[Andy S]

One of the Books I have is "The Guitar Amp Handbook, Understanding Tube amplifiers and getting great sounds" by Dave Hunter.

The other is, "The Tube Amp Book by Aspen Pittman. He is the founder of Groove Tubes.

OK, after reading and rereading "The Guitar amp Handbook" section on Operation classes, the Class A is usually a smaller amp. It is always a single ended amp. The output section is always "on", that is, in AB mode, there is one point where the circuit comes to a point where one section essentially stops working, just for a split second. It makes for a more efficient amp.

It seems it is mostly both authors have an issue with manufacturers stating an amp is Class A even if it is AB but runs in a mode that has both halves operating without shutting down. Thus, a person can probably say it is "Near Class A" operation.

What I find really cool, is that there have been a bunch of small, actual class A amps made recently, for NOT huge amounts of money, that can put out some really good tone.

In my case, anything loud enough to bleed through the floor of the family room from the basement, is too loud and would get the occupants from the family room stomping there feet. Not in time to what I'm playing, but as a signal to cease & desist!! HA!

Well, the big game is starting, I'm out of here!!

Oh yeh, I'd recommend either of the books if you are interested in amps. The Tube Amp book is a lot of history on amps in the first half.

The second half is all technical stuff. Quite detailed.

In the "Handbook", he gets in some details but explains it in laymen terms. So you can get an understanding of what happens. There are also some neat interviews with founders of some of the "Boutique" amp companies and how they started in the biz.

Well, it's time for the kickoff, gotta go!!

Andy S.