Mini Coffin Guitar Amp (on Battery)

Intro: Mini Coffin Guitar Amp (on Battery)

(Sorry, I screwed up alot in this video, and battery in amp wasn't full. it's much more louder)

Hi! Welcome to the toutorial of how to make a Mini Coffin Guitar Amp, that plugs directly into guitar, WITHOUT WIRES and  WITHOUT ADAPTER. Its COMPACT, runs on a single 9 volt battery and has BUILT IN OVERDRIVE.

WARNING! This amp is designed for Stratocaster guitar. ( it can fit other guitars as well, but i cant guaranty anything)  :)   (And sorry for my English aswell)

STEP 1: Parts You Need

You'll need:
  cardboard ( preety thick)
  a small speaker ( about 1.5W)
  guitar plugg (with a plastic body)
  hot glue
  black paint
  9v battery
  Clip for 9v Battery
Parts for a circuit:

  R1       22K 1/4W Resistor
  C1       10µF 25V Electrolytic Capacitor
  C2        100nF 63V Polyester or Ceramic Capacitor
  C3        220µF 25V Electrolytic Capacitor
  IC1       TDA7052 Audio power amplifier IC

That's it.  Maybe you'll need something esle too, but im sure you can find it at home.

STEP 2: Circuit

I took circuit form the internet, and changed it a bit.
Circuit is extremly simple and easy to make. and it works perfect.

You'll ask me: Why there is no volume control in the circuit.
As you saw in the video, volume is controled on guitar. It makes the amp it self more compact, more MINI.  
And there is no overdrive switch in the circuit too.
There's no overdrive/ distortion circuit in this amp.
You get clean sound by turning volume on guitar at about 6-7,  and you get overdrive by turning volume control all the way to 10 and overloading the signal, and getting the real distorted sound.  


I haven't got photos of the amp while making it, so the only way to show how it works was to take it apart :(   But it's worth it :)

About the Circut:
 It haven't got PCB. I made it as small as i can. I glued the parts in place with hotglue.


 Here's how wiring should look like. Pic.1

STEP 3: Body Parts

Body of The Coffin Amp is in shape of a coffin (obviously)
It made from pure cardboard and glued with hot glue.( Ofcourse you can make it from a plexiglass or something, but i wanted to make it as simple as possible).

On the pic.1 I drew a shape of a coffin amp, and wrote dimentions AS A PROPORTION. Because dimentions depends on size of your speaker.

Then you have check your drawing, if speaker and battery fits in it.   DON'T FORGET that cardboard is thick, so there must be a little gap between speaker/ battery  and the lines of your drawing. Pic.2 

Width can be just to fit a speaker. because the speaker is a biggest part. Pic.3

So at the end you'll have 8 sides of  the coffin case. Pic.4
You have to cut them all out by using exacto knife.

STEP 4: Body

So now you have 8 pieces of card board. Numbered from 1 to 8. Pic.1

On the piece #3 you have to cut out a circle for a speaker.  Diameter of cicrle must by a bit smaller than diameter of speaker, so it don't fall out.    Pic.2


On the piece #8 you have to cut out a rectangle for battery changing. Pic.3
You have to cut it very carefully, so that you can use this cut out piece as a battery cover. Pic.4
The hole must be big enough for a battery to put it thru. Pic.5
On #8 you'll also will have to make a hole for a plug. About the plug: in a next step.

On the piece #2 you have to cut out a hole for a switch. Pic.6

STEP 5: Plug

For a good balance, plug shoud be attached on the center of a piece #8, but slightly more to a speaker side, if thats possible ( if speaker allows).

To attach plug in a right possiton, i recomend that you:

make a hole for a plug, so that it can go thru it in about 45 degres angle.

Than plug a plug into guitar, Pic.1 and put a card board piece #8 on it Pic.2 . make sure that cadrboard fits well and have a good possition. Pic.3

than glue all together with a hot glue. from both sides for more strenght. and cut of not needed parts of plug. It sould look like this Pic.4


Plug is screwable, so you can unscrew the metalic part to solder all wires to it. and than screw it back.

STEP 6: Hotgluing

I recomend to hotglue the body of amp and it's parts at one time. In this case you'll know if something is wrong, if something don't fit in.

At this step I can't help you anymore. Because everyone has different sizes of speaker and stuff. I just don't know what to write about. And, yes, i'm to tired to explain things :)   It's my first Instuctable, so i hope you understand.

If you have any questions just comment, i'll reply.

STEP 7: Almost Forgot!

On my coffin amp i  have two supporting parts, so that amp stay at one place and don't dangle around. pic.1.  pic.3.

Those are just two pieces of cardboard glued to amp.
It is very easy to make, so i hope it's don't need any detailed explanation.
Just cut two identical carboard pieces. Measure the distance between guitar and an amp while it's pluged in, and you'll know the sizes of supporting.

STEP 8: Paint

If you have finished all of the gluing and you're sure that amplifier ciruit is working, you can start painting your coffin amp.  :)

Mine is very simple. Just dark grey painted, without any drawing on it.
But you can do what ever you want to it. Paint it pink or something :D

I haven't got a normal paint at the moment while I was making my amp. I painted it with a very bad, cheap kids paint :)  Of course you'll need something else.  I highly recomend Acrylic Paint. It is simple as a paint for kids but it will last forever and it's water proof. You can by it in every art shop, or hobby shop, or you can have it somewere at home, if someone in your family ever painted :)

STEP 9: Finished!!!...yeah

Yeay, congratulations!! You've made it! (or not)    :D
Thats my first Instructable, and i'm not English speaking, so don't judge to strictly :)

If you have any questions write them to me, or in comments.    if I don't reply in 3-4 days, then put me 1 star for an instructable.

Thank you! good bye! more instuctable hopefuly coming soon :)


(I'll go and try to glue my Coffin amp back together :) )

Comments

[paul.routledge.562]

can you show how it would look on a breadboard? I'm having trouble getting it to work. I'm a complete novice.

[LEGORPGMAN1]

I'm planning on building one of these, so I wanna ask a quick question, the case can be any shape correct? Just wondering. Thanks.

[ashuinfy]

I did it with LM386 but with big speaker and it farts on full volume but works well on 6-8 :), yours is better

[mahenjunggul]

VERY...VERY Cool Tutorial...
VERY...VERY Cool Project...

[sbasilio1]

theres something wrong in your schematic, pin 2 is connected in to the + of mono jack not in negative, and add R1 to it, no need to use the C1, thats all :)) search for the data sheet of TDA7052 ,

[jorence]

great project!!! but it doesnt work!! watta mess

[Pykrete]

Hello! First of all thanks for your instructable. It's a great idea. I'm a newbie in electronics and I'm trying to build it but it doesn't work and i found strange the ground connection in R1. It's it ok? Thanks for your time.
PS: i cant wait to make my electric guitar portable and wireless!

[mark_roz]

Hi! I glad you liked it. sorry i replied so late.
i'm still new in electrons too. Yes, I had my R1 connected to the ground. I don't know what can be wrong in your circuit. make sure the IC is exactly TDA7052, without any letters at the end. they are slightly different, but may cause some problems.

[mirko.miljevic]

the TDA7052 is impossible to find...why couldn't u use something more common?

[grimsdagger]

what about the LM386 - Low Voltage Audio Power Amplifier?

http://www.hobby-hour.com/electronics/lm386-power-audio.php this might work, but I'm not exactly an electronics engineer, but this chip is designed for battery powered operation :)

[kenkaniff]

I ordered 1 online, but it came all the way from Hong Kong and took a month to come in :S

What a pain...

[jimdkc]

There is an error in your schematic. The negative side of the battery should be switched to ground... not the signal input!

[Peter Norton]

Would this work for a Bass guitar? I don't know much about electronics, but as I understand it the lower frequencies of a bass guitar tend to destroy the circuitry of things designed for the higher frequencies of a regular electric guitar. Would I need to change any of the components in the circuitry to adapt this cool little amp to work on a bass guitar?

[shrew]

Hi, this looks pretty good and it sounds decent too. I was hoping you'd be able to help me as I'm not sure on one thing (I think)? :)

The capacitors (C2 and C3), is only one end soldered onto the wire and the other left hanging or connected to a ground? ...or are the ends soldered onto the 2 remaining IC1 prongs? If not, are these just left with nothing on them?

I'm sorry if I am not clear - I know what I mean, but you probably don't! haha.

If you can help I'd be grateful and if you want me to explain better I will understand. Thanks :)

[omaoz]

you should make a 2 in one pick holder and mini-amp

[Dread_Neck]

Great project. I love it. You could also make into a different shape like a......a.....ummmm....maybe a giant guitar pick or a box.

[mark_roz]

yeah, I'll do something like that in the summer :)
I'm studying in art school as a sculptor,now. In this year I've learnd a lot. I can work with many other materials now. in the past only cardboard was available to me :D
So now I'll start posting huge amount of different stuff, from art to amps :D

[14jpm]

Hi, nice proyect!. like Pykrete, i´m newbie in electronics and i can´t find IC TDA7052...do you know if TDA7052 has equivalent?. Thanks!

[duckman633]

I can use wood right? so it is stronger

[mark_roz]

of course.
i used cardboard only because it's easyer to cut and paint. :)