Volume 1 of the most complete and practical modern reference on tube guitar 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. This section contains free ebooks and guides on amplifier circuits, some of the resources in this section can be viewed online and some of them can be downloaded. This tube is a triode which means it has three electrodes. It then proceeds through each stage of a modern guitar amplifier, including preamp voltage amplification. I began collecting well, recollecting vinyl records. The first three chapters of this unique book cover introductory topics such as basic electronic circuits and passive components resistors, capacitors, inductors, the building blocks of tube amplifiers. Fundamentals of engineering electronics, william dow, 1937, 617 pages courtesy of an anonymous donor. 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. Every tube in this system is a triode including the mcintosh c20 preamp that is used to drive this project.
A printed book is readily available without the need for a viewing device. Grid to plate coupling could cause instability in power output stages. Nothing screams audiophile authority like a valve or tube amp. Free shipping is limited to the contiguous 48 states. The tube amp book, deluxe revised edition antique electronic. Only 26 electronic components are needed to make a great sounding amplifier. In summary, the tube amplifier has a sound that is different than a solid state amplifier largely due to the way it reproduces background noise. Circuit simulation a deep dive into spice tube amp modeling. Backbeat books the tube amp book deluxe revised edition.
Like many tube amplifiers, this justreleased model is a bit noisy. This amplifier adopts transformer parallel output to reduce its internal resistance by half and achieve doubled improvement on its power. A funny thing happened after i finished the book and put a couple of the projects the stereo preamp and the 25 w stereo amplifier in my home office. The tube amp book deluxe revised edition book and disk package hardcover kindle edition. The 8 best budget valve amplifiers and how to avoid. The book includes the description of classic tube amplifiers and preamps. It builds on the popular original edition of the book, first published in 2005. Diy vacuum tube valve amplifier projects hifi audio. It is the source of the famed 510 and 520 mullard amplifiers. Diy audio books and manuals speakers, vacuum tubes.
Up for sale is a mullard tube circuits for audio amplifier book. It focuses primarily on the design phase, where decisions must be taken with regard to the purpose and requirements of the amplifier, and it addresses the following questions. Since tubedepot is in memphis, tn, the home and main hub for fedex and usps, we get very good rates, so rest assured your heavy item will be shipped at the most affordable rates. Discontinued tube amplifier kits and superseded tube projects. Already known as the bible of tubes and tube amps, the tube amp book is now even better. Free amplifier circuits books download ebooks online. This book covers basic electronics related to vacuum tube amplifiers, an elementary guide for understanding and working with vacuum tube amplifier circuits.
Circuit of tube amplifier device the output transformer is an important part of the amplifier requiring a thorough parameter. To keep the book affordable it is printed black and white. A bibliography of must have tube electronics books aiken amps. Following is a list of must have books for the serious tube amplifier designer. Beside that, el34, el84, and 12ax7 vacuum tubes are used in many practical examples, to design the various parts of the circuits and to compute the values of the needed components. This deluxe revised edition contains 40% new material, with a. The following projects pages are of diy vacuum tube amplifier kits that are now discontinued or tube projects that have been superseded by a more up to date project. Already known as the bible of tubes and tube amps, the tube amp book by.
This book covers all aspects of tube audio design from explaining what vacuum tubes do and how to use them, safety issues, how to work effectively as a designer and constructor and final testing of an amplifier. This book covers basic electronics related to with some basic knowledge it is possible for the hobbyist to design and build vacuum tube audio amplifiers that perform well. A tube amplifier chassis contains lethal high voltage even when unpluggedsometimes over 700 volts ac and 500 volts dc. A triode amplifier build from an acrosound transformer book. Basic theory using 21stcentury technology to design vacuum tube preamps, power amps, and power supplies. The tube amp book, deluxe revised edition amplified parts. 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. A bibliography of must have tube electronics books. Mullard tube circuits for audio amplifier book free. Rockville blutube audiophile grade tube amplifier with bluetooth.
This guide discusses all relevant aspects for an integrated pushpull vacuum tube amplifier design, including the power supply unit. Already known as the bible of tubes and tube amps, the tube. The printed book has the advantage of being able to quickly thumb through and bookmark pages. The book begins with the fundamentals of electronics and vacuum tubes. Rockville blutube bluetooth tube 70 watt amplifierhome theater stereo receiver. Deluxe revised edition with cdrom by aspen pittman englis. Z, fender, gibson, hiwatt, marshall, matchless, mesaboogie, orange, vox. With the sound turned down, test units emitted a low hum over the speakers and headphones we connected. In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube in north america, tube, or thermionic valve or valve in british english is a device controlling electric current through a vacuum in a sealed container.
This is my favorite tube amp book, merlin blencowes, designing tube preamps for guitar and bass, 2nd edition. Due to this the amp sounds more like double the rated power. A very nice practical discussion of distortion and feedback in audio amplifiers. The tube amp book deluxe revised edition hal leonard online. Books, calculators, and tutorials for guitar amplifier circuit design. Show less valve amplifiers has been recognized as the most comprehensive guide to valve amplifier design, analysis, modification and maintenance. Basic theory a 21stcentury approach to understanding preamp, power amp, and power supply design. While this is an old book it is detailed and easy to follow. These calculators automate the plotting of dc and ac load lines for guitar amplifier preamp stages based on popular triodes. How do these aspects relate to subjective and objective. The remainder of the book describes various feedback methods and their implementation around one or more stages. This book presents vacuum tube amplifier theory using modern, webbased. The simplest vacuum tube, the diode, contains only two elements. The 30 watt monoblock amplifier is designed for tube rolling using various type output tubes.
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. Consider, for instance, an amplifier with an open loop gain a500 54db. The first part of the book has a rather indepth treatment of vacuum tube operation, and. The tube amp book deluxe revised edition book and disk package hardcover english edition ebook. A very unassuming title for a 617page engineering book. The first section describes harmonic distortion and how it gets created in a tube amplifier stage. The tube amp book deluxe revised edition book and disk. This class a singleended vacuum tube amplifier adopts hand welding to ensure the true reality of the sound quality with headphone amp function asin. This huge volume is arguably the best book ever published on tube amplifier circuits and other electronic circuitry, from filters to test equipment and everything in. This book presents vacuum tube amplifier theory using modern, webbased design tools and computer visualizations to eliminate the usual litany of mathematical formulas.
But these gorgeous, warm, glowing pieces of kit neednt be completely out of your league. Guitar amp handbook electric guitar tube amplifier learn how to build book. Never touch the amplifier chassis with one hand while probing with the other hand because a lethal shock can run between your arms. Nor, at 280lb in its flight case, is it likely to go walkin. If the anode voltage is negative, electrons will not be attracted to it and no current will flow.
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. The current flowing from anode to cathode is called the anode current, ia, and the voltage measured between anode and cathode is called the anode voltage, va or more accurately vak. Preamplifier consists of a 6n1p tube and is connected to the audio input. Output amplifier consists of a 6p1p output tube and output transformer fig. Valve amplifiers is a masterful handson guide for both experts and novices who work with tube audio equipment, and for electronic hobbyists, audio engineers, and audiophiles. The warmth and blackness in the background of the tube amplifier is due to the fact that the tube amplifier is a thermionic device and reproduces background noise more faithfully than a solid state device. Tube amps do not hardclip even at high volumes and are extremely efficient. The guitar amp handbook by dave hunter who has written many a book on guitars covers everything you need to know about the sought after tube amplifier. Oatley k282 valve tube riaa phono preamplifier kit 3 may 2010 discontinued.
If you have not been trained to work with high voltage then have an amp technician service your amp. Textbook on tube amps reference book for tube amps, by aspen pittman, with technical tips, over 350 schematics to amplifiers from ampeg, fender, gibson. The average musician will gain a ton of insight into how to maintain a tube amplifier. Getting the pair moved into my listening room required.
Already known as the bible of tubes and tube amps, the tube amp book by aspen pittman is now even better. They also compute the cathode resistor value for a userspecified dc operating point. The mullard tube circuits for audio amplifiers book was first published in 1959 by mullard, britains premier vacuum tube manufacturer. Suppose that the solid and dashed red plot in figure 32 respectively give the gain and phaseshift of the amplifier, with respect to the frequency. This deluxe revised edition contains 40% new material, with. Backbeat the tube amp book technisches buch musik produktiv. Understanding tube amplifiers and getting great sounds, updated edition brings fresh information to the table to help guitarists understand everything about what makes their amps tick and how to use them to sound better than ever.