Hammond Mfg. Classic Transformers Enclosures. Or interested. in a travel back in time, to perhaps the peak of the radio era Download our. Catalog 6. 5, we even gave transformers their own names Transformer. Section 2. Catalog. The Tube Amp Book Pdf' title='The Tube Amp Book Pdf' />What is tone part 3Setting up your amp In this 4 part feature Im going to look at the grandest and most difficult topic of them all tone. Just what is toneWhat is a good tone and how do you achieve it Im sure there are as many answers to this as there are guitarists. In this third part of the feature, well look at amps. The Tube Amp Book Pdf' title='The Tube Amp Book Pdf' />Tabtight professional, free when you need it, VPN service. Fundamentals of Engineering Electronics, William Dow, 1937, 617 pages Courtesy of an anonymous donor. A very unassuming title for a 617page engineering bookWhich amps you should choose for your setup and how to get the tones you want. In the previous parts, weve looked at how we perceive tone and that tone is a very subjective experience. We also looked at the importance of choosing the right guitar not only for your technique and rig but also for inspiration to play and create music. Check out part 1 and part 2. Amps. People tend to prioritize guitars and a bunch of pedals and forget the importance of a good sounding amp. An instrument amplifier isnt just a box amplifying your playing. Choosing the right amp for your setup is crucial for getting the tones you want from your guitar and pedals. I strongly suggest that you buy a guitar and amp before you spend all your savings on pedals. This will ensure the best fundament for your tones and playing. Lets stick to tube amps. A tube amp consist of a pre amp section that takes the small signal from your guitar and amplifies it enough to drive the power amp section. Most amps allow you to manipulate the pre amp signal with a number of gain and EQ controls. The signal is then fed into the power amp, which gives the power to drive the speakers. The amp could either be a head with one or more speaker cabinets or a combo, with the amp section and speaker cab combined. My best tip is that you spend some time checking out different models. Bring your guitar to your local guitar store, check out reviews and You. Tube clips to get an idea on whats available. How will you be using the amp Are you mostly playing in your bedroom, a small studio, clubs or bigger venues Do you use a lot of pedals or are you more of a plug and play kind of guy Although fairly consistent with Hiwatts in his live rig, like most guitarists, Gilmour has always experimented with his recoding setups. Hes using the Hiwatt and WEM setup too but in recent years especially, hes often employed a wide range of smaller amps like the Hiwatt SA2. Fender Bassman, Twin and Princeton, GallienKrueger etc. All for getting the tones he needs for that particular song. Pl Sql Program For Sum Of N Numbers. Another great example is Brian May, who is well known for his wall of VOX amps on stage but many of his trademark solos were recorded with a small home made 1. Another tone freak, Billy Gibbons, swear by his Marshall JMP 1 rack units for recording. Wattage and size. Wattage doesnt necessarily say anything about how loud the amp is. The actual volume is a combination of many things, including the amps construction and design, the speakers and their output level, tubes and not least the frequency spectrum of the amp. We perceive sound differently and our ears will either enhance or compress certain frequencies and transients, making us believe a sound is either lower or higher than it really is. Also, a common misconception is that a 1. That may very well be, considering the points above, but technically, a 1. Likewise, size doesnt say much about how loud an amp is. A handbag sized ZT Club would surely blast a Marshall MA5. However, size and wattage do matter in terms of how the amp operates. In general I would say that for playing at home and studio recording, Id go for a 5 3. These are much easier to both tame and mic properly. A combo will also go nicely in smaller clubs but usually youd want something bigger like a 5. This will allow you to get a more balanced monitoring mixed with front stage monitors and youll also be more able to incorporate the huge tone into your playing with feedback effects etc. Speakers and cabinets. The speakers are perhaps the most important component in an amplifier. Im sure many will disagree but it is crucial for your tone that the speaker is able to correctly translate the signal coming from your guitar, pedals and amp. Although all speakers have the same basic design principle they differ in what components that are used and how these are tweaked in order to get a specific tone. Choosing speakers is a bit like buying a distortion pedal. Different models will have different impact on your tones. The rule of thumb is that low wattage speakers that approximately matches the amps wattage will distort earlier. This is common for a typical Marshall ish setup where you need to crank the shit out of the tubes and speakers to get that creamy distortion. High wattage speakers that exceed the amps wattage like a typical Hiwatt and Fane combination will give you much more headroom and a later break up. My best tip is that you experiment with different speakerscabinets and listen to how low VS high output speakers and speakers with different tonal character affect your overall tone. Personally, I prefer high wattage speakers with a distinct scooped mids tone. This allows me to have rich headroom and a transparent tone for my pedals. ALWAYS make sure that the speaker cab is matching the impedanceohm of your amp head ALWAYS make sure that the head is connected to a speaker cabDoing otherwise could seriously harm your amp Regardless of whether the amp is a combo or stack with a separate speaker cabinet different shapes, sizes and construction of the cabinet will have a dramatic effect on your tone. A closed back cabinet will often sound tighter and more focused while an open back cabinet will sound slightly darker and not as punchy but slightly more transparent. Straight cabinets are more directional while cabinets with a slanted upper half tend to sound bigger but not as focused. As with a guitar, the wood used in a cab will have an impact on the details and frequencies in your tone. This is really a topic of its own, so do some research if youre looking for a new amp or speaker cab. Tubes. Its not a question of if the tubes will need to be replaced but when. Some tubes will work for 1. Some tubes are defect from the manufacturer and could go any minute but its usually a combination of how hard you push the amp and how you treat it. Do also check the tubes in your new amp and consider replacing these if you want a slightly different tone. It may seem redundant but you do restring a new guitar with your preferred gauge and brand, dont you Replacing a tube is an easy operation you should learn how to do. On most amps its as easy as changing a light bulb. A power tube that doesnt work will usually blow the fuse. If this happen, I recommend that you replace both 5. This to ensure correct bias and a balanced tone. A pre amp tube that doesnt work usually goes microphonic. This is recognized by a vague high pitched ringing from the amp, even if the guitar is unplugged. Tap gently on the tubes with a wooden stick to determine which tube you need to replace. Dying tubes can also be recognized by a blue glow, very bright yellowred glow, white frosting inside the tube and a generally weaker tone with flat bass response and volume drop. Mind though, that this can also be signs of something far more severe. There are very few tube manufacturers left. Most tubes are made in Russia, Eastern Europe and China and rebranded and sold by others with licence. Personally, I find JJ Electronics to be the best match for my setup. These have a bit more headroom and a warm, smooth compression.