Just found this browsing on ebay. Sounds sweet.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/hovercraft-KT90-all-tube-head-matamp-tolex-sunn-power-/330612349207?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4cfa081917#ht_4880wt_1171
Well that's interesting...
That's what I was thinkin'...
Man, fuck, I spent a grand on a Model T. fuckin'... now I have to save up another 900 bucks for one of these.
I don't know, something about this rubs me wrong. More research needs to be done before I shit all over them unfairly, but it seems a little too good to be true at that price. They have a shell of a website with no info, but I'm guessing they use their Facebook instead??? I wanna see where this goes... definately intrigued but my spidey sense is tingling.
Quote from: bitter end on September 10, 2011, 03:38:34 AM
I don't know, something about this rubs me wrong. More research needs to be done before I shit all over them unfairly, but it seems a little too good to be true at that price. They have a shell of a website with no info, but I'm guessing they use their Facebook instead??? I wanna see where this goes... definately intrigued but my spidey sense is tingling.
I know what you are saying. How are these guys, who is the owner who builds them, where are the pictures of their shop? Their website is a joke and the facebook page is just as vague.
Quote from: spookstrickland on September 10, 2011, 05:31:20 AM
I know what you are saying. How are these guys, who is the owner who builds them, where are the pictures of their shop? Their website is a joke and the facebook page is just as vague.
From what I read, they've been at it since '09 [building amps in the living room] and moved to the shop in 2010. Trail kinda goes cold after that. Not to fault them completely; there are multiple clips on youtube of their different models. Maybe Ebay's their ticket as they claim to built one amp at a time??? Either way, the edges are still too blurry to make me feel confident.
That Green Matamp 4x12 cabinet that was on eBay that was (supposedly) used during the Dopesmoker sessions, had a Hovercraft amp in the pictures. I think he even addressed the amp in the Q&A of that auction.
It's interesting that you bring that up. I feel like I've seen that logo elsewhere [recently], but can't place what/where it was (amp, cab, ect.). Maybe I'm just talking out of my ass and I'm thinking of a similar looking sound city logo???
Buddy of mine just bought Proto #1 a couple weeks ago.
These amps are awesome, and the dude (a burly mountain man type) is pretty awesome. The only fault in the amps is that due to an error on his footswitch schematics he wired them wrong. Heh.
They're great amps, and don't let the price fool you, just because it's cheap doesn't mean it's a bad amp. This is Portland after all, not everyone there is a money grubbing moron.
What's the deal with the recycled aspect? (genuinely intrigued)
The amps are made out of other amps.
Guy basically takes one "Unloved" amp and builds in into those things replacing parts and circuits and whatever else needs to be to create that tone you get out of whichever amp you get (because he's rite, #1 and #3 don't quite sound exactly the same).
Basically the Hovercraft amp is an amp built from the parts of another amp.
Somebody needs to jump on it for that price.
I like it, it's similar to something I've been working on in my spare time ;D
Awesome! Thanks Giza. to clarify, I never thought it was a bad amp for the price, just made me suspicious is all. That was my gut reaction to everything I saw. I mean, I've heard some of those kit type amps (that sell for just shy of $1K) on the market have less than stellar components [like the trannys]. in this economy, gotta make sure the obscure stuff ain't junk.
Oh I know you didn't think it was bad for the price (that was more a general statement relating my opinion that just because an amp is a boutique amp doesn't mean it needs to cost $2500+).
The fact that his Facebook is the only website that gives information about his business can be taken as shady, so I kind of hope he gets his website up and completed as soon as he really gets into the groove of making amps full time (because he's also the guy that runs Solid Cables).
I demo'd the one my buddy bought at Old Town Music in P-town and totally wanted it (didn't have a price on it, so I didn't buy it then even though I so totally could have had I known how much it cost then). They've got one of the best gain tones I've ever heard. They also clean up brilliantly. On top of those two extremes they are highly versatile. They've got the ability to belt out tons of different tones, from heavy low-end Doom to wanktastical icepick shred.
I love these amps.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/epiphone-so-cal-50-watt-amp-head
I take it, this is the amp's origins?
Seems pretty cool and it's at a price that's perfect to gamble on. If I didn't just buy an amp and a guitar (and a bunch of pedals) I might be more tempted to pull the trigger although I still might.
Quote from: bitter end on September 10, 2011, 06:20:12 PM
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/epiphone-so-cal-50-watt-amp-head
I take it, this is the amp's origins?
I dunno, I've never talked to the guy. I get all my info from my buddy who seems to have a bigger hard on for these things than everyone ever.
They're def cool and have some mojo. I'm really tempted (but y'all can have dibs), but I wonder about getting one down the line that can do those two very distinct hi gain tones. Ah well, I don't have an ebay account anyhow.
Does he do Bass amps? I could use a 2-300 watt amp, with kt90s(that the secret to Tads Bass sound, Kurt Danielson has a hiwatt converted to kt90S)
;D
Unless hemi wants to start building amps. Using Hammond trannies. you know you want to. ;)
He asked a Failbook question a few days back about what he should make next, currently a scratch built bass amp (at 300 watts) and a recycled bass amp (around 100W) are tied, so people want a bass amp next.
I want a baby Andromeda, myself, because it would probably be insanely cheap, but I won't complain if he builds a bass amp next. 8)
Quote from: SpaceTrucker on September 11, 2011, 02:44:31 AM
Does he do Bass amps? I could use a 2-300 watt amp, with kt90s(that the secret to Tads Bass sound, Kurt Danielson has a hiwatt converted to kt90S)
;D
Unless hemi wants to start building amps. Using Hammond trannies. you know you want to. ;)
Yeah I do, cost of trannies puts me off.
Send me you xfmrs, people ;D
whats an xfmrs? Who am I kidding I can't afford a fucking amp. I can't even afford a pack of fucking smokes. why did I choose to do construction? :'(
But if I had the money I would totally get the 280 watt hammond tranny powering about 6 kt90s with a baxandal tone stack and a switchable non master/master volume. or a built in tube comp? nah, autowah! and a tape looper?! DRUM MACHINE!
can anyone say one man band?
This is a xfmr, trannie or transformer
(http://hiwatt.org/DIY/HTS-5912.jpg)
I try not to say trannie too much, as it also means transistor, which is something completely different ;D
They are the most expensive part of a tube amp, well nowadays probably the name tag is what makes amps expensive. Unfortunately most tube amps need not just one, but a set of these babies to go :o
the nameplate looks like that found on an office door.
Quote from: apekillman on September 11, 2011, 02:58:04 PM
the nameplate looks like that found on an office door.
'lil bit.
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. ;D ;D ;D
If the cosmetics suck, there's always Krylon.
850 dollars is cheap? ???
Quote from: Lumpy on September 11, 2011, 04:21:54 PM
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.
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.
Quote from: SunnO))) on September 11, 2011, 03:13:09 PM
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. ;D ;D ;D
Wow, you not complaining about cosmetics ;)
Shouldn't he be handcrafting the head out of purpleheart and zebrawood ;D
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.
Quote from: Hemisaurus on September 11, 2011, 05:07:04 PM
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
Maybe if somebody gave him an amp for free to scavenge parts from.
That's what I would do, I like the idea of recycling parts to build stuff.
It's a cool concept for sure. Keeps things interesting.
Quote from: At_Giza on September 11, 2011, 05:14:55 PM
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 ;D
If he manages to churn out 2 or 3 a week, at least.
Quote from: bitter end on September 11, 2011, 04:45:20 PM
Quote from: Lumpy on September 11, 2011, 04:21:54 PM
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? :P
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?
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. ;D
And yeah, if building your own stuff, I'd want to scavenge transformers too. Saves a lot of coin.
Quote from: Lumpy on September 11, 2011, 05:54:13 PM
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 ;D
Motorhead and Bolt Thrower ;D
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......
I shot him a question in the auction, but it ended before he had a chance to answer.
^^ 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.
Well the switches and knobs could be recycled, the pots if rebuilding, would preferably be replaced.
This is a So-Cal
(http://spinoo.free.fr/projetG5/Images%20Amplis/Epiphone%20Socal%2050.jpg)
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.
Quote from: Hemisaurus on September 11, 2011, 06:58:38 PM
...and whatever that rear sockety/fusey thing is.
I think that's the half power switch???
Quote from: Hemisaurus on September 11, 2011, 12:03:01 PM
I try not to say trannie too much, as it also means transistor, which is something completely different ;D
Yeah, I don't tend to use the word much either. Not concerned about getting confused with transistors, mind you.