Case/housing for a miniature guitar amp. Looking for inspiration. - Page 2 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Radio Wrangler · 20th Dec 2014, 10:03 pm

There's going to be an almighty number of fancy chocolate boxes heading for landfill any day now. Also lots of little tins and all sorts of packaging.

Bottles and all sorts of cans.

Campbell's condensed soup for that Warhol-popart thing?

David

SurreyNick · 21st Dec 2014, 6:40 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by G6Tanuki

I've seen a MW radio built into a Carlsberg[1] lager can; ..... Other lagers are available.

Perhaps, but as we all know "Carlsberg...Probably the best lager in the world"

Thanks for keeping up the stream of ideas. It's great to have such a rich seam of inspiration to mine from. Most grateful. I still haven't settled on a final idea so please keep feeding more if you are so inclined

Nick

llama · 21st Dec 2014, 7:07 pm

What about a hollowed out book with the pages stuck together? You could even match the book to the genre.

Regarding the on-off switch, that could be automatic when a cable is plugged in (think stereo jack, mono plug).
Graham

21st Dec 2014, 7:15 pm

Having had a beer with Nick, it's got to be McEwans export.

camallison · 22nd Dec 2014, 1:19 pm

I built a practice amp into a plastic tool box that was on offer at one of the DIY sheds. The speaker went in the end wall, and was backed with a "wadding" of woollen underlay and a 3mm ply backboard. Not sure if that added to the tone, but it stopped any booming inside the box. Being a toolbox, there was no question of how to carry it, a handle being present already. "Lockable" access to change the battery was there in the form of a click-to-lock catch, and spare space in the box carried all the various leads he needed.

Colin

SurreyNick · 7th Jan 2015, 3:50 pm

Thank you all for the many suggestions you provided for an enclosure for a mini portable guitar amp, I have plenty of material for future builds. As it turned out the choice was made for me!

For Christmas my son was given a nice guitar-themed embossed leather wallet and that came in a small tin, the size of an old 2oz tobacco tin, which also had a amp-themed design. He asked me to put his mini amp in that and so that's what I did.

As you can see from the pictures It turned out OK..ish. What's important is he likes it

To play over the speaker one removes the lid, to play over headphones one can leave the lid in place. The toggle switch is used to select which. It also has a gain knob to give a more gritty sound, while volume is controlled via the input source. I have also been using it to listen to my iPod, hence the little 6.3mm to 3.5mm adaptor shown in the pictures.

Nick

Ti Pwun · 7th Jan 2015, 5:27 pm

Very nice - definitely looks the part.

7th Jan 2015, 8:13 pm

That look very good, the light is a nice touch, emulating the neons on 'proper' valve amps.

20th Dec 2014, 10:03 pm	#21
Radio Wrangler Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Fife, Scotland, UK. Posts: 22,902	Re: Case/housing for a miniature guitar amp. Looking for inspiration. There's going to be an almighty number of fancy chocolate boxes heading for landfill any day now. Also lots of little tins and all sorts of packaging. Bottles and all sorts of cans. Campbell's condensed soup for that Warhol-popart thing? David __________________ Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done

21st Dec 2014, 7:07 pm	#23
llama Octode Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: St Osyth, Nr Clacton, Essex, UK. Posts: 1,482	Re: Case/housing for a miniature guitar amp. Looking for inspiration. What about a hollowed out book with the pages stuck together? You could even match the book to the genre. Regarding the on-off switch, that could be automatic when a cable is plugged in (think stereo jack, mono plug). Graham __________________ Half my stuff is junk - trouble is, I don't know which half!

21st Dec 2014, 7:15 pm	#24
Guest Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Case/housing for a miniature guitar amp. Looking for inspiration. Having had a beer with Nick, it's got to be McEwans export.

22nd Dec 2014, 1:19 pm	#25
camallison Heptode Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Yarm, North Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 535	Re: Case/housing for a miniature guitar amp. Looking for inspiration. I built a practice amp into a plastic tool box that was on offer at one of the DIY sheds. The speaker went in the end wall, and was backed with a "wadding" of woollen underlay and a 3mm ply backboard. Not sure if that added to the tone, but it stopped any booming inside the box. Being a toolbox, there was no question of how to carry it, a handle being present already. "Lockable" access to change the battery was there in the form of a click-to-lock catch, and spare space in the box carried all the various leads he needed. Colin

7th Jan 2015, 3:50 pm	#26
SurreyNick Heptode Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Wigton, Cumbria, UK. Posts: 728	Re: Case/housing for a miniature guitar amp. Looking for inspiration. Thank you all for the many suggestions you provided for an enclosure for a mini portable guitar amp, I have plenty of material for future builds. As it turned out the choice was made for me! For Christmas my son was given a nice guitar-themed embossed leather wallet and that came in a small tin, the size of an old 2oz tobacco tin, which also had a amp-themed design. He asked me to put his mini amp in that and so that's what I did. As you can see from the pictures It turned out OK..ish. What's important is he likes it To play over the speaker one removes the lid, to play over headphones one can leave the lid in place. The toggle switch is used to select which. It also has a gain knob to give a more gritty sound, while volume is controlled via the input source. I have also been using it to listen to my iPod, hence the little 6.3mm to 3.5mm adaptor shown in the pictures. Nick Attached Thumbnails

7th Jan 2015, 5:27 pm	#27
Ti Pwun Heptode Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 888	Re: Case/housing for a miniature guitar amp. Looking for inspiration. Very nice - definitely looks the part.

7th Jan 2015, 8:13 pm	#28
Guest Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Case/housing for a miniature guitar amp. Looking for inspiration. That look very good, the light is a nice touch, emulating the neons on 'proper' valve amps.