Turn Radio into Guitar Amp

Turn your old radio into a guitar amplifier and get a nice tone !!!

Here is a SAMPLE SOUND in mp3. Just guitar and radio !! No effects !! Clean and Distorted:

( I used a cheap Stratocaster (SSS) and the phone output of the radio into the computer. The live sound is much better !! )
http://www.4shared.com/audio/L0mcg-XB/Radio_Tone.html


And here is the same sample, but in wave for better quality:
http://www.4shared.com/audio/g5awv8M_/Radio_Tone.html
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Try out small speakers. The mids and highs are quite beautiful ! Much more than an 8" or 12" speaker.

When the volume is increased a lot, the sound becomes distorted like those 60's fuzz units in action.

After the first test, you can customize the circuit to make the tone closer of what you want.

This way, you can get different tones.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• radio
• guitar
• amp
• vintage
• eletronic
• deacy

[Shandaniak]

Hey, great tutorial :) Nice stuff to know... I have question: soldering that adapter. When I cut the cable from cassete-head-thing, there is 3 wires, fat one and 2 live ones... And question is: I should solder that fat one, which is ground like you presented here, on longest lid on adapter? and other 2, on 2 shorter ones??? 2:28 is what I cant see exact

[pegasomarcelo]

@Shandaniak

Yes ! Imagine the plug of the guitar cable inside the adaptor (mono). The point of the plug is the Live and the rest is the Ground.

So, inside the adaptor, that long copper stick touches the Ground part of the plug, and those two short copper sticks touch the Live part of the plug. Then solder Ground to Ground, and joint both Live wires and solder in one of the shorter copper sticks (on mono adaptors, the shorter ones are connected, so, no need to solder on both).

[Shandaniak]

@pegasomarcelo I've done like that, but there's a little problem :) when I play it's like I've plugged in some distortion or something like that... And sound is only heard when I punch string, when I stop, music stops... or that buzzing :) Do you know how to fix that or I just have to find another radio? :D

[pegasomarcelo]

@Shandaniak

Each radio is different. That's the cool thing !!

In mine, when I turn the volume down the sound gets clean, and when I turn up it gets dirty like fuzz. And the Play button must be pressed to hear the guitar. (Listen to the sample sound of it in the description)

Try using a higher wattage radio to get clean sound at high volume.

[MorkaGraven]

Is that Accept in the intro?

[pegasomarcelo]

@MorkaGraven

It's Helloween !!!!!!!!!!!!

Listen to the album "Master of the Rings"...

[jsjassem]

Very interesting video

[aDimWit01]

That is awesome and ingenious. I really have to try this. Great job.

[DobsBomber]

Love the appendicitis reference... hehehe.

[Nby21Blog]

Wow this actually works! I made it in like 5 minutes, and it has a nice distorted sound!

[pegasomarcelo]

@hallobaaaby

That's the fun !! When you look to a radio, you don't know how it will sound with the guitar !!!

Each model provides an unique sound !

Thanks for watching...

[hallobaaaby]

@pegasomarcelo Depends on the unit. A week ago i did one and without a resistor it gives the most super-powerboosted fuzz sound one can come up with, and completely low-EQ too. Then i put 500k resistor inbetween the two wires and now it is clear. It still stays slightly lowpass so i have to add a capacitor after the resistor to make the circuit 'highpass' filtered...So, your radio doesn't need this obviously.Just like another one i tried today.i use a female guitar jacks though(same price)cheers