green wires will go towards the
back panel that has the AC cord and the fuse holder. The red, blue, and brown
wires will face the front.

9 Chassis Preparation Part 2

⬜ ​Step 1 - ​Take two of the 6/32 screws, two soldering tabs, and a pair of pliers; then bend the
solder tabs and make sure you leave enough room for one of the 6/32 kep nuts to

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 fit over the hole. There are two holes by the AC cord on the chassis. Put the
screws into these holes. Position these two tabs upward and tighten them down
using 2 6/32 screws and kep nuts. Make sure the Phillips head portion of the screw
is on the outside of the chassis and the kep nut is on the inside. These must be
VERY​ tight and never come loose.

Tech Tip: ​These will make the most important connections in the amplifier. It is
absolutely essential that these never come loose under any circumstances.

⬜ ​Step 2 - ​Install the 1/4 inch Switchcraft mono jack into the back panel with the two tabs
facing upward so that you can get to it when it’s time to solder.

⬜ ​Step 3 - ​Locate your AC cord and strip back 7 inches of the jacket AC cord.

⬜ ​Step 4 - ​Do a visual inspection of the wires where the jacket was stripped to ensure that
there are no nicks or damage to the wires.

⬜ ​Step 5 -​ Slide the wires through the strain relief with the green wire facing the left side of
the chassis closest to the solder tabs. The sleeving of the AC cord should pass
through a 1/2” into your chassis beyond the strain relief then your 7” of exposed
internal green, white, and black wires beyond that . Now tighten your strain relief
down. This must be very tight.

⬜ ​Step 6 - ​Insert your PCB into the chassis. Make sure everything is properly in place. The
jack and both of the potentiometers’ shaft bases should be flat against the inside
wall. Take the remaining three 6/32 screws and place them in the holes for your
PCB standoffs and tighten them.

⬜​ Step 7 - ​Screw on the input jack and the volume and tone pot nuts and tighten them down.
These need to be snug, but do not over tighten these. Tighten just until they stop.

⬜ ​Step 8 - ​Locate the lock washer and the 1/2” shaft Carling switch. Take the spacing washer
and thread it back on the shaft with the lock washer. Leave enough space for the
thickness of the wall of the chassis. Hand-tighten the switch for right now to allow
you to solder these two wires to the AC switch tabs. Once this is done, orient the
switch parallel with the PCB and tighten down the switch.

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 ⬜​ Step 9 -​ Take a four inch piece of the 22 gauge black wire and connect it between W1 and
the side tab of your fuse holder. The fuse holder side of your black wire should
have a V bent into 1/2” of its exposed pre-tinned length and then run through the
fuse holder’s hole on its side tab. Then pinch down the V with pliers to make a
mechanical connection before soldering. Next, take the black wire from your AC
cord and solder it to the tip of your fuse holder making a mechanical connection
identical to your previous fuse holder connection.

⬜ ​Step 10 - ​Solder the white wire from your AC cord to W4 on your PCB.

⬜ ​Step 11 - ​Solder the green wire from your AC cord to the closest solder tab on the wall of the
chassis making a mechanical connection utilizing a V bend in your pre-tinned
exposed wire before soldering the wire into place.

⬜ ​Step 12 - ​Solder another piece of your included black 22AWG wire from the remaining
solder tab on the wall of your chassis utilizing another V bend mechanical
connection before soldering it into place. Then connect the other side to your PCB
at W6.

⬜ ​Step 13 - ​Follow the wire population chart from the beginning of your manual for
information on the remaining wire connections. Triple check your chart before
proceeding with the testing phase of your assembly. ​Make 100% sure none of
the wires in the amplifier will make contact with any of the resistors in the
amp. Specifically make sure that the blue wire that connects to W9 does not
go over R16/R17 but instead it should go around the other side of C12. Once
it’s soldered to W9, hold it in place to neighboring wires with a small zip tie.

Tech Tip: ​If you live in the United States and you have 120 wall voltage, you
need to confirm that you have a 120 voltage indicator light. If you live elsewhere
and you have 240 voltage make sure that you have a 240 voltage indicator light
and also see the note on the bottom of your wire population chart for 240v
wiring changes that need to be made.

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10 Testing
Now that you’ve completed your amplifier, it’s time to do some testing to make sure that it is safe
before we check voltages or proceed with anything else.

⬜ ​Step 1 - ​Using a dim bulb tester, plug the AC cord in and have your power set to ON. Turn
on the tester’s switch.

Tech Tip:​ If you don’t have a dim bulb tester you can probably get away with using
a power strip with a switch, but do not touch the chassis until you’ve concluded it is
safe to do so.

⬜ ​Step 2 - ​Take a digital multimeter and set the meter to AC volts. Take one lead—it doesn’t
matter which—and anchor it on the chassis. Use one of the chassis bolt holes to
anchor it. Take the other lead and touch it to the test box which is grounded to the
wall’s ground. If the multimeter goes to 0 volts AC that lets you know there is
zero AC voltage. Switch to DC voltage and repeat the process. If there is no
voltage on the chassis, then you can safely touch the chassis.

Tech Tip: ​It’s a good idea to label your tube sockets. If you flip your tube amplifier
over and look on your PCB, it’s labeled 12AX7 and EL84 on the socket. Also, if you
have a dummy load, it’s wise to use one during the next phase of testing in case there
is an incorrect connection as you could damage your output transformer. If you do
not have a dummy load, you can use your speaker, but be aware that you will hear
pops and they can be startling.

⬜​ Step 3 - ​Now, with your tubes installed, turn the dim bulb tester/amplifier back on and after
allowing the tubes to heat for roughly 60 seconds, repeat the previous steps
checking only for DC this time. If your bulb doesn’t glow and you get a zero volts
reading, you are safe to proceed with your amplifier plugged directly into a wall
outlet.
.
⬜ ​Step 4 - ​Switch your meter to DC volts and starting on your EL84, you should get these
voltages +/- 5%
pin 3 – 3 vdc
pin 9 – 161 vdc
pin 7 – 178 vdc

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 ⬜​ Step 5 - ​ With your meter still set to DC volts, move to the 12AX7 and you should get these
voltages +/- 5%
pin 8 – 1.1 vdc
pin 3 – .9 vdc
pin 1 – 114 vdc
pin 6 – 126 vdc

11 Speaker Installation
⬜​ Step 1 - ​Take your two pieces of black and white 18AWG wire and gently twist these
together. You want to connect one end of your black wire to your negative tab on
your speaker tab with a V bend mechanical connection before soldering. Then do
the same with the white wire on the speaker’s positive tab.

⬜ ​Step 2 - ​Next, slide the barrel of your Switchcraft 1/4” male plug over your wires connected
to your speaker. Then connect (solder) your black wire to the sleeve (the lower
longer tab) of the jack and then do the same with the white wire, but connect it to
the smaller upper tab.

⬜ ​Step 3 - ​Gently close the pinching tabs on your jack’s base around the wires before screwing
the barrel into place.

Tech Tip: ​Be very careful that you don’t over tighten these tabs because they will cut
through this jacket easily and your amplifier won’t work.

⬜ ​Step 4 - ​Turn your speaker cabinet around with the speaker facing up. You will line your
speaker up with the four t-nuts and install the bolts.

⬜ ​Step 5 - ​Now, take your back panel. It ships with an arrow drawn with a pencil; you can
erase this when you’re done. ​This does not indicate center.​ This
indicates the top side that will be by the handle of your amplifier. Turn that around
facing you. Take the back and locate the center point of the back panel and put a
pencil mark on the edge at the center point. Next, find the center point of your
chassis. This is an 8 inch chassis, so 4 inches from either side will get you to your
center point. It’s always better to double and triple check this beforehand. Measure
three or four times, drill once.

⬜ ​Step 6 - ​Now that you have your center point on your chassis and your back panel, bring
your chassis up to the edge. Keep it about 1/16 of an inch from the edge. Do not

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 make it flush. Make sure it’s squared. You can take something like a small
Phillips head screwdriver and stick it through the hole. There is another hole on
the other side. This will allow you to get right where you need to be. Find that
hole and once you feel that you are in it, find the center point and then press to
make an indention.

⬜ ​Step 7 - ​Do the same on all four of these and do not move the chassis at all until you have
completed this.

⬜ ​Step 8 - ​Once you’ve completed making your four indentions, circle the indentions and you
can go back over these with your center punch to make a more defined spot to
provide a more accurate drilling hole.

Tech Tip: ​This next step you can do by hand, but it’s nice to have a drill press.
Either way you want to have some kind of backing material to prevent blowout.

⬜ ​Step 9 - ​Turn on your drill press and drill all the holes that you indented. If you do this
right you should have clean holes on both sides.

⬜ ​Step 10 - ​Take your included shielding tape and cut it into three 8 inch long strips. Install
your aluminum strips to cover everywhere your chassis will make contact with
the wood and across the wood where the internal exposed area of the chassis will
be.

12 Power Up and Testing

⬜ ​Step 1 -​ Install your chassis to the back panel of your cabinet. Take the connector from
your speaker and plug it into the output jack on the amplifier. Make sure you
have your speaker wire oriented where it cannot make contact with the hot tubes
during operation. Next, place the back panel/chassis into the cabinet and install
the 4 wood screws that hold it into place.

⬜​ Final Step -​ Now that we’ve completed the amplifier, check for functionality and hook up the
guitar.

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