Friday, April 29, 2016

Looking For Suitable Guitar Amp Repair

By Henry Ward


A lot of vacuum tube and solid state amps will now and again develop faults or require routine inspections. Electric guitar players, at some point will need to find a reputable company to carry out a guitar amp repair. There are some important things to take into account before having any work done on these pieces of equipment.

The two popular types of amp are a head units or combos which have built in speakers. The costs and parts needed for this equipment will purely depend on what kind of unit is being repaired and in some cases the age of it. The combination amps are very popular with amateur musicians or bedroom guitarists due to their compact design, weight and low cost.

A vacuum tube amplifier will require a routine inspection to keep it working efficiently. Most guitar players will keep a spare valve or two with them, especially if they are working regularly. When servicing a tube model, it is very important that you only let a qualified technician carry out the work due to the high voltages involved. By having this work done by a professional your repairs will be covered by a warranty.

If the amp is a solid state model, a regular service is still highly recommended and some of the little jobs can be carried out in the home. Small repairs can be done with only a few basic tools such as a soldering iron and the correct type of screw driver. More complex faults will usually need the attention of an amp technician and most musical instrument stores will offer a reliable repair service.

When you are trying to locate parts for your repairs many web based companies can supply these. Always make sure that the replacements are of the correct spec for the model in question and that they are protected by a manufacturer warranty. Recycled spares can be fitted if you are on a tight budget especially if you are only replacing speakers or small switches.

When you buy components it is better to use factory made items if at all possible. This is very important when working on an antique amplifier as it ensures the high value is not affected. Amp manufacturers will often have a large stock of spares for even the early models they have produced and this is the better option when trying to find parts.

A lot of informative books and tutorials can be found to help the amateur electrician to carry out a simple fix. It is important to make certain that you have the correct parts and tools when doing any work. When the work has been done the amp should be properly tested by an engineer as many live venues will require the amplifier to have certified papers for insurance purposes.

The price that you will pay for your amplifier repairs and servicing will alter depending on how many new parts are needed and the man hours required to do the job. A simple fault can be put right for just a few dollars but a complicated job can often run into thousands. Be aware that if your amplifier has to be sent to another location for the repairs, the carriage costs and insurance will have to be taken into account, and added on to the price of the job.




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