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Guitar Amplifier Handbook - Understanding Tube Amplifiers and Getting Great Sounds (Softcover)
 
 
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Guitar Amplifier Handbook - Understanding Tube Amplifiers and Getting Great Sounds (Softcover) [Paperback]

Dave Hunter (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
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Guitar Amplifier Handbook - Understanding Tube Amplifiers and Getting Great Sounds (Softcover) + Guitar Effects Pedals the Practical Handbook Book/CD (Softcover) + The Guitar Pickups Handbook
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Product Description

A guitar amp is as responsible for the actual sound of an electric guitar as the guitar itself. The Guitar Amp Handbook takes players — whether novice, experienced amateur, or professional — inside the amplifier to help them better understand the magic of that mysterious, often-neglected box that pumps out all the tone. This book guides guitarists in selecting the best amplifier for their style of music, and helps them set up that amp to sound its best, maintain and modify it, and ultimately to craft the most responsive instrument possible from this "other half" of the sound chain. Tutorials, parts lists, basic maintenance, and diagrams for building a small range of classic-style tube amps are included. Also featured are tricks for getting "loud" guitar sounds at home without waking the neighbors and tips on how to get the unit that best suits your sound and technique without overspending on unnecessary features.

About the Author

Dave Hunter, author of Guitar Effects Pedals, is an American musician and journalist who has worked in both Britain and the USA. His is a former editor of The Guitar Magazine (UK), has contributed to TV and radio documentaries, and has edited and contributed to books such as: Acoustic Guitars - The Illustrated Encyclopedia; The Tube Amp Book - Deluxe Revised Edition; Guitar - A Complete Guide for the Player; and Recording Guitar and Bass.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Backbeat Books (October 1, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 087930863X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0879308636
  • Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.4 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #42,540 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
    #39 in  Books > Entertainment > Music > Instruments & Performers > Guitar
    #55 in  Books > Entertainment > Music > Reference

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Dave Hunter
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
first preamp tube, tone stack, guitar amp circuits, output tube distortion, eyelet card, comp resistors, preamp tubes, eyelet board, triode stage, first gain stage, carbon comps, output tubes, tweed amps, amp builders, cathode biasing, cranked amp, vintage amps, reverb circuit, bypass cap, first triode, signal caps, rock amp, tube rectifier, speaker distortion, second gain stage
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Super Reverb, Fender Deluxe, Tone Tubby, Les Paul, Fender Bassman, Input And Preamp, Twin Reverb, Alnico Blue, Fender Champ, Eric Clapton, Everette Hull, Ken Fischer, Leo Fender, Matchless Lightning, Other Features, Air Brake, Aspen Pittman, Bass Master, Fender Princeton, Groove Tubes, Hot Plate, Orange Drops, Sprague Atom, Billy Gibbons, Jimi Hendrix
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Guitar Amplifier Handbook - Understanding Tube Amplifiers and Getting Great Sounds (Softcover)
87% buy the item featured on this page:
Guitar Amplifier Handbook - Understanding Tube Amplifiers and Getting Great Sounds (Softcover) by Dave Hunter Paperback 4.6 out of 5 stars (29)
$16.49
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The Guitar Player Repair Guide - 3rd (Book) by Dan Erlewine Paperback 4.6 out of 5 stars (34)
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Tube Guitar Amplifier Essentials (Book) by Gerald Weber Paperback 3.9 out of 5 stars (7)
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All About Vacuum Tube Guitar Amplifiers (Book) by Gerald Weber Paperback 4.4 out of 5 stars (5)
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Customer Reviews

29 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (29 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars another winner from Dave Hunter, November 22, 2005
By tim b "tb" (syracuse, ny) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Guitar Amplifier Handbook - Understanding Tube Amplifiers and Getting Great Sounds (Softcover) (Paperback)
Buy it! If you have any interest at all in how your guitar amplifier works, you need this book - I can't recommend it anymore than that! Dave has authored more books from Publisher Backbeat Books, and they're all killer productions - great/informative writing, superb binding, covers and great detail in the publishing aspects of these books.

Dave Hunter is well versed in all things guitar, as I have learned through buying and reading all of his works to date. He's got a unique book here in his approach and honesty on the subject, and it's worth every penny. Loaded with real world, no BS information - great sections on signal chain, components, how to select the right amp for you and at the end, a fully documented amplifier kit (which is now available through the publisher's website) which you can either buy direct, or put together with your own parts!

Highly recommended, and I highly recommend Dave's other books as well!
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a GREAT tube amp primer!, January 25, 2006
By Robi St. Antoine (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Guitar Amplifier Handbook - Understanding Tube Amplifiers and Getting Great Sounds (Softcover) (Paperback)
There are not a lot of books specifically about guitar tube amps, and while there are certainly some great texts out there, nobody had written a comprehensive, plain-english, yet technically in-depth resource explaining how all the different parts of a guitar tube amp add up to great tone... Until now. I think there are many people like myself who don't have any kind of engineering background (i.e.; no math) yet who have a deep interest in understanding exactly what makes their vintage amp tick, and who might just want to build one from scratch one day. This book is for us. Dave Hunter has done his homework and put together a manual that covers a great sampling of makes and types, explaining things that many of the other books assume you already know, and in a non-condescending manner. The Guitar Amp Handbook is from the same publisher that put out the latest edition of The Tube Amp Book by Aspen Pittman, and it is a perfect complement to that book which, while rich in schematics is pretty lacking in technical explanation... Actually, The Tube Amp book has a similar problem that plagues most existing tube amp books; it has great tips and tricks, but no real fundamentals. Dave Hunter has given us the foundation that will finally allow us to actually benefit from the other books.
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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars THIS BOOK DELIVERS ON IT'S PROMISE!, April 8, 2006
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Guitar Amplifier Handbook - Understanding Tube Amplifiers and Getting Great Sounds (Softcover) (Paperback)
When you are done reading this - you will understand tube-based (and let's face it those are the only kind any of us really care about) guitar amplifiers. Hunter writes clearly, and concisely, my only objection to his style is that he's a little bit too sympathetic to people's feelings. I'd rather he just apologize once for his opinions and level his criticisms.
But that's me.

I've been playing guitar for going on 30 years, and I managed to learn practical service information about tubes and controls as well as effects set up.

The great thing about this book is it will actually teach you how to build an amp! I haven't tried it as I've not got the money for the kit, but I feel more than encouraged by the clean layout and direct explanations.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good for basic, non-technical information.
Purchased this book on the recommendation of a guitar forum member who I trust. This book gives a very good basic description of the parts of a tube guitar amplifier amplifier and... Read more
Published 5 months ago by E. Taylor

4.0 out of 5 stars Next time, less subjective material - do a little research. please!
Dave Hunter certainly has his share of reiterated opinion in this book. I tire easily when forced to read the same thing said slightly differently three times in as many pages,... Read more
Published 5 months ago by James Lambert Nash

5.0 out of 5 stars Quite simply, this book got me started building amps!
I love this book, and refer to it frequently. It's an excellent first book on tube amps for the non-technical user, which is what most guitarists are. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Apierion

5.0 out of 5 stars geek out!
This is a pretty good book, the reading is good and it is laid out in a way that I can learn something from the ground up. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Vance Bergeson

4.0 out of 5 stars Guitar Amp Handbook review...
Very clear and helpful. A little more background than technical information, but great for beginners.
Published 6 months ago by Sarah J. Morse

5.0 out of 5 stars Great!
Every unique chapter in this book is fantastic! It's like having a starter library all in one book. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Radhibillah

5.0 out of 5 stars The Guitar Amp Handbook
Great book. With it, I'll learn all I have to know in order to build an amp.
Published 16 months ago by Herbert Dacres

5.0 out of 5 stars You need this book if you play electric guitar!
My first amp was a small tube amp built into the case of my guitar--good ole' Silvertone. As long as that amp powered up when I hit the "on switch" I wasn't all that concerned... Read more
Published 18 months ago by K. Ebaugh

5.0 out of 5 stars More of an introduction, really
This is a great book, especially for people who are just starting to learn about tube amplifiers. It explains exactly how a tube amp works; the signal chain and its components... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Zelie Nic

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for Beginners
This was a great book for beginners. Had the perfect amount of detail. Never went too far in depth as to lose the reader. Read more
Published 21 months ago by B. Anderson

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