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Posted by gokhan 11/12/2025

How Tube Amplifiers Work(robrobinette.com)
157 points | 73 commentspage 2
AdamH12113 11/12/2025|
Tangential question: Does anyone know of a basic large-signal equation for a triode (or any other vacuum tube type) like the simplified Ebers-Moll equation for BJTs or the square law equations for the linear and saturation regions of a MOSFET? It would really help my understanding, but whenever I google it I only see academic papers, like it's a weird thing to search for.
bsder 11/12/2025||
The Koren equations are the only thing I've found.

"Improved vacuum tube models for SPICE simulations" https://normankoren.com/Audio/Tubemodspice_article.html

The intractability of the Triode is part of the reason why the Pentode exists. And, you will note, the Pentode curves in certain modes looks a lot like your bog standard MOSFET.

This also discusses how the "constants" ... well, aren't. https://www.john-a-harper.com/tubes201/

AdamH12113 11/13/2025||
That’s exactly what I’m looking for! Thank you very much!
analog31 11/12/2025|||
"All models are wrong, but some are useful." -- George Box

With that said, a N type JFET is not a bad start. The main rules of thumb work: The grid draws negligible current. The tube will pass enough current from plate to cathode, to maintain a roughly constant cathode voltage above the grid.

creeble 11/12/2025|||
If I understand them correctly, Ebers-Moll equations are based on the exponential relationship between voltage and current in a BJT.

But tubes aren't current amplifiers, they're voltage amplifiers, like FETs.

You can look at the "characteristics curves" of tubes (plate curves and transconductance curves), which tell the story of current against plate-to-cathode voltages for fixed grid voltages.

rerdavies 11/13/2025||
Vladimirescu, Andrei. The SPICE Book. John Wiley & Sons, 1994.

Gives overview equations for MOSFET device simulations which are probably sufficient for most purposes in Section 3.5, and COMPLETE mathematical descriptions of the SPICE MOSFET implementation in Appendix A.3. Not for the weak.

baylessj 11/14/2025||
Neat to see a Rob Robinette article pop up here, his website is a fantastic resource for guitar amp work. His articles on Amp Startup and Troubleshooting were particularly helpful when I built a tube amp for the first time. I hadn't heard of using an incandescent bulb as a current limiter in startup before, I was glad to have additional options for trying to make the troubleshooting process a bit safer given the high voltage involved.
dmitrygr 11/12/2025||
> WARNING: A tube amplifier chassis contains lethal high voltage even when unplugged--sometimes over 700 volts AC and 500 volts DC.

I promise you it does not contain AC when unplugged :)

bogomog 11/17/2025||
But capacitors may hold high voltage DC, if there's no path to discharge them.
kragen 11/13/2025||
Nope, probably not at all, and certainly not for very long.
creeble 11/12/2025||
Rob Robinette is a great guitar-amp resource; knows just about everything about Fender amps in particular. He has many mods to many common/not-so-common Fenders.

Just his list of 5E3 mods (Fender Deluxe) is awesome:

https://robrobinette.com/5e3_Modifications.htm

krbaccord94f 11/13/2025||
Tube amplifiers function using compression test or where voltage alternates into a unitary current.

A reversal, which occurs in the vaccum chamber compresses electrodes, tagging battery terminal from the +/- amplifier schema AC electricity is transformed.

TomMasz 11/13/2025||
Tubes are definitely inferior to transistors in a lot of ways, but nothing sounds like them (FETs come close). Plus, there's the comforting glow of those little glass bottles that just seems right.
bogomog 11/17/2025|
My favorite, kind of ironic, advantage of tubes over transistors is that it's easier to source replacements.
platevoltage 11/13/2025||
I definitely came across this website back when I was learning how to fix and build tube amps. Glad to see nothing has changed.
redm 11/12/2025||
This is an interesting topic, but the ads overlaying the content make this very hard to read :(

* Please don't suggest I install an Ad blocker.

kazinator 11/12/2025||
OK, have your {dad|fifth grader|IT manager} install an ad blocker.
metalman 11/12/2025|||
Ok, I suggest that you install the "Stoutner, privacy browser", which treats seeing text, as the default, with the ability to allow other content as optional, though certain sites that are still hand coded, show, as they always have....adds and all.
loloquwowndueo 11/12/2025|||
What ads? Install an ad blocker.
quantummagic 11/13/2025|||
Firefox Reader View is really great. Worth giving a try if you use Firefox.
1970-01-01 11/12/2025|||
Sorry, but adblock is a genuine quality of life hack for everyone online. Since you don't want to install anything, how about working at the DNS level and/or hosts level? https://adguard-dns.io/en/welcome.html will change your mind. https://github.com/Ultimate-Hosts-Blacklist is another option for doing it in the hosts file.
Night_Thastus 11/12/2025|||
Install an Ad blocker. I'd recommend uBlockOrigin on Firefox, or Firefox for mobile.

I mean just in general it makes the web less awful. Webpages are so much easier on the eyes without all the crap they try to stuff in there.

And it can prevent malware, especially for those less tech-inclined.

And it means you use less data/bandwidth, since the blocker prevents the request from ever being made in the first place.

If you want to support a site, just buy a subscription or donate to them or something.

pestatije 11/12/2025||
id never do it, but you could install an ad blocker
skopje 11/13/2025|
very good article! i am surprised how such simple circuit was used in the 5f1!