New book: Designing Tube Preamps for Guitar and Bass

[Gtr_tech]

We were talking about this on usenet (alt.guitar or alt.guitar.amps). I have the first Kevin O'Connor Ultimate tone book, and while I can appreciate the in depth approach he takes, he doesn't really go into how specific designs (or changes to a circuit) affect the actual end result....tone. Are you addressing things such as note envelope, clarity vs. mush, ect? The O'Connor books are aimed at the math crunchers.....It'd be nice to have a detailed tech manual for the tone freak.

[Merlinb]

O'Connor doesn't really go into how specific designs (or changes to a circuit) affect the actual end result....tone. The O'Connor books are aimed at the math crunchers.....It'd be nice to have a detailed tech manual for the tone freak.

My book is a good deal more "math crunchy", but I link the mathematical treatment with the tonal end result where possible.
Don't be under any misunderstanding though, my book is math heavy. You can get an idea by reading the first chapter: The Valve Wizard

[Gtr_tech]

Read that chapter....looks good. I'll be picking up a copy. I wasn't implying I wanted something math free, but I did want to see reference to the sonic end result. Back when I was tweaking my preamp design there weren't any books on the subject, so it was trial and error for the most part. Many months of "take it out....gig it...nope still not quite there yet...make some changes".

[BackwardsBoB]

Got mine through Lulu yesterday. Wonderful book. I've got the whole TUT series, which is wonderful, but Merlin's book winds through almost all the amp except for the power supply, power stage, and transformer ends of things, and would make an adequate substitute for the TUT series for someone with some electronics background who wants to dig deep into an understanding of all-tube amps.

I don't think the book is math heavy, but you do need to be able to look at tube curves and extract meaning with only a little guidance. The tone control section doesn't employ the heavy math required to empower you to design your own tone stacks from scratch, but it presents basic architectures, and the section on feedback does get a bit involved. If you don't know that power is current times voltage, can't figure out the impedance of a capacitor at 1 kHz, can't divide a voltage with two resistors, etc., the book might miss the mark, but O'Connor's got a book or two that review the required electronics basics. I think that "Ready, Set, Go" is one of them. If you've ever taken a course called "circuit analysis", Merlin's book will read like bedtime stories.

It's easy to find short answers to simple questions on the web, but this book takes subjects like small-signal pentodes, cathodyne phase inverters, etc. and gives you twenty pages of analysis for each one, in a way that's well organized and readable.

Obvious highlights include the detailed discussions of preamp pentodes, tube cascodes, feedback theory, and 12 pages on Merlin's religious distinctives concerning grounding.

I've found a few good books on amps. Kevin O'Connor's TUT series is as unique as Kevin's amps, with a heavy mix of solid-state support circuitry for the tubes, and meandering discussions of bizarre architectures, along with a heavy dose of amp "philosophy". Kevin is trying to put most all the unusual circuits he might want to use in the public domain to protect himself against patent storms from the likes of Mesa and Peavey. You get much of what he knows in 1800 pages, at lower cost than a new car.

Morgan Jones is a senior BBC engineer who can build professional tube equipment using bear skins and stone knives. His books are charming, but they're not focused on guitar amps.

Richard Kuehnel is what I think of as math heavy. His Bassman analysis attempts to model the whole amp, with just a passing comparison to actual circuit waveforms as a check. He has a preamp book that's the closest thing I've seen to Merlin's latest, and his power amp book (ordered but haven't read) might make a good companion to Merlin's.

gtr_tech wants reference to the sonic end result. Merlin shows scope waveforms of the inputs and outputs of overdriven stages with the usual attempt to describe the sound in words. It's clear that distortion can be a good thing, with plenty of discussion on where it comes from and how to get it.

Books will only get you so far, but it seems obvious to me that they are a good first step. The web is full of information, but it doesn't go very deep. When people like Kevin O'Connor and Merlin are willing to dump what they know into a book, you should take them up on their offer and steal a bunch of their experience.

Merlin's book is one of the good ones.

[mr.jetski]

merlin the wizards book

hi all
I ordered my copy

[mstang01]

I was looking for info on the O'connor series when I came across this thread. Just ordered your book, can't wait to check it out. If anyone has any other good suggestions for design/reference material please let me know.

[Gaz]

merlin's website.

[Guitarist]

'very much appreciated and enjoyed Chapter One and those insights on the site.

Thanks and welcome to the few and the elite of published, tube amp wizards.

[Enzo]

Merlin, I just got your book - arrived yesterday. I just dove into it, read a few pages and flipped through it. it looks great so far. Here is how to draw a load line and why you pick the end points - perfect.

But I must say there is one glaring omission. On any proper book, there should be a photo on the rear cover of some fellow in a wool herringbone tweed hunting jacket, sitting in front of a large, full bookshelf, and he should be holding a large curving pipe in one hand. or maybe a glass of Schweppes. COmmander Whitehead would be perfect. You always assume it is the author, but who would know? In the second edition, you must include the classic classy author photo from his study room.

[Robert M. Martinelli]

Thumbs up for Merlin ( and a heart-felt "well done"! ).

I' m looking forward for reading Enzo's book about tube amp servicing/repairing, and I bet I'm not the only one! Enzo, don't let us down!

Cheers

Bob

[Enzo]

Sorry, forgot the Commander's picture.

[Daver]

I just got my copy today. I've gotten through the first two chapters. Very nicely written! I like the inclusion of the scope traces, too. It's a great refresher and nicely ties in how things relate to guitar amps. Good job, Merlin.
Dave

[martin manning]

After browsing for a couple of days I'm convinced this book will become a tube amp classic, if it isn't already! I'll learn a lot when I read it through carefully, I'm sure, and thanks for the many hours of hard work that must have been invested in it. For anyone on the steep part of the learning curve, I'd recommend buying this before you buy a RDH4, or TUT.

Good experience with Lulu, too. I don't know the details of how it works, but it seems like this "print on demand" thing will make publication of such hard-to-find material more viable.

So, Merlin, are you working on the companion volume that covers design of power supplies and power amps?

Cheers,

MPM

[Merlinb]

So, Merlin, are you working on the companion volume that covers design of power supplies and power amps?

You bet! I have been trawling the library basement for articles on power supplies. Some real treasure down there.

In the second edition, you must include the classic classy author photo from his study room.

I'll bare that in mind LOL!
I didn't know you were writing a book, I'll keep my internet-eyes open for it!

Thanks everyone for your kind words!

[Koreth]

Wow. If that one chapter is indicitive of the rest of the book, then I need include the money to purchase a copy in the budget. Just reading (partway, even!) through that one chapter over the past few days, and I understand more about what all the parts in an amp do, and why, than I've learned from examining schematics and skiming articles on tube amps for the parts that were not beyond my ken. From a n00b's perspective, I can definitely say this book is an invaluable resoure for someone wanting to undersand tube amplifiers.