Guitar Amplifier Overdrive
This book is about signals and circuits in tube guitar amplifiers. Pictures and descriptions create a visual tour that explains the overdrive behaviors of amplifier circuits. This presentation style helps a reader understand how over-driven tube circuits produce that magic tube-amp tone. The focus on overdrive circuit behaviors makes this book different from other amp books. Circuits in overdrive produce nonlinear and time-varying effects rarely discussed in other books. These effects are shown and discussed in detail. These effects are unique to tube amplifiers and understanding them is crucial to understanding what makes tube amps sound the way they do. Whether you're a novice or experienced builder, this book offers new insights and new ideas for achieving your tone goals.
This book is about signals and circuits in tube guitar amplifiers. Pictures and descriptions create a visual tour that explains the overdrive behaviors of amplifier circuits. This presentation style helps a reader understand how over-driven tube circuits produce that magic tube-amp tone. The focus on overdrive circuit behaviors makes this book different from other amp books. Circuits in overdrive produce nonlinear and time-varying effects rarely discussed in other books. These effects are shown and discussed in detail. These effects are unique to tube amplifiers and understanding them is crucial to understanding what makes tube amps sound the way they do. Whether you're a novice or experienced builder, this book offers new insights and new ideas for achieving your tone goals.
Check out - Evolution of an Overdrive Stage - a free supplement to the GAO book.
Check out - Evolution of an Overdrive Stage - a free supplement to the GAO book.
This page describes a novel OD stage design process illustrated with signals and playing clips.
This page describes a novel OD stage design process illustrated with signals and playing clips.
Author's Note: Several readers have asked me how the images and graphs in the book were created. All the images of waveforms, spectra, and transfer functions are measured in real circuits using the Tex TBS1052B digital oscilloscope, whose screen capture feature makes a "Visual Tour" book like this possible. Graphs were also plotted from real circuit measurements.
Author's Note: Several readers have asked me how the images and graphs in the book were created. All the images of waveforms, spectra, and transfer functions are measured in real circuits using the Tex TBS1052B digital oscilloscope, whose screen capture feature makes a "Visual Tour" book like this possible. Graphs were also plotted from real circuit measurements.
See a preview of the book here by clicking on the "preview" link under the cover photo.
See a preview of the book here by clicking on the "preview" link under the cover photo.
See a preview of the book here on Google Books.
See a preview of the book here on Google Books.
Also available here on Amazon.
Also available here on Amazon.
Download a short slide presentation that I use when I give talks introducing the topics in the book.
Download a short slide presentation that I use when I give talks introducing the topics in the book.
What others say about this book...
What others say about this book...
Merlin Blencowe wrote "It makes an excellent accompaniment to the more conventional amp design/analysis books like mine, Kuehnel's, and O'Connor's."
Merlin Blencowe wrote "It makes an excellent accompaniment to the more conventional amp design/analysis books like mine, Kuehnel's, and O'Connor's."
Read Merlin's complete comments here... http://www.ax84.com/bbs/dm.php?id=494677
Read Merlin's complete comments here... http://www.ax84.com/bbs/dm.php?id=494677
Most guitar players, in many genres of music, inevitably come to the conclusion that there is something special about tube amplifiers. They just sound and react in a way that is pleasing, both in tone and feel. This book is a result of the desire to understand and attempt to explain why this phenomenon exists. It explores the attributes of vacuum tubes outside of the typical linear specs. Exploring this helps us better understand where and why the tube amp “magic” happens. While still technical in nature, it is packed with circuits and graphs that make it a bit easier to see and understand what is going on with these glowing beauties. A must read for anyone with a technical interest in understanding why tube amps Rock!
Most guitar players, in many genres of music, inevitably come to the conclusion that there is something special about tube amplifiers. They just sound and react in a way that is pleasing, both in tone and feel. This book is a result of the desire to understand and attempt to explain why this phenomenon exists. It explores the attributes of vacuum tubes outside of the typical linear specs. Exploring this helps us better understand where and why the tube amp “magic” happens. While still technical in nature, it is packed with circuits and graphs that make it a bit easier to see and understand what is going on with these glowing beauties. A must read for anyone with a technical interest in understanding why tube amps Rock!
Jeff Bober
Jeff Bober
Founder, EAST Amplification
Founder, EAST Amplification
Co-Founder, Budda Amplification
Co-Founder, Budda Amplification
Founder, Precision Audio Tailoring
Founder, Precision Audio Tailoring
Author, Premier Guitar “Ask Amp Man”
Author, Premier Guitar “Ask Amp Man”
Most people know that vacuum tube guitar amps overdrive in a musical fashion, but how many people truly understand why? This book explains in great detail, complete with pictorials, just exactly what is going on when musical overdrive occurs in a tube guitar amplifier. “Tube Amplifier Overdrive” offers new information and perspectives on guitar amp circuits not found in other books, and it will advance your level of understanding of amp circuits to a higher level.
Most people know that vacuum tube guitar amps overdrive in a musical fashion, but how many people truly understand why? This book explains in great detail, complete with pictorials, just exactly what is going on when musical overdrive occurs in a tube guitar amplifier. “Tube Amplifier Overdrive” offers new information and perspectives on guitar amp circuits not found in other books, and it will advance your level of understanding of amp circuits to a higher level.
Gerald Weber
Gerald Weber
President of Kendrick Amplifiers
President of Kendrick Amplifiers
