18 watt kit????

tubetone74 · Post by **tubetone74** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 5:27 pm

Any plans for Metro to offer a Marshall 18 watt head kit? I just built the JTM45 and don't believe I could have done it without the EXCELLENT instructions. I have not found any other kit with instructions that equal Metro's.

gutpile · Post by **gutpile** » Mon Apr 06, 2009 9:14 pm

I think George is more of 100w kinda guy... The 18w market is fairly saturated as it is with some fairly decent offerings...

tubetone74 · Post by **tubetone74** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 4:28 pm

gutpile: I understand. Do you know of any other kits that offer such great instructions?

bulatovic · Post by **bulatovic** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 4:59 pm

Well as Gutpile said, there are plenty of 18w kits around. It's a really really brilliant amp - i own one - Ceriatone parts plus Trinity (Heyboer) RS clone transformers, and it's just stunning!
The most of the character of the 18w's sound comes from the OT which is nearly Hi-Fi, and ofcourse, the PT with voltages of approx 290-0-290VAC on the secondary. If you get these two things right, you have a fantastic sounding amp. As far as other components go, the amp is known that it pretty much doesn't make a big difference if the valves aren't closely matched, what type of caps you use - there's even a Marshall original with all ceramic capacitors. Also, they used just a bit of speaker wire for heaters (untwisted), so no pedantic stuff there.

As for the manual - well you won't find any manual written like George does it, but it's not strictly based on the amps George offers - if you follow closely the layout for the 18w, and use tips and tricks from George's manuals you can't do wrong. Also check 18watt.com forum which is a whole forum dedicated to just that amp - if you can't get the help for the build there, then it's unlikely that you'll get it from anywhere else.
Match it nicely with some Pre Rola Celestion Greenback, use Vintage Sozo's, and if you really want to use top notch components put some PEC potentiometers, use aluminium chassis, and some NOS valves (i got a NOS pair of Valvo EL84-made in Deutschland- for 32$! A Bargain!) And if you put it all right, nicely you'll have an amp that belongs in heaven! Honestly!

Good luck with your search!

(if you need some info, spec, like voltage charts or so, feel free to contact me)

Cheers!

Luka

demonufo · Post by **demonufo** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 1:48 pm

Graydon's instructions (GDS amps) aren't bad from what I hear. And his 18watters are second to none. Mate of mine has one that absolutely rips!

stoo · Post by **stoo** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 11:11 am

I've not built one but I hear Trinityamps are very well documented.
Stew

Post by **VelvetGeorge** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 12:23 pm

Yeah, there are some great options for 18 watts out there. I really like the Bacino for a complete amp and the GDS for kits.

VG

thousandshirts · Post by **thousandshirts** » Sat Apr 18, 2009 2:49 pm

If you're in Canada, I think Trinity amps is a no-brainer. They have top notch components, a knowledgeable staff, and no brokerage or border duties for us Canadians. Stephen is a great guy, and they do pretty much everything in-shop. They do great cabinet work, too. Stephen even lines up the tweed pattern on seams for their 5E3 Deluxe kits. http://www.trinityamps.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you're Stateside, the other options come highly recommended. GDS seems like an excellent option.
http://gdsamps.com/?page_id=6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not to take anything away from any other vendors. I am sure there are other fantastic options, too, but I have heard nothing but positive reports about Trinity and GDS.

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18 watt kit????

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