# 2nd AMp Build... Trinity 15 ??? ANyone?



## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

So, being so increadibly happy with the 18 watt Marshall clone fromTrinity amps (in Toronto) I built 3 weeks ago, I am really wanting to try the 15 watter. Its supposed tobe the amp for clean chimy sounds. I just sold my Fender DRRI and as soon as I get paid I will order the 15 kit.

I can see building amp will be as adictive as guitars... 

ANyone have one and want to comment?

AJC


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## zdogma (Mar 21, 2006)

Tell me, how difficult was the 18 watter to build?

I talked to Stephen Cohrs about it a year or so ago, he seemed like a knowledgable guy, but I wasn't sure if I had the electronics know-how to build one of his kits, and have it sound good (I don't wan't to spend the money JUST for a fun project, I'd like to have a usable amp at the end). 

I'd like to have a plexi level of gain, or so and not have a lot of hum or unreliabilty.

Tell me what you think.


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

Is the 15 Watter based on the AC-15?


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

Somewhere in this forum there is a link to my thread at Harmony Central, where I did a build thread.

In my opinion, the 18 watter is pretty straight forward, much "easier" than I expected. The drawings showing parts layout and wiring are excellent. I basically did one wire at a time, checking off the completed wires untill each one was run. I triple checked as I went along that nothing was out of place and mine fired up on the first try and worked great. I did not expect it to be so quiet even at full volume.

I think anyone who has soldering skills, can properly identify components (in the instructions you get the capacitor and resister codes) and run wires from point A to B can build this amp.

To top it off, Stephen has been so very helpfull, always ansering my questions immediately by email and IMO has gone beyond what he needs to have a successfull company. I really think he cares that his customers get a working amp done!

Doesnt hurt they are in Canada either, and I dont have to order the kit from the USA.

AJC


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## zdogma (Mar 21, 2006)

Jeff Flowerday said:


> Is the 15 Watter based on the AC-15?


No. Matchless lightning clone.


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## zdogma (Mar 21, 2006)

ajcoholic said:


> Somewhere in this forum there is a link to my thread at Harmony Central, where I did a build thread.
> 
> In my opinion, the 18 watter is pretty straight forward, much "easier" than I expected. The drawings showing parts layout and wiring are excellent. I basically did one wire at a time, checking off the completed wires untill each one was run. I triple checked as I went along that nothing was out of place and mine fired up on the first try and worked great. I did not expect it to be so quiet even at full volume.
> 
> ...


Sounds good. I like that they are based on Canada, too.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Trinity Amps:

http://www.cohrs.ca/staged/Products_Main.htm

p.s - Trinity is also the only Cdn. dealer for Tone Tubby Speakers.


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

Paid Stephen at Trinity today... so now its wait time!

Unlike building guitars, amps are fun because you can do it on the dining room table while you watch TV or listen to tunes! 

AJC


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## PaulS (Feb 27, 2006)

I've been eyeing up the 15 watter myself, it should be interesting to see what you think when your done. Are you doing the head or the combo. I have an old Marshall combo with a single 12 and the chassis for the 15 would fit right in.


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

The head - I want to somehow figure out how to use two heads with one cab if possible, I think that would be the ultimate gigging machine. The 18 and 15 head sitting on my slant face 2x12 cab.

AJC


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## Bevo (Nov 24, 2006)

Building the amps sounds like a nice project but I want to get a 1 Watt amp kit. Not many out there that I have found..there are a few on the Net but can't tell if they are any good.

Does anyone know of a shop I can pick one up at?
Bev


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## I_cant_play (Jun 26, 2006)

look into Kingsley amplifiers. they don't have a 1watt model but they have a 3 watt one. They're also supposed to be really really good.


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## Bevo (Nov 24, 2006)

Thanks, just took a look and you are right they make same amazing amps and the tones are perfect.
The price threw me off the chair $1900 for a 1-3 Watt amp ouch!!

As always you get what you pay for....

Best bet will be to get the Vale JR head and dig in, there are more than enough mods out there to keep me going..

Bev


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## Emohawk (Feb 3, 2006)

*And I'm building one too... *

I think I'll resurrect this thread... 

I've been thinking about building a kit for a while. Andrew's build thread basically sold me and I really started digging into it. I ordered a Trinity 18 sIII head kit yesterday, along with a cabinet (black elephant with gold piping & trim). I don't have Andrew's woodworking skills!

And many kudos to Stephen Cohrs at Trinity. I had most of my research done beforehand, but he quickly answered the few questions I did have and was very supportive regarding my being able to build the amp successfully.

I ordered the kit after lunch yesterday and he shipped it last night. Can't ask for much better than that!

I know what I'll be doing next weekend...getting high on solder fumes! 

Kirb


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

What comes with the kit? Is ot just the guts and you build the chassis and cabinet yourself?


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

The kits come with the preformed (laser cut and perfectly formed) aluminum chassis, ceramic tube sockets, all caps and resisters, wire, jacks, switches and lamps and nuts and bolts. Plexi faceplates and knobs too.

You also can buy the transformers from Trinity (I did in both cases although for the 15 they come from Matchless in the USA which is what I am waiting for)

I bought the tubes through the tubestore.

The kits are very very well p8ut together.

The manual and diagrams are excellent. If you have any questions ( I did) STephen gets back to you immediately and always is willing to help and work out any details.

I hope to have the transformers in a few weeks at the most (they were sent the other day by mail) and start the 15 asa they get here.

AJC

I know I have said it before but the more I play the 18 watt sIII the more it absolutely kicks ass!


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## Tybone (Feb 12, 2006)

Manuals, Pictures, Support and a great sounding amp when you are done. The manual also has a section for modifications if you want to customise the amp. This is verifyably head and shoulders above the competition.....and no duty.


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## Yerffej (Feb 7, 2006)

ajcoholic said:


> The head - I want to somehow figure out how to use two heads with one cab if possible, I think that would be the ultimate gigging machine. The 18 and 15 head sitting on my slant face 2x12 cab.
> 
> AJC


Radial makes a pedal for switching heads, fairly expensive though.


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

Yerffej said:


> Radial makes a pedal for switching heads, fairly expensive though.



Yes, the Headbone.... I have one coming. Its near $300 C but I guess it will be what I need and I cant make one so what do you do?


I got my transformers today for the Trinity 15 watter, and now I have everything to build it. Hope to start this weekend!

AJC


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

Well, that went pretty well... I finished the Trinity 15 this morning. I spent about 8 hours total on it.

I am away from home right now, without a speaker cab so I cant try it out untill tomorrow when I get back home. (I brought the kit and my tools to my GF's for the weekend).

Hopefully tomorrow it will fire up without issues like my 18 W did, on the first try....

AJC


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

ajcoholic said:


> I am away from home right now, without a speaker cab so I cant try it out untill tomorrow when I get back home. (I brought the kit and my tools to my GF's for the weekend).
> 
> AJC


Where do you find a GF like that. One who will let you take your build over to her place to work on it.??:confused-smiley-010 ??


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

Robert1950 said:


> Where do you find a GF like that. One who will let you take your build over to her place to work on it.??:confused-smiley-010 ??



Well, it only took me 36 years... heh heh 

Actually were engaged (three weeks ago) and when I gave her the ring, she gave me a Taylor acoustic 

She had work to do this weekend in her home office so I brought the amp and built it in the dining room.

Cant wait to try it out!

AJC


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

Well, it is working (after 2 hours of headscratching I found I had left out one ground) and man, it sounds GREAT!!

I suggest you guys go to the Trinity web site and check out some sound clips of the 15... 

AJC


















I did a thread with pics at HC as well: 

http://www.third-st.com/showthread.php?t=1537060


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Thats a cool little amp. Very nice job. Are you going to house it in a case or just leave it as is.


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

Its going to get put into a head cabinet to match my 18 watter and 2x12 cabinet I did a thread on back about a month and a half ago.

AJC


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## Tarbender (Apr 7, 2006)

Very nice! I'm torn between the 18 watter or the Matchless 15 clone. Anything you can add that would sway you one way or the other? Those are really nice pics on the other site - that is orange juice in that glass isn't it?

I'm not looking for a powerful amp - no where to turn it up. Even the Valve Jr. I modded hasn't seen anything past 6 on the volume. Are there any sound clips of these amps on the Trinity site?


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

Tarbender said:


> Very nice! I'm torn between the 18 watter or the Matchless 15 clone. Anything you can add that would sway you one way or the other? Those are really nice pics on the other site - that is orange juice in that glass isn't it?
> 
> I'm not looking for a powerful amp - no where to turn it up. Even the Valve Jr. I modded hasn't seen anything past 6 on the volume. Are there any sound clips of these amps on the Trinity site?



Well, after a month and a half of playing the 18, its an amazing amp. I like both the clean and dirty channels. This 15 is very different. It has an amazing tone but I will have to play them together to really see what the differences are.

The 15 can get really dirty though, surprised me! Its a great tone... really good.

If I had just one I think the dual channel 18 would be my pick. But let me play the 15 for a few weeks and then make my descision.

Yes, the Trinity Amps site has clips of all the amps with various guitars and settings, very good site with lots of info.

I know I have said it before but I have to say it again. Stephen at Trinity is a great person to deal with and besides the fact they have some killer products, the service is amazing. He phoned me this evening to see if my amp was working... thats customer support,no?

AJC

PS both the 18 anf this 15 are pretty damn strong amps... even at 1/3 volume in mu house my ears were ringing and stuff was falliung off the shelves...  The 18 is wickedly loud.


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## zdogma (Mar 21, 2006)

The wiring looks great. Better than a lot of pro build amps i've opened up.


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

The 15 is an amazing amp... tone for days as they say... 

Its a completely different sound than my 18 W amp... I kind of like the cleans better and the OD sounds are just so different than the Marshall tones its not better or worse but just as responsive to your picking and playing.

Here is the cab I threw together at work... (quite literally, it was a fast job on my break time and lunch)

AJC


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Another fantastic job. Well done. :food-smiley-004:


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