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By
Kevin O'Connor, ©1995, ISBN 0-9698-6080-3
368
pages, 8½" x 11", spiral bound with clear protective covers;
395 figures (schematic diagrams)
View
the Table of Contents
Read
a magazine review of the TUT series
The Ultimate Tone
has become an industry standard since its release in 1995.
The
Ultimate Tone offers the technician or hobbyist
a wide information base for properly implementing guitar
amplifier modifications. Sonic perceptions and stage setups
are analyzed to demonstrate how optimal sound can be obtained
from existing equipment. A survey of amplifier brands follows,
with an eye toward ease of modification and service. Basic
vacuum tube operation is clearly presented, as are power
supply principles. Preamp circuits and master volumes are
explored with a discussion of guitar sustain and interactions,
for clean and distorted tones. Power amplifiers are investigated,
and power tubes are explored regarding choice of tubes,
relative reliabilities of tube types, the relevance of tube
matching, and the sonic impact of each tube type. Methods
of improving reliability are presented. Tube and solid-state
effects loops and reverb loops are investigated, with relative
performance issues highlighted.
An extensive
discussion of switching methods is presented, a subject
which is rarely explored with regard to guitar systems.
Channel, reverb, effects, lead boost, mute and speaker switching
are explored. Foot-switch controllers with and without LEDS
are detailed, with an eye to multiple controllers for larger
stages.
Tube
data is provided for the seventeen most common types used
in guitar amplifiers, with pin-outs for nine less common
numbers.
Replacement
transformer data is provided for the two Hammond Mfg. model
lines which cover most guitar applications.
The
intended reader must be able to work from a schematic.
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