Working on amps is easy...

[LeftyStrat]

Here's a gut shot, after removing the LCD. Yes, I had to take it apart again to rescue the hard drive from it.

[Structo]

I have a Toshiba laptop that the only thing I have done to it is add more RAM.

Not sure I would ever want to open it up even though I have built PC's for years.

The stupidest things about most laptops is they have the cooling fans on the bottom so if you do indeed set it on your lap, they will over heat....

[LeftyStrat]

The stupidest things about most laptops is they have the cooling fans on the bottom so if you do indeed set it on your lap, they will over heat....

And make you sterile.

[Cliff Schecht]

I've had every laptop I've owned stripped down nearly or all of the way to fix whatever hardware problems I have encountered. My favorite was my first HP tablet that I used through my undergrad in 2010. Thankfully it wasn't until after I upgraded that this tablet went on the fritz (after 2+ years of daily use). The problem turned out to be a solder joint that eventually failed in the northbridge, the solution was to bake the motherboard in the oven for 10 minutes!

I repair a lot of amps that other people won't touch. I grew up building pedals and fixing whatever broken SS crap my dad dragged home from Goodwill, so working on SS stuff is usually quick and intuitive for me. The circuits used in most SS equipment are variations on a standard theme and so once you understand the building blocks, it's not hard to narrow down where the trouble areas probably are and troubleshoot further. Same with fixing the laptops really, I grew up in the age where people were just starting to build PC's and lord knows I've built hundreds at this point so I know how to diagnose different problems quickly or can at least determine if a problem is worth fixing.

This is what differentiates a seasoned amp builder/repair person from someone who is just starting out. Given enough time, just about anybody can diagnose and fix 99% of the problems we typically encounter. You just give that person a big list of discrete steps to follow and what the expected outcome is; if the outcome deviates from what is expected then you know where to dig in further. An expert, OTOH, will usually know how to fix a problem before even pulling the amp apart. I get very very few amp repairs in where the customer cannot state a discrete problem that needs fixing. Even if they just say "it makes no sound", I know to start at the input jack and check the output of each stage until I find where the signal dies. Not to call myself an expert, although I know I'm better than any of the other techs here in town .

[LeftyStrat]

Just a funny story. Years ago I remember reading a story of industrial espionage where some electrolytic capacitor maker stole a secret formula from another cap maker, only it was wrong. The caps made from the stolen formula started failing after several years.

Shortly after reading the article, our first generation Apple Airport died. Some research led me to believe that Apple might have bought e-caps from this vendor.

I took it apart and replaced the electrolytics, and it worked. I ended up fixing several other Airports for co-workers.

When I fixed it I asked my wife if it impressed her that I knew how to fix it. She said "Not as impressive as the fact you already had the parts on hand."

[Reeltarded]

lol!

[Structo]

I remember that Lefty.
A lot of cottage industry type businesses sprang up to repair motherboards and other electronics to replace those caps.

I got lucky and didn't end up with anything that had them as far as I know.