Beginning Electronics

[whatsaguitar]

I would love to know more about electronics/amps/pickups/pedals etc., but I don't know where to start. How did you get your start?

[Steve Conner]

I started when I was about 6, by taking apart old appliances and playing with the parts. My mom and dad encouraged me by giving me books about electronics, and more stuff to take apart. They were probably geeks too.

I have a bad case of "The Knack" and actually ended up as an engineer. I built my first tube amp while I was studying EE at university, and have been in love with tubes ever since. They're just the complete opposite of the firmware and tiny surface-mount chips I deal with in my day job.

Oh, I forgot to say, you should get Ralph Denyer's "The Guitar Handbook". The material in there on electric guitars, amps and effects is a good basic primer. R.G. Keen's site at geofex.com is also very interesting. There are lots of other resources, can anyone else recommend some?

[Don Moose]

The Knack

My case is a little less pronounced, but the key thing is interest - which you have.

There's a series of Navy training manuals on line that could get you started, and one of those 99-in-1 electronics training rigs from RadioShack or the like wouldn't hurt to introduce you to basic math and concepts. (do the math - it helps)

[martin manning]

We discussed books here more than once, a search on "basic electronics books" will turn several useful threads up. There is a lot of stuff on-line, Google is your friend.

MPM

[stingray_65]

One of my favorite experiences early in learning electronics was salvaging parts.

It still is

Nowadays I have to scrounge the antique shops, good will stores and the like to find tube equipment. I just cant seem to find the stuff set to the road much these days. Once in a while you can score a organ on craigs list for free or near enough when they need room.

Within the last couple weeks I scored a magnovox AM/FM reciever which donated itself into a simple IPOD docking station.

the chassis and fancy finish is my doing, but my 12 year old daughter did the wiring

(sorry bout the crappy pix)

It doesnt matter what you want to build, build any thing you can.

That said build bench equipment, its costly to buy, cheap to build yourself and the education is invaluable in both the construction technique and how to operate the equipment itself.

[whatsaguitar]

Thank you. You guys have some great suggestions. I am going to pick up some books. Is there much calc involved in electronics? I took it in high school, but I forgot most of it.

[Don Moose]

In theory, calculus can help with some filter design things. In practical use, a Spice Simulator is a bit easier (for me) to deal with.

[mooreamps]

Originally Posted by whatsaguitar

Thank you. You guys have some great suggestions. I am going to pick up some books. Is there much calc involved in electronics? I took it in high school, but I forgot most of it.

Depends on how deep you want to go. Mostly in the field of radio frequency and antenna wave propagation. Otherwise, a little algebra, a little trig. That's about it.

However, one resource is the US Navy NEETS. You may be able to Google "NEETS", and download the courses in the form of Adoble .pdf. Good luck.

-g

[amptech]

Welcome to the forum,

The best way to learn about this ever growing subject, it to start off with small porjects and then build up a profile as you 'get better understand.
never jump in and work on items your not sure about like valve amps because of the very high voltages can zap you

Try solid state equipment such as cheap ic amps because if you blow it up it's an easy fix!

Best of luck to you.....

[mooreamps]

Originally Posted by whatsaguitar

I would love to know more about electronics/amps/pickups/pedals etc., but I don't know where to start. How did you get your start?

Something else. If you want a new pedal or amplifier, there are those who offer kits for people to build. Once built, you can take measurements from a live circuit to see how it behaves.

-g

[Robert M. Martinelli]

Originally Posted by whatsaguitar

I would love to know more about electronics/amps/pickups/pedals etc., but I don't know where to start. How did you get your start?

My history's very similar to Steve's, I started around 6 taking apart small radios,
I have been lucky too, as my parents and relatives encouraged me buying me books, an ( quite obviously, 't was back in 1970! ) analog multimeter, a soldering iron and bringing in more stuff to take apart.... I repaired my first ( tube ) radio receiver at 8, built my first AM receiver at 10....at fourteen I built an FM transmitter and a mixer and started broadcasting music all around the neighborhood ( and risked to be convicted, because I had no license whatsoever....being that young, I didn't know about all the necessary legalese stuff back then ). I started playing at the age of 8, so it's been normal for me to end up mixing music and electronics....

I eventually ended up as an automation engineer, and that's what I do for a living.

Back to your case, I would say together with Don, that your main ingredients will have to be interest and passion, and, as long as your curiosity is alive, there's virtually nothing you can't learn....Don't rush, start with the basics, take the time to make the concepts truly clear to yourself, start building small kits and use them to see how the theories you've learned apply to the real world....
Most of all, have fun in the process....
Best of luck!
Bob

[Chuck H]

Don't neglect the "mechanics" of the circumstance. What we all do is build gear to amplify (and usually color the sound of) acoustic waveforms created by wooden instruments. Find a copy of "Complete Guitar Repair" by Hideo Kamimoto. You will never buy or play a poorly adjusted instrument again. And you may even build a couple as I have. This can be an invaluable experience if you plan to build amps.

Chuck