Please help a noob out.

[argent]

Hey guys,

I am completley new to amp building and have a healthy respect for the precision and safety involved in it. I have two questions:

1) Is there any recommended readings that I should start with, either books, sites, post, other souces, etc. I am not going to buy a kit and figure it out as I go along. I'd like to expand my background knowledge as much as possible before I do anything. I am in no rush whatsoever.

I've been reading posts here for a while, but a lot of the discussion is over my head so it's not as valuable to me yet as it is to people with the experience.

2) I am leaning towards a small tweed amp when I am ready, but I don't know what the theoretical and real world difference is between a lot of the models/circuits: 5E3, 5F1, etc. Can you guys shed some light on that or point me in the right direction to someplace with those answers. I tried searching a bunch of different ways for it, and the info is too specific for somebody's issues, or way too general.


Thanks in advance guys & sorry to bog down the discussions with such mundane newbie stuff.

[hollisdevillo]

check out gerald weber's books and videos.

[cminor9]

Books are nice, but it depends on where you are coming from.

Do you have any electrical knowledge? Do you know anything about how amplifier circuits work? Are you at least mechanically inclined? Are you the sort of person that likes to take things apart to understand how they work? Maybe no on the first two questions, but if you answer yes to the second two then you will do fine.

Buying books is good, but I never bought any. Just find em online. There are some really good websites that will help a lot (aiken amps, el34 world, the site you are on, paul ruby amplification, pentode press, etc) People will tell you to read things like the Radiotron Designer's Handbook, but unless you are an engineer your eyes will glaze over. If you have to ask, you aren't ready for the RDH. Instead, check out this book: http://www.diyguitarist.com/Misc/J_Darr.htm. That's the book I wish someone had pointed me to in the first place.

Then, study schematics. For example, go to http://ampedia.redbeartrading.com (my site) and start looking at the schematics. Start with the Fender Tweed amps as those are the simplest circuits. Don't understand something? Just study them and try to notice the differences between schematics. Pretty soon, you'll know the difference between all the circuits and what makes them special. This in turn will give you the tools to know *why* they have a characteristic tone and this in turn teaches you a lot if you ever want to try your own designs.

Don't know how to read a schematic? Fine, look it up. Don't understand something else? Try to look it up. The internet is your friend. But if you have the desire and you make the effort you will learn. And once you learn, the knowledge will be yours forever.

If you are coming from a background where you know nothing about tube amps, give yourself time. It takes a while to get it into your head, but if you keep reading stuff you'll learn it.

I had some electronics knowledge and some hands on experience, but nothing serious. I am working on my second amp now, and about a year ago I asked about the same question you just asked. Heck, I haven't even devoted as much time as some others. People complement me on my amp and tone *all* the time (build a tweed deluxe clone, aka 5E3) and when I tell em I built it they are floored. A few months from now, with the proper effort, you'll be able to say the same thing.

[tubeswell]

Some more sites

Simple explanation of a basic triode gain stage (Triode = three electrodes; i.e.; cathode, grid, plate - all of which are common to audio tubes)

http://www.diystompboxes.com/pedals/tubedummy.html


More in-depth explanation:

http://www.aikenamps.com/CommonCathode.htm

(In fact the Aiken Site is bursting with useful information)


Or these ones for heaps of explanations:

http://www.geofex.com/

http://www.hoffmanamps.com/


Or this:

http://www.vacuumtubes.net/How_Vacuum_Tubes_Work.htm


This on-line book is really good for the fundamentals too (once you get used to the '60s themed aims like 'eliminating distortion' ;-) and includes tips for troubleshooting:

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


Lets' not forget the valve wizard:

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


This one on draining filter caps (something you have to do everytime before you work on an amp)

http://studentweb.eku.edu/justin_holton/caps.html


Check out this site for a walk-through on how to build a 5F2/5f2A (under the Single 6V6 Guitar Amplifer Project)

http://www.angela.com/


Ohms Law:

http://www.the12volt.com/ohm/ohmslaw.asp


Tutorial on resistors:

http://www.valvette.us/dcca02.html


Tutorial on caps:

http://www.uoguelph.ca/~antoon/gadgets/caps/caps.html


Tutorial on output transformers:

http://www.radioremembered.org/outimp.htm


What Watts are what:

http://www.amptone.com/g112.htm

[argent]

Thanks guys!!! That is exactly what I was looking for. Between those links and a book or two, I think that should be enough to feel comfortable to begin a build in a couple of months.


Much appreciated.

Thanks again.