First tube amp!!! :D

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Phil_S
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Joined: Tue Oct 23, 2007 10:12 pm
Location: Baltimore, MD

Re: First tube amp!!! :D

Post by Phil_S »

GuitarSlingerX wrote:I actually just watched a video of an amp tech that had a customer bring him an old fender tube amp to check out. The customer had it repaired elsewhere and had the other place save all the original componants they removed. The amp tech tested all of the original componants that were removed from the amp and found many were fine to stay in that amp and the customer was just getting ripped off
Along with what Mark says, it seems no one asked the first tech why he chose to replace what he did. It is quite possible that the two techs have a legitimate difference of opinion. The first tech returned the original parts. That speaks volumes. He should be asked before jumping to conclusions.

So far, you only have one side of the story. Obviously we don't know what transpired between the customer and the first tech. He may have been fully receptive to an instruction from the customer not to replace any component that tested in-spec.

And that brings us to the last point for now, what is in-spec, and how is that determined? If we are talking about a pile of old carbon comp resistors and electrolytic caps that are more than 25 years old, it is really hard to make a case to retain them, particularly if they were symptomatic while in-circut. For example, maybe those 100K carbon comp resistors meter just fine, but are noisy as heck as plate load resistors.

Not enough info here to cast stones at anyone.
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Phil_S
Posts: 6048
Joined: Tue Oct 23, 2007 10:12 pm
Location: Baltimore, MD

Re: First tube amp!!! :D

Post by Phil_S »

OK, then. We don't need the other side of the story. Whew...pretty damning stuff. If you'll allow it, I withdraw my comments about not knowing enough. The owner of the amp was lucky to get back the original tubes, which, if still testing strong are probably worth $200 give or take. And the OT replacement was just sinful.

BTW, the guy in the video didn't cover everything he saw. He stuck to making his point and did that well.

I was particularly annoyed by the incompetent change to the 3-prong cord. The green wall supply ground should never be terminated at the same ground point as the PT CT, and neither one should be on a transformer bolt. What a mess. <shudder>
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