I often receive some variation of the question “Are you going to write a book?”. While the answer to this query is almost universally “no”, I thought I’d take the time to highlight what I think are some of the best books available on tube amplifier design and why I think so.

I do not mean to suggest that the books I recommend are the only books you should read. Rather I think that these are some of the best books available and, regardless of the size of your library, these are some that should definitely be on your book shelf; be it physical or virtual.

Basic

My recommendation for the basic category is actually two books. And this might surprise some people because they are strictly speaking, books about guitar amplifiers and not high fidelity amplifiers. These are “Guitar Amplifier Preamps”, 2nd edition and “Guitar Amplifier Power Amps” both written by Richard Kuehnel. Both of these books are out of print but can still be found with a little looking on-line.

These books discuss all the basic theory of tube amplifier design in terms accessible to virtually everyone. They site real world examples and how to analyze those designs. And they make great references for a good deal of topics. For the serious tube DIY builder these two books cannot be beat.

Even though the topics in these books are couched in terms of guitar amplifiers, the principles remain the same for high fidelity amplifiers. As a bonus, because they openly discuss distortion, its sources, and how it can be controlled these books provide a detailed look at a topic generally glossed over by books devoted to high fidelity amplifier design.

Note: It seems that as of 2020 these two books have been replaced by two new books by the same author “Guitar Amplifier Electronics: Basic Theory” and “Fundamentals of Guitar Amplifier System Design“. I have not reviewed either of the new books. However, if they are anything like the older pair, they are also a must have for your library.

Advanced

This recommendation should come as no surprise to anyone who’s has been following my site for a while. The one vacuum tube text that has served be better than any other is “Theory And Application Of Electron Tubes”, Herbert J. Reich, Ph.D., 2nd edition, 1944. As of this writing, this entire book is available via the Tubebooks.org archive. Here’s the link to the full 37MB PDF file. This is a full university level text book that covers an immense swath of information on electron tubes and their practical application. Physical copies of this text can also be found sometimes at on-line book sellers like Abe Books or Powell’s Books. Be patient when looking. Old books like this come and go on their own time.

This is an advanced text that assumes a basic level of understanding of both Electrical Engineering principles and introductory level calculus. However, don’t worry if you don’t have this level of technical background. I first discovered this book when I was 14 years old in my father’s basement. Even at that time I could glean enough excellent technical information from it to start me on a life long interest in vacuum tube circuits and design.

Conclusion

That’s it. It’s not a long list, and it doesn’t need to be. Some may notice that I have not included any of the more popular or commonly referenced contemporary tubes books here. And there’s a very good reason for that. I haven’t found any that I like nearly as well as those mentioned above. And at least a couple of the most common books are so bad, that I actively recommend that people don’t read them. Some even contain errors so egregious, or author opinions so unfounded, that they will hurt the average reader rather than help.

When people ask me about writing a book, my mind often thinks of these books I talk about above. And after thinking to myself for a while, I come to the conclusion that there is really little more I could offer in writing my own text. Also, a book by definition is a static entity. With my website, not only can I make my writing and designs available to all, I can also interact with readers and builders, answering questions, and constantly update my ideas.

So this is the path which I’ve chosen. As always, if you have any thoughts, questions, comments, or complaints, please let me know. Then everyone can benefit from our discussions.