Books

Guitar Amplifier Electronics: Fender Bassman
by Richard Kuehnel
Fender designed the Bassman in 1952 to be an amplifier for its new Precision Bass. The amp had a 15-inch speaker with a closed back and used a pair of 5881 beam power tetrodes for lots of volume. Throughout the decade it would be modified and improved until culminating in the model 5F6-A.
$48.95
Guitar Amplifier Electronics: Soldano SLO
When Mike Soldano designed the SLO-100 in 1987 he had no idea that it would transform the guitar amplifier industry, becoming one of the most iconic amps of all time. As we all know now, the SLO became a big hit, particularly in the heavy metal community, backing bands like Dokken, Ratt, and Dio. At Wacken Open Air it is perhaps the ultimate rig-of-death. This book examines a circa 1996 version of the SLO-100 with an effects loop. The preamp's cascading-gain architecture requires several triodes to implement, but each is dedicated to a pivotal role in the signal chain. With only two channels and a simple switching mechanism, the SLO has a surprisingly compact architecture for creating such a rich palette of tones.
$46.55