Having been an active musician for over 25 years, I have had
my share of tube amps (Fender, Ampeg, Marshall and even
a Traynor). While providing an excellent sound for the guitar player,
tube-based equipment also have some serious
drawbacks. Like a delicate
flower these amps need to be tended to and treated with respect. Vacuum tubes
are live
components and therefore need a good environment to work in. Part
of this environment are the very high voltages
(400 - 500 V) that feed the
preamp and power tubes. Unfortunately, other components such as resistors
and capacitors
age physically with time which often changes the electrical
functionality of the amp. In some situations, such component
aging causes
the amp to sound bad, stop working or even catch fire (see result of an exploded
old capacitor here). So,
if you own a tube amp and want it to be a reliable companion at rehearsals
or live gigs, it should be given the regular
service and attention it
deserves. A tube amp in good shape can sound excellent!
What I offer here at Vintage Vibe is a professional approach to tube amp
service. As far as possible I will use original
parts whenever available or
resort to the best new production replacements. This includes NOS
(new-old-stock)
vacuum tubes, cloth-covered wire, carbon-film or
carbon-composition resistors, polyester or polypropylene capacitors
for your
blackface Fender amp and even paper-in-oil capacitors to replace those old
Astrons in your tweed amp.
I completely extract old solder filled eyelets,
scrape the eyelet or joint clean, trim new component leads and apply
good
60/40 solder. So if you're searching for some class restoration and repair work
for your favorite amp, drop me
an e-mail or give
me a call. I will help you find that Vintage Vibe in your amp again.