Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum

Amp Stuff => AmpTools/Tech Tips => Topic started by: stingray_65 on February 05, 2012, 09:55:28 pm

Title: What's in your library?
Post by: stingray_65 on February 05, 2012, 09:55:28 pm
Lately I've came to the realization, I haven't a single book on amps, amp building, tubes etc.

What to you guys consider to be your go to references, you're must reads and every amp guy should have this.

I'm wanting to take my skills and knowledge up a level.

Let me know your thoughts and opinions, education is expensive, but bad information is doubly costly.

Ray
Title: Re: What's in your library?
Post by: jjasilli on February 06, 2012, 08:29:27 am
In no particular order:

*  How to Service Your Own Tube Amp, by Tom Mitchel:  Book & Videotape (maybe a bit too basic, but it has great troubleshooting flow charts)
*  Inside Tube Amps, by Dan Torres
*  Dave Funk's Tube Amp Workbook
*  The Tube Amp Book, by Aspen Pittman
*  Electric Guitar Amplifier Handbook, by Jack Darr
*  TUT1, by Kevin O'Connor
*  Designing Tube Preamps for Guitar & Bass, by Merlin Blencowe
*  The Fender Bassman 5F6-A, by Richard Kuehnal
*  Guitar Amplifier Preamps, by Richard Kuehnal
*  DVD:  Gerald Weber's Tube Guitar Amplifier, Servicing & Overhaul
*  Servicing Radio and Television with a Vacuum Tube Voltmeter, by Sylvania Electric Products, Inc. (1951)  -- free online
*  RCA Tube Manuals  -- free online

Also I've restored some vintage Heathkit & Eico test equipment, and tracked down the Manuals, which contain a wealth of priceless info, which I guess back then was common knowledge!
Title: Re: What's in your library?
Post by: sluckey on February 06, 2012, 08:49:43 am
I bought Jack Darr's Electric Guitar Amplifier Handbook back in 1970. I also have the pdf copy, but it doesn't include the schematics section. That's no biggy since most all the schematics in the book are also available on the net. You may not be able to find the pdf on the net now because the book is in reprint. That's all I have and I verrrry seldom look at it.

EDIT... I see Darr's old book is still available for download...
http://www.diyguitarist.com/Misc/J_Darr.htm (http://www.diyguitarist.com/Misc/J_Darr.htm)
Title: Re: What's in your library?
Post by: jjasilli on February 06, 2012, 03:29:10 pm
. . That's all I have and I verrrry seldom look at it.  And that's why, when the reference books fail us, we come to you!   :worthy1:
Title: Re: What's in your library?
Post by: sluckey on February 06, 2012, 03:35:46 pm
Haha! I've only got a little bit of info. But this forum does a pretty good job of covering all aspects of this guitar amp stuff. There's a lot'a talent on this board, including what you bring. And the coffee ain't bad either!    :wink:
Title: Re: What's in your library?
Post by: John on February 06, 2012, 03:48:26 pm
Quote
But this forum does a pretty good job of covering all aspects of this guitar amp stuff.

True, and Joe Montana was a pretty good quarterback. ;)
Title: Re: What's in your library?
Post by: HotBluePlates on April 01, 2012, 09:50:26 pm
Read all of what they posted first. Mainly because it's guitar-oriented, and will hold your interest.

When you're ready to kick it up another notch like Emeril, go backwards to the old-school tube books, scanned and posted at Pete Millett's site (http://www.tubebooks.org/technical_books_online.htm).

Some of it is helpful, some of it spends a bit too much time on deriving equations (but that will help you even later, when you have to figure out your own equations to analyze a circuit). But it's all generally the stone-truth, without guitar-hype or marketing. Downside is it's not guitar-specific enough, so you have to figure out what applies to you.