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Little Gem Guitar Amp

last photo ←

Here's my take on the famous Little Gem mini guitar amp.
All details on the electronics can be found at runoffgroove.com.
http://www.runoffgroove.com/littlegem.html
The case came from Jameco p/n 11886.
The speaker bezel is the rim of a tin can that was epoxied to the case.
The disk in the rear serves as a cord reel.

35 comments

May 7, 2011. 10:41 PMmyakka says:

someone gave me a mini guitar amp that you can buy online for $20. they said it was broken but i took it apart and found that it was just a disconnected wire that runs to the male input/output jack. it runs on a 9 volt and it doesn't require a cable to connect to a guitar. so i stripped it down and went to LOWS and bought a slab of pine wood for $3. i cut the wood into 4"x3" pieces and made a box, added all the components and designed it to look like a Marshall half stack. so now i have a mini Marshall half stack for $3! thanks for the inspiration - myakka

May 8, 2011. 7:20 PM

garagemonkeysan (author) says:

Great! You should post the build! : )

Mar 14, 2011. 1:53 AMonlinemastering says:

Slick, I bet your band mates wonder what that is when you first pull it out lol. Looks very cool and love the retro panel lamp and switch. nice work.

SafeandSound Mastering
mastering services

Mar 14, 2011. 6:27 PM

garagemonkeysan (author) says:

Thank you! : )

Feb 10, 2011. 6:22 AMcurator says:

can u post the schematic for the circuit i like your instructables!

Feb 10, 2011. 7:27 PM

garagemonkeysan (author) says:

There's a schematic on the link to the Runoffgroove site. Thanks for the comment!

Oct 4, 2010. 10:09 AMjm56 says:

What speaker are you using?

Oct 4, 2010. 8:42 PM

garagemonkeysan (author) says:

Sorry, the speaker I had in my junk box and I forgot where I got it. There's no name or number on it either. Any 4 or 8 ohm speaker should work.

Mar 2, 2010. 8:02 AMjeffrey_om says:

this is very cool how much is the price to make this?

sorry for my bad enlish

Mar 2, 2010. 8:02 PM

garagemonkeysan (author) says:

Thanks! Sorry but I didn't keep track of the cost of this build. Most parts were spares or left overs. The most expensive part was the box itself. About $9.00 US at Jameco. : )

Sep 29, 2010. 3:48 PMdarkria 45 says:

jameco iz da best!

Jul 19, 2010. 11:32 PMcorey_caffeine says:

sweet, how's the sound?

Jul 26, 2010. 5:54 PM

garagemonkeysan (author) says:

Thanks. It sounds similar to the famous Smokey Amp. http://www.smokeyamps.com/

Jun 27, 2010. 1:49 PM

nomuse says:

Oh, my, that's purdy. I like the cord reel, too -- great idea.

Jun 28, 2010. 6:21 PM

garagemonkeysan (author) says:

Thank you! : )

Nov 14, 2009. 4:00 PMZaphod Beeblebrox says:

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhh.........................

Mar 29, 2010. 3:14 AMl3owzaaaah says:

Hooorah a fellow hhgttg fan

Nov 14, 2009. 5:43 PM

garagemonkeysan (author) says:

Thhhaaaaaannnnks! : )

Dec 9, 2009. 5:39 PMjunits15 says:

you sir, should should be employed n making computer cases. I like the case more than whats inside.

very nice job!
*****

Dec 10, 2009. 12:25 PM

garagemonkeysan (author) says:

Thank you! Stay tuned, I'm working on a case for some powered speakers. : )

Dec 10, 2009. 3:00 PMjunits15 says:

I will!

Nov 23, 2009. 1:28 AMJunkyardmaster14 says:

(removed by author or community request)

Dec 7, 2009. 5:03 PMJamesRPatrick says:

Can you post some pictures? Mine worked fine until I bent a tiny piece of solder over to touch a contact. Make sure there are no shorts.

Nov 23, 2009. 5:29 PM

garagemonkeysan (author) says:

Hello gunsigma. Sorry, I'm not an amp expert. In fact, this is the first amp I've made. Maybe other readers can help. Here is a forum you can try www.ssguitar.com too.

Nov 14, 2009. 1:53 PM

mattthegamer463 says:

That thing is gorgeous, very nicely done. How does it sound?

Nov 14, 2009. 5:42 PM

garagemonkeysan (author) says:

Thank you. Sound is okay for a practice amp. : )

Nov 23, 2009. 11:51 AMemedina94 says:

does this work on a bass

Nov 23, 2009. 5:31 PM

garagemonkeysan (author) says:

If you go to the runoffgroove site there's a note on the drawing about playing with the value of the 220uF cap. However, I am not sure if that will turn it into a bass amp. As I mentioned below I've got almost zero experience with amps. : )

Dec 7, 2009. 5:02 PMJamesRPatrick says:

I tried mine without modification with a bass, and it sounds like the beginning note of Tom Sawyer. Also managed to cram the thing into the original speaker box.