Tech pages · Measurement
Long-form write-ups of real repair and design work — measured, not guessed. Every article stands on its own; most come with the math and the schematic.
Searches titles, topics and the full text of every article.
11 articles
Why cathode bias and fixed bias sound different has almost nothing to do with the Class A vs Class AB label most amps carry incorrectly — the real mechanism is self-regulation and idle current headroom.
How to read a guitar speaker's actual specifications — sensitivity, power handling, resonant frequency — and why sensitivity matters more than most players think.
How to measure a JFET's IDSS and pinch-off voltage with basic tools, then bias a common-source gain stage around the specific part you have rather than a datasheet typical.
How a tube amp's output transformer matches high plate impedance to a low speaker impedance, why a mismatch or an open circuit is dangerous, and how solid-state minimum-load ratings differ.
Equal-loudness contours explain why bass and treble both seem to disappear at low volume, why your EQ choices don't survive a volume change, and how to set tone controls honestly.
Guitar cable capacitance moves your pickup's resonant peak more than most pedals do. How it works, why pedalboard chains compound it, and what a buffer actually fixes.
Bias a fixed-bias push-pull tube amp accurately using output transformer resistance and voltage drop — no shunt measurement, no oscilloscope, and it reads true plate current.
A myth-busting guide to resistors, capacitors, diodes, transistors and ICs in guitar pedals — what each one really does to your tone, and where boutique parts stop mattering.
How amplifier power is really measured, why a cranked 100 W amp delivers close to 200 W, and why speaker sensitivity — not watts — decides which amp is louder.
How speaker impedance turns into frequency response through your amp's output impedance, why reactive loads still don't feel like a real cab, and the IR double-counting trap.
Why DC resistance doesn't equal pickup output, what inductance and capacitance actually do to your tone, and the resonance equation that connects all three.
