Electronics 101 - suggestions?

guitargeek62

So I’ve never really had a good understanding of electronics, thanks in part to a shockingly* bad set of physics teachers and much more interesting things like chatting up girls in my class. I can happily re-create a simple guitar loom from a schematic, though I’m not exactly sure why certain components give a certain effect, and why one differentiates from another. On top of that, I’m getting more and more interested in active guitar & bass EQ circuits and would like to learn more about the thinking that goes into them so that I can understand what makes one work a certain way, and then hopefully start tinkering with some of my own (and later, maybe amps/pedals too).

Do any of you have any suggested places to start for this? I’m thinking youtube channels, khan academy, or even (shock horror) actual books! As I want to get a good basic foundation I suppose it doesn’t matter if the content isn’t audio-specific, but any relevant suggestions would be appreciated.

PeteC

There is a superb US navy electronics primer on the net which helped me many many years ago   Don’t have a link to hand but it should come up on a search   

Edit- it’s called the NEETS training course.    

guitargeek62

Ah thanks! That rings a bell now, I think I’ve heard of it before - much appreciated

TTony

I went through this pain a few years  ago ...

Book: 
  Guitar Electronics for Musicians (Brosnac)

Websites:
https://guitarelectronics.com/guitar-wiring-resources/
http://www.planetz.com/guitar-tone-capacitors/  (that's just one page - there's a lot more on the site)
https://guitarnuts2.proboards.com/board/28/guitar-wiring
http://guitarwiring.blogspot.com/


The book was where I started.  Seems like it's out of print at the moment.

Danny1969

If your only interested in analog audio electronics then you will find the path a lot easier. This side of things is very easy to understand and very simple to build. But like playing guitar some lessons designed to make your learning quicker will actually hinder you in the long term so don't go for anything purely aimed at guitar, learn it in the time tested way.

DC and AC currents ....audio is an AC current so pure DC is only half of it

Ohm's law  ..... understand how current moves with applied voltage

Passive components

What a resistor is and does to an applied voltage using Ohm's law
What a capacitor is and does to an AC current
What an inductor is and  does to an AC current

Active components 
What a transistor is and how we use to achieve voltage gan 
Opamps ... how we let someone else do the complicated shit for us now when we design a circuit

For guitar pre amps, active EQ sections, SS power amps you really only need an understanding of the above. Within a month most people can understand how to bias a transistor using Ohms law and how to get voltage gain. Then understanding capacitor reactance will allow you to design EQ sections and filters.

I learnt using a book called the art of electronics that book, as good as it is goes way into things that will complicate your needs at the moment