Noob needs help

[bankey]

Hey fellas,
So I've been snooping around amp sites forever now. And I am finally ready to attempt something. I need some sound advice on books. I can't afford to buy a whole lot of books at once. So I was hoping to pinpoint anywhere from maybe 1-4 books that could get a guy well on his way to building tube amps? Getting better at reading schematics, learning everything you really need to know to be a proficient and efficient builder and do mods too.

I didn't know if Gerald Webers books might be the way to go? I bought his dvd. But not much on building. I know amp building isn't for everyone. But I do believe it is for me. I just need pointed in the right direction as far as getting some learning materials on a budget. I believe I will probably eventually buy every book there is. But for right now, just something to get me going. Thanks for your time and I look forward to learning from you!

[fishy]

There is a mass of info out there. I would not spend anything until you have checked some of these out.

http://www.aikenamps.com/

http://www.freewebs.com/valvewizard/index.html

http://www.pmillett.com/technical_books_online.htm

http://www.pacificrecone.com/JackDarrBook.html

If you vist AX84.com, they have a good build guide for a PI which explains the steps needed to build an amp.
Ron has collated a build guide for the Express which is also worthwhile reading.

IMO, Weber is really good at repeating himself across the books. If you buy more than one, you will be getting more of the same in a different cover.

Dave Hunter's The Guitar Amp Handbook is worthwhile. It doesn't get too theoretical but explains enough to allow you to recognise areas of the amp. There are gut shots of several amps in there also with annotations.

Kevin O Connor has several books loaded with information but they can be somewhat hard to follow. They do have projects in them though, ToT III discusses lead dress and the likes and is full of amp projects.

Hope that helps.

[Structo]

I have a couple of Geralds books.

He has a new one coming out this month that I have ordered but it isn't out yet.

Dave Hunter's The Guitar Amp Handbook is good.
He takes you through an amp stage by stage telling you what each does and all about the components.
Geralds Tube Guitar Amplifier Essentials is pretty good.
Aspen Pittmans The Tube Amp Book latest revision is good as well.


Do you have any electronic experience? Like guitar wiring or pedal building?

If you are totally unfamiliar with components and soldering a kit with full instructions would be the way to go.

What type of amp do you like? Fender tweed, blackface?
Marshall plexi?

Allen Amps are variations on Fender circuits and he provides instructions.

A lot of kits only offer a schematic and layout so you have to pretty much know how to build the amp, by following those.

Weber kits also come with instructions I believe but some have complained about some of his parts like the jacks, switches, pilot lights.

I built a Brown Note D'Lite 44 amp, it doesn't really come with instructions although they do have a builders guide online but you still kind of have to know what you are doing.

A kit is really the best way to get your feet wet. Sourcing parts for a scratch build can be a frustrating thing since you have to order from multiple places to get everything. The shipping charges add up quickly and you will find yourself ordering the wrong parts by mistake as well.
Most of the guys here that build from scratch have a lot of spare parts laying around from previous builds so they can draw upon that.

Electronics has been a hobby of mine since I was a boy so I had a lot of knowledge as far as component familiarity and soldering abilities.

But vacuum tubes and tube theory was something that was kind of skipped over in college when I was young because solid state was coming on strong so they focused on semiconductor theory more.
But thanks to the internet there is tons of resources available.

Here are some links to get you started:
http://www.freewebs.co.uk/valvewizard/index.html

http://www.tone-lizard.com/Table_Of_Contents.htm

http://www.pentodepress.com/index.html

http://www.geofex.com/

http://www.guitaramplifierblueprinting.com/index2.html

[sliberty]

I haven't seen a book specifically on buiding yet that I felt that needs of a true nooob, but I did find "Inside Tube Amps" by Dan Torres helpful as a first read. It's not all perfect, but it served me well. I also have the Weber books and DVD, and they are useful, but not so much for your first build (as you mentioned).

In fact, my experience tells me that the first build should really be very much a "paint by numbers" sort of activity. You will develop a lot of questions along the way, and btween your reading and participation on forums, you'll learn a lot and fill in lots of gaps.

My first build was a simple circuit (a 5e3 Deluxe), and I would recommend the same to you. Build a Tweed Champ, or a Tweed Princeton, or a Tweed Deluxe or something else equally simple. This will enable you to have a success without learning too much in advance (a tall order). Buy a Mission Amps kit, or some other that comes with both a good manual and a good reputation.

And by all means, study the safety tips before you do anything. Amps carry dangerous voltages and currents, and we don't want your first build to be your last. It is actually completely safe during the build since you won't have powered anything up. But at some point, you will need to know what you can touch and what you can't, and it is better that you know these things up front.

Lastly - TrainWrecks and Dumbles are not simple builds. Many have done them as first builds, but I wouldn't recommend it. Leave them for later when you have one or two (at least) under your belt. Building them first is not impossible, but might lead to frustrations and disappointments that will deter your growth as a builder.

Good luck!
Steve

[Tonegeek]

Welcome aboard!
This forum has most of what you need to know to physically construct a Wreck or Dumble style amp. Just read the posts, look at gut shots, layouts and schematics of the amp you want to build. Use the search function to get answers about tools, books, ground schemes, layout and problem solving.

Before launching in on a build, you really should get some basic theory at least and especially learn about safety as you are dealing with lethal voltages.

Here are some free resources (somewhat in order for newbies):

#1 is NEETS:
http://www.phy.davidson.edu/instrumentation/NEETS.htm

From Aiken:
http://www.aikenamps.com/AmpTerms.html (amp terms, part functions)
http://www.aikenamps.com/TechInfo_2.htm (gain stages, etc)

More data on star grounding (Aiken covers this also):
http://www.geofex.com/Article_Folders/s ... targnd.htm

http://www.pacificrecone.com/JackDarrBook.html

Links for other good electronics books:
http://www.pmillett.com/tecnical_books_online.htm

Very good tutorial on designing gain stages :
http://www.freewebs.com/valvewizard/index.html


Good luck.

[bankey]

yeah, I've really been thinking of a kit. I bought some pcb's for an SLOCLone. But am saving them until I know what I'm doing more. I have alot of soldering experience. But I know that doesn't qualify me to build tube amps. I know the voltages are deadly also. Zapped myself real good looking at a guys Peavey Classic 100 a month ago! Lol. But it's just one of those things that I won't give up on and I know I want it badly enough that it's worth taking the time to do it right. It's how I do everything. If I can't do it right; I just won't do it.

Thank you all for the awesome info. A friend of mine has "Tonnes of Tone" by Kevin O' Conner. I'm going to borrow it today. I think I will try a fender tweed kit out. I was just looking at pics of one off this forum a minute ago. I would really like to build my own cabinets. Cabinet prices for building amps seems outrageous to me. When I was looking for a cabinet for my SLOClone; they were running $250! It's four pieces of wood! But all my electronics experience consists of car audio. I've built about 200 sub boxes. Installed (literally) about 500 remote starters, and so on. So as far as this kind of electronics goes. I'm GREEN...

But I will learn! Thanks for all the advice!
TTYL

[Structo]

Well that's cool you have the bug to learn and the desire to build a tube amp.

I'm 52 now and when I was young I had a few tube amps but didn't know anything about them. Back in those days, when one broke I would just unload it and get another. Maybe replace some tubes but didn't really know what made them tick.

Then in the mid to late 80's I went the solid state route since everybody knew that tubes were obsolete and inferior.

Then a few years back I bought my first tube amp in years, a Carvin Belair combo. 50 watt 4xEL84 amp that blew the doors off anything I had at the time. I had forgotten the warmth and sweet distortion that tubes provide. From there I haven't really looked back.
I have several tube amps now and like I said I built a D'Lite 44 about a year ago that I am continually improving with tweaks here and there.

While building that amp I learned more about tube amps and tube theory than I had in years messing around with electronics. It kind of forces your hand in a way to learn what is going on inside the amp.

Probably the first thing you need to do is get familiar with schematic reading and layouts.
Also, very important, how to safely work on an amp by discharging the power supply filter capacitors.
Some amps have resistors in parallel with these caps and will discharge them in a few minutes when the amp is turned off.
Others do not have these so the caps will retain a lethal charge.
You have to assume if you are not familiar with an amp that it has charged caps in it. Kind of like a gun, always assume it is loaded.

So you need to learn how to safely discharge these caps. And not by shorting them to the chassis with a screwdriver which is dangerous and can actually harm things, such as having slag shot into your eyes.

A lot to learn but if you have the desire, you will do it and have a lot of fun in the mean time.

[billyz]

Other good books are the "RCA receiving tube manuals" RC 27 and later are essential. Also good reading, "Mullard Tube Circuits for Audio Amplifiers".

Besides the previously mentioned books. Old issues of " Glass Audio" are cool too.

Kits really make it all easy, all the parts are sourced for you, all you need is a soldering station and some good solder, dikes, needle nose, screw drivers.

mission amps has some good kits too. http://www.missionamps.com/

[bankey]

What are dikes? I was lucky enough when I was younger to be involved in a couple of threesomes; But I never called them names...

Just kidding. But seriously; What are dikes?

[bankey]

Never knew wire cutters to be called "dikes". I'm feelin' real confident right about now...

Sorry to double post.

[billyz]

Yes, And Gay used to mean Happy. The correct name is Diagonal cutting Plier. I usually call wire cutters the one with the gauged cutting holes.
You'll want both, and not Chinese made, The metal doesn't hold up.

[Structo]

If using teflon wire which is what I prefer. I haven't really found a pair of strippers that work well on it. It is very slippery so most strippers can't get a hold of the insulation.

I use either a very sharp knife or utility razor knife to take the end off.

For cutting wire and nipping off component leads after soldering I use a small pair of precision cutters.

Sort of like these.

[img:571:360]http://www.whimsie.com/pliers.jpg[/img]

[billyz]

Teflon can be a bitch to strip. I can cut it just fine but it does not want to let go of the wire. I find a little twist around helps before pulling. Except for Kimber Teflon wire, very easy to strip. And solders up real nice too.

[gahult]

billyz

Yes, And Gay used to mean Happy

That makes the words in the Christmas song "don we now our gay apparel" a real head scratcher.

Gary

[billyz]

who was "don" ????