I built this great-looking (and sounding) battery-driven guitar amp in just a few hours after work last week. It’s 2.5 watts of solid-state fury, housed in the top half of a vintage Fifties film projector case. It’s loud enough for busking and for living rooms and does great in the recording studio.
Let’s start with the demo video. I’m using the FrankenTulip guitar featured in a previous GuitarWorld.com column. It’s loaded with a P90 soapbar pickup in the neck position.
Anyone with the most basic soldering and woodworking skills can build one of these. The engine behind this amp is a simple 2.5-watt cigar box amplifier kit ($38 at CBGitty.com) along with an optional second 3-inch speaker ($9, also at CBGitty.com). Note: definitely opt for the second speaker. It increases volume output significantly. [1][2]
We’re going to skip the cigar box for the amp housing that C. B. Gitty recommends and use a much bigger tweed case from an old projector.
Parts you’ll need:
· An antique tweed-covered projector case. Old cases for 45rpm record cases work, too.
· C. B. Gitty Cigar Box Amp Kit
· Extra 3” speaker
· Optional: Two (2) drain covers (I found 3 3/8” drain covers at Lowe’s for $4 each[3])
· Optional: Four (4) sewing spools to use as feet
· Optional: Thin plywood to make speaker grill trim circles.
Step 1: Go junk pickin’ at flea markets or thrift stores to find an old projector case! I found this projector at a thrift store for $5. I chose it for its beat-to-hell tweed cover that had years of tears, stains and grime, giving the appearance of a 1950’s Fender tweed amp. Remove the projector from the case, saving the projector for