Guitar Amplifier Power Amps - R Kuehnel

[Ears]

Just a plug for this book I've recently bought, released earlier this year and available from Pentode Press.com.

I enjoyed Kuehnel's earlier book on the analysis of 5F6-A even though it forced me into serious revision of maths I had last used decades ago. (I'm still struggling with the revision). His follow up book on guitar preamps wasn't as demanding mathematically and this one falls somewhere in between, but definitely leans toward being more rigorous than less so, if you take my meaning.

The strength of this book is in it's engineering approach. No hokus pokus/mojo bluster here. All, or most, information on tube stuff and guitar amplification has been available for trained engineers from the original texts of the 1950s and earlier (Terman, Langford Smith, Happell/Hesselberth etc) but you had to be pretty clued up to really move the analysis into territories and conditions of operation used in this field that were "never imagined" by the authors of their day. Kuehnel does this superbly. He pulls all the real classical engineering theory together to bear upon guitar amplification.

I don't think any other author has done this so well.

About 300 pages of proper text and another 170 reproducing tube data sheets etc (is that really neccessary? - that's my only gripe )

So if you like the the deeper theory behind it all, and not just cookbook explanations this is worth getting. It's quite different from O'Connor's stuff in scope and emphasis.

I figure it's aimed at those with university level enineering skills or near equivalent. It starts simply enough but quickly expects at least an appreciation of concepts underlining Bode plots etc.

[Structo]

Like I've said before, I attended a community college EE course in the mid 70's and as solid state stuff was coming on full force I think we spent a week or less on tube theory, with the rest of two years spent on semiconductor theory.
Since everybody knew that solid state was best for everything!
So I walked away with an associates degree without knowing much about tube theory.

So fast forward 35 years and I had to do some fast re-learning about tubes.
I've bought several books on the subject but they are not what I would call engineering books.
Add the internet to the equation and this great forum and I know just enough now to be dangerous.
But at this late stage of the game, I am not really wanting to be able to design circuits, ( been pretty much done right?) I just want to be able to understand what each stage does and how different values affect things.

BTW, thanks for the book review.

[Ears]

I've bought several books on the subject but they are not what I would call engineering books.

From Pentode Press

"Written for electronic engineers and professional amp builders, Guitar Amplifier Power Amps moves beyond simplistic advice and cookbook solutions to present a complete guide to the theory and operation of single-ended and push-pull power amplification."

I did EE course at Uni in early 80s. Only once came across the triode during the course, when used as a cathode follower to buffer a signal source in an instrumentation experiment. You are dead right, the rush to consign tubes to the dustbin of history was almost unseemly.

[drhulsey]

Just a plug for this book I've recently bought...

Richard Kuehnel is not only knowledgeable, but is a very nice person with which to deal. His are some of the few books written about GUITAR amplifiers.

[FunkyE9th]

Thanks for the book review. Sounds like a book I should look into getting. I just bought TUT 1 & 3...I'll go broke buying books...

[Ears]

Thanks for the book review. Sounds like a book I should look into getting. I just bought TUT 1 & 3...I'll go broke buying books...

O'Connor's books are great but often his explanations creak at the seams and there are many irritating omissions and typos. Kuehnel's books are more analytical and textbook-like in nature. I think he's writing them with an eye on them becoming future standard reference texts, hence the inclusion of the data sheets etc.

[Andy Le Blanc]

I love the web site...... but havent dropd the $$$ on a book yet
his language is approriate for the subject which in this day and age is
refreshing.... reminds me alot of crowhurst and a few other well recognized
audio writers

[ic-racer]

we spent a week or less on tube theory, with the rest of two years spent on semiconductor theory.

I was just at my 25th college reunion and asked a friend that teaches college level physics and electronics how much time they spend on tube theory: zero.

[drhulsey]

... how much time they spend on tube theory: zero.

I'll bet he doesn't know frets from shinola, either

[Pr@]

My old man taught me all I know about vac tubes. I buy the odd book but never get round to reading them (busy doing new guitar licks). I can just about assemble the odd 18 watt kit sucessfully, from a diagramme etc. My old man now wears a hearing aid in each ear, if these were powered by vac tubes, he'd look a bit silly and imagine the batteries.
Sorry about that one.

[mhuss]

Another great practical theory book from RK. He is the only one who really analyzes how amps act when heavily overdriven (vs. the 'hi-fi' analysis of all the old/trad books). Two thumbs up.

--mark