Mojotone's 18-Watt TMB Amplifier Kit addresses a common mod made to a classic circuit, but with a few new flavors of our own. The TMB is based on the circuit used in vintage Marshall models 1958, 1973, and 1974 (more affectionately known as the '18-watters'). Marshalls were only produced between the years 1965 and 1967, but were highly sought-after for having massive sounding JTM-45-like tones in a smaller, more manageable package. Because they were produced in comparatively low quantities, these amps still remain a 'lost ark' today.
18-watters became popular studio amps for many players and were used, at times, by everyone from Gary Moore, to The Pretenders, to AC/DC. Over the years, some players have reported having no use for the amp's original tremolo channel and have opted to replace the tremolo controls with a 3-band EQ, since the original amps were only equipped with a single tone control for each channel. In the Mojotone version, we have done just this, only we have integrated the preamp from our British 800 kit (based on the original Marshall JCM 800 circuit) for a lean and mean, hot-rodded gain sound. We have also integrated a master volume control so this monstrous sound can be harnessed and used in any size room.
Two EL84s give the amp's normal channel a warm and round character which, when volume is pushed higher, begins to break up into a smooth grind perfect for blues rock and classic rock rhythm sounds. On the dirty channel, one can access screaming lead tones perfect for everything from dim dirty grunge all the way to saturated hair metal sustain!
With our TMB mod in place, this take on a classic beast now has a normal channel with high sensitivity and low sensitivity inputs as well as a single volume and single tone control; the second channel has a single input with volume, treble, middle, and bass controls. And don't forget about the master volume!
For those players who are a little more "hands-on," we also offer the amplifier as a kit with a variety of options including small parts only, full kit (both head and combo configurations), export specs, and more.
Hardware:British 18W Small Parts Kit, British 18W Chassis, Front & Rear Faceplates, 10' Removable Power Cord
Disclaimer: Some of the parts contained in this kit are subject to availability.
Mojotone reserves the right to change or substitute any and all of the parts contained in this amplifier kit without advertisement or notification to the buyer. Part substitutions made by Mojotone are guaranteed not to affect the integrity or operation of your amplifier kit. Time estimates listed are from start to finish. If you are new to tube amplifiers, additional time may need to be factored.
When purchasing a kit from Mojotone, you will receive the following documentation.
1. Schematic
2. Wiring Diagram / Layout
Our beginner level kits such as the tweed champ and tweed deluxe include a manual. If you purchase a kit from Mojotone and do not receive these documents, you can obtain copies by emailing [email protected] or calling 800-927-6656. The Mojotone staff is available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST unless otherwise closed.
Mojotone kits include the best quality parts that are available at the time of purchase. If a substitution is required, our team will use parts that are of equal quality to ensure the integrity of the kit build remains the same.
Building a fully functional amplifier kit is not an easy task. Before building a kit, one should have the ability to properly solder as well as read and understand a schematic and wiring diagram. While we do our very best to ensure all documentation is current, the included documentation is meant to serve as an overall guide to building the amplifier. Simply following the schematic and wiring diagram does not guarantee you will have a fully functional amplifier. In fact, post build troubleshooting is a common issue across all builds.
Our staff is available to assist with basic troubleshooting needs. There are plenty of online videos available that are helpful with most post build issues. Technical staff is available via email by sending a message to [email protected]. You may also call our sales team to discuss build problems, dial 800-927-6656 and press 1 for sales.
Building a tube amplifier takes time, dedication, resources and most importantly... Skills! The experience of building an amp can come with some frustration, the reward of completing the build is definitely well worth your time. Please review the wiring diagram, schematic and manual (if applicable) prior to making your purchase. Mojotone will not accept any returns on amplifier kits and/or parts that have been assembled, soldered or modified.
Reviews
Name: Tim Carroll Rating: 5
Mojo Fan Fort Build ...
I was not certain ... but thought I may have bitten off more than I could when I purchased the Mojotone 18 Watt TMB Head Kit ... like Dirty Harry once said ... “ ... a man has got to know his limitations”. Well, I already owned a Fender Edge Deluxe, and two 57’ Custom Champs therefore I did not want to build a 5F1 or 5E3 kit ... so, the TMB kit looked like the hot ticket because it had a full instruction manual, schematic, and wiring diagram. Now, back to the Dirty Harry quote; I’m severely colorblind but my wife is not, whew! Knowing my color site limitations and not wanting to die by way of electrocution, I contacted a local amp tech in Louisville CO and asked this question: “... if I build a Mojo TMB all the way to ... but not including the initial start up, how much would you charge to take it from there?” His response was this; “... if you follow all instructions to the letter of their intentions, it’ll be $300-400 to get it going”. I’m here to tell you, that was money well spent! I built it very methodically with all attention to detail all the way up to but not including plugging it in. I took it to the amp tech and it just returned with a full description of what errors I had made. There was a loose solder on one of my heater wires, I had somehow dripped some solder on one of the tube sockets (it could not be removed ... it had to be replaced) And, I positioned a resistor too close to a “hot cap” and he repositioned it ... he repositioned some of the wires because as he said “ ... some of the wires don’t play well together”. He complimented me for a job well done and said not to hesitate bringing in another amp should I decide to build another! So, for a couple hundred extra dollars, I get to live on and saved myself the headache and worries of high-voltage drama! The amp is now housed in its Mojo cabinet and pumping out awesome tone through my Mojo single 12” ISO Cabinet with a Celestion Redback 150 watt speaker! I’m running the TMB head through my Boss Waza Craft Tube Amp Expander for volume control ... 18 watts is loud! Now, I have to professional electronics background ... I wrote business software for a living. I’m 67 years old and this was on my bucket list! The only real soldering skills I have are from building my own pedal boards. I’ve been around guitars and amps As an end-user since 1966. If you want to do this and save huge dollars .. these kits are very high quality! I’ll do it again I’m sure. BUT ... never lose sight of the fact that these amp use lethal amounts of voltage and can kill ou! Do like I did and find an honest and good amp tech to assist you ... you’ll still save bucks doing it that way. Oh, I forgot to mention; the entire rig is garnet red levant ... not that it matters to this old colorblind dude!
Name: Martin Rating: 5
Great kit! I'm not anything like an engineer or an electronics expert, but I pretty much understand what I'm seeing when I look at a wiring diagram and I'm able to follow it. Doing that with this kit was a real pleasure and the parts were great also. The chassis was build solid and true, and the wire was cloth fabric covered, which I really like.
The Amp sounds great. I'd been warned that these can be noisy but have no trouble with that here. I'm very happy with this kit!
Name: Mr. Marshall Rating: 5
Treble Middle Bass All The Way!! This Treble Middle Bass 18W kit is the cats meow!! I built it over the weekend and was playing it Sunday night. It sounds spectacular!!! I am so glad I purchased this kit.
Name: Ron Vehmeyer Review Date: 3/20/2016 9:31 pm Rating: 5
Electric V A year ago I ordered the Narrow Panel Blues JR replacement cab to get a bigger sound for my amp. I play more rock than blues so I really didn't care much for a cab made of pine. So, I drew up a blue print of a cabinet that is 2 inch taller, 2 inch wider and 1 inch deeper than my original Blues Jr. cab and had Mojotone build it out of birch plywood. Oh man let me tell you the sound is awesome it is my favorite amp now. Also, the workmanship is everything I hopped it would be. Thank you Mojotone.
