What a transformation @terb she is stunning.
Jamie
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thanks !
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After looking at this I think I like your sticker better than Schalltechnik’s decal design. Is that their enclosure or did you make it too?
Looking at the instructions it looks like it is all through-drilled and not SMT. Nice.
If this ends up with some nice tone color it’s definitely a tempting kit.
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they give a template for the drill size and placement, I used this to make the enclosure. the sticker is a modified version of Schalltechnik’s one. If you want I’d be happy to give you the file 
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Thanks! If I built one I would definitely want it 
Took a look at the instructions, my skills would definitely be fine for the electronics part but I have no real way to make the enclosure myself. I’d need to order one folded and drilled, or go with a plastic one of roughly the right size. I’ve made sheet metal enclosures in the past but I don’t have the tools needed here, or access to them.
Really looking forward to hearing how this sounds.
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Oh hey they sell an enclosure with the deluxe kit. That’s perfect. Wonder if it is pre-drilled.
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Ooh. This is a terrible, terrible style to use for a demo of a G-K but it sounds promising even with this noodling:
Ok here we go:
yup sounds like a G-K. Killer.
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By the way their VMT kit sounds awesome too:
I think that one might need SMT soldering though so it would be beyond me.
edit: Ahh yeah, there’s two SMD JFET’s in it. So not only needs SMT skills but you can actually heat-destroy them accidentally with bad soldering too.
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they sell the two versions : drilled or not. in your case you’ll just have to order the drilled version and that’s it
yeah I plan to order it after I finish the GK
yeah, not a big issue for me, I already had to deal with SMD electronics. if you take your time it’s not impossible.
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Oh cool, I missed the drilled option on the basic kit. The deluxe kit doesn’t seem to have a drilled option.
This is a super tempting preamp. Looking forward to hearing how yours sounds. Could be a fun project after I finish this tube preamp rabbit hole I am going down. I love the G-K sound.
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I ended up taking the chance and ordering the Guma Antique kit (they just got it back in stock). Looks relatively straightforward as the ICs are socketed. I should probably line up a local source of cheap replacement SMD J201s though
Actually, thinking ahead, I just ordered four extra JFETs, because I am certain to destroy at least one. They are cheap so why not.
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so cool @howard ! I can’t wait to read your review about this kit ! as you know I plan to buy and build it too 
by the way I love the J201, those JFETs sounds and behave really close to a 12AX7. that’s the JFET I used to design and build a preamp to mod a vintage Traynor reverb unit for one of my best friends … a video with me doing a little bit of guitar noodling (3.5 years ago) to show this modded reverb :
Now my friend, who used to be the guitar player of my last band (post-rock / psychedelic stoner) moved to another continent, he sold almost all his gear and kept only one guitar and this reverb unit
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Great story and video! Awesome that he saved the thing you made him. That reverb sounds great. So does the telecaster of course
Apparently the TO-92 J201’s are getting super rare, like $4 each now. And the Dirty Little Secret clone kit I posted in the “Post your pedal ideas” topic uses five 
The SMD ones were only 35 cents each though.
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wow, I might be rich because I think I have a ton of them …
yeah, honestly the modded Traynor reverb unit sounds insane. and yeah the Fender Telecaster Cabronita is a little gem.
…
and you forgot the VAC Hayseed 30, a boutique amp (based on the Vox AC30/4 and the 1963 AC30/6 Top Boost JMI) … that I modded …
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I was surprised too, but check it out:
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hard to understand
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Apparently they are obsoleted in favor of the newer SMD mounted ones and other TO-92 package transistors have replaced them. There’s also lots of places selling tiny SMD to TO-92 adapter PCBs.
This is funny for me because the only transistors I have ever used were the packages like TO-3, TO-18, TO-92, etc. I guess some packages are redundant with SMD now.
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very probably
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I clearly have a lot of catching up to do
I found a few people discussing this on various DIY forums.
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