TUBE AMP BOOK FAQ by mcjimi@aol.com This really isn't a tube amp book FAQ, just the bare beginnings of one. It's woefully incomplete. I'd like very much for people who really know this stuff to put a REAL tube amp book FAQ together. The newsgroups seem to be getting a lot of questions about where to get information on learning about guitar amps, so such a FAQ could prove useful. Until then, here's something to get people started. MODERN BOOKS for Guitar Tube Amps: 1. The Ultimate Tone, by Kevin O'Connor. This is the only true guitar tube amp design book I've seen. It really is a guitar tube amp cookbook, and it is packed with info on power supplies, preamp modifications and design, power amps, effects loops, reverb, switching (91 pages!) and more. I've seen nothing like this until now, though I've talked to several amp designers who've talked to me about putting out such a work. TUT is far from perfect, but if you're more into creating your own designs than just learning what Leo Fender did, I recommend you check this book out. While it does cover Fender and Marshall type topologies, if you're primarily a fan of old Fender and early Marshall amps, I suggest you look for another book. Those are fantastic amps, but this book is simply more forward looking. The main problem is that it isn't available in stores in the U.S., so you have to take a chance by ordering direct from Canada. I know this sucks, but I can tell you that three very knowledgeable people I've talked to who've seen this book like it a lot. I hope Guitar Player does a review of it soon, or that you can see if someone in your area has picked up a copy of it. Maybe whomever picks up on this Tube Amp Book FAQ idea could include reviews (by several people, with different backgrounds, interests, and levels of experience) of this and other books. Anyway, here's what you need to get ahold of your own copy: U.S. price until March 31, 1995: $40. includes shipping U.S. price after March 31, 1995: $55 Power Press Publishing P.O. Box 1777, Stn.B, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5H9 tel:519-668-3132 fax: 519-660-8992 2. The Tube Amp Book ( Volume 4 is the most recent-765 pages.). This is put out by Groove Tubes. It has chapters on the history of several major amp companies, including Fender, Marshall, Ampeg, Gibson, Hiwatt, Vox, and Orange, among others. I've just got volume 3, and I've heard Volume 4 has more on tube mics. There are pages on tube specs, trouble shooting, some common mods (master volume, power tube changes, capacitor changes for fuller tone ), and some beautiful color shots of amps with guitars. The best part about the book is that is has several hundred pages of schematics for amps. Most of these are for older amps-you won't find more recent offerings by Mesa-Boogie and Soldano, for instance. Very few high gain monsters. But there's a great deal to be learned from studying the schems of older amps, and having them in one book is quite convenient. Antique Electronic Supply sells this book for $29.95. Call 1-602-820-5411. Or call Groove Tubes at 818-361-4500. They're in Slymar, CA. 3. A Desktop Reference of Hip Vintage Guitar Amps. by Gerald Weber, owner of Kendrick Amplifiers. $26.95, 500 pages. I've only glanced at few pages of this book. It seems to cover similar ground to that in the Groove Tubes book. He gets into more detailed circuit analysis of several classic Fender amps, however. There are a couple of hundred pages of schems. I'd try to get a gander at the book from somebody in your area, or at least read Guitar Player's review of the book from last year. Call Kendrick, or call AES at 602-820-5411. 4. The History of Marshall, by Michael Doyle. ($32.95, 254 pages ) If you're a rock guitarist even remotely interested in what makes amps tick, you should get this book. It does a good job of documenting Marshall's humble beginning, ups and downs along the way, chiefly by looking at various amps it's produced thru the years. There's an especially nice comparison of the circuit differenced between the 1959 Fender Bassman, which Marshall used as the model for its first amps, and Marshall's version of this amp, which had a few minor differences. The back has about 100 schematics for Marshalls old and new, including a great many of their more recent products, like the Valvestates, JCM-900 amps, and their 30th Anniversary model. So, there's plenty in here for students of high gain amp architecture. Some of you may be surprized to see how often Marshall has used transistors along with tubes to get overdriven tones. But what the hell, even SRV used a transistor based overdrive pedal to push his Fender, Dumble, and Marshall amps into distortion. Go down to your own local music store, or call Marshall or AES to get a copy. 5. Tom Mitchel's "How to Service Your Own Tube Amp". A decent introduction to basic electronics and amp upkeep. There's even a small chapter on mods-output protection circuits, power tube conversions, adding an effects loop, giving Master Volume Marshall's a little gain and overdrive boost, and bias monitoring. If you are into using several gain stages for generating overdrive ( like Soldano, Bogner, CAE, Boogie, etc. ) this book is not for you. Tom explicitly states his aversion to using multiple gain stages to generate thick overdrive in this manner. He suggests you buy a distortion pedal, like the Ibanez Tube Screamer. (Funny, the "TUBE screamer" name suggests the sound of screaming tubes, like in a high gain preamp...) If you're into amp maintenance, you may want to look at his book, but if you want to do design work, get Kevin's TUT book. It has a lot more on mods and overall preamp topology. Or if we're lucky enough to get more "cookbooks", look into buying one of those. 6. "AMPS! The Other Half Of Rock'n'Roll" By Ritchie Flieger. 120 pages. A nice overview of tube amps that has chapters on Fender, Vox, Ampeg, Marshall, Mesa-Boogie, Soldano, Gibson, Matchless, Hiwatt, and even some transistor wonders. While there are very few schematics, he does talk about the circuits of these amps. He gets into the British high gain approach (EQ after several stages of preamp gain ), and the more American early Mesa-Boogie approach ( EQ very early on in the preamp-before the distortion ). There are also comments on the circuits and construction of Vox's, Hiwatts, Soldano's, etc. 7. OTHER BOOKS- I've heard Dan Torres has put out a $50 amp design book. But if it's anything like the amps I've heard that he's modded, I'd stay clear away. I'm hoping that other true tube amp cookbooks will be written by those in the know-Ken Fischer, Bob Gjika, Guy Hendricks, John Suhr, among others. Guy, a Michigan based amp designer, has talked to me about putting out such a book, but I think he's got other projects keeping him busy at present. In case you haven't yet come across them yet, RG Keen has great FAQ's on tube amps and effects pedals he posts regularly on guitar related newsgroups. I think some of them are archived at the ualberta site and its mirrors. Or try: "It is also available on Web Pages: >http://www.wwu.edu/~n9343176 >http://www.eecs.umich/~tjs/guitar/effects.hmtl" The FAQ's contain info on other books pertaining to tube amps. Maybe a guitar amp mag could help develop the market for these kinds of publications. __________________________________________________________________________ _ Vintage Guitar magazine has several people writing for it on the subject of tube amp electronics. I like some of what David Funk has written in VG. He covers older amps and modern ones. Vintage Guitar Depatment W P.O. Box 7301 Bismark, ND 58507 tel: (701)-255-1197, fax: (701)-255-0250 Another good source of information on tube amps is the world of high-end audio. The magazine I'm most familiar with that covers this is GLASS AUDIO, one of several magainzes published by Audio Amateur Publications, Inc., P.O. Box 576, 305 Union Street, Peterborough, New Hampshire, 03458-0576. Tel: 603-924-9464. The magazine is fairly technical, but it's not all that expensive, and I've noticed more and more guitar amp articles sneaking in. The publisher is seriously considering publishing a separate magazine for musicians who use tube amps. Old Colony Sound Lab, a branch of Audio Amateur sells a lot of the same books on guitar amps that AES does. See if there are any audiophile associations of clubs in your area-I bet they'd have a few copies of GLASS AUDIO on hand. OLDER TEXTS: 1. Tube Recieving Manuals: These have spec sheets on hundreds of tubes. Given the relatively small number of tubes used in guitar amps, you may be surprized at the number of different tube types there are. These books also have information on setting up tube circuits. A few companies are reprinting some of these books, like RCA's manuals. But see if you can track down an old original copy first. It's likely to be cheaper. 2. THE RADIOTRON DESIGNERS HANDBOOK by Langford & Smith. This is the CLASSIC text for tube amp designers. Kind of heavy on the theory, but it's a goldmine of information. It is a radio and audio amp cookbook that any serious tube amp nut should have. If you can't get an original copy, I've heard rumours that someone is reprinting this book. Check the audio mags-they're much more fanatical about tube info than are most folks into guitar amps. 3. Electronic Radio Engineering 4. Radio Engineering Both of these are by a guy names Frederick Terman. The same kind of book as the Radiotron book. In some ways, even more technical. I found my copies while in Asia of all places. Maybe by the time I'm 90 I'll understand some of these two books. (Yes, they're in English. ) ---------------------------------------------------- There's a lot I've neglected to put in here, I'm sure. Here's hoping someone takes the idea, and expands on it. And improves it!