AndrewCE Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 What college major would be best for someone aspiring to design guitar electronics, amps, and stompboxes for a living? Is it electrical engineering? Or audio engineering? P.S. My college doesnt have any "audio engineering." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fookgub Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 What college major would be best for someone aspiring to design guitar electronics, amps, and stompboxes for a living? EE would give you the tools you need to learn this stuff, but programs that actually teach it as part of the curriculum are few and far between. Best thing to do is learn circuit design in school and apply it to guitars on your own time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewCE Posted May 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 What college major would be best for someone aspiring to design guitar electronics, amps, and stompboxes for a living? EE would give you the tools you need to learn this stuff, but programs that actually teach it as part of the curriculum are few and far between. Best thing to do is learn circuit design in school and apply it to guitars on your own time. yes, that's what i figured, but what major would best teach me circuit design? is it EE? i just dont wanna end up with my only career choice as an electrician... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keegan Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 Audio engineering is completely different. Electrical engineering is designing circuits, not what electricians do. I don't think being an electrician even requires college, maybe a vocational college. Make sure your school has Electrical Engineering courses applicable to audio though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borge Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 (edited) Electricians are tradespeople, like builders, plumbers, I'd include amp techs in this category. I wouldn't base my degree choice on amp/pedal designing, they are very very simple circuits, and deal with very old technology, you will be very overqualified and underpaid to be an amp tech ect I'd be surprised if they mentioned tubes at all in a EE degree, asides from 'back in the old days some people used these funny old things'! From what I've been told from the EE's I've chatted with most of their work revolves around PLC design and maintenance for industry automation, they spent most his time sitting in a freezing works,saw mills, food processing plants with his laptop plugged into the PLC. he doesn't own tools and hasn't had to solder since the 1st year uni labs. The hands on stuff is for the lowly sparkies, you do a degree to get away from the hands on stuff, not into it ;-) Amp techs/designers learn their trade through tube amp bibles, hands on experience, and experimentation, check www.aikenamps.com for some introductory tech info/Recommended books. Edited May 5, 2009 by borge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim37 Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 i went for and associates of industiral electronics about 10 years ago. the first year of that would be pretty much all you need after that there is so much suff with effects and amps that isn't taught in school (for some reason they just don't teach tube theroy anymore) i think the first year of EE or other electronics would be what you need even a year of computer repair might or avionics would give you what you need. Basic AC/DC and some basic circute designs. the rest is gonna be up to you. Hell if your motivated enough you could proabably buy a few books and learn it on your own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marossy Posted May 5, 2009 Report Share Posted May 5, 2009 (edited) I would think that any electronics based curriculum these days would center around computers and "consumer electronics". Audio engineering is kind of a sideshow to that stuff as computers and games need audio. These days it seems like the software engineering is just as much as the electronics portion is. That's the way I see it anyway. EDIT: There are some other areas where you could make money. Like in controls for example. Also the automotive industry (which is doing poorly right now), manufacturing, and security systems. Edited May 5, 2009 by Paul Marossy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borge Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 (for some reason they just don't teach tube theroy anymore) one word: obsolescence The electronics101 paper i did at uni was 90% digital....201 was 100% digital......analog is for electricians and technicians For amps you need a through understanding of basic analog electronics and valves, most valve theory books are long out print because valves are obsolete. second hand book stores are you're best bet, circa 1970s 'basic electronics for navy personnel' assume no previous knowledge and focus on valve theory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wisdom727 Posted May 7, 2009 Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 I wouldn't get my hopes up about learning anything directly applicable to amps, effects, or audio at any college electronics course. I had the same intent when I was a young teen. I went on to get my EE at university (24 years ago). But even back then, very little of the material was about audio or analog circuit design. I learned much more about tubes and basic circuit theory from my high school electronics/shop teacher, and from reading books and magazines. Learning is all about self-motivation. (That's why we're here on this forum, right?) If you really want some good old-school tube amp knowledge, I would highly recommend Kevin O'Connor's books from his London Power Press website. They are pricey, but worth it. Also, find some of Craig Anderton's books -- I built some cool effects from his old Guitar Player mag articles back in the '80s. Wis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewCE Posted May 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 so, i guess what youre all saying is, don't be a boutique pedal designer? or at least, dont go to college for it. seems like whats gonna end up happening is i'm gonna get an awesome degree in who knows what, and maybe end up going do something relatively unrelated to that degree? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted May 8, 2009 Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 I am not sure if there is a "living" to be had...of course there are people who manage it but they are certainly rare and as technology progresses it may be more and more difficult by the traditional means. I suspect that software modelling will improve greatly and start to compete in many ways especially with modulation and delay effects. Even things like eq-ing and modeling of amps and pickups have improved out of sight. By "software" this need not just be computer based as you might think but the programming of solid state chips...already guitars like the variax are allowing user access to the programing through computer interfaces and this may become more common. Perhaps there will still be a place for boutique stuff...but it is certainly a hard road with a decreasing market and very volatile to economic times like these. Learning electronics and skills of construction and diagnostics is always a useful thing and could aid in your own self-education. There are a few sites around that can aid in such a quest and a supportive community out there (check out arons stompbox forum for instance)...but in general electronics are becoming increasingly digital in all fields and that things are getting increasingly tiny and out of the reach of many DIYers. ... Not to put you off though...aim wide and go for something you are interested in and excel...audio engineering takes you into areas such as recording and signal modification techniques and like most things increasingly digital...or a practical skill like being an electrician is also a worthwhile skill to have and important for things with high voltages such as amps. Personally I studied music but know the people that I studied with in a graduate degree went on to all kinds of varied careers and studying something you really like will aid in doing well in it. 2c less inflation... pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marossy Posted May 8, 2009 Report Share Posted May 8, 2009 (edited) so, i guess what youre all saying is, don't be a boutique pedal designer? or at least, dont go to college for it. seems like whats gonna end up happening is i'm gonna get an awesome degree in who knows what, and maybe end up going do something relatively unrelated to that degree? Life has no guarantees. I know people with two different degrees, and they are doing something completely different from their degrees by their own choice. Or people I know that have engineering degrees and can't find any work because of this "recession" we are in, so they are detailing cars or working at a tire place. And then you have people like me that don't have degrees, or any college at all, but worked their way up from the bottom and make more (or used to before they became unemployed) money than most P.E.s do on a national average. Practical experience can take you pretty far, but the challenge is selling yourself when you don't have a degree or a stamp. Like I said, life has no guarantees, and a college degree is in the same category AFAIAC. Edited May 8, 2009 by Paul Marossy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuartah Posted May 11, 2009 Report Share Posted May 11, 2009 I'm currently in Purdue's EE and in another designing class, if anything you need to take a basic analogue course, as I would like to continue on like you, I would really suggest taking the digital courses as the heaviest thing, since modern day runs on digital. Also, keep in mind that you do have to keep both together and separate at the same time, meaning their are actual circuits out their like I believe the Marshal's JCM series amps with the tube pre and main amplification circuits, all run on digital controls. Even more is Moog with their synths. In the end all you can really do is study your heart out on electronics, then knowing how to be a luthier will add in. that's the only way see anyone getting hired into those companies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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