OK People, lets do this! (Total Newbie!)

[Edward]

Here are the links Mark posted - cleaned up.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003IU3X..._epP7CbATP15N7

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07GS7V8..._esP7CbHN0SMBW

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-.../dp/B000LFTN4S

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Boenfu-Elec.../dp/B07G9DSG6Q

I also find a 'helping hands' useful, such as the following:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Toolzone-He.../dp/B0033U13E6

[YNWaN]

Oh, thank you. I’m not sure what I did wrong with my links, I just used Amazons share option - I’ll compare your links to mine. Thanks again.

[YNWaN]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003ITY1..._h337CbP0ZG92F

Ah yes, I see the issue. Anyway, this is the same soldering iron I suggested but with a silicone mains lead. This lead is significantly more flexible than the alternative and makes a surprisingly big difference in use.

[Primalsea]

The ESP (Elliot Sound Products) kits would be a good place to start as their is a lot of supporting information on the website as well as loads of good basic electronics tutorials.

http://sound.whsites.net/index2.html

[Jazid]

Mark (YNWan) gives advice I totally agree with. Silicone leads are more flexible and resistant to heat, important issues. I also like the multicore solder, avoid lead free for now, it is difficult to work with, unnecessary, and prone to failure relative to ordinary tin/lead offerings.

Remember: two things you will always be using in this gig are solder and a soldering iron, so don't scrimp on either. And a 'third hand' and stand alone light/lens if the eyes are not too sharp as others have said.

You will also need a multimeter, a £5-10 cheap thing is completely adequate for starters, again decent silicone leads and genuine 600V rating are more likely to keep you alive that 43 different (inaccurate) functions.

Lastly, I would suggest as a starter kit the bottlehead 'quickie'. It is a battery powered valve pre amp that runs at a not life challenging 36V. It comes complete, is relatively cheap, sounds damn good, is well supported online and with plenty of builders out there, and IMHO might give you more of a feeling of satisfaction than a passive pre. It will also introduce you to the principles of valve design in a clear and relatively bloop proof form.

DIY audio is awesome, enjoy yourself!

Sent from my BLA-L09 using Tapatalk

[Jazid]

Agree with Primalsea as well, ESP kits are good if sand amps are your preference.

Sent from my BLA-L09 using Tapatalk

[Bigman80]

Mark (YNWan) gives advice I totally agree with. Silicone leads are more flexible and resistant to heat, important issues. I also like the multicore solder, avoid lead free for now, it is difficult to work with, unnecessary, and prone to failure relative to ordinary tin/lead offerings.

Remember: two things you will always be using in this gig are solder and a soldering iron, so don't scrimp on either. And a 'third hand' and stand alone light/lens if the eyes are not too sharp as others have said.

You will also need a multimeter, a £5-10 cheap thing is completely adequate for starters, again decent silicone leads and genuine 600V rating are more likely to keep you alive that 43 different (inaccurate) functions.

Lastly, I would suggest as a starter kit the bottlehead 'quickie'. It is a battery powered valve pre amp that runs at a not life challenging 36V. It comes complete, is relatively cheap, sounds damn good, is well supported online and with plenty of builders out there, and IMHO might give you more of a feeling of satisfaction than a passive pre. It will also introduce you to the principles of valve design in a clear and relatively bloop proof form.

DIY audio is awesome, enjoy yourself!

Sent from my BLA-L09 using Tapatalk

James, the quickie is no longer available and at $99 plus postage and import tax, doesn't really represent the kind of project I'd suggest for someone who, at present cannot solder.

A passive preamp may not be the most glamorous project, but it has all the elements required which Rob will need to learn and can be done for £30.

Obviously, once he has built it, and it works, he can move on to more complex projects or projects with a greater emphasis on detail.

As someone who'd never soldered anything in his life until I started making cables, I benefitted a lot from multiple small projects with low investment rate. If you get a passive preamp wrong, its a lot easier to try and see where you went wrong than trying to decipher valve circuit diagrams for trouble-shooting etc.

At the basic level, a passive pre build is perfect.

[YNWaN]

A passive pre doesn’t require a circuit board though and he needs to do some through hole circuit board stuff.

On the other hand, it does require lots of other soldering skills.

[Bigman80]

A passive pre doesn’t require a circuit board though and he needs to do some through hole circuit board stuff.

On the other hand, it does require lots of other soldering skills.

Ah, it doesn't require one but there is a purpose made mine for an alps blue.

For £3 it's worth getting. You have to solder a big potentiometer to a little circuit board. Excellent practice.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F202693556056

[YNWaN]

Oh yes, how nifty .