Opinion of The Ultimate Tone books/ better suggested reading

[Zedman]

Hey Folks, I've sold up some equipment and now I'm considering buying the complete series of TUT books.

Its friggin expensive to get them sent here to Australia and this is close to a $600 investment. I can't remember the last time I bought tech books and prefer to purchase quality items once.

Please can anyone give an opinion on this series of books and in particular, will they have info that helps in repairing as well as building amp?

Alternately any suggestions of better purchase will be appreciated.

cheers
Z

[tubenit]

I've read a couple of the books and found them somewhat useful.  I would never pay $600 for the series.  However, I am a hobbyist & don't make money in repairs or building amps.

IF I had a background in electronics and repaired or built professionally,  I might consider buying them?

Have you read Doug's Library of Information from start to finish?  It's free and has tone of useful information.  Have you looked into the ARCHIVES of the forum?  It has tons of useful information also.

with respect, Tubenit

[Zedman]

thanks Tubenit, I have looked at some of the Library but certainly not start to finish and haven't even found the Archives.

Sounds like I should hold onto my cash and check out the free resource before getting too excited about buying books. I will confess that I like reading on the crapper and theres no way Im taking my laptop there!

I do earn cash from repairing but not heaps and don't expect to build for cash.

Cheers
Z

[kagliostro]

Here you can download a lot of interesting free stuff

http://www.tubebooks.org/technical_books_online.htm

http://www.tubebooks.org/vintage_data.htm

Franco

[Zedman]

thanks Mr Kagliostro, um that might take me a bit to go through. Let me get back to you tomorrow when I've read them all. 

Z

[HotBluePlates]

The challenge of the excellent resource Kagliostro linked (and which I've been drawing from for years) is that guitarists tend to want guitar-amp-specific stuff to tell them where the "TONE!" is. But those old books tell you how electronics & tube circuit work; there is some extrapolation required to think how to alter your amp.

I've come to the conclusion tone is in the ear of the beholder, and the value of some changes are player/style/rig specific. So I greatly favor anyone understand how their amp works, and so understand how to make any change which may move them to a defined goal.

Anyway, it looks like the main forum is up to 151 pages and 104k+ posts... There might be a lot of free reading there which could be of value.

[shooter]

like reading on the crapper

Let me get back to you tomorrow when I've read them all

You might need to visit your Doc

HBP is right though 

some changes are player/style/rig specific

I find a good grasp of psychology almost as valuable as electronics when it comes to tweaks n mods for other people. 

[John]

I've got TUT 3,which was interesting reading. However, I learned much more about designing and voicing tube preamps through Merlin's excellent book, and also from endless hours of reading this forum. I still know very little compared to most, but I wouldn't spend a lot of money on the entire TUT series. Not that Kevin O'Connor doesn't know his stuff, but I find google to be a better reference for most any question I have. Somewhere, there's multiple guys that have asked the same question I have.

[kagliostro]

I've TUT from 1 to 5, the PS book and Preamp Books (first and second edition) from Merlin

I think this books give you a lot of "ready to use" info but before is better to read something like

the Richard Kuehnel books (that I have but till now didn't know as I would like)

https://www.ampbooks.com/mobile/books/preamps/

https://www.ampbooks.com/mobile/books/power-amps/

Oh, I forgot

I haven't this book, but it is a must

https://www.ampbooks.com/mobile/books/ohm/

Franco

[PRR]

> this book, but it is a must Georg Simon Ohm

Not a lot of electrical edification in that.

Ohm's story is interesting socially, but as that blurb says it "won't help you design a better guitar amp". It is also a heavy read, being 1889 German (Irmeli's English translation is as readable as old German can be).

[G._Hoffman]

I think the first and somewhat the second TUT books are the most useful - they have the most general information.  After that, it is becomes a bunch of chapters on specific amps (which can also be good, if you are after information on those amps).

But I found the Merlin books much more readable, and because of that much more useful.  If I'm trying to solve an issue, or make a design decision, I reach for the Merlin books.


Gabriel

[Zedman]

Thanka for all the recommendations and opinions fellas. I'm gonna try out the first TUT book and also scour those links! I guess that will take care of my down time for a year!
Z