Designing tube preamps for guitar and bass, 2nd edition. It shapes the tone and often adds distortion that can enhance the sound you want to create. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Aug 02, 2004 read any of gerald webers books especially all about vacuum tube guitar amplifiers. Guitar amplifiers are meant to produce distortion, even clean amps. There is a lot of hype and outright nonsense in the highend. Tonetron amps are designed and handbuilt by jeffrey falla in minneapolis, mn. Diy audio books and manuals speakers, vacuum tubes. Designing tube preamps for guitar and bass is the most comprehensive guide to the design of tubebased preamplifiers for musical instrument use, in a single volume. While this is an old book it is detailed and easy to follow. While this article is intended primarily for the homebrew builder, it will also be useful background for the kit builder. Design and construction of tube guitar amplifiers book ebay. Design and construction of tube guitar amplifiers 9780615291802 by robert c.
I also build hifi stereo amplifiers and phono, microphone. The book also features exclusively conducted, indepth interviews with leading figures in the tube amp building world including ken fischer, mark sampson, and michael zaite and even provides full instructions on how to construct your own highquality tube guitar amp from scratch. From the input to the phase inverter this book discusses in detail the inner workings and practical design of every part of a conventional guitar preamp, including the use of. Dec 01, 2005 if you are looking for very clear explanations of how tube guitar amp circuits work, right down to the nitty gritty, and you dont want the math that a lot of electronics books have, then his books are for you. Despite their best replication efforts, the consensus among performing and studio musicians remains that there is no substitute for a welldesigned tube amp. Buy design and construction of tube guitar amplifiers by robert c. Already known as the bible of tubes and tube amps, the tube amp book is now even better. Megantz and a great selection of similar new, used and. Designing valve preamps for guitar and bass, second edition. But thats why the iconic tones of guitar legends like hendrix, dick dale, santana, nile rodgers, and dimebag darrell are as diverse as they are compelling.
Books, tutorials, and technology for guitar amplifier circuit design. My 20 lesson correspondence course is the fast track to learning vacuum tube guitar amp basics. Fortunately, every book written about amplifiers covers safety in the first chapter, so read it well. All tube guitar amps handwired guitar amps p3 amplifiers.
P3 amplifiers use the finest components and materials available and are infinitely repairable electronic devices. This particular book is actually the first one i would have bought had i known, but since i have all 5 of them now it doesnt matter. You can find descriptions of both books, as well as ordering and contact information, by selecting the appropriate link. Following is a list of must have books for the serious tube amplifier designer. A good signal generator, an oscilloscope, decade boxes resistor and capacitor, speakers and speaker loads, a guitar, and probably more that you will find a need for as you build amplifiers. Welcome to r guitar, a community devoted to the exchange of guitar related information and entertainment. Tube amp building workshop american archtop guitars. This is not just another rewriting of all the amp design books from the 40s and 50s, it is very specific in its scope and. Designing valve preamps for guitar and bass, second. The quickest way to get acquainted with the parts and standard layout techniques used in tube amp building is to build an amp kit. Foldable stand for guitar, bass, and keyboard combo amplifiers, with 100 lbs. 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.
It is intended as a companion to design and construction of guitar and bass speaker systems. Amplifiers with tubes are generally heavier than solid state amplifiers due to the need for an output transformer. Both books provide easytounderstand yet thorough descriptions of the technologies, components, and construction and testing methods used in tube guitar amplifiers and guitar and bass speaker systems. Welcome to rguitar, a community devoted to the exchange of guitar related information and entertainment. Robert megantz and merlin blencoe and how to read schematics by robert j. Its a great time to upgrade your home music studio gear with the largest selection at. Tube or solidstate, analog or digital, multiple or single speaker, clean or overdrivefocused there are a lot of factors that go into choosing the right guitar amplifier. For nearly 20 years, chris has enjoyed the art and science of building and repairing audio equipment and specifically, vacuum tube guitar amplifiers. P3 amplifiers are hand wired guitar amps, made in the usa, boutique, all tube guitar amps.
It is the source of the famed 510 and 520 mullard amplifiers. Theres a huge amount of hype and mythology surrounding tube amplifiers in the guitar world. On the positive side, the book is highly readable with only a few copyediting errors, and im reasonably certain that i now know more about guitar amplifiers now than i did before. Design and construction of tube guitar amplifiers by robert c. I also offer several standard vacuum tube models which can be ordered as is or used as design platforms and customized according to your request. He is the author of the guitar amp handbook, the british amp invasion, guitar effects pedals, the fender telecaster, the gibson les paul, and a dozen other books, in addition to being a regular contributor to several prominent guitar magazines. Designing tube preamps for guitar and bass is the most comprehensive guide to the design of tube based preamplifiers for musical instrument use, in a single volume. Being a guitarist who shares that opinion, i chose to design a tube amp of my own. Design and construction of tube guitar amplifiers by. A bibliography of must have tube electronics books.
It builds on the popular original edition of the book, first published in 2005. The rest is all good stuff to have, and can be gotten at different times. Your choice of el34 or 6l6 tubes you can use a different tube for each side. A guitarists introductory guide to tube amplifiers. Mullard tube circuits for audio amplifiers mullard ltd. The first three chapters of this unique book cover introductory topics such as basic electronic circuits and passive components resistors, capacitors, inductors, the building blocks of tube amplifiers. Musical instrument amps are different from hifi amps. If you have guitar related questions, use the search field or ask the community.
Sep 12, 2010 there are a number of books in the list at the 2nd url above. Vacuum tubes are expensive and require replacement every one to four years depending on use. Volume 1 of the most complete and practical modern reference on tube guitar amplifiers. Guitarbuying an amplifier wikibooks, open books for an. Tube amp theater how to build a 6550 guitar amplifier by. Isbn 9781882580036 the mullard tube circuits for audio amplifiers book was first published in 1959 by mullard, britains premier vacuum tube manufacturer. Jan 17, 2017 designing tube preamps for guitar and bass by merlin blencowe merlin is a respected voice in the tube amp diy community, and has a great website worth checking out as well. Circuits are based on your requests whether clones of vintage amps or original designs. All of these are great books and must have for anyone looking to learn to build, design, repair or modify guitar tube amplifiers. Most books on guitar tube amplifiers approach them from the same angle as a hifi amplifier.
Whats undeniable is that, far more than being just a loudness booster, the unique combination of tubes, capacitors, resistors, and transformers in. Sep 01, 2009 written for musicians, amp builders, and tube audio enthusiasts, design and construction of tube guitar amplifiers provides a complete yet easytounderstand explanation of how to design, modify, construct, and test tube amps. Circuit simulation a deep dive into spice tube amp modeling. See all formats and editions hide other formats and editions. This book, in print from 2008 until 2020, has been updated, expanded, reorganized, and replaced by guitar amplifier electronics. I would have expected a 529 page book devoted to tube amplifiers to include such procedures. The amp building hobby began as a way to acquire the amps that created those iconic sounds that chris had always reached for but it quickly turned into a creative expression of passion. 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.
If you are looking for very clear explanations of how tube guitar amp circuits work, right down to the nitty gritty, and you dont want the math that a lot of electronics books have, then his books are for you. Building vacuum tube guitar and bass amplifiers volume 2. One example is the carvin ts100, a stereo tube amplifier with 50w per side or it can be bridged for 100w mono. For solid state guitar amplifiers, the preamp is probably the single most important part. Everything you ever wanted to know about preamp tubes. It is the user interface for the amp, giving a wide range of control over how the amp will sound. Yeah, for some reason i got all motivated to build this guitar amp. Want to learn everything you need to know about the basic fundamentals and basic electronic principles going on in a vacuum tube guitar amp. Recently we were asked why we did not put more controls or emulation on our tube amplifiers as some other well known manufacturers do, one assumes, in order to make an all singing, all dancing amplifier, a jack of all trades but perhaps master of none. In this article we cover how to lay out and build the chassis for a vacuum tube guitar amplifier. If you are down with bode plots and circuit diagrams, though, it could serve as a nice introduction to building a class ab amplifier circuit. The internet continues to make it easier to find books and parts to help you build your own boutique quality guitar amp. For years, experts have argued over the tiny details of exactly how they do what they do, and how their various components interact. With a few essential tools and proper procedures, youll find that building a vacuum tube guitar.
There are certainly stereo guitar amps out there, from companies like mesa, etc. This 3day workshop is designed for anyone and all skill levels. A tube is based on vacuum technology and requires more energy than a solid state amplifier with the same wattage. This is a forum where guitarists, from novice to experienced, can explore the world of guitar through a variety of media and discussion. Designing tube preamps for guitar and bass, 2nd edition brent vickery. The slides are pretty heavy on engineering design terms, but give a good feel for what it takes to construct and tune an audio amplifier using vacuum tube technology. Make offer national 1215 vintage 1951 harp amp, guitar amp,tube amplifier.
Jan 11, 2017 yeah, for some reason i got all motivated to build this guitar amp. Vacuum tube circuit design guitar amplifier power amps. 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. Guitar players, audio enthusiasts, woodworkers or anyone who wants to learn the art of tube amp building is welcome. Read any of gerald webers books especially all about vacuum tube guitar amplifiers. Written for musicians, amp builders, and tube audio enthusiasts, design and construction of tube guitar amplifiers provides a complete yet easytounderstand explanation of how to design, modify, construct, and test tube amps. Dave hunter is a writer and musician who has worked in both the u. Design and build your own tube guitar amp guitarsite. My first project was working on my fender hot rod deluxe amp in high school. This set of books will take you a long way in understanding guitar tube amplifiers from every angle. How to layout and build a guitar amplifier chassis. Basic theory a 21stcentury approach to understanding preamp, power amp, and power supply design. Megantz and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices.
Most people start by working on lowvoltage guitar pedals, building amplifiers from kits, or modifying amps with help from the internet. Nov 19, 2010 in this article we cover how to lay out and build the chassis for a vacuum tube guitar amplifier. New combo guitar amplifiers 362 new guitar amplifier cabinets 202 new guitar amplifier heads 230 new guitar amplifier stacks 37 new guitar power amplifiers 8 new guitar power attenuators new guitar preamps 29 new headphone guitar amplifiers 12 new mini guitar amplifiers 48. Beginners are encouraged to study volume 1 first before attempting the projects in volume 2. Orange amplifiers th30h, 30w tube guitar amp head orange, new jj tubes. The unofficial hot rod deluxe owners guide this site was what got me started in high school. For more details and discussions visit tonetron amplifiers on facebook.
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