Hello everyone,
Just wanted to introduce myself. I recently found an old McIntosh tube that was my grandfathers. I don't want to turn it on because I am afraid it will torch it, so I am going to send it in.
But in the mean time, it got me to think about these tube amps alot. They seem very very cool to look at, and I feel like it would be a lot of fun to build one in my free time.
Do any of you know a good book that talks you through the build of one. with schematics, how to read them etc.
I am talking very basic.
I did take EE in college as a computer science major. But we mostly dealt with microprocessor design. So although I am familiar with looking at an electrical schcematic its been eyons since then, so I would want a build your own tube amp for dummies book.
Sorry if this has been answered on here somewhere but I couldn't find it in the search..
Also what would you recomend as a kit?
Cheers.
Just wanted to introduce myself. I recently found an old McIntosh tube that was my grandfathers. I don't want to turn it on because I am afraid it will torch it, so I am going to send it in.
But in the mean time, it got me to think about these tube amps alot. They seem very very cool to look at, and I feel like it would be a lot of fun to build one in my free time.
Do any of you know a good book that talks you through the build of one. with schematics, how to read them etc.
I am talking very basic.
I did take EE in college as a computer science major. But we mostly dealt with microprocessor design. So although I am familiar with looking at an electrical schcematic its been eyons since then, so I would want a build your own tube amp for dummies book.
Sorry if this has been answered on here somewhere but I couldn't find it in the search..
Also what would you recomend as a kit?
Cheers.
Perhaps the joke is lost on me, but I have to disagree with above statement.
Morgan Jones' Valve Amplifiers (4th edition is just out) is actually a good read - even for someone who has a background in electronics. I skipped the first few chapters that explain how basic components work and jumped in at the description of how tubes work. I got quite a bit out of it. I have the 3rd edition and am considering buying the 4th when it becomes available.
I also find that you can get a lot of information from this forum. But as with any other forum, there're people who know their stuff and people who think they do. And people who communicate in a style that you like and people who don't. If you watch the forum for a while you'll develop your own favorites.
You can also get a lot of information on-line. Here for example.
Pete Millett also has quite an extensive technical book collection on-line: http://tubebooks.org/
~Tom
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As Mentioned, Morgan Jones Valve Amplifiers 3rd ed or 4th ed (when it comes out-any minute)....and "Building Valve Amplifiers" The first book is more design/theory, the second one is more construction and testing.
If you want a book that is a bit more beginner, Bruce Rosenblit's "Beginner's Guide to Tube Audio Design"
http://www.amazon.com/Beginners-Gui...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326554975&sr=1-1
Here is free web based educational stuff from Turner Audio as well......
education+diy
If you want a book that is a bit more beginner, Bruce Rosenblit's "Beginner's Guide to Tube Audio Design"
http://www.amazon.com/Beginners-Gui...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326554975&sr=1-1
Here is free web based educational stuff from Turner Audio as well......
education+diy
OK, let me add my $.02....
If you want an all enclusive Kit then go here.
Untitled
Not a great amp, but a place to start. After you get it glowing, and you read
a book or two, it can be modded.
A better amp is from Tubelab on this forum.
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/tubelab/148694-tubelab-simple-p-p.html
Simple P-P Manual
Much less (read that as no hand holding) hand holding but a much better amp. The forum will answer any questions you may have.
Good luck and may the tube be with you.
If you want an all enclusive Kit then go here.
Untitled
Not a great amp, but a place to start. After you get it glowing, and you read
a book or two, it can be modded.
A better amp is from Tubelab on this forum.
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/tubelab/148694-tubelab-simple-p-p.html
Simple P-P Manual
Much less (read that as no hand holding) hand holding but a much better amp. The forum will answer any questions you may have.
Good luck and may the tube be with you.
+1 on all of the above.
Morgan Jones' V.A. book makes an attempt at being a beginner's book by including some electronics basics at the beginning but he makes very little attempt to keep things simple or progressive after that. He's an engineer and uses an academic writing style that I find unappealing and thus distracting. I would consider V.A. to be more of an important reference book (a how/why encyclopedia of sorts) to keep handy when you want to better understand how a specific topic should be properly implemented. Get this book, certainly, but don't expect to learn the basics from it unless you're already into electronics.
I've found some great (and free) reads from Pete Millets archive (listed above). For example, Norman Crowhurst's books are extremely well written and easily digested.
..Todd
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Thanks for all of the great information. Particularly the info on those starter kits. And your opinions on the books. I think some of the best info always comes from people who share similar interests. I just like to take things slow, study, read, then make a decision. It looks like its going to be a perfect hobby for me to start on. However, I was leery of dumping thousands of dollars into it before understanding if I even enjoy it. My plan is to build a basic one first. Then move on from there.
I have an extra set of Klipsch SF-1's sitting around that are pretty efficient. I "think" they will work. If not, I guess a DIY loudspeaker would be next. What are your thoughts?
I have an extra set of Klipsch SF-1's sitting around that are pretty efficient. I "think" they will work. If not, I guess a DIY loudspeaker would be next. What are your thoughts?
Audio Reality is a great book by Bruce Rozenblit. I took it out from my local library and read it. Lots of tube projects in it.
Highly recommended.
Audio Reality
It maybe hard to find, you might have to get the pdf version.
Highly recommended.
Audio Reality
It maybe hard to find, you might have to get the pdf version.
Agree with all until the end. My impression was that he was pretty clear about opinion vs. accepted wisdom. Could you give me an example?
Some might be disappointed that he doesn't fly off into the land of mysticism, flowery descriptions, and pseudophysics.
Thinking of MJ the best single term to describe him IMO: authentic (apart from his knowledge of course).
Every time I read his books I see him in front of me doing a lecture at one of the Triode Festivals.
Hope he will be there again next time (like a bunch of yanks...).
I think he is overly critical of the Mullard 5-20. He is mainly concerned by the driving capability of the phase splitter and the HF rolloff here, yet says nothing about the lower rolloff from the compensation network in V1 anode. On the other hand he misses one of the main snags with this circuit: the phase splitter needs V1 anode to be kept within a fairly close range of quiescent voltage so that the ECC83 is not pushed too near either grid cutoff or grid current.SY said:
I wouldn't want to put people off buying his book. I have v2 and v3, and awaiting your review of v4 with interest.
I spent last night reading the tubelab simple p-p manual. I believe that that is going to be my first kit. i am working on setting up the parts lists, to find out how much its going to cost me. I do have one question though, and that is the power supply.
Can someone explain that to me? Thanks.
Can someone explain that to me? Thanks.
ElCid79,
pretty much exactly a year ago, I was in the same position as you are now. I was talking over beer with a musician friend (he's the musician, I can only 'play' CD...) about music and amplifiers and when he said he would loooove to have a tube amp, I said "I'll build you one". My mouth is still faster than my brain after all these years...
Now, you've got to understand that although at age 14 I started taking apart everything that had a power cord and had fixed a fair share of tube equipment in the years following, I had no formal training other than a school class or two on basic electronics.
So I found this forum, asked the same questions and got some very good advice. I ended up building the proven Tubelab SSE design with the board George sells. Ideal decision for me, I think. The instructions are very well written and VERY detailed and there is plenty of discussion on his site on which tubes and transformers work with his design. And there is a specific vendor sub-forum here for tubelab.
My strongest recommendation about good reading material: Read the thread on electrical safety here (and on tubelab.com), read it again, and then read it once more. Internalize and respect it. After having gained a couple of years since my teenage experiments and reading up on what it REALLY is about, I am really surprised I survived.... and I am not even joking. The SSE runs with a B+ of about 450VDC and I spent half the build time on making sure everything metal is properly grounded, given that I handed this over to my friend.
A year later, I built two more of Tubelab's SE amps with great success and a lot learned in the process (like, if it says 100K for a resistor, it's 100K and not 100R, can you hear it!?...). And I read MJ's book, which was a great refresher on the basics and a good intro to tube theory.
After a short diversion into the field of speaker building (Frugel-Horn), my next project will likely be a hand-wired amp of sorts.
Oh, and my musician friend relegated his high-end Denon SS amp to the basement after hearing the little amp that could (12AT7, EL34, UBT-2 OPT, ~6W). If you are curious how it turned out: Zenfolio | Stefan Sievert | SimpleSE
Anyway, sorry for the lengthy rant... GOOD LUCK, you will love the trip!!!
Have a great weekend everybody,
Stefan
pretty much exactly a year ago, I was in the same position as you are now. I was talking over beer with a musician friend (he's the musician, I can only 'play' CD...) about music and amplifiers and when he said he would loooove to have a tube amp, I said "I'll build you one". My mouth is still faster than my brain after all these years...
Now, you've got to understand that although at age 14 I started taking apart everything that had a power cord and had fixed a fair share of tube equipment in the years following, I had no formal training other than a school class or two on basic electronics.
So I found this forum, asked the same questions and got some very good advice. I ended up building the proven Tubelab SSE design with the board George sells. Ideal decision for me, I think. The instructions are very well written and VERY detailed and there is plenty of discussion on his site on which tubes and transformers work with his design. And there is a specific vendor sub-forum here for tubelab.
My strongest recommendation about good reading material: Read the thread on electrical safety here (and on tubelab.com), read it again, and then read it once more. Internalize and respect it. After having gained a couple of years since my teenage experiments and reading up on what it REALLY is about, I am really surprised I survived.... and I am not even joking. The SSE runs with a B+ of about 450VDC and I spent half the build time on making sure everything metal is properly grounded, given that I handed this over to my friend.
A year later, I built two more of Tubelab's SE amps with great success and a lot learned in the process (like, if it says 100K for a resistor, it's 100K and not 100R, can you hear it!?...). And I read MJ's book, which was a great refresher on the basics and a good intro to tube theory.
After a short diversion into the field of speaker building (Frugel-Horn), my next project will likely be a hand-wired amp of sorts.
Oh, and my musician friend relegated his high-end Denon SS amp to the basement after hearing the little amp that could (12AT7, EL34, UBT-2 OPT, ~6W). If you are curious how it turned out: Zenfolio | Stefan Sievert | SimpleSE
Anyway, sorry for the lengthy rant... GOOD LUCK, you will love the trip!!!
Have a great weekend everybody,
Stefan
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