Solid state guitar amps use transistor technology rather than tube technology to amplify the signal of the guitar. Guitar amps and effects for dummies dave hunter download. If everything you know about tube amps came from the internet, you might want to prepare for a shock. Diy audio books and manuals speakers, vacuum tubes. Guitar amps and effects for dummies by dave hunter goodreads. Learn the secrets to achieving your ultimate sound.
Are tube amps louder than solid state amps of the same power. How to repair solid state guitar amps our pastimes. Tube diodes work the same as solid state diodes current only flows when the anode or plate in vacuum tube terminology is has a positive voltage relative to the cathode in most rectification circuits the plate is attached to the power transformer and the cathode to the dc power supply section see handouts for schematics. Thats called fixed bias, and it has a similar effect. For the benefit of our uk friends, the tube referred to here is what you call a valve and has nothing to do with your underground train system, as splendid as it is. The book also helps the next step audience of users looking to add content to youtube. Understanding tube amplifiers and getting great sounds, updated edition brings fresh information to the table to help guitarists understand everything about what makes their amps tick and how to use them to sound better than ever.
This deluxe revised edition contains 40% new material, with a comprehensive az section covering all the great tube amp manufacturers, with. For tube guitar amp builders and tinkerers, we publish the ultimate tone book series and other books by kevin oconnor. Inside tube amps download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. I really dont know that much about them and was wondering if someone could provide a tube 101 primer like what triode meanshow long tubes s and cons. There just happens to be one close by where i live. Try plugging in a guitar cable, turn up all the amps volume, gain and master volume controls up a little and. Virtually all of these parts would serve in an audio project calling for an op amp. The beginners guide to electric guitar gear youtube. About the book author doug lowe still has the electronics experimenters kit his dad gave him when he was 10. So, i got a job working on amps at a local tube amp repair shop.
Every guitarist seeks to produce an expressive and distinctive tone. Monolithic op amps are the gum drops of linear electronics. When a transistor amplifier has a shorted transistor or other problem, your speaker will blow unless their cables are fused. The amp is completely dead if the amp is completely silent no speaker hum or hiss at all then the problem can be just about anywhere in the amp but you should suspect a bad tube, blown fuse or the power supply in that order try a new rectifier tube. Written in the characteristically easytoread dummies style, this book is ideal for beginners and experienced musicians alike, and can help all players expand. Check into some audio amplifier design books for a much more detailed description for both ss and tube.
A vox ac4, like many amps, is designed to make the power tubes cathode slightly positivea state that is commonly referred to in the guitar universe as cathode biased. Transformers on a tube amplifier provide a natural, highfrequency gate that keeps a guitarists highnote overtones in check, which is a desirable quality. Some of them are long out of print, and can only be obtained from used book sellers, although they are occasionally seen for sale on the internet. Reading this months issue may the ads for tube audio keep grabbing my eye. In effect, the amp takes the signal from your guitar and translates it back into sound waves in the air that your listener can hear. Tube amps are a personal choice, not necessarily for everyone. Guitar amps and effects for dummies by dave hunter.
It builds on the popular original edition of the book, first published in 2005. Designing power supplies for tube amplifiers merlin blencowe. The mullard tube circuits for audio amplifiers book was first published in 1959 by mullard, britains premier vacuum tube manufacturer. The tonal responsiveness and that classic valve distortion make tube amps a. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. This book is aimed at the absolute beginner and is one of the most popular tube amp books on amazon, vacuum tube amplifier basics by ej jurich. Following is a list of must have books for the serious tube amplifier designer. The digikey catalog shows hundreds of such parts with prices ranging from about fifty cents to over twenty dollars, depending on performance, package, and manufacturer. Dave hunter offers information on getting the best use out of guitar amps, pedals, and other sound technology. It is the source of the famed 510 and 520 mullard amplifiers. It is great to recycle but i kept my tube testers and still working on these. Guitar amps and effects for dummies book depository. Thats it for the signal path, now lets examine the amps power supply shown at the bottom of the schematic. While this is an old book it is detailed and easy to follow.
But if you actually love to listen to music, not just have noise to fill in the background, then you will notice a difference. The current flowing from anode to cathode is called the anode current, ia, and the voltage measured between anode and cathode is called the anode voltage, va or more accurately vak. Books, tutorials, and technology for guitar amplifier circuit design. Some of these people have no idea what to search for. This deluxe revised edition contains 40% new material, with a comprehensive az section covering all the great tube amp manufacturers, with histories, photos and information. The v3 rectifier tube transforms the 325v ac high voltage from the power transformer into 360 volts of high voltage dc which the amp needs to power the tubes.
Z, fender, gibson, hiwatt, marshall, matchless, mesaboogie, orange, vox, watkins and many others. Click download or read online button to get inside tube amps book now. Backbeat books the tube amp book deluxe revised edition. Tube amps are transformer coupled, and by definition and my measurements have zero dc offset. The book walks you through the basics of developing a schematic, setting up a. Other amps, instead, put a negative charge on the power tubes grid. If the anode voltage is negative, electrons will not be attracted to it and no current will flow. This is the best tube amp book i have yet bought so far. A bibliography of must have tube electronics books aiken amps. Early guitar amps used vacuum tubes to amplify the sound, but when the transistor was invented, amplifier manufacturers found a more reliable and cheaper technology. Books, calculators, and tutorials for guitar amplifier circuit design. Even with my background in engineering, calculus, physics, differential equations, system dynamics, circuits, ect i was unable to comprehend stuff directly from a book. Ac wall power from the power cord flows through the onoff ac switch and on to the power transformer shown at bottom center which steps up the wall voltage to 325 volts rms root mean square average ac for the high voltage supply and steps it down to 6. Several threads have discussed matching amps and loudspeakers without really explaining what that means and so i thought i would offer up a little very little insight for those who havent a clue as to what this might involve.
Not being a technogeek, feel free to expand or correct this thread where needed or desirable. This is an interesting read, of historical value and good guide to some basic valve. Its agonizing enough to simply select a loudspeaker that you like and. I recommend this book for anyone repairing tube amps. If you put a power meter on the output of a tube amplifier and a solid state amplifier that have been matched for total output power, then the meter will read almost exactly the same power for equivalent drive conditions so in this sense, the answer is no, they are not. Already known as the bible of tubes and tube amps, the tube amp book is now even better. Like distortion pedals, tube circuits seemingly have their own language. This book is destined to be a classic, and sort of reminds me of a radiotron designers handbook for guitar. Whether amateur or pro, guitarists live for the ultimate sound. I know you read a book that said otherwise, but the book is wrong.
Unfortunately, figuring out what kind of gear you need can be a baffling proposition. The truth about vintage amps skip simmons amp repair. Youtube for dummies takes the classic dummies tact in helping tech novices get a handle on a popular technology that more techsavvy audiences consider simple. Its a very basic book that covers a wide range of designs and focuses on the important differences between ss and tubes. Design and construction of tube guitar amplifiers by robert c. Tube amps, also known as a vacuum tube amps, are generally considered the best amplifiers for achieving hifi sound.
Written in the characteristically easytoread dummies style, this book is ideal for beginners and experienced musicians alike, and can help all players expand their skill set with effects. The exception is the output transformerless otl tube amps that couple directly or through a capacitor bank to the speakers. Already known as the bible of tubes and tube amps, the tube amp book by. I suppose i will never understand folks like pfred who want to tell you how bad something you love is and if they think that they are somehow correct. A bibliography of must have tube electronics books. Updated 7605 here are a few terms that you may see online when referencing tube schematics. Because the v2s tube is a kind commonly used in guitar amps, compatible models are often stocked at music stores. If you read this book and then build a simple amp, you can pick up a lot of knowledge about tube amps in a short amount of time. I present this knowledge in the hopes that it may help you decipher the interesting life of tubes. With so much content on youtube getting media attention, more firsttimers are jumping on the site and they need help. Of course, the big pro to tube amps is that luscious valve tone that guitarists have coveted for many years.
Read guitar amps and effects for dummies by dave hunter for free with a 30 day free trial. Written in the characteristically easytoread dummies style, this book is ideal for beginners and experienced musicians alike, and can help all. Solid state amplifiers are considered to be more reliable than. The design, modification and repair manual for vacuum tube guitar amplifiers english edition ebook.
1226 1044 1394 119 42 369 500 21 912 1142 816 19 961 787 1312 1006 1571 268 858 136 354 1536 250 99 1277 344 1221 979 1252 530 899 569