Tube audio periodicals

[Strat-Man]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to the forum...Stumbled in by accident while looking into some guitar amp stuff. I'm glad I did! I'm a guitar-playing (tube amps, of course)-electrical-engineer-turned-cop who has been bitten by the DIY audio bug. Well, I've been given the green light by the wife, so I want to make hay while the sun shines.

So anyway, I was wondering, are there any tube audio and/or hi-fi magazines worth subscribing to (i.e. not just glossy photos of amps that cost more than a mint 1965 Shelby Cobra, reviewed by some guy who is paid to give it two enthusiastic thumbs up)?

And since I'm on the subject, what about books? I've searched the forum and seen the Morgan Jones offerings, but what else is there? A quick trip to amazon.com brings up a mind-boggling list of books, but certainly a lot of that is chaff. So what's the wheat?

This forum is great, and I greatly appreciate any help on the matter.

Thanks in advance,
Barry in Iowa, USA

 

[audiousername]

The Morgan Jones offerings are great (in fact I am holding "Valve Amplifiers" right now... ). Although, being an electrical engineer, the first chapter or so may not be so interesting... - Ohm's law, Kirchoff's laws and the like... Also of note, Morgan Jones' books are more targeted to hi-fi amplification. This is not to say they won't be relavent, just that the practical examples, in "Valve Amplifiers", are hi-fi amps.

There is some good information out there to be had for free on the internet (although probably as much bad information...)
- The "Tech Info" section of Aiken Amplification http://www.aikenamps.com/ would be of much interest for guitar amps
- Steve Bench's site is a wealth of information, from the basics to some quirky circuits that seem to have been forgotten by everyone else http://members.aol.com/sbench101/
- The TubeCad Journal (basically a web-magazine) is great, and highly recommended. It has recently been revived and is now updated regularly http://www.tubecad.com/

I'm sure there are others which I've forgotten.

On printed magazines and the like... I have absolutely no idea!

 

[Strat-Man]

audiousername,

Thanks for the reply. Perhaps I didn't make myself clear, and I apologize. Hi-fi, especially tube hi-fi, application magazines and books are precisely what I'm looking for.

Sorry for the impression that I was looking for guitar related circuits...I've already got that stuff covered.

Thanks again,
Barry

 

[cogsncogs]

@ Strat-Man

www.audioxpress.com/

Wayne

 

[audiousername]

Strat-Man,

Great! Well, it just shows that i didn't read your post carefully

AudioXpress/Glass Audio are one of few periodicals still being published which I know of. Others like "Sound Practices" have gone under!

Their website contains a tutorial series by Norman Crowhurst about designing a hi-fi amp which may be of interest http://www.audioxpress.com/resource/audioclass/

 

[Wodgy]

AudioXPress is usually interesting and worth the money, though they don't concentrate exclusively on tube gear.

 

[rfbrw]

Here is another periodical, a quarterly, http://www.vacuumtube.com
There is also the hard-to-get Japanese language only magazine, Musen to Jikken.

 

[planet10]

Others like "Sound Practices" have gone under!

It is worthwhile thou to contact Joe Roberts & get the CD with all 17 of the SP issues ($30 USD i believe). Mail me if you need Joe's email address.

dave

 

[Enzo]

Darn, I was hoping you wanted to talk guitar amps....

 

[cogsncogs]

AudioXPress is usually interesting and worth the money, though they don't concentrate exclusively on tube gear.

They combined three mags into one. Glass Audio, Audio Electronics and Speaker Builder. Wouldn't be without it!

Wayne

 

[Strat-Man]

Everyone,

Thanks for the replies, they're much appreciated!

And Enzo, we can talk guitar amps all day long if you like.

Barry

 

[Robert Morin]

Tubecad journal

Some of the BEST topology stuff around, any time any place.

http://www.tubecad.com/

Read on

Robert Morin