Diy vacuum tube valve amplifier projects hifi audio. Aug 14, 2016 10 tube amplifiers that are essentially works of art if you think tube tech is outdated or audio electronics are ugly, think again. Students will make either a tweed deluxe, bassman, or champ tube guitar amp utilizing an excellent kit with special component upgrades or make a specimen stereo hi fi tube amplifier. Sep 23, 2015 in this video series, rusty and i will explain and demonstrate all the steps required to scratchbuild any vintage amp, beginning with selecting a suitable amp, studying its structure and design. It thus has three electrodes where two of them called anode and cathode reflects the diode function of the tube according to svwp. Jones has a companion book called building valve amplifiers which covers all of the physical design considerations that go into building a good tube amp, including component layout, enclosure design construction, and performance testing and troubleshooting. There are hundreds of pages of tube amp information on my library. The problem with getting new hams to join the builder ranks is that there are not a great number of books that address this specific area. Its a 1x12 combo with a weber gray wolf speaker extra jack and impedance switch for external cabinet option.
A valve amplifier or tube amplifier is a type of electronic amplifier that uses vacuum tubes to. The first part of the book has a rather indepth treatment of vacuum tube operation, and details of amplifier circuit design. Written for musicians, amp builders, and tube audio enthusiasts, design and construction of tube guitar amplifiers provides a complete yet easytounderstand explanation of how to design, modify, construct, and test tube amps. A couple of 1969 1970 traynor yba1 bassmaster tube amplifiers on the bench. In fact, depending on the type of circuit, the 50 watt amp may be the same volume or even louder in some cases.
A bibliography of must have tube electronics books. This inexpensive tube amplifier kit has been available for a number of years now and makes for a nice little tube amp. Some of them are long out of print, and can only be obtained from used book sellers, although they are occasionally seen for sale on the internet. Hoffman amplifiers customer loyalty discount program information. The tube amp book by aspen pittman if you read this whole article, you probably already own this book. A great example of this is if you have ever compared a solid state amp to a tube amp in terms of volume. Robert megantz and merlin blencoe and how to read schematics by. With its very modest price tag, this kit is an affordable step into the wonderful world of vacuum tube audio. And there are a dozen or so other tube amp companies. Already known as the bible of tubes and tube amps, the tube amp book by aspen pittman is now even better. Monoprice pure tube stereo amplifier with bluetooth, line, and phono inputs.
Building your own vacuum tube guitar or bass amplifier from scratch is truly an exciting experience. Tips for construction tools and choosing components and tubes are also included. The other half has nearly 800 schematics for common amplifiers for. Then, you can have a solidstate amp or a tubedriven amp. An alltube guitar amplifier like carvin audios v3, legacy, x100b, or vintage series comes equipped with both preamp and power amp tubes. It is intended as a companion to design and construction of guitar and bass speaker systems, also available here. Projects, mods, transformer diagrams, photos, sound clips. It is intended as a companion to design and construction of guitar and bass speaker systems.
How guitar amps work and what you can do to start tweaking. Audiophile vacuum tube amplifiers design, construction, testing. It is the best work i have seen in this area, and is invaluable if you need it or are just interested in tube gear wiring and construction. Opening a tube amp kit and seeing all those little parts can be overwhelming so i recommend you do an inventory of the big parts like transformers. Understanding tube amplifiers and getting great sounds theres a huge amount of hype and mythology surrounding tube amplifiers in. Taking care of the screen of the tube is especially important in cathodebiased amplifiers, as our book the ultimate tone, vol. The audio research vt80se special edition tube power amplifier provides a spectacular soundstage and a natural sounding presentation.
This book is a stepbystep tutorial for simulating vacuum tube guitar amplifiers using ltspice, a free spicebased electronic circuit simulator for windows and macos. Since this article is written for the beginner, the triode tube is the easiest to work with. Low to medium power valve amplifiers for frequencies below the microwaves were largely replaced by solid state amplifiers in the 1960s and 1970s. My breadboard circuit utilized 6v6 finals, 6sj7 pentode driver stage and a tube rectifier probably and ez80 or something similar. A valve amplifier or tube amplifier is a type of electronic amplifier that uses vacuum tubes to increase the amplitude or power of a signal.
Valve amplifiers, morgan jones, third edition 2003 isbn 0750656948 about the design and construction of valve audio amplifiers. Circuit simulation a deep dive into spice tube amp modeling the fender bassman 5f6a plus marshalls bluesbreaker and plexi georg simon ohm imagine a world without ohms law. I have been building tube guitar amps for the past few years, and have read most of the books that are already out there. Design and construction of tube guitar amplifiers book for. Basic theory a 21stcentury approach to understanding preamp, power amp, and power supply design fundamentals of guitar amplifier system design a structured methodolody for crafting an awesome guitar amplifier. If you are down with bode plots and circuit diagrams, though, it could serve as a nice introduction to building a class ab amplifier circuit. Building a dumble overdrive special 102 style guitar amp.
Building valve amplifiers is a unique handson guide for anyone. Vacuum tube amplifiers tube amps how to pdf cd tips and. Guitar amplifier power amps helps you get the most out of it. Monoprice 25 watt stereo hybrid tube amplifier with bluetooth and 4inch select speakers bundle 37. Click here to purchase building vacuum tube guitar and bass amplifiers, vol 1. Buy audiophile vacuum tube amplifiers design, construction, testing. Tube amplifiers have two subtypes ab1 grid current never flows ab2 grid current flows for part of the. The book walks you through the basics of developing a schematic, setting up a simulation, integrating vacuum tube models, and interpreting the results.
A very unassuming title for a 617page engineering book. Fundamentals of engineering electronics, william dow, 1937, 617 pages courtesy of an anonymous donor. More complex tubes and amp designs are possible, but that is for a future article if i care to write one. The 8 best budget valve amplifiers and how to avoid.
This depends on your skill level and your particular interests regarding the format of the amp and its features. This book describes the detailed construction of five vacuum tube amplifiers. Tut the ultimate tone, is an ongoing series of distinct books about guitar amp technology with a heavy focus on tube circuitry. If you want audio research sound without the price of their reference series, this amplifier delivers. Building valve amplifiers is a very useful book to any diy audio enthusiast looking at scratch building a valve amplifier. The amp is 40watt with a preamp structured to give lots of transparency when using pedals. Great book for a reasonably short introduction to tube amp design for the nonengineer. High power audio amplifier construction manual sorry. Following is a list of must have books for the serious tube amplifier designer. My first dumble ods clone was number 124 and i have been playing it on stage for about 7 years now. Among the latter are amplifiers whose output sections operate in singleended mode, in which the entire signal waveform is amplified by a single device.
Tube circuitry is tangential to the information in the book, but it is not the main course here. Class ab amplifiers are the most common in larger guitar amplifiers because of their efficiency. Nov 10, 2019 this inexpensive tube amplifier kit has been available for a number of years now and makes for a nice little tube amp. Start your journey into the exciting realm of electron tube audio. How guitar amps work and what you can do to start tweaking your own. For example, a 100 watt amp is nowhere near twice as loud as a 50 watt amp. Sep 01, 2009 written for musicians, amp builders, and tube audio enthusiasts, design and construction of tube guitar amplifiers provides a complete yet easytounderstand explanation of how to design, modify, construct, and test tube amps. If you are already working inside the chassis, it is beneficial to changeadd the screenstops and increase the bias resistor values for cooler tube operation. By matt erickson kk5dr i have read in many articles, the lamentation over the lack of new hams that are building their own gear, and older hams who dont build anymore.
A guitarists introductory guide to tube amplifiers. Diy audio books and manuals speakers, vacuum tubes, electronics. Output tubes are 6l6 with rectification duties performed by a 5ar4 tube. Good ol pointtopoint construction with the eyelet boards. Building vacuum tube guitar and bass amplifiers guytronix. While these two are different in both construction and function, they work together to both shape and amplify your guitars tone. This site supports the tab guide to vacuum tube audio in a number of ways, including the following. Types of amps dont end there, howeverthere are boutique amps, modeling amps, britishvoiced amps, americanvoiced amps, and more. It includes many graphs to help make the material easier to understand. Valve and transistor audio amplifiers john linsley hood if you like tube sound. Design and construction of tube guitar amplifiers by robert c. Isbn 3901462007 contains a short introduction, the rest of the book is lots of. Already known as the bible of tubes and tube amps, the tube amp book is now even better. Understanding tube amplifiers and getting great sounds theres a huge amount of hype and mythology surrounding tube amplifiers in the guitar world.
Opening a tube amp kit and seeing all those little parts can be overwhelming so. The tube preamplifier project is paramount for audiophiles format. Does anyone know of any good books on amplifier design. Design and construction of tube guitar amplifiers book ebay. I gave the amp a clean look to match its clean tube tones. The power switch and pilot light are on the front panel, the tubes are spaced sufficiently far apart from one another and from the transformers to avoid heat buildup, and the rear panel is clearly labeled with terminals sufficiently spaced that even the largest speaker wires can be safely and.
Ive built a tube guitar amplifier already, and had a great time. This deluxe revised edition contains 40% new material, with a comprehensive az section covering all the great tube amp manufacturers, with histories, photos and information. There are many other books available that discuss tube amplifier. Class ab amplifiers are more efficient than class a, but not as efficient as class b. Chapter 1 introduces basic audio engineering concepts used in tube amps, which are used throughout the book. Half the book is a bio of nearly every amp company in history. This is my favorite tube amp book, merlin blencowes, designing tube preamps for. Ive always been horrified at the cost of audiophile tube receivers, and was wondering if it is worth it to build one from a kit. I read a lot about how open and natural they sound. For simplicity, this article will discuss only the use and construction of a groundedgrid, triode type hf amplifiers. Mullard tube circuits for audio amplifiers mullard ltd. Most amp manufacturers pride themselves in creating uniquesounding amplifiers. Construction of the above amplifiers is described in full detail to included.
Richard kuehnel is a member of the circuits and systems society of the institute of electrical and electronic engineers. The tube amp library of information click the link above for tube amp info, schematics, board building information. The mullard tube circuits for audio amplifiers book was first published in 1959 by mullard, britains premier vacuum tube manufacturer. This uk book is one of a series on the technique of sound reproduction. The tube amp book deluxe revised by aspen pittman isbn. While this is an old book it is detailed and easy to follow. But these gorgeous, warm, glowing pieces of kit neednt be completely out of your league. How to build a tube amplifier rob robinettes car and tube. Isbn 9781882580036 the mullard tube circuits for audio amplifiers book was first published in 1959 by mullard, britains premier vacuum tube manufacturer. The dynamics of power amp distortion create the heart and soul of an amplifier. This is the second guitar amp ive built in the style of a dumble amp.
Tube amp design wikibooks, open books for an open world. It is obvious, that the level at the end of the line is totally unpredictable and that endless adjustments have to be made. This book describes the detailed construction of five vacuum. Nov 19, 2015 nothing screams audiophile authority like a valve or tube amp. Read any of gerald webers books especially all about vacuum tube guitar amplifiers. The tube preamplifier project is paramount for audiophiles, except for the choice of some tubes that cant be easily found requiring some rewiring on the socket soldering for equivalent tubes, hence. Apr 10, 2010 the slides are pretty heavy on engineering design terms, but give a good feel for what it takes to construct and tune an audio amplifier using vacuum tube technology. It is the source of the famed 510 and 520 mullard amplifiers. While budget is all relative where valve amps are concerned, paul rigby runs down the eight best affordable models on the market and what to look out for when buying on the cheap.
Diy audio books and manuals speakers, vacuum tubes. Jul 24, 2019 building valve amplifiers, second edition pdf, by morgan jones, isbn. This book gives great coverage to a much lacking topic the physical construction and testing of tube amplifiers or, for that matter, any tube gear. Tube amp kits, tube amp books, tube guitar amps by kevin oconnor. It is a highly detailed book on the actual design and construction of tube amplifiers. Hello guys,first post, and im hoping to get advice from the experts. The 8 best budget valve amplifiers and how to avoid getting. In this video series, rusty and i will explain and demonstrate all the steps required to scratchbuild any vintage amp, beginning with selecting a. Trainwreck amplifiers sound amazing and feel more responsive than the average tube amp. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Paperback verified purchase the blueprint for the publication is just great. Its a good practical guide to the design of amplifiers, with many example schematics using the gec and mullard valves of the time. Valve amplifier news newspapers books scholar jstor october 2011 learn how and when to remove this template message.
You can buy the whole series as a package or buy just one or two at a time. Megantz, design and construction of tube guitar amplifiers. Parts lists for the projects described in the book as downloadable microsoft word or excel files pwb layout resources additional supporting information and commentary on. Ken fischers amp modifications became so well regarded that by the early 80s, guitarists from all over the globe were visiting his small basement in new jersey to optimize their tones. Tube amp making course guitar, bass, or stereo hi fi. The chassis size and shape of the audio research vt80 meet my ideas of what a tube amp should be. The vt80se tubed power amplifier is built to last a lifetime, and its quality is evident both on the inside and the outside. The advantages of eyelet construction include allowing servicing of the completed assembly from one side of the card unlike a printed circuit board which requires access to both sides, or a turret board which requires unwrapping of component leads for removal or. Tube amp capacitors or guitar amp capacitors, our selection currently covers the most commonly used types in vacuum tube amplifier applications. The only handson approach to building valve and tube ampsclassic and. Ken fischers amp modifications became so well regarded that by the early 80s, guitarists from all over the globe were visiting his small basement in new jersey to.
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