Book On Fender Amps

[MDMachiavelli]

Does any know a book that contains information about specs, collectability, and value of Fender Amps. I've looked and all I can seem to find is "coffee table" type books. If anyone has experience or opinion on a good book about Fender Amps please let me know. I'll even consider one that is about tube amps in general but really goes into depth about Fender Amps.

 

Thanks.

[WRGKMC]

 

Not sure how much detailed info books will have. Everything you can possibly need is on line for free.

Here's a few hard books I came up with. Some are what you'd call generic which cover all amps.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Fender-Amps-First-Fifty-Years/dp/0793537339

http://www.amazon.com/The-Soul-Tone-Celebrating-Fender/dp/0634056131

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/930795.The_Tube_Amp_Book

http://www.tonetronamps.com/index.html

http://www.mojotone.com/Accessories_x/Books_x/All-About-Vacuum-Tube-Guitar-Amplifiers-Book

 

https://www.bookdepository.com/Hunter-Dave-Guitar-AMP-Handbook-Understanding-Tube-Bam-Book-Dave-Hunter/9781480392885

 

 

There is a couple of good site that lists the amps historically and has schematics. Anything printed a a book would likely be sales related.

 

Leo took all of his amp designs directly from Radio handbooks back in the day. He wasn't an electronic tech, he just pulled the designs from basic tube amp designs, did a few mods to make them compatible for guitar and slapped them in heads and cabs. There's nothing that unique about the amps at all. Most manufacturers use the same circuits with minor tone stack changes to make them unique. There's only a hand fill of amplifier tubes that were made and the circuits couldn't vary that much and have those tubes function.

 

When CBS bought Fender they did allot of minor circuit mods to cut costs, especially with the changeover between black faced and silver faced amps. As they ran out of stock on parts they gradually switched over to CBS sources for those parts so the amps often had a mix of components.

They also tried many circuit mods to deal with issues they came across, some of them caused by the unique designs and some by the components being used. Some were just done just because they could be done with no logical reason but some engineer may have thought it was a good move.

 

Here's some of the better sites for specs. It includes the manufactures information and schematics. Don't know why you'd need a book for this info but you can print it out and make your own book.

 

http://www.thevintagesound.com/ffg/

 

Here's some history with links. http://www.fireybrosmusic.com/FENDER%20IMAGES/Fender%20Amp%20History-Wikopedia.pdf

 

 

 

 

[onelife]

I reccomend "The Tube Amp Book" by Aspen Pittman.

[MDMachiavelli]

Not sure how much detailed info books will have. Everything you can possibly need is on line for free.

Here's a few hard books I came up with. Some are what you'd call generic which cover all amps.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Fender-Amps-First-Fifty-Years/dp/0793537339

http://www.amazon.com/The-Soul-Tone-Celebrating-Fender/dp/0634056131

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/930795.The_Tube_Amp_Book

http://www.tonetronamps.com/index.html

http://www.mojotone.com/Accessories_x/Books_x/All-About-Vacuum-Tube-Guitar-Amplifiers-Book

 

https://www.bookdepository.com/Hunter-Dave-Guitar-AMP-Handbook-Understanding-Tube-Bam-Book-Dave-Hunter/9781480392885

 

 

There is a couple of good site that lists the amps historically and has schematics. Anything printed a a book would likely be sales related.

 

Leo took all of his amp designs directly from Radio handbooks back in the day. He wasn't an electronic tech, he just pulled the designs from basic tube amp designs, did a few mods to make them compatible for guitar and slapped them in heads and cabs. There's nothing that unique about the amps at all. Most manufacturers use the same circuits with minor tone stack changes to make them unique. There's only a hand fill of amplifier tubes that were made and the circuits couldn't vary that much and have those tubes function.

 

When CBS bought Fender they did allot of minor circuit mods to cut costs, especially with the changeover between black faced and silver faced amps. As they ran out of stock on parts they gradually switched over to CBS sources for those parts so the amps often had a mix of components.

They also tried many circuit mods to deal with issues they came across, some of them caused by the unique designs and some by the components being used. Some were just done just because they could be done with no logical reason but some engineer may have thought it was a good move.

 

Here's some of the better sites for specs. It includes the manufactures information and schematics. Don't know why you'd need a book for this info but you can print it out and make your own book.

 

http://www.thevintagesound.com/ffg/

 

Here's some history with links. http://www.fireybrosmusic.com/FENDER%20IMAGES/Fender%20Amp%20History-Wikopedia.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for responding. You always take the time to answer my questions (and do a god job of it) and I appreciate that.

 

 

That being said, I don't have a problem with getting my info from the internet I guess I just haven't seen anything that catches my attention. I'll look over the links you provided and see.

 

 

[Mikeo]

For pricing this might work. It's a paperback that comes out every fall or there abouts. Barnes and Noble should have it. They don't have everything in it, but they have a lot.

 

Might work for ya

[Phil O'Keefe]

I reccomend "The Tube Amp Book" by Aspen Pittman.

 

I'm on my third copy of that... I wore one copy out, and loaned one out that never returned... it's a true classic and essential for anyone who owns or works on tube amps.

 

Having said that, it doesn't really go into depth on vintage collectability and value... for that you'll need to look elsewhere. The Price Guide Mikeo mentioned, and the Guitar / Amp Bluebook might be good alternatives.

[MDMachiavelli]

 

I'm on my third copy of that... I wore one copy out, and loaned one out that never returned... it's a true classic and essential for anyone who owns or works on tube amps.

 

Having said that, it doesn't really go into depth on vintage collectability and value... for that you'll need to look elsewhere. The Price Guide Mikeo mentioned, and the Guitar / Amp Bluebook might be good alternatives.

 

I usually get a copy of the VG Price Guide, and I'm going to get a couple of the books mentioned. I appreciate everyone's input.

[Phil O'Keefe]

Did you have a specific amp in mind that you were looking for info on, or wanted to try to buy?

[MDMachiavelli]

Did you have a specific amp in mind that you were looking for info on' date=' or wanted to try to buy? [/quote']

 

I do, I'm thinking about a BF/SF Princeton Reverb.