Recommend me a good book on valve amps

[LazyNinja]

I find that I'm more interested in amps than guitars so I want to start learning about how they work, learn how to modify amps, and eventually build one myself. Can someone recommend me a good book to read? I've heard about The Ultimate Tone Vol 3 by Kevin O'Connor, has anyone read it?

[Twinfan]

I've just got the Dave Hunter book - The Guitar Amp Handbook.  I'm about half way through the first chapter and it seems pretty good so far!

Amps for laymen.

[Kilby]

Theres some useful stuff that Ampmaker links to http://www.ampmaker.com/index.asp and head to the bottom of the page

[jpfamps]

OK I've read most of the popular books on guitar valve amplifiers. Sadly many of them contain numerous technical errors, and are often opportunities to advertise the author's products.

If you are serious about learning about how valve amplifiers work then you should read the tech info on Randall Aikens web-site (www.aikenamps.com). This info is free and technically correct.  The info is packaged up into conveniently sized chunks, and even if you don't understand it all on first reading you can always come back to it. Randall has two degree in electronic engineering, has a substantial cv in electronic design and now runs his own amp company ie he really knows what he is talking about.

Bookwise  "Valve Amplifiers" by Morgan Jones is the best book on valve amps I have read. Although geared towards hi-fi amps it contains information I've not seen anyware else.

Of the other books I have read here is my opinion:

"The Tube Amp Book" Essientially advertorial for Groove Tubes. Some of the tech info is laughable. Has some nice photos of valve amps and some useful schematic, although many of these can be got elsewhere.

The Ultimate Tone (TUT) Series. I have read all these. Volume one of this series is the best, contains some very useful information; however this info will be of more practical use to the experienced tech than the beginner. Addionally, the author is quite opinionated, for example he continually dismisses Marshall as a Fender rip-off company. He also seems to be of the opinion that he is right and everyone else is wrong, which is surprising as some of the tech info is wrong, and that the only decent guitar and bass amps are made in Canada! TUT2 is less coherant, but has some good info on solid state amps in it. TUT3 is more of a project book showing youhow to build various classic amps (eg Champs, Bassman etc). TUT4 is a rather incoherant and overly long ramble about various topics, but in particular Power Scaling, which a means of controling the output power of valve amps by varying the plate supply. TUT5 is another project style book with contruction details for amps not covered by TUT3.

"Inside Tube Amps" by Dan Torres. There is some useful info in here but it is buried in a mountain of utter nonsense, so I can't really recommend this book.

"The Marshall Book". Good history of Marshall Amps. Not much but useful tech info. Schematics are poorly organized and can be got off the web.

"Dave Funk's Tube Amp Book". Probably the best basic guitar tube amp book. Most of the tech info is correct and easy to understand. Has a very comprehensive set of Fender Schematics, some of which aren't on the web.

"A Desktop Reference to Hip Vintage Guitar Amps" and "Tube Amp Talk for the Guitarist and Tech" by Gerald Weber (with some pages written by Ken Fischer). Mostly Fender geared books with some useful modifications. Some incorrect tech info, and advertorial for Kendrick, however there is also some very useful practical advice in the Q&A section.

Hope that this is useful.

[Dreichlift]

I've been looking into getting into guitar amp repair and building too and have done some hunting for books on the subject. Having limited funds getting some of the books isn't easy. When I did I found them very technical, most requiring some previous experience with tube amps or electronic engineering. The same goes for online info.

If you are really serious about getting into amp building and repair I recommend an electronic engineering course at a local college, these can be studdied full-time, part-time, evenings etc. This is what I have done, and I'm finding it very informative, covering circuit theory, analogue electronics, safe practice, soldering and cabling techniques (including lacing like in Hiwatt amps) and this is just the first month.

It's a great starting place, and even after recieving just the basics it makes the books on amp design and repair so much easier. I'm even using the information in the Aitken Amps webpages mentioned earlier to suppliment my notes.

[dave_mc]

I've just got the Dave Hunter book - The Guitar Amp Handbook.  I'm about half way through the first chapter and it seems pretty good so far!

Amps for laymen.

yeah, i have that one and it's good. a little basic at times, but other than that a really good read, and it's better to be too basic than too advanced, which can put you off.

[HTH AMPS]

If you are really serious about getting into amp building and repair I recommend an electronic engineering course at a local college, these can be studdied full-time, part-time, evenings etc. This is what I have done, and I'm finding it very informative, covering circuit theory, analogue electronics, safe practice, soldering and cabling techniques (including lacing like in Hiwatt amps) and this is just the first month.

I'm really surprised they cover stuff like that these days.  I think a college offering an old-school valve-theory course geared toward valve audio would have an instant niche market.  The problem is that the old guys that were schooled in this stuff are retired and the younger generation who know anything about valves are self-schooled (like me).

A college course is a good idea, it'll certainly weed out the basics you need to know but there is no substitute for reading up on stuff yourself.  I always recommend that people start off with transistor fuzz circuits and then move on when they're comfortable with reading schematics and layouts.

The 60s valve amps are easy to understand when you look under the hood.  It's worth buying something like a Selmer T&B then tracing through the circuit with the schematic so you can translate the schematic to the actual circuit.  

I really worry when people go poking inside amps and they have no idea what they're doing.  You get mods on the net where it'll say something like 'solder a 500pF cap across R1 then snip out C15' - it's paint by numbers mods and you've really got no idea what you're doing.  

 :twisted:

[Dreichlift]

 The problem is that the old guys that were schooled in this stuff are retired and the younger generation who know anything about valves are self-schooled (like me).

Yeah I'm kind of lucky as the head of department is an older guy so he's easy to talk to about the stuff I'm interested in. Also one of the other tutors is a hifi nut so he's all valve oriented too. Being a .... senior student I can talk to them fairly easily without there being an age gap problem which is a great help.

[LazyNinja]

Thanks guys. I think I'll start off with a beginner's book then when I get comfortable reading schematics I'll get a more in-depth book. So do you think the Dave Hunter book is a good starting point?

[Twinfan]

Sorry to drag up an old thread, but I finally got round to finishing reading the Dave Hunter "Tube Amp Handbook" over the weekend.

It's a very good book for those who want to learn about amps from a guitarist's perspective.  It doesn't cover the full electronic explanations of everything (like an electronics course would) but it covers enough for the guitarist to understand and appreciate.  There's a good glossary in it too, and an overview of some popular circuits and their components.

One negative thing is that it can be a little hard to follow in some places.  You read something and think "hang on, how does that work" or "what's a PI again?".  However, flicking back through the pages and re-reading something helps.

I now want to read it again as I think I will get some more info out of it second time through.

( P.S.  A PI is a Phase Invertor, usually an ECC83/12AX7 valve, used just before two or four power amp valves running in class AB to create a duplicate signal 180 degrees out of phase to the original  ;) )

[sgmypod]

Just started that book..is great