Can anybody recommend me some reading material, please?

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barnstormbarnstorm Frets: 618
A Princeton Reverb was my first 'proper' amp and I like it enough that I've never really wanted another tube amp; my head is far more often turned by some guitar than by an amp.

Recently, though, I tried a number of others courtesy of a friend with a well kitted-out music room, and realised that I don't have a very good understanding of how the different components work together to produce a particular sort of sound.

Can anybody recommend a book (or a website), please, that explores amp building in a scientific but vaguely readable way?
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Comments

  • kreggskreggs Frets: 64
    edited June 2018
    Search robrobinete amp website very informative and great diagrams on layouts and modifications  
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  • barnstormbarnstorm Frets: 618
    Thanks very much – looks like there's a huge amount of information there.
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  • kreggskreggs Frets: 64
    No worries  hope it gets you started :)
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  • ecc83ecc83 Frets: 1589

    "Tube pre amps for Guitar and Bass" Merlin Blencowe.

    Lot of other stuff is unsubstantiated bollocks.

    Dave.


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  • RiftAmpsRiftAmps Frets: 3113
    tFB Trader
    ecc83 said:

    "Tube pre amps for Guitar and Bass" Merlin Blencowe.

    +1

    Generally considered as the Bible for amp designers, it’s a fascinating read.

    His website is a great source of info, knowledge, and explains everything correctly without any of that ‘internet amp guru bollocks’ that you tend to find online. 
    *I no longer offer replacement speaker baffles*
    Rift Amplification
    Handwired Guitar Amplifiers
    Brackley, Northamptonshire
    www.riftamps.co.uk

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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14323
    edited June 2018
    I have a 2008 paperback edition of Building Valve Amplifiers by Morgan Jones that I am unlikely to use in anger. 
    Be seeing you.
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  • gringopiggringopig Frets: 2648
    edited July 2020
    .
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  • DJH83004DJH83004 Frets: 196
    +1 for Merlin Blencowe though you may find the theory a bit off-putting, Tube Guitar Amplifier Essentials by Gerald Weber, would make a good intro, without lots of theory but has an American amp bias as you would expect.   
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  • barnstormbarnstorm Frets: 618
    Thanks, folks – all very helpful suggestions, and I've ordered the Blencowe book. Funkfingers, I'll shout if my brain can absorb any more information once I've had a chance to read it!
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  • ChalkyChalky Frets: 6807
    The Blencoe is perfect if you want to design an amp from the ground up.  Is that what you want?

    If you just want to make some simple mods to a pre-existing circuit, I'd suggest the Dan Torres book.  I'll get flamed for suggesting it, but it taught me the simple things like how to alter the tone stack, add an fx loop, add a reverb tank circuit, etc.

    Some believe you have to understand an amp completely from first electrical principles. Its rather like those who think the amateur building a telecaster should start with instructions on how to chop the tree down! But if you get the Aspen Pitman book recommended above and study all the Fender schematics, you will soon see they are dozens of minor variations on a very few themes.  Leo was essentially a man who much preferred building good simplicity rather than ambitious complexity.
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  • barnstormbarnstorm Frets: 618
    I'm not wanting to build, but when I played a few amps recently (having been a Princeton-only man forever when it comes to tube amps, simply because I'm satisfied with that sound) I was surprised at the difference between amps I assumed I could set to sound pretty much identical.

    The experience just made me want to understand more of the theory behind amp voicing, including principles of electrickery, to a point. I don't have the attention span to become any sort of expert, but hopefully a bit of reading will help me feel less ignorant!
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  • p90foolp90fool Frets: 31368
    IllI second the Dan Torres book - he polarises opinion and some of his ideas are discredited, but he's an entertaining read for the layman and a lot of his mods are easy, fun and very educational. 
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  • +1 for the Gerald weber books , tube guitar amp essentials and a desktop reference of hip vintage amps.
    found these very easy reading and stuff gets explained so even people like me come away with a better understanding of stuff.


    The Swamp City Shakers
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  • thermionicthermionic Frets: 9499
    I found the Dan Torres book a little unscientific, but I come from a physics/electronics academic background. Some useful stuff in there though. 

    The Guitar Amp Handbook by Dave Hunter is useful background reading but doesn’t get too technical.
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  • GassageGassage Frets: 30826
    I was going to suggest looking at @ICBM ‘s posts until you said ‘vaguely readable’....

    *An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.

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  • ESBlondeESBlonde Frets: 3576
    It's hard to 'read' sound, my description of  'crunch with sparkle' might be your 'ear piercing schriek'. I'd suggest you make a list of the classic amps, cabs and combos then spend a few weekends hunting down examples to play through. You may find some kind soles here prepared to entertain you playing through thier classic rigs. here are some suggestions (by no means a comprehensive list):

    Use your own guitar as the familiar control, also try alternate guitars too so you get single coils and humbuckers.
    So you have the Princeton and it's classic fender clean
    Try A deluxe reverb
    Get a Hiwatt DR103 or similar
    Try a marshall super lead 100
    A marshall JTM45
    A Marshall JCM800
    A Vox AC15 & a real AC30
    An early orange if you can find one.
    An HH ic100 combo
    An early musicman combo
    A sessionette 75
    A Mesa Boogie Mk IV
    There are many other amps from the early era that sound good like Sound city, Roost, Impact etc. so if they present themselves give them a whirle.

    These are/were the foundations on which reputations were made.
    Experiencing these types of amplifier will give you an idea of the benefits and pitfalls that the successful makers have gone through over the decades and what the modern small makers are trying to provide in better packaging and without the flaws, all the time trying to add value and features.

    Spending time with these early sounds (and the feel) will enable you to decide which particularly lend themselves to your playing style(s). You can then make a properly informed choice as to what modern small combo or massive stack you need to compliment the Princeton.

    Or you could sit in your room and read a book.


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