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How homemade can the amplifier get?...

So I've been into making little 9v amps built in to cigar boxes (with the lm386) and i've started to wonder about these pricey components that I'm getting at Radio Shack...
What if...I could make them myself?

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/02/make_presents_the_capacito...

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/12/make_presents_the_resisto....

These videos seem crazy how simple they work. I could wind my own speaker with a magnet easily, make my own capacitors and resistors, and basically (not including the input jack and lm386) have a completely homemade amp. Is it possible, in your opinions? Anyone ever try this?

--Charlie

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Permalink Reply by Doc Oakroot on May 20, 2009 at 12:00am

Someone once homemade all those parts.

The triode (transisters) might be a problem. Not sure how you'd do it without a vacuum tube - although the tube is a pretty simple device if you have a way to make a vacuum.

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Permalink Reply by Charlie on May 20, 2009 at 7:45am

Yeah, those definitely would be hard. I'm gonna try this design:
http://cigarboxguitars.com/workshops/CigarBoxAmp.php
The hard part in that design would be the lm386 amp chip, and with that, I think I'll just buy it.
No vacuum tubes in that one, though! A tiny bit easier haha!

Doc Oakroot said:

Someone once homemade all those parts.

The triode (transisters) might be a problem. Not sure how you'd do it without a vacuum tube - although the tube is a pretty simple device if you have a way to make a vacuum.

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Permalink Reply by BLY on May 20, 2009 at 8:43am

Get your parts from somewhere like Mouser. They are a fraction of the price Radio Shack charges.

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