Has anyone tried any of the DIY tube preamp kits?
I'm looking at this one:
Bottlehead Foreplay III
http://www.bottlehead.com/et/adobespc/foreplay3/foreplay3.htm (the top of the page might be NSFW for some people)
This looks like it should be within a abilities & looks like a fun way to learn more about audio electronics beyond basic cable construction. Also, there seems to be a lot of support in forums & individual enthusiest sites.
Another kit that caught my eye was this one: Welborne Labs ULTRAPATH bp
http://www.welbornelabs.com/ultra.htmIt's all DC-powered & can be ordered as a 'nude' kit without the chassis (make your own) for less $. The fact that it's all DC of course made me think of how it could be used in the field for recording, especially if one built a chassis made for protection/portability, but I imagine taking tubes in the field wouldn't be a really bright idea. Looks like it might be a little bit more involved than the Bottlehead, too.
I also considered a YS-Audio pre but the idea of making it myself is really apprealing. Anyone tried something like this yet? thanks