Tube Guitar Amplifiers Volume 2: How to Repair, Modify & Build Guitar Amps

Volume 2 of the most complete and practical modern reference on tube guitar amplifiers

In Volume 1 we've laid the groundwork for more practical aspects of guitar amps that will be covered in this volume, namely amp troubleshooting & repair, modifications & improvements, and construction (building). Out of necessity, Volume 1 was a bit more theoretical of the two. Understanding operational principles and design & analysis tools is necessary to fully master the hands-on stuff, so you will know not only what should be done and how, but also why or why not.

The first two chapters of this volume deal with the final stages in the amplification chain, namely output transformers, loudspeakers, attenuators and headphone/line out circuitry.

Chapter 3 covers the basic troubleshooting and amplifier repair tools and methods.

Chapter 4 discusses practical wiring, soldering and circuit modification issues seldom or never mentioned in other books.

Although numerous circuit modifications and improvements have been dispersed throughout both volumes, chapters 5 and 6 cover two specific areas where mods are particularly effective and noticeable, namely in power supplies and in tone changes through simple changes such as tube and component substitutions.

Chapter 7 is a review and analysis of a few modern push-pull amplifiers such as Orange Tiny Terror, Jet City JCA20H, Fender Excelsior and Epiphone Electar Century. These case studies illustrate common issues and improvement options.

The DIY project section (last five chapters) will take you through a dozen or so unique amplifier designs, some single-ended, other of push-pull, using different preamp and less common output tubes, such as 12FQ8, 12A6, 5687, 12AU7, 6SN7, 6AR6, 6BX7, 6EM7, ECL86 and PL508. Of course, there are also designs and DIY projects with much loved favorites such as EL84, 6V6, 6L6, EL34, and 7027A.

Finally, we look at examples of vintage tube gear that already contain a tube amplifier inside and how to quickly and easily convert them into guitar amps.

This practical DIY manual is richly and professionally illustrated with photographs of tubes, components and amplifiers, circuit diagrams, tube pinouts, curves and loadlines, graphs and charts. These valuable illustrations make it faster and easier to comprehend issues, a picture is truly worth a thousand words! All the information required to design and build tube guitar amplifiers is compiled in one place.

Who is this book for?

-Guitar players wanting to learn how tubes and tube amplifiers work.

- DIY constructors who want to build, service or modify tube guitar amps.

- Buyers and sellers of tube guitar amps who need a better understanding of tube technology.

- Electronic technicians and engineers familiar with solid state devices and amps, who want to expand their knowledge of tubes and their circuits.

- Anyone who wants to learn how to design, build, test, fix, or upgrade tube guitar amps.

Contents of Volume 2:

- OUTPUT AND INTERSTAGE TRANSFORMERS FOR TUBE GUITAR AMPS

- LOUDSPEAKERS, OUTPUT ATTENUATORS & HEADPHONE CIRCUITS

- TROUBLESHOOTING AND REPAIRING TUBE GUITAR AMPLIFIERS

- WIRING, SOLDERING & MODIFICATION PRACTICES

- POWER SUPPLY MODIFICATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS

- TONE TWEAKS

- MODERN PUSH-PULL AMPS

- DIY PROJECTS: CONVERTING SOLID STATE GUITAR AMPS TO TUBES

- DIY PROJECTS: ULTRA-SMALL AMPS

- REBULDING COMMERCIAL AMPS IN A HANDWIRED (POINT-TO-POINT) FASHION

- DIY PROJECTS: QUIRKY & UNUSUAL DESIGNS

- CONVERTING VINTAGE TUBE GEAR INTO GUITAR AMPS