Hugo Gernsback - Amp Builder's Guide
Hugo Gernsback is best known for inventing the phrase "Science Fiction". He started publishing SF stories in his electronics magazines in the 1920s. He spent his lifetime making science and electronics easy for beginners and whole generations of amplifier builders have used his easy introductions to get started.

I found his reprint of Amplifier's Builder's Guide online. It is a short booklet that gives the basics of Amplifier design. It also gives several easy amps to build. If you want to build your own amps, then this little booklet is where to start.

Download it and print it out today. It's free! 
¶ Friday, August 31, 2007 0 Comments

  Laboga - Guitar amplifiers
Billy "Harp" Hamilton, who is gigging in Slovakia these days (Central Europe is the new Chicago!), turned me on to these Polish made amps that he says sound great. Looking at the specs, you can see that there is some great potential there. They have to be loud mothers with those tube lineups.

Billy, by the way, has lost his Green Bullet and is not that happy with the new Blues Blaster and doesn't want to play through the PA. If anyone around Bratislava has a good harp mic that he wants to sell cheap, you should contact Billy through his web page.

Laboga - Guitar amplifiers

 
¶ Thursday, August 30, 2007 0 Comments

  Guitar Amp and Effects Schematics Archive
I bought a CD of amp schematics at a flea market about 10 years ago and I've been using it ever since. The schematics were probably originally stolen from Schematics Heaven, but the last time I looked they were down. I just copied the files to my hard drive, wrapped some html around them and set them here. I hope someone finds them useful.

Guitar Amp and Effects Schematics Archive 
¶ Wednesday, August 15, 2007 2 Comments

  Samson - Zoom - H2
A while ago I borrowed a Samson Zoom H4 for some recording and I did not want to give it back. The zoom works very well and is the best low end professional recorder for the price. It could record 4 tracks, although I was recording in stereo (I was making a demo CD for a friend's band).

I just saw where Samson is coming out this August with a stereo version of the Zoom H4 called the Samson Zoom H2. This is a great recorder for most purposes. The best thing is the price. The H4 is available for around $300 or a bit less most places. The Zoom H2 is already advertised at $199 and as low as $180 at one place. I expect that it will go even lower by the end of the year.

Why do I need this? I can think of a number of reasons. It is easier to use and has more storage than a mini-disc or a tape recorder. There is no tape hiss. It stores files as MP3 or WAV files so if you want to edit your music with Garage Band or Audacity, there is no messing with cables and transferring to digital media. It has a high quality microphones built in, not like the crappy little overly compressed mics in most tape recorders. You can still use a studio mic and mixer with it if you want. It is perfect for practicing. You can record yourself and then play back right away to critique your playing.

A few years ago I searched for a good digital media recorder and couldn't find one. Now there are a dozen priced at about $1000. The Zoom H2 is the first professional quality recorder that is priced so that even cash strapped musicians can consider buying one.


Samson - Zoom - H2 
¶ Wednesday, August 01, 2007 1 Comments