Absolute beginner

[SixStringSurfer]

Hi guys, I am new to this forum. I was wondering if someone could please point me in the right direction to get started learning about tube amps. I am going to sign up for a class when one becomes available near me, as I am more of a hands on type of learner. I know to never poke around inside an amp, as they contain lethal voltages.

I am overly cautious, and always put safety first. I even bought a pair of high quality rubber insulted electrical gloves, so I can install my new boutique amp head into it's cabinet next month. Anyway, I am completely overwhelmed and don't know where to begin. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Have a great day.

[xtian]

Welcome. We have a list of resources here: https://ampgarage.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=9023

There are plenty of great videos on YouTube to get you started.

[Phil_S]

Welcome to the forum. You'll find there are differences in opinion here. You will have to decide for yourself about various things. I expect one thing all of us will agree on is that safety comes first. If you aren't comfortable, don't touch it, don't do it.

I don't mean to burst your bubble. I suggest returning the rubber gloves. I'm doubtful they'll be useful and could even make it too clumsy to work on a guitar amp. I'm also doubtful anyone here uses any sort of gloves.

There is lots of reading material. At the top of this section of the forum you'll find a "sticky" thread called Reading Material on Steroids!

What did you have in mind for a first project? Do you have a budget? Do you have tools? Do you know how to solder? Keep in mind, it is probably best to start with something relatively simple.

[pompeiisneaks]

agreed with the rubber gloves... won't allow you to do fragile motions often needed, and removes the ability to feel around a safely off/discharged amp. Instead you'd need to learn how to ensure you're safely turning off the amp before ever interacting with it, and safely draining the filter capacitors as well without directly touching the amp. Sometimes you'll also hear about 'chopsticking' this is because pure wood chopsticks can't conduct and won't shock you and it gives you reach/range so you never get your important bits inside the chassis when you DO need to experiment on things with an amp running. (i.e don't use metal chopsticks or chopsticks you can't be sure are not 100% wood)

Do remember anything said here is with the precaution that safety is on YOU not us. We can't guarantee your process is safe, only you can. If someone accidentally or intentionally omits some safety steps it's because they have to assume you know them before you start, that's solely on you.

As stated there are a ton of great videos on YouTube that show how/what/why etc.

~Phil

[SixStringSurfer]

I appreciate the kind responses, thank you. I think you guys misunderstood me, or I didn't write what I meant to say clearly. Jim at Li'l Dawg Amps is building me a 6G14 head, and it should arrive in a week or two. However, my cabinet from Peter Mather won't arrive until after I receive my new amp head chassis.

I am so cautious, I am going to wear the gloves so I can pick up the chassis, and install it in my new blonde/oxblood cab. Does this make a little more sense? I absolutely will not touch the inside of an amp until I have some serious knowledge and training behind me. I hope this clears things up a bit.

I have checked out some of the suggested sticky reading, but even it is daunting. I'll keep reading and watching Youtube videos to get some of the basics down. I'll also buy a book or two and read those. Thanks again for the replies.

[sluckey]

NO GLOVES!

[SixStringSurfer]

So you guys are saying to just pick the new amp chassis up with both hands, and put it in the new cabinet? Anyway, thanks for the advice.

[pdf64]

Using linesman’s gloves to fit a chassis into a cab seems like wearing a suit of armour to check engine oil level, or a full fireman’s clobber to cook at the hob.
ie much more of a drawback than a benefit.

[Phil_S]

I'm imagining those rubber gloves that power company linemen use, that go up to the shoulders. My frame of reference is a rather serious one. I was 20-something and watching my niece and nephew for a couple of days while their parents got away for the weekend. It was a brand new house clad with aluminum siding. There was a really big rain. Something was wrong...the lights were going on and off even though the lights were switched off. I called both the builder and the power company. The mains feed at the meter had pulled loose when the conduit feeding the house sunk in the mud and the mains feed was shorting to the siding. The power company guys rewired the meter feed, live and in the rain, standing in the mud. That's where I saw the rubber gloves that go up to the shoulders. (Today, I still tell the story to the "kids" who now have kids of their own and it has become a source of amusement.)

We don't have that level of danger putting an unplugged guitar amp chassis in a cabinet. No gloves needed. Just enjoy doing it.

[pompeiisneaks]

So long as you don't put your fingers INSIDE the chassis there should be 0 chance you'll hurt yourself. The entire metal chassis is touchable while on and playing except the dangerous part is inside the cabinet of the head/combo. I.e. the metal part should be connected to earth and completely safe to touch. The insides are where the dangerous pixies live.

~Phil

[Reeltarded]

Welcome. You should not need gloves to install an amp in a box, but I appreciate your novice paranoia.

Never reach both hands into a running amp

Never use tools that don't isolate you when checking voltages, trouble shooting, biasing, and so on..

The first thing you need to learn is how to know if a recently run amp has voltages stored in the capacitors and how to drain those voltages and keep them drained

Don't be afraid. We are verbose and we don't want you to die. Ask any question, and also ask if there are questions you haven't considered before you do a thing. It's going to be great fun learning to guide electrons. Even the failures are interesting.

[Reeltarded]

Oh, another thing: get some 2x4-6-8-10 scrap length boards and wood screws so you can assemble a fixture to firmyly hold any work you will do so you are never compelled to grab an electrical spill...

Ooops. Let it fall.

[jabguit]

Sometimes you'll also hear about 'chopsticking' this is because pure wood chopsticks can't conduct and won't shock you and it gives you reach/range so you never get your important bits inside the chassis when you DO need to experiment on things with an amp running. (i.e don't use metal chopsticks or chopsticks you can't be sure are not 100% wood)



~Phil

Plastic chopsticks = even better

cheers,

[Reeltarded]

Careful.. some plastics are not insulators!

[Phil_S]

Careful.. some plastics are not insulators!

For those who actually care, they make non-conductive probes. I think they use nylon. I have one somewhere. My wife decided to throw away all of our nice bamboo chopsticks -- don't ask. I rescued them for the workshop. Now I have a lifetime supply and generally reach for one of those because they are easier to find.