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100W Guitar Amplifier
100W Guitar Amplifier
100W Guitar Amplifier
Introduction
Note: This project is superseded by a new version, which has several useful
additions. PCBs are available (but only for the new amp).
Guitar amplifiers are always an interesting challenge. The tone controls, gain and
overload characteristics are very individual, and the ideal combination varies from one
guitarist to the next, and from one guitar to the next. There is no amp that satisfies
everyone's requirements, and this offering is not expected to be an exception.
One major difference however, is that if you build it yourself, you can modify things to
suit your own needs, experimentation is the key to this circuit, which is presented in
basic form, with every expectation that builders will modify just about everything.
The amp is rated at 100W into a 4 Ohms load, as this is typical of a "combo" type amp
with two 8 Ohm speakers in parallel. Alternatively, you can run the amp into a "quad"
box (4 x 8 Ohm speakers in series parallel see Figure 5) and will get about 60
Watts. For the really adventurous, 2 quad boxes and the amp head will provide 100W,
but will be much louder than the twin. This is a common combination for guitarists, but
it does make it hard for the sound guy to bring everything else up to the same level.
The Pre-Amplifier
The preamp circuit is shown in Figure 1, and has a few interesting characteristics that
separate it from the "normal" - assuming that there is such a thing. This is a very basic
design (this is deliberate), and is easy to build on Veroboard or similar. The gain
structure is designed to provide a huge amount of gain, which is ideal for those
guitarists who like to get that fully distorted "fat" sound.
However, with a couple of simple changes, the preamp can be tamed to suit just about
any style of playing. Likewise, the tone controls can be modified to suit anything from
an electrified violin to a bass guitar - you might even find that for anything other than
bass, they have a suitable range to cover most possibilities, and even a few bassists
will find that they can get the punchy sound they want, without the low-end "waffle" that
many bass players dislike.
Power Amplifier
The power amp is based on the 60 Watt amp previously published (Project 03), but it
has increased gain to match the preamp. It has also been modified to give a bit of
extra punch - not to the standard of a valve amp, but somewhat better than the
average transistor amplifier. Other modifications include the short circuit protection -
the two little groups of components next to the bias diodes.
Should the output be shorted, much more than the normal 7V peak will appear across
the 1 Ohm resistors. This will turn on the appropriate transistor, cutting the base drive
to the output stage. The effect is not particularly nice, but will save the output from
to the output stage. The effect is not particularly nice, but will save the output from
instant destruction in the event of a short. Given the nature of stage work, a short
circuit is something that will happen, it is only a matter of time. The circuit is designed
not to operate under any normal conditions, but will limit the output current to about 8.5
Amps.
There is a lot to be said for using more powerful transistors for the
output stage. MJ15003/4 transistors are very high power, and will
run cooler because of the TO-3 casing (lower thermal
resistance). Beware of counterfeits though! There are many other
high power transistors that can be used, and the amp is quite
tolerant of substitutes (as long as their ratings are at least equal to
the devices shown).
The speaker and line out connections allow up to two 8 Ohm speaker cabinets (giving
4 Ohms), and a line level output for connection to a direct injection (DI) box. The level
is about 1.3V (or +5dBm) at full undistorted output - change the 560 Ohm resistor to
modify the level if desired.
The two 1 Ohm resistors must be rated at 10 Watts (they will still get quite hot, so
mount them well away from other components). These can be mounted to the
heatsink with small brackets if you want to keep them a bit cooler - remember to
ensure that the heatsink can handle the extra heat input, as these two will add about
10 Watts of additional heat energy. The four 0.1 Ohm resistors should be 5W
types. The amp is otherwise quite conventional. Use the parallel arrangement as
shown, anything less will cause the transistors to be operated outside their safe
operating area, which will result in the eventual failure of the output stage.
Make sure that the two bias diodes are mounted well clear of anything that gets hot -
including the heatsink. These diodes are the two in series. All diodes should be
1N4001 (or 1N400? - anything in the 1N400x range is fine). A heatsink is not needed
for any of the driver transistors.
The life of a guitar amp is a hard one, and I suggest that you use the largest heatsink
you can afford, since it is very common to have elevated temperatures on stage
(mainly due to all the lighting), and this reduces the safety margin that normally applies
for domestic equipment. The heatsink should be rated at 0.5 degree C/Watt to allow
for worst case long term operation at up to 40 degrees C (this is not uncommon on
stage).
Make sure that the speaker connectors are isolated from the chassis, to keep the
integrity of the earth isolation components in the power supply.
Power Supply
WARNING - Do not attempt construction of the power supply if you do not know how to
wire mains equipment.
The power supply is again nice and simple, and does not even use traditional
regulators for the preamp. A pair of zeners is sufficient to get the voltage we need,
because the current is only quite low. The power transformer should be a toroidal for
best performance, but a convention tranny will do if you cannot get the toroidal.
Speaker Boxes
The two suggested boxes are shown (in basic form only - you will need to work out the
woodworking details yourself). The first (Figure 4) is a standard 2 speaker cabinet,
and I strongly recommend using the open-back box, as this is the preferred option for
most guitarists. Two 8 Ohm speakers are wired in parallel (giving 4 Ohms), and it is
expected that with 12" speakers (300mm) this combination will be quite loud
enough. Try to get speakers that are rated at at least 100W each - this safety margin
is a requirement for guitar, since the amp will be overdriven for much of the time and
this produces up to double the rated output of the amp.
The details of finish, handles (and the actual dimensions) of the boxes I shall leave to
the builder, but I will make a few comments:
• Tops and bottoms are shown as being inside the side panels. This does not really
matter, since all corners should be reinforced with 25mm square (1") timber. All
joints should be glued and screwed. Pre-drill the screw holes to prevent the end
grain of the MDF from splitting.
• Use a router if available to round off all the edges and corners, and use corner
protectors.
• Vinyl is still the most robust covering for stage gear, but carpet can be used if you
prefer.
• Use strong handles, as the boxes will be quite heavy when completed. Side
"pocket" handles are best for the quad, but a strap handle can be used for the
twin.
• The baffle of the twin, and the top section of the quad are angled. This projects
the sound towards the guitarist, and is better than propping the front edge on a
brick or similar.
• The baffle is shown recessed. This is to allow for a grille frame, which should fit
neatly inside the recess and be fastened with Velcro or grille mounting clips.
• Speakers should not be held in place with wood screws - use bolts, washers and
nuts, or "T-nuts". Wood screws will eventually loosen, and the speakers will
rattle.
For those who don't know what a tee nut is, the drawing
should give you the general idea. They are readily available
from specialist fastener suppliers. If you can't get hold of
them, use metal thread screws with nuts and washers, and a
thread locking fluid. "Nylock" nuts can also be used - they
are the ones with a nylon collar inside the nut.
Generally, one thing to avoid is vented boxes - they just don't sound right for
guitar. Naturally, if you like the sound of vented boxes, then go for it - guitar amps are
probably one of the most personal amps in the world, and there is no right or wrong
combination, as long as you get the sound you want.
Figure 4 - Suggested Twin Speaker Box And Wiring
The second example (Figure 5) is the classic "quad" box, and uses 4 x 8 Ohm
speakers in series/parallel. This gives an impedance of 8 Ohms, so two quad boxes
can be used if you really want the amp to be that loud. You might be able to get 4
Ohm speakers, in which case the series/parallel connection will give you a 4 Ohm box,
so only one is needed. I suggest that the quad box also be open-backed, but this is
not essential. One of the most popular guitar amps around uses closed back quads,
and they sound pretty good to me.
Figure 5 - Suggested Quad Speaker Box And Wiring
For the speaker boxes, I recommend MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard). This is a
much better material to work with than chipboard, and is also stronger. Chipboard has
been used (and still is) by many manufacturers because of its one redeeming feature -
it is cheap. MDF will cost quite a bit more, but the end result is worth the expense - a
better finish, and a stronger box. Don't be tempted to use anything thinner than 19mm
(3/4"), or the cabinet will resonate too much, and will also lack strength.
Many manufacturers use a thin (typically about 6mm) fibre board at the back of open
backed cabinets to provide some protection for the drivers, and a lead storage
area. Don't. Make the rear protection panel(s) from 19mm MDF too, since this will
prevent the unwanted resonances from the thin material typically used.
Speakers should also be fairly efficient if possible (> 90dB W/m), since a 3dB reduction
in efficiency will result in the same SPL (Sound Pressure Level) output as an amp with
half the power and 3dB more efficient speakers. Check out the local dealers for
musical instrument speakers - do not use hi-fi speakers, or you will surely be
disappointed - they are not designed for musical instrument applications, and usually
sound awful.
Also avoid loudspeakers with aluminium dome dust caps - they sound utterly
disgusting when a guitar amp is overdriven, with a hard top-end that radiates at
frequencies that are discordant. Any harmonic above the seventh is discordant (out of
tune), and an overdriven guitar amp is one of the few instrument combinations that can
create such high harmonics. As a result, most guitar speakers are designed to roll off
the top end above about 7kHz or so to avoid this problem. An aluminium dome does
the opposite, and radiates wildly at the upper frequencies. This is both unpredictable
and unpleasant.
Anecdote: Some years ago, I was asked by a well known Australian guitarist if I could
Anecdote: Some years ago, I was asked by a well known Australian guitarist if I could
fly to Melbourne (from Sydney - about 1000 km) to solve this awful problem in the
studio. It didn't matter how they miked the guitar amp, it still sounded terrible on the
recording. It turned out that the aluminium dust cap was radiating so strongly at
somewhere between 5kHz and 12kHz that it destroyed the sound, giving a most
unappetising metallic edge to the music. The remedy was to carefully cut away the
dust cap, and glue a piece of thin felt in its place. About an hour later (after the glue
had dried), the result was that the recording engineer and guitarist alike were stunned
at the difference - the sound was as smooth as silk (well, you know what I mean) and
all the nastiness was gone.
Most of the established guitar amp manufacturers use speakers specially made for
them by one of a few specialist loudspeaker builders, and they are normally hard to
get. Try music shops (or repair shops) to see if they have speakers that might be
suitable. The second-hand market might be another good place to look - you might
even be able to get a complete speaker box for a reasonable price, which saves
having to do the woodwork !
Effects
As shown, the amp has no effects at all, but does have an effects send and receive
(via the two input jacks). Internal tremolo and reverb can be added, and suitable
circuits are available on the project pages. These are designed as "stand alone"
effects, but can be integrated easily, using the effects loop already provided.
Copyright Notice. This article, including but not limited to all text and diagrams, is the
intellectual property of Rod Elliott, and is Copyright (c) 1999. Reproduction or re-publication by
any means whatsoever, whether electronic, mechanical or electro- mechanical, is strictly
prohibited under International Copyright laws. The author (Rod Elliott) grants the reader the
right to use this information for personal use only, and further allows that one (1) copy may be
made for reference while constructing the project. Commercial use is prohibited without
express written authorisation from Rod Elliott.
Updated 22 Feb 2001 - added IC pinout info and changed effects info.
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