cool book recommendation

[jdub]

Outside of musical interests, I am a librarian by profession and like to keep my eyes out for interesting stuff pertaining to music and DIY stuff.  Today a new book came in to my library that might be of interest to the novice and intermediate builders here.  It's called Teardowns: Learn How Electronics Work by Taking Them Apart by Bryan Bergeron (an editor at Nuts & Volts magazine).  Basically, the author takes common electronic devices (like a smoke alarm, digital scale, CFL etc.), tears 'em apart step-by-step, identifies & explains the components and gives a detailed explanation of how the thing works.  The cool thing for the folks here is that there is a section of the book on musical electronics, which includes chapters on an electric guitar (a tele), effects device (Distortion +) and vacuum tube amplifier (Fender Champ).  An earlier chapter also covers a stereo power amp.  While the book isn't exclusively about FX, and the info is relatively basic, those wanting step-by-step explanations of circuits as a means of understanding how electronics in stompboxes etc. work might find it interesting. Should be available through most local public libraries.

Anyway, just thought I'd throw that out there.  

[Mark Hammer]

Back in the day, when there were more electronics magazines to choose from, and when more of the project articles were analog, it was common practice for just about every construction article to step you through the entire circuit from start to finish, and tell you what each little segment of it did.

I think for a great many of us, those circuit walkthroughs in Popular Electronics, Radio Electronics, Electronics Today, Elektor, and similar, provided much of our training.  While those types of articles have declined over the last decade, happily books of the sort you recommend are filling the gap.

[twabelljr]

every construction article to step you through the entire circuit from start to finish, and tell you what each little segment of it did.

That is what I like about the Craig Anderton books. Each project has the "How it Works" section that explains how each project works from input to output. Learned ALOT from reading over and over, tracing my way through the schematics. Then I eventually found my way to this site....ahhhh. I have taken tons of stuff apart. Fixed some, used others for salvage. Sounds like a good book to check out. No pun intended 

[jdub]

Nice 

[jimmybjj]

Outside of musical interests, I am a librarian by profession and like to keep my eyes out for interesting stuff pertaining to music and DIY stuff.  Today a new book came in to my library that might be of interest to the novice and intermediate builders here.  It's called Teardowns: Learn How Electronics Work by Taking Them Apart by Bryan Bergeron (an editor at Nuts & Volts magazine).  Basically, the author takes common electronic devices (like a smoke alarm, digital scale, CFL etc.), tears 'em apart step-by-step, identifies & explains the components and gives a detailed explanation of how the thing works.  The cool thing for the folks here is that there is a section of the book on musical electronics, which includes chapters on an electric guitar (a tele), effects device (Distortion +) and vacuum tube amplifier (Fender Champ).  An earlier chapter also covers a stereo power amp.  While the book isn't exclusively about FX, and the info is relatively basic, those wanting step-by-step explanations of circuits as a means of understanding how electronics in stompboxes etc. work might find it interesting. Should be available through most local public libraries.

Anyway, just thought I'd throw that out there.  

cool, thanks exactly what I was looking for. it's in my cart now.

[jimmybjj]

Back in the day, when there were more electronics magazines to choose from, and when more of the project articles were analog, it was common practice for just about every construction article to step you through the entire circuit from start to finish, and tell you what each little segment of it did.

I think for a great many of us, those circuit walkthroughs in Popular Electronics, Radio Electronics, Electronics Today, Elektor, and similar, provided much of our training.  While those types of articles have declined over the last decade, happily books of the sort you recommend are filling the gap.

are any of these magazines still  available? I would subscribe today.

[defaced]

Nuts and Volts is of this vein, but I don't remember the writing style or if it goes way into detail about the circuit.  I'd check it out before subscribing. 

[Mark Hammer]

are any of these magazines still  available? I would subscribe today.

Elektor is still available, but is more digitally oriented in the past 20 years.  Everyday Practical Electronics isn't bad, but doesn't have as many audio-related projects as other magazines did in the 70's.  Nuts and Volts also has the walkthroughs, and has stuff from  "our very own" Steve Daniels from time to time, in addition to Thomas Henry.  But again, the golden age of one or two audio projects i every issue is long gone.

[twabelljr]

http://hammer.ampage.org/
Don't forget the 12 issues of "Device" starting on page 10 that Mr. Hammer was nice enough to share with us. They are very interesting if you haven't already discovered them. Don't just start on page 10 of course, the whole site is amazing.