Hoffman Amplifiers Tube Amplifier Forum
Amp Stuff => Tube Amp Building - Tweaks - Repairs => Topic started by: acheld on June 29, 2026, 10:54:36 am
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Has anyone checked out this book? He writes with authority, but I find his books very difficult to get through (and yes I do read math just fine).
In this book, the blurb states "no lengthy explanations . . ." just a how-to-design.
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His early books are tough to read but I think he took reviews on board and started writing much simpler books for hobbyists. I have his Basic Theory book which is beginner friendly. I don't have this 'Recipes' book but I'm guessing it will 'hand hold' you through a design process. So it ought to be very easy to follow.
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Haven’t seen it yet, but I like his book on tube circuit simulations.
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He writes with authority, but I find his books very difficult to get through (and yes I do read math just fine).
I have a similar reaction to RK. His books have all the information, but something about his writing style that impedes easy absorption. Interesting to hear he's improved since the early books. I want to read the basic theory book
My math skills are no better than average. Still an author of any basic "how-to" book should be able to lay out a topic clearly and logically, without having to depend on 'showing' or 'explaining' it with equations. For me, the math becomes easier to grasp once I have that initial conceptual understanding. ymmv. :icon_biggrin:
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I agree with most of the comments. RK is a tough read, not so much for the technical aspects of his books, but I feel like he does not get to the point. In my humble opinion he is overly trying to keep his books from being a typical text book. The order of some of the chapters seems misplaced to me. For example his book Fundamentals of Guitar Amplifier System Designs did not get to the basic Champ type design specifics until almost at the end of book. All the writing about the FFE (Fuzzy Front End) I simply can do without. But he does finally get to the point for someone like me that is just trying to start with basics on Page 149 of a 177 page book. Kind of weird huh. I feel like he is trying to write to someone who is trying to develop a product for sale to the guitar world, not to the guy who is just trying to grow his or her hobby. Nevertheless I've found the text helpful