Guitar Pocket Amp!!

[maxm411]

Hey everyone, I have already searched the forums, but I have not yet found exactly the information I am looking for. I am looking to build something around the size/idea of a Cmoy pocket Amp but for my electric guitar so that I may plug in, and have a pair of headphones in the out put. I Know this is a possibility b/c I have heared people say they have done so. Personally I do like electronics a lot, but I am more or less new to this whole build ur own amp type thing.

So overall I really would like some help/sites that are pretty str8 forward, also if anyone has any other sites that would help me learn more about schematics/how to read them, how to use them and to build such electronics that would b great. I mean I have taken some electrical courses, but im not a pro at schematics.

Also if this mini guitar amp is possible, could anyone help me to adjust/add in a few personal modifications?. I would like to have a pocket amp that I can run either on batteries and/OR a 9V Dc adapter( i read u can install one of those as well).....and I would like it to have an obvious on/off switch, an indication LED for the power....and finally I want to try and get a secondary switch, that can distort the signal. I mean I know I wont be getting perfect distortion close to any of the amps I own, but I guess something reasonably clear would be great.

Overall any help is GREATLY appreciated(take into consideration im kinda a newb thanks) and hopefully someone can help me enough so i may be able to start this project very soon..

 

[Gus]

look at the links at this site

http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/index2.html

Do a search of that forum. You should find what you are looking for.

 

[NewYorkDave]

Not really.

I designed a mini-amp to drive a speaker, but it's not a headphone amp. My "Altoid tin" amp sounds great through a guitar speaker but without the necessary filtering, pretty buzzy through headphones.

A decent guitar preamp circuit followed by frequency response-shaping and then a garden-variety headphone amp would make a usable package, I'm sure. Add a CD/Tape input to let you jam along with your favorite records :wink:

 

[maxm411]

Great to hear, imma chek out the first link, anyone with other information is more then welcome as well, thanks a lot guys

 

[NewYorkDave]

The filtering should go after the clipping, which is happening mostly in the LM386.

 

[CJ]

Are you in it for the DIY experience or do you just want the end product regardless of how you get there?
Or is it a money thing?

There are some products available commercially like the Rockman for headphones or the Pignose for speaker output if you have the cash and want to play it tomorrow.

Otherwise, plenty of DIY stuff out there.

 

[maxm411]

Well overall I am in it for the experience. I am a beginner, thats why i would like even sites to help me learn more about what i want to do as well as any specific schematics/tutorials b/c I think the idea of a pocket amp is a killer idea, overall though its more for fun. I guess i like working with my hands. Also the idea of making personal modifications is really interesting like adding a toggle switch for on/off and another toggle switch for the clean/distortion would be great. However I just need a little more information/help and as much assistance as possible. Anyone else who can help out is greatly appreciated....thanks

 

[CJ]

Crap, that reminds me. I was supposed to build a amp using car radio tubes and a 12 volt battery.
Got to get back on that. There is a thread around here somewhere on that, if you want to build a tube pocket amp.
Otherwise, a one chip amp might be an easy startup project.

 

[Kev]

I have a suggestion,

make a simple quality pocket headphone driver ...
like you might find in the IEM world.

with a stereo or A ch Bch input for normal mixing desk monitor duties,

This can also be an input from your CD or mp3 player

add a the guitar input so you can play along
See the add-on to the iPod for ideas

now comes the problem of adding effects to your guitar sound

 

[CJ]

, great idea Kev! howabout a Pod for effects in front of that? or do those Line S jobs have a heaphone out already?

sidetracked by this, I found the old 12 volt tube amp thread:

http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=3947&start=0

Hey, how about modding a Nady wireless to broadcast into your car stereo?
Pull up to the beach and start kicking out the Dick Dale jams from your Mustang convertible. talk about a babe magnet! ....well, maybe not. All the cool chicks stay locked up during the day.

They would hang out long enough for you to discharge the car battery, then when you got ready to take one home and the car won't start, their boyfriend pulls up and gives her a ride home, while she shouts "see ya later sucker!" out the side window, but I digress

where the heck is Kent, anyeway? Playing his Marshall 18?


:?:

 

[maxm411]

Sounds like a cool idea dude for the A B Ch outputs and such....overall tho I guess Im not so much into adding an input/output for a cdplayer or such things. I mean i would love to do this project for the fun of it for sure. But the the thing is the end result I view as quite useful, If ever out of town or on the road I may just plug my guitar in, use my headphones and use this mini rig as a sort of personal amp type thing. I am more a song writter then one to play along....I mean Im no pro, but i just kinda wanna build this thing so that I can get it workin how i view it. I mean im a little confused due to some things u guys are saying, but i also understand others hehe.....

specifically i guess i wanna find a way/specs/help in building a simple pocket guitar amp with an on/off toggle switch, a guitar input and a headphone output(Even if both jack in/outputs are 1/4 its no big deal b/c ill use an adapter on the end of my headphone jack)....For the effect/distortion idea I think i will hold off....b/c this is turning into a pretty fair sized project and I wanna understand what im doing as I go along you know? So if I could get info/help to get me started or how to make a basic clean pocket guitar amp that would b perfect....andif i seem to understand enough I guess I can just further research and try my luck on building a modified one with a distortion toggle...anyways so far though thanks for the help guys im starting to see more and more a clearer image in my head