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I recently gave my amp the first aid, for the first time. The conclusion I made was that it's fairly simple if you know what to do or look for. Given that you have a multimeter, a solder iron, some tools and mindfulness.
I thought I'd contribute with a short list of things to do to keep an amp healthy. With a good title it will be easier for other beginners to find it in the forum.
Newbie tinkers checklist
Feel free to comment on this list should there be something I should erase or add.
Cheers!
I thought I'd contribute with a short list of things to do to keep an amp healthy. With a good title it will be easier for other beginners to find it in the forum.
Newbie tinkers checklist
- Circuit
Find out what circuit your amps has got. Get a copy of it and have a good look at it so that you get an idea of where to find stuff.
- Voltage - safety
Don't get zapped! Find out how to drain the amp before you gut it. Drain it every time you're about to get you hands dirty. At your own risk: Connect the cathode of your multimeter to the - side of the capacitor you're draining. Set the multimeter to voltage (500) --- and connect the anode to the + side of the capacitors you're draining. The multimeter will now display the voltage left in the capacitor.
- Tubes
The tubes have their lifespan, they grow old and eventually they die. Replace them or swoop them around. Be sure not to mix up different kind tubes while swooping around! New tubes is a risk or chance to get a new sound depending on how you look at it. You're amp will never sound exactly the same as it did before breakdown.
- Filter capacitors
Capacitors have their lifespan to. If your amplifier has started to make more humming noise than you can bare, or other unwanted sounds for that matter. It's a good thing to check the filter capacitors. Doing this you need to gut your amplifier. Remember? Don't get zapped! If you don't have the proper equipment to check the capacitors, just replace them. Replace them with quality capacitors!
- Grounds
If you've gutted your amplifier take the opportunity to check the ground connections. A bad ground connection often cause the amp to make sounds of the kind you don't what in your amplifier. Find a good grounding point and connect your cathode to it. Now connect the anode to whatever it is that's supposed to be grounded.
Feel free to comment on this list should there be something I should erase or add.
Cheers!
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