Hi John,

There is a big difference between being educated and being smart. Of all the programs and courses I took in my life, I've learned one important skill, and that's the ability learn.

Over the years you develop a method of assimilating information, a method of finding the simple in the complex. Same applies when we talk about amps. You pull out the chassis, and there is bunch of components connected by a plethora of wires. But that complicated maze ( as it would seem to a novice) is actually made up of many smaller, and simpler circuits.

I like to use the black box paradigm, where you treat the unknown as a black box. The functionality of that box is determined by observing what goes in and what comes out. A good example would be your car. You may not know the intricacies of the engine, but you do know from experience that when you press the accelerator pedal, your engine will rev up.

Most tube amps follow basically the same design, with some alterations in the tube biasing and tone stacks. So by observation, with the right components, you can build your own amp.

I do agree with Billy that tube amps are easier to service than solid state amps. And its for the simple reason that there is a lot less intergration. Troubleshooting circuits which use a lot of intergrated circuits are more of a challenge, especially if you don't have a schematic.

John, I'm just curious, what did you mean by: Doug is my BIL ?

Keep on picking...

Izzy