Books to read re: amp building

[JDJ]

I want to try my hand at amp building -- just as a hobby. I'm in no hurry, however, and I would like to read up on the subject beforehand in order to learn the lingo and some theory. I'm not ready to get too heavy into the math, though, as that would probably just discourage me. I'm looking for a more practical approach.

As far as cabinet building, I build hardwood furniture and so I am comfortable in that area. It's the electronics I need help with.

I would like a few reading suggestions, please. Thanks! :)

[Old Tele man]

...look in your Library for Jack Darr's book: ELECTRIC GUITAR AMPLIFIERS HANBOOK, Howard W. Sams.

[doctord02]

Kevin O'Conners books are great; I'd reccomend TUT 1, 3 and 5.
Also Dave Funk's Tube Amp Workbook is good. If you wanna really dig into the arcane black arts, then you need to find a copy of the Radiotron Designers Handbook, aka the RDH, 4th Ed. It's out of print, so expect to pay a few buck for a hardback copy. There are digital versions around as well.

[TheAmpNerd]

Jack Darr's book is good especially
section II, Service Procedures and Techniques.
Chapter 4 -The Amplifier signal Circuits
Chapter 5 - The Power Supply
Chapter 6 - Output Stage - Transformer and Speakers
Chapter 7 - Cables and Pickups
Chapter 8 - Customer Complaints


Dave Funk's book is a great overview of what the different parts of amplifiers do, especially Fender amps. This is a must have for anyone wanting to build and understand amps.

Chapter 3 - Basic Electronics
Chapter 4 - Capacitors
Chapter 5 - Resistors
Chapter 6 - Potentiometers
Chapter 7 - Coils, Chokes & Transformers
Chapter 8 - Vacuum Tubes
Chapter 9 - How Tubes Wroks
Chapter 10 - What is Bias
Chapter 11 - Power Amplifier Class
Chapter 12 - The Origins of Amplifier tone
Chapter 13 - The Preamp
Chapter 14 - Gain and Tube Distortion
Chapter 15 - Tone Controls
Chapter 16 - Reverb
Chapter 17 - Effects Loops & Balanced Lines
Chapter 18 - Phase Inverters
Chapter 19 - Feedback Loops
Chapter 20 - Standby Switches
Chapter 21 - Ground Loops, Noise & Safety7
Chapter 22 - Are tubes Louder Than Transistors?


Kevin O'Connors books are good too, but they are advanced. Plus he makes assumptions (that you can
read his mind)...for example, "just put a small
bypass cap in the pre amp section".

I've spent hours looking for that ****ing cap value
in all three books and finally had to ask Kevin, what specifically IS the value. Same with some of the
small value resistors, etc.

Book 1 - Modifying and Custom Building Tube
Guitar Amps:

Chapter 1 - System Overview
Chapter 2 - Power supplies & Grounds
Chapter 3 - Vacuum Tubes
Chapter 4 - Preamp Basics
Chapter 5 - Preamp Mods
Chapter 6 - Power Amps
Chapter 7 - Effects Loops
Chapter 8 - Reverbs
Chapter 9 - Switching Methods

There is almost 100 pages on switching methods,
that I wished were spent on more of the basic stuff.
But I guess there a lot's of folks who want channel
switching amps.

Kevin has good layouts and schematics in book three,
Generations of tone, and discusses their design, limitations and improvements for the Icon/Holy Grail amps,
Fender, Marshall, Vox, Ampeg, & Traynor. they include:
Champs
Bassman
Plexi
800
Bulldog
AC30
Portaflex
SVT
Bass Master
Custom Special
Guitar Mate


How to Service Your Own Tube Amps from Tom Mitchell
is a good book and has some nice trouble shooting
flow charts in it.

Inside Tube Amps by Dan Torres is alright, but some
of the stuff he says isn't so great, but he has some nice
diagrams.

The Tube Amp Book, Deluxe Edition, is good too and
had good schematics and a nice technical Articles along
with trumpeting the virtue of GT tubes.

Valve Amplifers by Morgan Jones is a very good work
and discusses all aspects of building tube amplifiers,
mostly this discusses Hi Fi amps but you can take what
he says and apply it to MI amps.

This should give you some more detail about which
books do what, so you can spend your money wisely.

[mouldynudger]

Try this:

http://geek.scorpiorising.ca/F7AC4/index.php?dir=RDH4/

[RupertB]

Originally posted by TheAmpNerd

Kevin O'Connors books are good too, but they are advanced. Plus he makes assumptions (that you can
read his mind)...for example, "just put a small
bypass cap in the pre amp section".


I was a little frustrated (later amused) by his frequent use of "obviously", many of which were on points that weren't anywhere near "obvious" for me. :) That said, TUT has been a big help for me.

JDJ - IMHO, the best first book for a new amp-builder is a basic electronic circuits textbook. I picked one up at a used bookstore for $10. This info is also on the web For Free. (http://home.att.net/~basicelectronics/theory.htm)
You CAN build an amp (kit) without knowing this stuff, but you won't know much about how your amp works or be able to trouble-shoot it independently.

I got Morgan Jones' "Valve Amplifiers" for Christmas this year and wish I had gotten it sooner. From what I've read so far, he does a very good job of connecting the technical aspects to the practical. Some math, but not much past 10th grade algebra.

http://www.ax84.com/ is a great on-line resource. Go to the P1 page and read:

Dave Sorlein's Theory Document.

Gary Anwyl's Construction Guide. Even if you don’t do an ax84 amp, the info here is very useful.

Browse the ax84 project bbs for discussions/Q&A on virtually every aspect of amp building.

http://www.aikenamps.com/ Go to the “Tech Info” section. Lots of good stuff here.

http://www.firebottle.com/ampage/ Tube data sheets, bbs, & DIY amp gallery.

That you say "I'm in no hurry" is a good start. Good luck.

[JDJ]

Thanks. I've ordered Jones' new book Building Valve Amplifiers as a post-Christmas gift to myself. Now, I'm looking for something to explain the function of caps, resistors, etc. and how to read a schematic of an electrical circuit.

I'm tempted by kits from Mission Amps and Doberman, but I'm going to delve into the books for a bit first. Keep the suggestions coming, please!

[TheAmpNerd]

Good stuff there Mouldy, Rupert. The RDH is a great work. So is the Audio Cyclopeida as well.

Yeah OConnor's books have been helpful and frustrating
for me too. But they are good. : )

What I haven't come across is a good basic math book
for working on amps and such.

The Old Tele man had some great stuff in the 12BZ7 thread
about using tubes in a circuit and what the actual gain
would be.

I don't think I've come across this eleswhere--perhaps,
but sometimes you have to be primed, ready, and ABLE
to digest the material. Too soon and it is just numbers
on a page.

I have an older Math for Electronics book, I think a McGraw Hill publication, but it is pretty useless. It didn't have any stuff we would use or want to use, but looked
to have some of the great series equastions, some dif e,
and integrals. So if you want to go off to la la land look
it up, but it ain't going to help any amp builder/desiger
that I know of.

Aother EXCELLENT book is written by James Perozzo titled: The Complete Guide to Electronis Troubleshooting. It is 850 pages in 24 chapters covering all aspects.

[RL in Fla]

David Allen recommended Jones' "Valve Amplifiers" to me also as the "buy this one first" book , since soldering and mechanical stuff I already had from electronics (work) , but 28 years ago I came in on the very last glow of tube equipment in a hospital environment, and everything was solid state . Tubes is a re-learning curve for me .

[Old Tele man]

to put some perspective on building a "Kit" amp:

1) Cabinet involves woodwork & cabinetry skills...

2) Chassis involves metalwork & drilling skills...

3) Chassis involves soldering and wire "dress" skills...

4) Chassis involves mechanical (nuts & bolts) assembly skills...

5) Initial "Turn-ON" and "Check-Out" involves meter (voltage, current and resistance) reading skills...

6) Troubleshooting involves "schematic" reading skills...

...but, IF these skills stir your interest, then you're REALLY gonna have a BALL building your own amp!

[RL in Fla]

What OTM said !! ^ :AOK It's addictive . I was totally burned out on "electronics" due to work . Since the "liability" issues came along years ago and stopped us from building anything from scratch that a doctor thought up , or modifying something to work better or be more reliable , it was basically "board-swapping" , calibrate it , and get it out the door . Mindless monotony with NO sense of creativity at all . Let me build something for God's sake !!!

[Wakarusa]

If O'Connor gives you a headache, RDH4 will make your eyes glaze over (though I'm really impressed that someone scanned in all 1498 pages).

For basic electronics (why things work, all the equations for resistances, capacitance, inductance, how to solve a circuit, etc.) I'd argue that the hands-down best primer is the US Navy NEETS series (http://www.wakarusaamp.com/misc_junk/technical/reference/NEETS/index.html)

Ever notice how many of the techs are former Navy? These are the books we started with. You can use 'em to teach rocks.

[TheAmpNerd]

Todd,

I thought you would chime in here with your NEETS stuff.

It doesn't get a lot better then that for mastering the
basics.

I never new you were a Squid, no wonder we're
always buttin' heads. : )

Make sure you check out that NEETS link.

If you can find them, buy the books at a 2nd hand
book store. The Basic Electronics, Navy Training Courses,
NAVPERS 10087 is great (1955). I'm not sure when they broke it up into two volumes, NAVPERS 10087-C Vol 1, Vol 2 have both tube and transistor stuff (70s).

At least those are the versions I have, along with the
other modules.

Online stuff is okay, but for me, there isn't much better
then having a book in your hands.

Regarding The Radiotron Designers Handbook is this,
(I have both 3rd and 4th ed) the third edition, 1940, is
only 352 pages.

The forth edition came out in 1953, that's 13 years for
the next 1146 pages, or 88 pages per year.

Rome wasn't built in a day.

[Old Tele man]

U.S.N. -- "the worlds' largest Canoe Club...get your exclusive 4-year membership/tour, NOW!" ...and "...see the World..." through a port hole!


Unfortunately, they're no longer in business, but HEATHKIT manuals did a damn good job of "teaching" as you assembled your "kits."

[Wakarusa]

In no particular order:

-- The best NEETS modules to look at are 1,2,6, and 7. 1 & 2 are DC and AC circuits (and how components behave in those circuits), 6 is tubes and power supplies, 7 is solid-state and more power supplies.

-- Squid is kinda non-specific. Familiar with the term "Bubblehead"? No portholes. However, I used to hear from the surface guys that the term for a Marine underway was "ballast" ;)

-- I'd argue RDH4 is more for design work than understanding the circuit and assembly techniques. Also, without an excellent grounding in basic theory (and some math) it might as well be written in Sanskrit. They're also getting expensive -- well over $100 for a clean copy.

-- Another good one is "Audio Cyclopedia" by Tremaine. I like my 2nd edition from 1969 better than the current edition. Not so much about tube theory and amp assembly, but a really really good text for understanding general audio work (and a whopping 1800 pages to boot).

[JDJ]

This copy of RDH went for a good bit: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=50594&item=5739637363&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

I don't think I'm ready for that type of readin' yet.

[RupertB]

Originally posted by JDJ
This copy of RDH went for a good bit: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=50594&item=5739637363&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

I don't think I'm ready for that type of readin' yet.

Here is one for cheaper. ;) RDH4 (http://headfonz.rutgers.edu/RDH4/)

BTW, any recommendations for a good woodworking primer? My skills leave much to be desired (see sig).

[JDJ]

Thanks for the link to the virtual RDH!

BTW, any recommendations for a good woodworking primer?

Well, I don't know of any books. I enjoy looking at other pieces of furniture to get ideas, and I suppose you could do the same with amps. I think one of the biggest barriers is having the right equipment; e.g., it's hard to get good dovetail joints without a router, dovetail bit, and a good jig.

A lot of it for me has been trial and error. Going slow and keeping your hands away from fast-moving carbide teeth has been the guiding principle. Here's a piece I completed recently. It's made of solid mahogany and maple:

http://webpages.charter.net/j616129/Table%20Drawer%20Furniture%20001a.jpg

http://webpages.charter.net/j616129/Table%20Drawer%20Furniture%20002a.jpg

http://webpages.charter.net/j616129/Table%20Drawer%20Furniture%20004a.jpg

When I'm ready to build a cab, I'll probably consider using hardwoods and either a nitro or poly finish.

What do you folks like for multimeters and soldering irons, BTW?

[RL in Fla]

The WTCP (I think it is) Weller , about 100 bucks ± . lasts forever , has beaucoup different tips and temperatures , and everything on it is replaceable . Check Mouser and Newark for $ .

Woodworking books , go to Books-A-Million and browse thru 'em , you'll more or less recognize the one you need for you . Or hit Amazon and browse and read the reviews as to what fits / what you want out of one .

[Wakarusa]

Originally posted by JDJ

What do you folks like for multimeters and soldering irons, BTW?

For multimeters, three to choose from: Fluke, Fluke, and Fluke. That said, I also have both a RatShack DMM and an old Simpson 260 (analog) that have both provided good service.

For irons, what to get depends on how much soldering you're planning to do (which should also influence your DMM choice I suppose). Rat Shack will sell you a 35W iron that'll do the job for not much money, but they don't have good temperature regulation and you'll go through tips the way most folks go through toilet paper. Satisfactory for light hobby work though.

Weller and Pace are the Big Names, but also charge accordingly. I've been using Xytronics gear for the last six months or so and am quite pleased so far. Gobs less expensive than the Weller and Pace toys, and seem to have the same (or better) features and durability.

[RL in Fla]

Ditto the Rat shack or old Simpson , especially for an analog . Analogs are reealy good for intermittent connections , you can watch the needle "blip" where a digital will miss it . I've still got a $19 RS analog that's about 20 years old that I added a polarity switch to back when Simpsons were 100 bucks .

[JDJ]

Well, I believe in getting decent tools the first time around. What model Fluke, Weller, and Pace do you like and why? What features are necessary at a minimum, and which features are otherwise great to have? My local store has Greenlee (sp?) -- any good there?

Thanks! This is getting to be fun! :)

[RL in Fla]

Pace IMO is totally out-of hand $-wise , and if T sez Xytronics is right there , I may've learned what to do when my 25 year old Weller gives up ;) . I'll let him espouse on Fluke meters , to me a digital is a digital for regular use as long as it has the same ranges , but I'm a cheapskate . I'm sure though if you buy a Fluke you'll never have to buy another one , we had 'em at work and they're super .

[Old Tele man]

RDH is better suited for understanding "how to" design an amp, rather than "how to" build it.

[JDJ]

I'm definitely into the how to build at this point. How many watts should my soldering iron have? Is an adjustable iron appropriate?

My father has some multimeters and soldering irons. I'll get the specs and ask you folks if these are okay for starters. X-Mass has me on a budget for a few months. :D

[Wakarusa]

Not sure I can recommend a specific model of soldering iron. I use a full rework station which is probably total overkill for your purposes (and budget... unless you're really gung-ho to drop a grand on soldering equipment). Look for a model that has temperature control, replaceable tips, and replaceable heating elements. The nicer ones use a ceramic heater that gets the tip up to temperature in seconds instead of minutes.

DMM - Model 83 and 87 Flukes are nice, but not cheap. Keep an eye on e-bay. Having a capacitance tester is nice, but of limited utility.

Greenlee makes really fabulous hole punches. Really expensive too. How many holes do you plan to punch? Do you care if the punch leaves burrs that you have to clean up later?


It's really tough to give sane advice on this topic. If you were setting up a shop then the list and grade of gear is a lot simpler, but for the hobbyist it isn't clear at what point you've gone overboard. To wit:
- Considering an oscilloscope?
- How about a signal/function/sweep generator?
- Tube tester?
- All of the odd little picks, probes, pliers, etc.?

See, it's really easy to get thousands of dollars into it. But to assemble a known good design and layout you can do with the RatShack iron, DMM, and a decent pair of needlenose -- maybe $75 all-in.


note that your average shop may have multiples of the above list as well as other stuff (wattmeter, real time analyzer, etc) AND a whole bunch of scratch-built stuff too (octopus, load banks, etc.). Point being that it can be really hard to say what's necessary.


Edit: previous post came in while I was typing. Your Dad's stuff will probably be dandy to start off with

[JDJ]

See, it's really easy to get thousands of dollars into it. But to assemble a known good design and layout you can do with the RatShack iron, DMM, and a decent pair of needlenose -- maybe $75 all-in.

As to basic tools, I'd say $200 is a good starter budget for a first hobby amp. Or, to put it more concisely, that's about the range I am initially comfortable in investing. However, it's probable that I will be able to get enough of the basic tools together once I see exactly what my father has. His degree was in electrical engineering, albeit in the early sixties, and so he has a lot of stuff on the shelves that he and I haven't gone through -- stuff that probably hasn't seen the light of day in 20 or so years. Kind of like a treasure hunt!

Thanks for your input.

[TheAmpNerd]

I don't know what is going on with Weller any more.

I've gone through two hand pieces. One even melted
in half right on the bench. I know a couple of folks
who have the WTCP Wellers also and their handpieces
have disintegrated. These were purchased within
a few years and have seen light use.

I also have a Weller rework station that is very high
on the maintenance end.

Still the best value that I've found in a small soldering
station is the Hako 936 with the 907 hand piece. These
are a 50 watt, temp controlled, adjustable station.
You can pick them up at Frys for $70 - $90.

I almost want to buy another one just to keep in my
bag so when I make road repairs I have one. They ARE
that good. The hand peice is thinner and can get into
tighter spots then the Wellers too. I love mine.

Yeah get a fluke Digital meter too. Check them out at
a pawn shop if you find the right one you can pick one
up for about $40 - 50 bucks. Take your time and find
a good one. I got lucky and found a 85 III for $50 bucks
becase it needed a battery and the 400mA fuse had
blown.

If you have an old weller iron it is probably better than
their new stuff. You just don't want to use a soldering
gun!

Make sure you get a good pair of wire cutters & strippers along with needle nose pliers. You'll use them a lot.
Forecepts are handy too.

Then there is electrical tape, go to your Home Depot
and get a roll of 3M 2242. I've bitched at them for
years and they finally started stocking it. This is a
rubber splicing tape which is unequalled in its utility.
"Flame Retardent for moisture sealing and insulating"

Hurry up and go on that treasure hunt...plus, there is
something really special about using your pops old
tools and instruments that is hard to descirbe. It is
a good kharma trip, a kind of a zen.

Enjoy it.

[RL in Fla]

hehe ... I haven't bought a computer printer *yet* . Currently I'm on #3 , an Epson 640 rescued from the trash at work with a blown fuse . Too bad I retired early , I might've upgraded to a laser by now . :p

[TheAmpNerd]

There ya go RL, a man after my own heart.

Actually you really can't beat the all in one's
by HP.

Fax, Copier, Printer, and Scanner. I think it does
some other stuff too. And if you are doing more
business on that, get the one with the flat bed
scanner/copier...and put schematics and books
online.

I wonder how long it takes on one of these
smaller units to scan then put it all in
pdf format?

[Wakarusa]

Originally posted by TheAmpNerd
Make sure you get a good pair of wire cutters & strippers along with needle nose pliers. You'll use them a lot.
Forecepts are handy too.


Good hand tools can save a lot of frustration down the road. The point about wire cutters is an excellent one -- you dad's diagonal cutters will work but for about $7 treat yourself to a pair of Xcelite 170M flush cutters from Cooper tools.

For pliers the two most oft-grabbed tools are again both Xcelite -- 378M and 56CG.

Another really handy item is a collection of tweezers, both those that you press to close (for grabbing stuff) and those you press to open (for holding stuff). You can pay large for these at the electronics store or go to the local Hobby Lobby (or Michael's, or whatever the chain is near you) and score a good set for under $10 in the aisle where they sell decorative glass beads.

Also keep an eye out for an old set of dental picks. Million and one uses on the bench.

(Printers - inkjets come and go including the HP 5110 All-in-One that croaked this summer, but I'm still on the same NEC 870 laser printer I bought circa 1996)

[macula56]

i just checked out the NEETS stuff. excellent. thanks Todd. where did you guys find the Morgan Jones book?

[RL in Fla]

Mac , I think I got mine at Amazon , and seems like Antique Electronics had it too , but I've got 20/20 memory -
Anything between 20 minutes ago and 20 years ago is shaky . :D

[macula56]

thanks RL. i suffer from the same thing. it's hell gettin' old.

[RL in Fla]

Gettin there wasn't too bad , but arriving sucks . :D

[amper]

Allow me to suggest Dover's "Basic Electronics", which I believe was derived from an older version of NEETS back when tubes were still pretty important.

http://store.doverpublications.com/0486210766.html

[Old Tele man]

...just checked with Dover, and they report the book is based on the 1973-and later USN courses and has basically NO vacuum tube info contained...

[JDJ]

Well, I've gotten some books and have finished one and started two others.

Mainly I've learned that I don't know very much yet.

[amper]

Originally posted by Old Tele man
...just checked with Dover, and they report the book is based on the 1973-and later USN courses and has basically NO vacuum tube info contained...

Then, by all means, please explain the existence of Chapter 7, "Electron Tubes", or the numerous examples of, and references to, electron tube circuits, in Chapter 13, "Audio Amplifiers". Hell, practically every chapter of this book references tube circuits!

That said, the book plainly states that it is "an unabridged and unaltered reproduction of 'Basic Electronics, Volume I', as published by the United States Navy Publications Center in 1980. The text is designated is
Rate Training Manual NAVPERS 10087-C."

It's not quite the RDH4, but it's pretty good at explaining the basics...

[SteveG]

Last year I got a Solomon SL-20 soldering station, after agonising over whether it was going to be junk because of the cheap price (£39 in the UK - I've since seen them for £29!).

I've so far had no problems with it at all. It's performed flawlessly in fact, and I'm still using the bit that came with it. I've used Wellers in work and am really glad I didn't waste my money on one.

-Steve

[Old Tele man]

amper--obviously, DOVER Customer-Service people don't know much about their products...as I just stated what was sent to me.

Good news to hear that there's tube stuff covered but, by 1980, tubes had been pretty much replaced by transistors and IC's.

I wish that I still had all my USN electronics books from the times that I attended NATTC Memphis, TN: '63-AFU"A", '64-ATW"A", '64-AEW/CIC-"C", and '66-AVI"B"--they were ALL tubes with only a few mentions (digital) of ss devices.

[amper]

Originally posted by Old Tele man
amper--obviously, DOVER Customer-Service people don't know much about their products...as I just stated what was sent to me.

Good news to hear that there's tube stuff covered but, by 1980, tubes had been pretty much replaced by transistors and IC's.

I wish that I still had all my USN electronics books from the times that I attended NATTC Memphis, TN: '63-AFU"A", '64-ATW"A", '64-AEW/CIC-"C", and '66-AVI"B"--they were ALL tubes with only a few mentions (digital) of ss devices.

Just as a item of interest the beginning of Chaper 7, "Electron Tubes", begins thusly:

"A most important device which performs as an amplifier/rectifier in communications and navigation systems is the electron tube. Electron tubes have been replaced in many applications by solid-state devices. However, innumerable uses for tubes will exist for some time."

I remember hearing somewhere that the single largest consumer of tubes in the world is the FAA. Now *that* really makes me want to fly!

[Old Tele man]

...now, add to that FAA statement the fact that the Gov't has cancelled ALL vacuum tube specs (MIL-STD and MIL-SPEC) and storage facilities...they don't exist anymore.

[Wakarusa]

Awww, c'mon guys. Let's talk mag amps :cool:

[jack anderson]

A good book for chassis construction ; layout, punching, drilling, finishing, silk-screening, etc. , is Electronic Techniques , Shop Practices and Construction. It's by Robert S. Villanucci ; it was published by Prentice-Hall in 1974. I found my copy in a used book store.

[Old Tele man]

ah-ha! Mag-Amps, variable-satuatation magnetic cores for powering Battleship cannon turrets! Isn't something similar used to "control" current in Aluminum smelting process?

[TheAmpNerd]

What you need is the earlier dover edtition. First publisdhed in 1963, which is based on the US Navy's
N A V P E R S 8 7 - A, 1955.

19 chapters of tube knowledge (one on transistors too)