how to start learning amp repair have some nolage

[fatcatsambo]

Hello if any one would be willing to tell me anything really. where do you start after you have ruled out pshical damage do you really have to pull parts out and test each one. where do you start if you dont have a schematic. if there is any starting point or good ideas anything that would be very helpfull. thank you

[geoffrod]

Hey fatcatsambo,
it might help if you tell some of the knowledgable people around here what your problem is and what sort of amp it is, and have you had any experience with high voltage, and maybe an amp tech might be the go if it's your first time???
Dont get me wrong i am not a knowledgable person, I like you am trying to learn, but if it is a tube amp then the dangers are real, so i would do a seach on the web about that, aiken has good stuff on the dangers of tube amps.


have you tried schematic heaven for a schematic?

hope this helps a little,

cheers
geoff

[Don Moose]

Rule 1 - if you have an amp chassis open and plugged in, ALWAYS keep at least one hand in a pocket. The voltages inside a tube amp are genuinely lethal and the last thing you want is to have the current those voltages can generate go across your heart.

Rule 2 - If you have an amp chassis open and running, keep your guitar far enough away that you can't touch both. The strings are grounded, and you touch them with your other hand.

Rule 3 - Find a schematic, ask questions, describe symptoms. When does it happen? When does it not happen? Do the knobs do anything to the noises? etc.

Rule 4 - read. Aiken's got some great stuff. So does R.G.Keen (http://www.geofex.com). In fact, Mr. Keen has a great tube amp debug page.

Hope this helps!

[stokes]

http://www.pacificrecone.com/JackDarrBook.html Check out this book,it has some good basic tube amp info.Safety precautions stated by Don and Geoff cant be stressed enough.If you post specific symptoms and what amp you are talking about,you will get a better idea as to where and how to start.

[alphaville]

Hello if any one would be willing to tell me anything really. where do you start after you have ruled out pshical damage do you really have to pull parts out and test each one. where do you start if you dont have a schematic. if there is any starting point or good ideas anything that would be very helpfull. thank you

.Check the headphone jack. Then the power supply, then the power transistor. Then the last thing is tracing the signal from the input. Difficult problems will require understanding of how class A amplifier circuits work, and beyond my scope here which will require many pages to explain technically.

[R.G.]

The Tube Amp Debugging Page