Tech things I should've added years ago

[Guitarist]

1) Cheap [edit; powered] computer speakers fed signal by a cap/alligator clip. Wherever you "tap" into the circuit you can hear what's going on.

2) IPod cable to 1/4". Now you can inject music or test ones. A playlist including a sine wave rocks for setting bias point for tone. You hear the nasty distortion coming--> your tone zone--> then the distortion going up again. Gator clips would help here again, so you can move from the power amp upstream.

3) The in-series light bulb for AC. A superfuse that works with your amp. It brighten as your caps charge then mellow to a dim glow when all is well. Make it happen!

I'm sure 'scopes are cool but many don't really need them right?

[olddawg]

1) Cheap computer speakers fed signal by a cap/alligator clip. Wherever you "tap" the circuit you can hear what's going on.

2) IPod cable to 1/4". Now you can inject music or test ones. A playlist including a sine wave rocks for setting bias point for tone. You hear the nasty distortion coming--> your tone zone--> then the distortion going up again. Gator clips would help here again, so you can move from the power amp upstream.

3) The in-series light bulb for AC. A superfuse that works with your amp. It brighten as your caps charge then mellow to a dim glow when all is well. Make it happen!

I'm sure 'scopes are cool but many don't really need them right?

I assume that you mean cheap amplified speakers for your signal probe.

[Enzo]

AMplified speaker - look up "signal tracer."

No scope? Well, I suppose one could run a kitchen with nothing but a microwave, who need a stove or oven?

A scope is the most versatile thing on the bench. If I hear serious distortion in a circuit, if I scope the waveform and see half the wavform missing, that suggests a different approach than if I see heavy clipping on both halves.

[micri5446]

a hot secretary to help with paper work......