For some time, I've been gently nudged into considering doing repairs and mods to amplifiers, ever since my Phase-Linear D-500 mods blog appeared on basspig.com.
Things finally came to a head in February of this year. The video business never really got going and was dying away in exponential fashion in the past 3 years. So I accepted two Phase-Linear D-500 amplifiers for modifications, per the owner's request. I used the proceeds from that to update my shop tools and test equipment. Then I received a quarter ton of broadcast gear from a buddy of mine who owns a string of FM stations here in the northeast. I repaired and sold most of the gear and plunged the money back into test equipment. So now the shop is well equipped, and I can now go back to what I was doing forty some-odd years ago, which is building and repairing vacuum tube amplifiers, a passion of mine.
So I started Amplifier Experts last spring and started accepting repairs from the general public. Most of what comes in is guitar amplifiers. The tube stuff is pretty easy for me, as tubes flow in my very veins. When I sleep at night, I dream about designs of tube amps. I also service solid state. Recently, a Marshall B450 came in, with a fuse blowing complaint. Started work on it before Marshall had sent me schematics and took care of the obvious things: one shorted output device in each bank of 3 in parallel. I purchased a bunch of new output devices and matched the Gm on my 576 Curve Tracer, to ensure that the three I chose to install would each be pulling their weight equally. When the schematics came in, I found the one final problem, a shorted transistor in the current steering section, before the pre-driver. Once replaced, the amp regained full function. The client could not believe I would be able to fix it. But there it was.
I get a lot of VT guitar amps. Some esoteric vintage like the Kay, and an old Sears amp with 6V6 outputs, and more common ones like the Fender Twin Reverb. You'd be surprised at the number of tubes with air in them that I encounter in these amps. It must be the vibration.
Anyway, just announcing that I now do amplifier repairs--just about all kinds--except the digital ones with small SMD components. Tubes, my specialty. Solid state from the 90s and earlier, can do. Some super power Class D stuff, can do that too, as I did with my own QSC Powerlight amp in Jan 2007.
The site is www.ampexperts.com and I have a Facebook presence at: https://www.facebook.com/AmplifierExperts
If you know anyone who is looking for a reliable and fast amp repair guy, I would appreciate the referral. I have a few folks who can vouch for my integrity, who are also members here.
Things finally came to a head in February of this year. The video business never really got going and was dying away in exponential fashion in the past 3 years. So I accepted two Phase-Linear D-500 amplifiers for modifications, per the owner's request. I used the proceeds from that to update my shop tools and test equipment. Then I received a quarter ton of broadcast gear from a buddy of mine who owns a string of FM stations here in the northeast. I repaired and sold most of the gear and plunged the money back into test equipment. So now the shop is well equipped, and I can now go back to what I was doing forty some-odd years ago, which is building and repairing vacuum tube amplifiers, a passion of mine.
So I started Amplifier Experts last spring and started accepting repairs from the general public. Most of what comes in is guitar amplifiers. The tube stuff is pretty easy for me, as tubes flow in my very veins. When I sleep at night, I dream about designs of tube amps. I also service solid state. Recently, a Marshall B450 came in, with a fuse blowing complaint. Started work on it before Marshall had sent me schematics and took care of the obvious things: one shorted output device in each bank of 3 in parallel. I purchased a bunch of new output devices and matched the Gm on my 576 Curve Tracer, to ensure that the three I chose to install would each be pulling their weight equally. When the schematics came in, I found the one final problem, a shorted transistor in the current steering section, before the pre-driver. Once replaced, the amp regained full function. The client could not believe I would be able to fix it. But there it was.
I get a lot of VT guitar amps. Some esoteric vintage like the Kay, and an old Sears amp with 6V6 outputs, and more common ones like the Fender Twin Reverb. You'd be surprised at the number of tubes with air in them that I encounter in these amps. It must be the vibration.
Anyway, just announcing that I now do amplifier repairs--just about all kinds--except the digital ones with small SMD components. Tubes, my specialty. Solid state from the 90s and earlier, can do. Some super power Class D stuff, can do that too, as I did with my own QSC Powerlight amp in Jan 2007.
The site is www.ampexperts.com and I have a Facebook presence at: https://www.facebook.com/AmplifierExperts
If you know anyone who is looking for a reliable and fast amp repair guy, I would appreciate the referral. I have a few folks who can vouch for my integrity, who are also members here.
. But amps were a joy. Modern gear has become throwaway though and what is there is so fancy that it is hard to repair much. So good thing you are focusing on amps and tubes where they don't suffer due to these factors.
