Ever heard of this amp company?

[apekillman]

the nameplate looks like that found on an office door.

[bitter]

the nameplate looks like that found on an office door.

'lil bit.

[VOLVO)))]

Solid, I'll tell him to screen some logos and bump the price of his amps up some more because your vagina is sandy about cosmetics. 

[Discö Rice]

If the cosmetics suck, there's always Krylon.

[Lumpy]

850 dollars is cheap?

[bitter]

850 dollars is cheap?

Relatively speaking, yes. Like Hemi mentioned here and before, the transformers alone can run up as high as 5-6 bills depending on where you get them.

[At_Giza]

The recycled aspect helps, too. I noticed the transformers in Proto #1 weren't all shiny and new, they were out of another amp.

On top of that, the only reason why most big named amps are cheap as they are is because the big name can buy in bulk thus relieving the high price of transformers. Though, like in the case of, say, Electric Amps USA (where they do buy in bulk) the name offsets any drop in price one would get from bulk sales of parts.

So yeah, the recycling of amp parts helps keep Hovercraft's prices below that of other boutique amps.

[Hemisaurus]

Solid, I'll tell him to screen some logos and bump the price of his amps up some more because your vagina is sandy about cosmetics. 

Wow, you not complaining about cosmetics

Shouldn't he be handcrafting the head out of purpleheart and zebrawood

Yeah, handbuilt amps, would be near impossible to build for the price of a Bugera or Windsor, even if you used a Bugera or Windsor as a starting point. Even if you threw in all the time, solder, etc. for free and just charged for parts.

[At_Giza]

Yeah, handbuilt amps, would be near impossible to build for the price of a Bugera or Windsor, even if you used a Bugera or Windsor as a starting point. Even if you threw in all the time, solder, etc. for free and just charged for parts.

I could see hand built prices at around $500 if it was some retired old guy who saved wisely for his retirement so he didn't need to make money after the fact and if he was just building them as a hobby of sorts. But then again, that's just wishful thinking of sorts. hur hur hurdy hur

[Hemisaurus]

Maybe if somebody gave him an amp for free to scavenge parts from.

[At_Giza]

That's what I would do, I like the idea of recycling parts to build stuff.

[bitter]

It's a cool concept for sure. Keeps things interesting.

[Hemisaurus]

That's what I would do, I like the idea of recycling parts to build stuff.

The problem with recycling say a Windsor, is all the tube sockets, and pots, are PCB mount, which makes them harder to work with and recycle. If you wanted a decent handmade amp, you'd keep the transformers, chassis, knobs and case, and chuck the rest.

Hovercraft is saying he hotrods current designs, which means perhaps he is only mod'ding the original circuitry, I don't know, if he's charging $850 for an amp that goes for $350 used, and just giving it a tube job, new tolex and a few snips and cap changes, he can maybe make a living

If he manages to churn out 2 or 3 a week, at least.

[Lumpy]

850 dollars is cheap?

Relatively speaking, yes. Like Hemi mentioned here and before, the transformers alone can run up as high as 5-6 bills depending on where you get them.

Hmm... What if you got the transformers from a fully functioning amp, for example one that didn't need to be rebuilt in the first place? 

You can buy a vintage 100 watt tube amp for under 500 dollars. I bought an Earth B2000 for 220 dollars, and spent 100 dollars getting it tightened up.

I'm not getting the appeal, not at that price. Spend 850 and get a vintage Marshall. A frankensteined amp is a cool idea, if you can make it yourself. Not if you gotta pay a premium price.

Plus, can I say... that flourescent green tolex is hideously fugly. And it's not a Matamp, so why copy it?

[bitter]

I hear ya Lumpy. I'm just used to expecting something like that costing twice as much or more. Granted this is a little different concept than other handmade jobbies because of the recycling aspect. It says new item on the bay but its more like reused and rehoused. All things taken into account, it's still "cheaper" than some))) vintage amps. 

And yeah, if building your own stuff, I'd want to scavenge transformers too. Saves a lot of coin.

[Hemisaurus]

I'm not getting the appeal, not at that price. Spend 850 and get a vintage Marshall. A frankensteined amp is a cool idea, if you can make it yourself. Not if you gotta pay a premium price.

Which is great if you want to look and sound like every other person out there. A Marshall is a fine amp, but has definite limitations. A mod'd amp, even a mod'd Marshall can be an awesome sounding thing.

I'm thinking of bands that sound awesome, and use Marshall's, can name a couple

Motorhead and Bolt Thrower

[the diddler]

I'd like to see some gut shots of these amps- get some idea of just what he's doin' in there.  One pic on his facebook shows what looks like the start of ptp turret board wiring, so- potential awesome?!?!  Wonder what kind of deal you get for supplying the amp to be recycled into something else...... 

[Hemisaurus]

I shot him a question in the auction, but it ended before he had a chance to answer.

[bitter]

^^ excellent point Diddler!

If you look at that panel layout you can tell it was an epi so-cal; same knobs and switches. I'm guessing those had the same pcb mounted components Hemi mentioned. Can't remember much about those epis. Would be nice if he did in fact scrap that stuff and start fresh.

[Hemisaurus]

Well the switches and knobs could be recycled, the pots if rebuilding, would preferably be replaced.

This is a So-Cal


I count 5 preamp tube sockets (PCB mount) and two power tube sockets (also PCB mount) not the only things not mounted on the PCB are the power and standby switches, and the power connector, and whatever that rear sockety/fusey thing is.

[bitter]

...and whatever that rear sockety/fusey thing is.

I think that's the half power switch???

[Ayek]

I try not to say trannie too much, as it also means transistor, which is something completely different

Yeah, I don't tend to use the word much either. Not concerned about getting confused with transistors, mind you.