Books about Guitar Amps

The book is superficial and somewhat disappointing; for example it is confusing and unhelpful in Van Halen's signal path.� Dave Hunter's books are closer to what's needed.� This book is ok to add to a collection, but not the first book to get.

The accompanying CD sounds bad. After gathering articles about genuine star guitar rigs, one editor poured his time and energy into making a so-called sample CD -- using an amp simulator.� The CD tracks provide fake, incomplete, half-baked Tone at best. It misleads and misguides beginning guitarists to make them think that this non-range of non-Tone is worth recording.� These tone samples are mediocre at best; instead, Dave Hunter's CDs with his good books set a proper standard.

Why would anyone ever choose to listen to this fake sound when they could easily put on a genuine, rich sounding record instead? It's misguided to use the opposite of Tone, to create a CD that is marketed as showcasing the goal amp sounds, including actual power tubes and bona fide speaker distortion, which are explained to some extent within the book.

What this CD ends up demonstrating is negative: why your tone is doomed to sound like a total uninspired amateur and poseur if you use an amp simulator rather than actual power tubes and hard-pushed guitar speaker. The CD perpetuates the divide between kids' gear and adult gear (per the Damage Control founders who broke off from Line 6 corporation).� Actual cranked amps are essential to the qualifications of the guitar gods.

This sample CD could be a boon to amp tone, by steering people away from amp simulators, jolting some good sense into them to run out and get instead an actual miked-amp setup, such as a tube power amp and a guitar speaker, possibly in an isolation booth.

- mh

Computer Music latest special issue about recording the guitar

See my magazines page.

Guitar Rigs: Classic Guitar and Amp Combinations

by Dave Hunter
0879308516
April 2005

The Guitar Amp Handbook: Understanding Amplifiers and Getting Great Sounds

by Dave Hunter
087930863X
Oct. 2005

Keep the Peace! �The Musician's Guide to Soundproofing

by Mark Parsons

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0634089048/

Oct. 2005

Wired: Musicians' Home Studios: Tools and Techniques of the Musical Mavericks

by Megan Perry

Wired� Musicians' Home Studios � perry - rec, sounds

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0879307943/

Sep. 2004

Guitar Gear (A Guitar Player book)

by John Brosh (Editor)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0688031080/

May 1985

Introduction to Guitar Tone and Effects: A Manual for Getting the Sounds from Electric Guitars, Amplifiers, Effects Pedals and Processors

by David M. Brewster

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0634060465/

Aug 2003

Brands of Guitar Amps - Collections, History

Amps! The Other Half of Rock and Roll

Ritchie Fliegler. $24.95. 120 pages. Overview of tube amps: Fender, Vox, Ampeg, Marshall, Mesa-Boogie, Soldano, Gibson, Matchless, Hiwatt, transistor amps. Few schematics. British high gain approach (EQ after several stages of preamp gain ), vs. American early Mesa-Boogie approach (EQ early on in the preamp, before the distortion). Music Books Plus. Amazon.com - with comments.

I have this. -mh

Ampeg: The Story Behind the Sound

Gregg Hopkins and Bill Moore. 1999. The complete illustrated 50-year history of this American company. The B-15 Portaflex, the SVT bass amp, the Baby Bass, the "Scroll-head" bass and Dan Armstrong "See-Through" instruments. The story of the company founder, the role of key inventors and inventions, the places, and the players, against the backgrounds of American pop music and corporate competition in the music industry. Extensive reference to all amps, instruments, effects, and pickups from the "Amplified Peg" and Bassamp of the '40s to the high-tech SVT of the '90s is provided in technical articles, timelines and appendices. Includes tech tips and resources. Forward by Les Paul, technical editing by Greg Gagliano. 288 pages, over 200 photos, 32 page color section. List $32.95. Official book page.

I've seen this in a bookstore - mh

Collectibles and Vintage Buyer's Guide

Carlos Juan. 50.00 Mojo Musical Supply. Covers amps?

Fender Amps - The First Fifty Years

John Teigler, John Sprung. $34.95. Mojo Musical Supply. Amazon.com. Music Books Plus. Detailed model features, specs, part charts, rare catalog reprints, classic ads and endorsements, hundreds of photos, info on amps in general. 40-page full-color section. 2-page pullout group shot of over 60 amps.

Fender, The Inside Story

Forrest White. $22.95 Mojo Musical Supply.

The Art of the Amplifier

Michael Doyle. Paperback. 1996. 80 pages. Amazon price: $18.36. Amazon.com Music Books Plus. A tribute to the mechanical and aesthetic beauty of the tube amp, focusing on guitar amplifiers, but also examining hi-fi audio amps and very ornate early radios. The book contains many stunning full-color photos and informative commentary. Represented are Ampegs, Dumble, Fender, Groove Tubes, Gibson, Gretsch, Hi-Fi, Marshall, Mesa Boogie, Peavey, Vox, Watkins, and many others.

The Blue Book of Guitar Amplifiers

by Zachary R. Fjestad, S. P. Fjestad (Editor). Amazon. Oct. 2002

The Fender Amp Book

John Morrish. Hardcover. 1995. Amazon price: $12.57. Amazon.com - comments available. Music Books Plus.

Does this explain how to dial-in amp tone? If not, move to Brands History section. -mh

The Fender Book

Tony Bacon, Paul Day. 19.95 Mojo Musical Supply

The High Performance Marshall Handbook: A Guide To Great Marshall Sounds

I may want this. - mh Is this for players, or for technicians? If for techs, move to section about working on amps.

The History of Marshall Valve Guitar Amplifiers 1962-1992

Title incorrect?

Michael Doyle. The British company responsible for that sweet overdrive sound - the company that originated the amp "stack" - tracing the impressive lineage of its valve guitar amps. Michael Doyle is the acknowledged authority on the subject, and here he combines detailed chronologies of the various model and serial numbers, straightforward explanations of their features and construction, and aesthetic evaluation of the results. This book is dotted with the names of rock luminaries and peppered with hundreds of black-and-white photos, plus a 32-page full color appendix that reproduces all of the Marshall catalogs of the sixties. Music Books Plus

The History of Marshall: The Illustrated Story of "the Sound of Rock"

Michael Doyle. ($32.95). 1993. Comparison of the 1959 Fender Bassman and Marshall's version. Schematics including Valvestates, JCM-900 amps, and the 30th Anniversary model. Amps that use transistors along with tubes to get overdriven tones (like Stevie Ray's use of the Ibanez Tube Screamer TS-9 overdrive pedal). Mojo Musical Supply Amazon.com - comments available.

The Sound of Rock: A History of the Marshall Valve Guitar Amplifier

Mike Doyle. Paperback. June 1993. $23. Describes the whole range, including combination units, speakers and cabinets. Lots of photographs and Jim Marshall tells his own story in a lengthy interview with the author.

Web search

The Vox Story : A Complete History of the Legend

(Guitar History, No. 4) David Petersen, Dick Denney. Paperback. 1993. Amazon price: $21.95. Introduction by Brian May. Amazon.com. Music Books Plus. The Bold Strummer Ltd.

Working on Tube Amps for Guitar

A Desktop Reference of Hip Vintage Guitar Amps

Gerald Weber, owner of Kendrick Amplifiers. $26.95, 500 pages. Similar to the Groove Tubes book. Detailed circuit analysis of several classic Fender amps. Many schematics. Guitar Player reviewed this book (1997?). Call Kendrick, or call AES at 602-820-5411. Music Books Plus.

Beginner's Guide to Tube Audio Design

Bruce Rozenblit. 1997. $24.95. Oriented toward guitarists. What tubes do and how to design with them. A primer on analog electronics in general; much of the information applies to solid state electronics as well. Load lines, degenerative feedback, loop feedback, Miller effect, multistate basics, power supplies, and stability in networks. Music Books Plus.

Complete Guide to Guitar and Amplifier Repair

Ritchie Fliegler. $14.95 Mojo Musical Supply. I have this. Music Books Plus.

Dave Funk's Tube Amp Book

Dave Funk. 35.00 Mojo Musical Supply. Vibroworld. Chapters on most of the discreet components used in tube amplifiers. Design characteristics of the different sections of a tube amp. Over 250 pages of schematics. Chapter on the history of Fender amplifiers, model by model.

Electric Guitar Amplifier Handbook

Jack Darr. 1977. Out of print. Amazon.com. Howard W Sams & Co. Inc. International. Standard Book Number: 0-672-20848-2. Sams #20848. 3rd edition 1973.

Fender Schematic Books

(black, brown & white, & tweed era). Mojo. $35 for each era. Mojo Musical Supply.

Great Tube Amp and Guitar Mods

Mike Thompson. 1996. $12.95. Over 50 easy modifications for Fender and Marshall amps and the guitar. Speaker cabinet and equipment tips for customization. Music Books Plus.

How to Service Your Own Tube Amp

Tom Mitchel. Book $29.95. $ 69.95 for book, video (NTSC), & binder. $76.95 complete, book, video (PAL), & binder. 247 pages. 68 minute VHS videotape. ISBN 0-9628170-0-7. Music Books Plus. Introduction to basic electronics and amp upkeep. Mods: output protection circuits, power tube conversions, adding an effects loop, giving Master Volume Marshall's more gain, bias monitoring. Against using multiple gain stages. Includes an illustrated, easy to read guidebook, and a VHS video tape, housed in a rugged storage binder. (The guidebook is also available separately.) Crash course in electronics, troubleshooting, and servicing. Written in an informal, non-technical style, it shows how to deal with and prevent tube amplifier problems. Popular modifications such as power amp tube conversions, active effects loop, Marshall hot-rodding. The video tape shows step-by-step procedures, and illustrates the use of hand tools and test equipment. Excellent desk reference for audio service technicians. Introduction to electronics. Recognizing electronic components. In-depth coverage of tubes and transformers. Detailed coverage of speakers and enclosures. Amplifier circuit basics. Biasing. Tool and test equipment selection and use. Using schematic diagrams. Troubleshooting with voltage charts. Includes voltage charts for most common amplifiers. Troubleshooting flowcharts. Tables and illustrations for international ac. Popular amplifier modifications. Maintenance checklist for trouble-free operation. Reference information. Official web page for this book.

Vacuum Tube Guitar and Bass Amplifier Servicing - Music Books Plus. There's also a companion "Theory" book.

Inside Fender and Marshall Tube Amps

Jean-Charles Maillet. ISBN 0-9684849-0-5; 124 pages. $40. Contents: BASICS AND HEURISTICS. Triode Gain Stages. Common-Cathode DC Transfer Characteristics. Variants on 12ax7 Common-Cathode transfer Specs. Common-Plate DC Transfer Characteristics. Variants on 12ax7 Common-Plate transfer Specs. Differential Triode Circuits. Differential-to-Single-Ended Circuit Conversion. Fender Power Supply Circuits. Audio Circuits as Power Supply Loads. The RC-Ladder Filter Network. Rectifier Turn-On characteristics. The CBS Power Supply: Fender Design Alterations. Fender Push-Pull Output Stages. Fender Vibrato Circuits. Bandwidth and Fidelity. BANDWIDTH CONTROL: Tone Stack Component Values. Transient Fidelity in Guitar Amps - Dynamic Waveshaping. Interstage resistance: Tweed and Blackface Designs. Shadowing: Dielectric Adsorption in Signal Caps. Wiring Parasitics. Class-AB Biasing. Making the Notch Go Away. Maintaining Power Tube Matching Over Long-Term Usage. Daily Drift of AC Line Voltage. Fender Amp Mods. NEUTRAL MODS: Single-Ended Tweed Filament Hum Cancellation. Silverface Filament and Bias Circuits. Late 60s and Later Silverface Bias Circuits. Improved Fender Biased Circuit. Alternative Bias Circuit Sourcing. Lead Dress for Improved Hum Cancellation. Tonal and Dynamic Enhancement Mods. Silverface Power Supply Enhancements. Silverface Signal Path Enhancements. Balance of Overall Overdrive Characteristics. Balance of Overall Circuit Gain Against Tubes and Speakers. Fender 6L6 Silverface - MOD A. Hot Blackface-style 6L6 Pentode Ratios. Fender 6L6 Silverface - MOD B. Extreme Single-Channel Blackface Performance. Fender 6L6 Silverface - MOD C. Tweed Signal Path and Direct Coupled Kolkki Reverb. Fender EL34 Super Reverb - MOD D. British Super Tweed Reverb. Fender 6v6 Silverface - MOD E. Deluxe Reverb: The Stranglehold Variation. Low-End bandwidth Extension. Power Supply Revamp. Fender 6L6 Silverface - MOD F. Sampo Kolkki Reverb Re-route. Marshall Amp Mods. Marshall Circuits Overview. Bridgeable Volume Control. Master Volume Control. Marshall power Supply and Filter Distribution Network. Marshall Circuit Mods. Hot-Rodding and Restoration Mods. Dual-Mode Marshall Switching Circuit. What about the stock JCM800 Normal Channel. Adapting the switching circuit to JCM800s. Adapting the switching circuit to JCM900s. Annexe. Traynor Amplifiers - The Bassmaster. Speaker Cab Considerations. Vacuum Tube Modeling for Pspice Simulation. Official book page.

Inside Tube Amps

Dan Torres. $49.95 310 pages, fully illustrated, 8.5 x 11". Mojo Musical Supply. Torres' official page for the book. Torres' description: "This book's easy-to-read chapters cover schematics, preamp and power amp design, filter caps, bias transformers, tubes, rectifers and even building your own Class A amplifier (available as a kit at Torres for $385.00). All-new articles. New technology, and entirely new information with coherent chapters planned and written for easy understanding. Well-written and illustrated."

Introduction to servicing Guitar Amplifiers

The chapter on amp construction explains tube theory, capacitors, and special effects. [to do: link to information]

London Power to offer power scaling mod kits, book about power scaling

News item for variable-SPL cranked-amp tone. Everyone will be able to run their existing conventional tube amp with something like a variac inside the power supply and power amp stage, to obtain power-tube saturation at the coveted 10 mW "TV" listening level. Or you can design an amp to use any power tube at any power level from a few milliwatts to the full rated power of the tube, by studying the forthcoming book about power scaling.

about power scaling
book: Power Scaling Revealed - click "Upcoming Publications"
power scaling mod kits for old Marshall and Fender amps - search for "power scaling"

What I especially look forward to is a full-featured amp head directly driving a 2x12 cab, able to produce pure power-tube saturation at any level from 0-50 watts, as London Power now offers. You could possibly even do a closed-back combo with just a little ventilation.

Principles of Power: A Practical Guide to Tube Power Amplifier Design

Kevin O'Connor. 1996. Power Press Publishing. ISBN 0-9698-6081-1. 221 pages. 81/2" x 11", spiral-bound with clear protective covers. 210 figures (schematic diagrams). $35. Designing tube power amplifiers for audio use; traditional graphic approaches are synthesized into a few simple equations that allow the direct use of tabled tube data. Vacuum tube operation and circuit principles. Class A, Class B, cathode-bias and fixed-bias. Push-pull and single-ended designs. Front-end circuits. Differential, concertina, paraphase and transformer drivers and splitters, along with long-lost methods. Circuit adjustments for linearizing audio reproduction amplifiers and for maximizing power output for musical instrument use. Includes complete designs, incorporating off-the-shelf transformers and current-production vacuum tubes. Power outputs from 15 watts to over 400 watts, using pentodes and true triodes. Conservative designs allow reliable use of lower quality or "non-optimal" tubes. Output-transformerless (OTL) designs are studied and up-to-date hybrid tube/solid-state circuits. Complete design method for any output power level; circuits are included up to 200W. Toroidal output transformers and special precautions. DC balancing and transformer protection. Power supply design, from traditional filtering to new-technology regulation methods. Impact of power supply on audio signal, selection of capacitors. Tube data for common types. New ultra-wide-bandwidth audio output transformers from Plitron Mfg., and matching power transformers. Hammond transformer data for tube use. London Power official book page. STF Electronics. Mojo Musical Supply. Music Books Plus.

Secrets and Secret Holders: A Report on Intellectual Property in the Musical Instrument Amplifier Industry

Kevin O'Connor, 2000, ISBN 0-9698-6086-2. 30 pages, 51/2 x 81/2", soft cover. Price: $15 US, $19 CDN within Canada. Clearly explains, in text only, the circuitry behind simulclass, sag control, power scaling, speaker emulators, tube fat, amps that sing, amps with multiple voices, amping response, and tube simulation. Patents, how patents work, the value of various patents, who holds them, what they cover and what they don't -- 48 patents. London Power Press.

The Amp Book: A Guitarist's Introductory Guide to Tube Amplifiers

Donald Brosnac. $11.95 at Amazon.com. Paperback Reprint edition (February 1987). Bold Strummer Ltd; ISBN: 0933224052. Vibroworld. Amazon.

"Introduction to servicing Guitar Amplifiers. The chapter on amp construction in particular explains tube theory, capacitors and special effects."

The High Performance Marshall Handbook

John Boehlein. Music Books Plus. Vibroworld. Marshall history, overdriving Marshalls and retubing amplifiers.

The Tube Amp Book

4th Ed. By Aspen Pittman of Groove Tubes. History of several major amp companies. Tube specs, troubleshooting, common mods (master volume, power tube changes, capacitor changes). Several hundred pages of schematics for amps. Mostly older amps. Antique Electronic Supply sells this book for $29.95 -- 602-820-5411. Groove Tubes 818-361-4500 (Slymar, CA). Music Books Plus.

The Ultimate Tone, Vol. 1: Modifying and Custom Building Tube Guitar Amps

Kevin O'Connor. 1995. Power Press Publishing. ISBN 0-9698-6080-3. 368 pages. 8" x 11", spiral-bound with clear protective covers. 395 figures (schematic diagrams). $55. This volume is about guitar amplifier modifications. Sonic perceptions and stage setups, to demonstrate how optimal sound can be obtained from existing equipment. Survey of amp brands with regard to ease of modification and servicing. Basic vacuum tube operation. Power supply principles. Preamp circuits and master volumes, along with guitar sustain and interactions, for clean and distorted tones. Power amplifiers and power tubes, choice of tubes, relative reliabilities of tube types, tube matching, sonic impact of each tube type. Improving reliability. Tube and solid-state effects loops and reverb loops, and performance issues. Switching methods. Channel, reverb, effects, lead boost, mute and speaker switching. Foot-switch controllers with and without LEDS, and multiple controllers for larger stages. Tube data for common types. Hammond transformer data. London Power Press. STF Electronics. Mojo Musical Supply. Music Books Plus.

The Ultimate Tone, Vol. 2: Systems Approach to Stage Sound Nirvana

Kevin O'Connor. 1997. Power Press Publishing. ISBN 0-9698-6083-8. 252 pages. 8" x 11", spiral-bound with clear protective covers. 283 figures (schematic diagrams). $40. This volume is about designing and building an amp from scratch. Builds on Vol. 1, adding new depth to previously explored topics while introducing new subjects. The role of the sound man is explored with an eye to the evolution of PA and monitoring systems. Modular monitoring systems and local vocal PAs are examined, allowing the singer to explore the use of tube equipment and effects. Extensive "Power Supply Tricks" chapter. Transformers, rectifiers, capacitive and choke filters, regulation issues. Inherent regulation of transformers and active tube, mosfet and bipolar regulators. Variable, tracking, fixed and proportional regulators, and their consequences in live situations, comparing AC and DC controlled circuitry. Variacs, boost/buck transformer connections, zener diode and variable impedance rectification, with their impact on performance and tone. Bias supplies of all types. Common bias procedures and issues. Bias "fixes" for many popular amplifier models. The Importance of screen supplies and stand-bys. A variety of DC heater circuits bring to light both old and new ideas. Design rules for the five output stage topologies, with pointers regarding power output and tone. Cathode-bias to fixed-bias switching options, and less-well-known power amp master volume circuits. Opening up feedback loops, single-ended to push-pull panning, and solutions to "re-issue" amp model problems. Overview of solid-state power amps, highlight ease of assembly, range of tone, and circuit options including push-pull, mosfet, BJT, SRPP, cascade, multi-tier, bridges (grounded-floating-balanced), and non-feedback. Reliability. Thermal design and the solid-state power amplifier's intimate relationship to the power supply. Design examples from 20W to 1,250W. Hybrid power ampl ifiers incorporating both tube and solid-state elements provide options of tone, size and economy. The Nelson Pass Zen amp and John Linsley-Hood's simple class-A amp, and alternative amps such as the circlotron, OTL and SRPP. True triodes, which are becoming popular in both single-ended and push-pull formats. Triode and pentode gain stages, with the use of power tubes and large-geometry tube types for voltage amplification. High-gain preamps, split-rail designs, passive EQ and frequency shaping. Multi-band EQ with active tube stages and tube cross-over units. Mono and stereo reverb using tubes Tremolo circuits with bias- and audio-modulators. Compressor circuits using both tube and solid-state approaches are offered in low-distortion balanced and toneful unbalanced formats. Line Out and Direct Out circuits. Speaker selection, design, and enhancement. Acoustic instrument considerations. Adaptations for tube vocal preamps and monitor systems, and the evolution of tubed bass amplification. Simple switching techniques for both low-level and speaker control, demonstrating the capabilities of modern devices. London Power official book page. Music Books Plus. STF Electronics. Mojo Musical Supply.

Tonnes of Tone - Electronic Projects for Guitar and Bass

Kevin O'Connor. 1996. Power Press Publishing. ISBN 0-9698-6082-X. 105 pages. 81/2" x 11". spiral bound with clear protective covers; 65 figures (layouts & schematics). $25. Operational information and construction guidelines for a number of useful musical instrument projects. The "Mandatory Project" which will prevent future projects from "going up in smoke." Tips on setting up a convenient workspace. Acoustic preamps. Experimenter's Power Supply - for any preamp up to six 12AX7s, or for a small 15W tube amp. Electric Guitar Preamp - using two 12AX7s, includes a clean and a dirty channel, with separate EQ for each. Bass Preamps - with an explanation of what is unique to a tube preamp for bass, and how modern techniques can improve tonal flexibility. Small Tube Power Amp - build a 10W-15W power amp and learn the principles of tube amplification. Class-A Solid-State Power Amp - a simple circuit designed for hi-fi is adapted to guitar use. Reverb Unit - build a stand-alone reverb using readily available parts for a classic tube sound. Wide-Range Tremolo Circuit - can be used as a pedal or incorporated into an existing amp. Each project utilizes off-the-shelf parts that are inexpensive and easily to find. Background information, assembly and testing tips are provided for each circuit, to enhance understanding. Includes theory. Projects have parts lists, schematic diagrams, and pictorial diagrams. STF Electronics offers parts kits for several of the projects. London Power official book page. STF Electronics. Music Books Plus.

Tube Amp Basics

Gerald Weber. Basics that every guitar player should know. Troubleshooting techniques. Layout of the guitar amp. How to isolate problems. Procedure if a fuse blows, or if you plug in and there's no sound. What to include in a gear first aid kit to take with you. Essential tube amp knowledge. (c)1998. 60 minutes. VHS. Music Books Plus. [not how to dial in Tone and do amp modelling with a tube amp, but rather, repair -mh]

Tube Amp Talk for the Guitarist and Tech

Gerald Weber. Amazon.com Music Books Plus.

Is this for guitarists, or techs? Maybe move to Servicing section. -mh

Tweed Characteristics Book

Mojo. 10.00 Mojo Musical Supply

Ultimate Bench Warrior: Design, Modify, and Build Custom Guitar and Bass Amplifiers

Lee Jackson, 2003 - Creating new guitar and bass amplifiers. Soldering, tools of the trade, equipment needed, tube types, modifications from gain stages to adding reverbs. Amazon.

Vacuum Tube Guitar and Bass Amplifier Theory

Tino Zottola. 1996. Music Books Plus. History and operation of vacuum tubes. How they are used in guitar/bass amplifier circuits. Amplifier electrical and physical layout. Factors affecting amplifier sound. Appendices about resistor and capacitor codes, vacuum tube electrical data, wire guages, and musical scale frequency. Music Books Plus.