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Amplifier & Effect Pedal Courses

PHOTO GALLERY

Upcoming Classes: 

Spring 2012  

Basic Electronics Theory - February 24, 2012 

Vacuum Tube Amp Class - TBA

Effect Pedal Class - TBA 

Classes meet on Fridays - 6pm - 9pm and Saturdays 9am - 5pm 

REGISTRATION FORM CLICK HERE

Basic Electronics Theory                                                      (1 weekend, $200)

  The Roberto-Venn Basic Electronics Theory course will prepare the student to take the advanced Vacuum Tube Amplifier Theory and Effect Pedal Theory courses.  Basic Electronics Theory will cover the basic principles of direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) circuit analysis including Ohm’s Law, and the analysis of series and parallel circuits using resistors, capacitors and inductors. 

  This class is a prerequisite to both the amplifier and effect pedal classes.

  Vacuum Tube Amplifier                                                      (8 weekends, $1650)

  This class covers vacuum tube electronics and a detailed theory of operation of vacuum tube amplifiers.  The student will build a 12-watt self-biased push pull amplifier with three 12AX7 preamplifier tubes and two EL-84 power amplifier tubes.  Theory will be covered during Friday night lectures.  Construction will occur during Saturday laboratories.  The price of the class includes the class text book and all materials to build the amplifier minus the head cabinet.  A head cabinet may be purchased or built as an option at additional cost outside of scheduled class time.  An external speaker cabinet is required. 

  Effect Pedals                                                                          (4 weekends, $750)

  This class covers semiconductor electronics and a theory of operation of several classic solid state distortion pedals.  The student will build a custom distortion pedal using bipolar junction transistors and operational amplifiers.  Theory will be covered during Friday night lectures.  Bread boarding and construction will occur during Saturday laboratories.  The price of the class includes the class text book and all materials to build the pedal.  The vacuum tube preamplifier class is a recommended prerequisite but not required.

Student Supplied Tool List

1. 25 – 40 watt soldering iron.  Adjustable temperature recommended
2. Soldering iron stand (no loose soldering irons allowed on benches)
3. Soldering iron tip cleaner, wire brush, copper kitchen scrubbing pad
4. 63:37 Sb:Pb (tin:lead) rosin core solder  (NO LEAD FREE SOLDER!)
5. Small electrical wire cutters
6. Small needle nose pliers
7. Small flat file for deburring aluminum chassis
8. Interchangeable Phillips/Flat screwdriver (#2 Phillips)
9. Small crescent wrench
10. Hand drill (required for amplifier and pedal chassis work)
11. Drill bit kit
12. Step drill bit
13. Digital multi-meter
1. Auto-ranging preferred but not required
2. Capable of AC voltages up to 1000 volts
3. Capable of DC voltages up to 600 volts
4. Capable of reading resistance
5. Ability to read capacitance preferred but not required
6. Digital readout.  NO D’Arsenval (moving needle) volt-ohm meters!

Jim Kramer – instructor bio:  (Jim begins his 8^th year of teaching this course at R-V)

Jim Kramer is an electronics test engineer with more than twenty-five years in the industry.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Ottawa University.  He specializes in radio frequency test and measurement at all levels from wafer fabrication to space craft payloads.  He has worked for such companies as Qualcomm, Intel, Hewlett-Packard and Motorola.  He currently manages a small test engineering organization at Viasat in Gilbert, Arizona.  He was trained on vacuum tube electronics in the United States Marine Corps where he worked on air traffic control radar systems that still contained tubes and discrete transistors as late as the 1970’s. 

Jim is a trained musician with both a jazz and classical background.  He studied music at Scottsdale and Mesa Community Colleges in Arizona where he played upright bass and trumpet in various jazz ensembles and violin in orchestra.  He also played ‘cello with the Mesa Metropolitan Orchestra under Maestro Ladislav Prcik.  He continues to play upright bass in various small jazz and country-folk music combos.  His favorite guitars are the Gibson ES-175 and J-45.  He loves JJ vacuum tubes because they are named after his hero, J. J. Thompson, who discovered the electron.

NOTE: The Electronics Course is not currently licensed or accredited therefore, financial aid cannot be 

used to pay for tuition and or materials related to this course.

A few words about safety: Students will be working with potentially fatal high voltages. Proper safety and test techniques will be emphasized at every step of the building and testing process. All high voltage testing will be done under the supervision of the instructor. However, each participant must accept personal responsibility for their own safety. All participants will be required to sign a liability release before attending.

Jim at the board explaining amplifier gain

The class is taught by Jim Kramer. Jim Kramer is an adjunct Roberto-Venn faculty member with more than twenty years experience in the electronics industry. He holds a BA degree in mathematics from Ottawa University.

 

These are a pair of amps built by Jim Kramer. (Guitar built by Don Windham)
	No, that isn't Fidel with some infernal device! It's only Mike, trying to figure out what goes where...
Joe Vallee, with the quintessential repairman's probe: a chopstick!

 

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