Amplifier Repairs
How does it work - You would contact me through the contact form, we would get in touch and then discuss your requirements. You then drop your amp off at my workshop or use the courier service which I provide. I will do an inspection, give you an assessment of the problem and repair cost over the phone. If you are happy with the quote then I will carry out the work.
All work will include an inspection, the repair, valve testing, setting the bias on your valves a rigorous bench test and also I'll play my guitar through the amp to make sure it sounds right.
If, however, you are unhappy with the quote then an inspection fee of £15 will be payable for my time spent assessing your amp.
If I cannot repair your amp then there is a 'no fix no fee' policy and you would get your amp back in the state it came in.
All work will include an inspection, the repair, valve testing, setting the bias on your valves a rigorous bench test and also I'll play my guitar through the amp to make sure it sounds right.
If, however, you are unhappy with the quote then an inspection fee of £15 will be payable for my time spent assessing your amp.
If I cannot repair your amp then there is a 'no fix no fee' policy and you would get your amp back in the state it came in.
Cost
£40 per hour labour for the first 3hrs then £10 p/h.
£50 Amp Service, this includes: Inspection, 1hr labour, valve biasing, valve testing, bench test and sound check.
£15 Valve biasing as a separate job
£2 Valve testing as a separate job, per valve
£50 per hour Emergency Repair, see below for details
Refurbishments - please get in touch as they vary from job to job
Country wide - Please arrange your own courier or drive down
What is a service - A service is an 'amp health check' that is done generally on an annual basis or any time where I inspect your amp for any damage, burnt out components, problems which might occur and then test your valves using my valve tester, bias your amp, do a rigorous bench test and play my guitar through your amp..
A service does not include a repair (see below) but may lead into one if components need to be replaced.
Typical Repair Scenarios
Below are typical repair scenarios and not a price list but something to give you an idea of a repair, there will be other scenarios too of course.
Below are typical repair scenarios and not a price list but something to give you an idea of a repair, there will be other scenarios too of course.
You pick the amp up and pay the repair fee:
£60 x 1.5 hrs plus parts: filter capacitors at £20 (depending on amp)
Total repair cost around : £80
This quote is for any amp with a line up like a big Fender, Marshal or Vox - so 4 output valves and 6 smaller valves. If you would like more valves tested then we can discuss this.
Total cost: £15
Amp does not work at all, no sound - You drop your amp off at my workshop and switching it on I discover that indeed it does not work. Replacing a few burnt out components and two output valves brings it back to life again.
You pick the amp up and pay the repair fee:
£40 x 2 hrs plus parts, a few small capacitors at £15, a few burnt out resistors at £6 and 2 x output valves (depending on brand) at £18 each
Total repair cost around: £137
You pick the amp up and pay the repair fee:
£40 x 2 hrs plus parts, a few small capacitors at £15, a few burnt out resistors at £6 and 2 x output valves (depending on brand) at £18 each
Total repair cost around: £137
Total cost: £15
Mayday, Mayday, Mayday! - You are practicing for the evening gig and…. Bang! Fizz! and a smell of burning electronics fills the air, the carefully factory packed smoke has escaped from the components within your amp and there is a deathly silence as you continue your favourite guitar solo or bass riff. It's the afternoon and you're in a panic to fix your amp in time for the gig that evening.
Rest assured, I offer an Emergency Service where I drop what I'm doing and attend to your amp, subject to my availability. Drop your amp in and it'll go through the testing as mentioned above but the fee per hour increases to reflect this premium service.
This is also subject to the availability of components and I may have to go for a compromise just to get it going. At a later date you can bring the amp back and I'll rectify the compromise at no extra cost.
Cost per hour £50 plus parts
Rest assured, I offer an Emergency Service where I drop what I'm doing and attend to your amp, subject to my availability. Drop your amp in and it'll go through the testing as mentioned above but the fee per hour increases to reflect this premium service.
This is also subject to the availability of components and I may have to go for a compromise just to get it going. At a later date you can bring the amp back and I'll rectify the compromise at no extra cost.
Cost per hour £50 plus parts
You pick the amp up and pay the repair fee:
£40 x 1 hrs plus parts, 2 x output valves (depending on brand) at £18 each
Total repair cost around: £76
£40 x 1 hr plus parts, one potentiometer replaced @ £5, depending on brand.
Total repair cost: £45
Amp refurbishment - You get in touch through the contact form to tell me you have an amp which you bought recently and do not know if it works or not. The previous owner tells you that he hasn't played it in years and it was stored in his loft. You drop the amp off at my workshop. I do an inspection first and there are signs of burnt components, old frayed cabling, cracked insulation on the mains cable, old capacitors and resistors which have gone out of value. Also the output valves show below spec on the valve tester but all other valves show that they are within spec. I contact you to tell you of the extent of the job that it will go beyond 3 hrs of repair plus many of the components will have to be replaced but after this, the amp will be like the day it left the factory (well, almost) will sound great and give years if not decades of service.
You pick the amp up and pay the repair fee:
£40 x 3 hrs plus £10 x 2hrs, many components replaced and 4 x output valves (depending on brand) at £18 each
Repair cost at least: £221 plus components
Quote for a job which is not cost effective - You drop your amp off at my workshop. I do an inspection first and tell you that many components and a few valves need to be replaced and quote you a price for the repair.
You are unhappy with the quote and decide it is not worth investing in the repair and you decide to take it home unrepaired.
£15 inspection fee
Total cost: £15
You pick the amp up and pay the repair fee:
£40 x 3 hrs plus £10 x 2hrs, many components replaced and 4 x output valves (depending on brand) at £18 each
Repair cost at least: £221 plus components
Quote for a job which is not cost effective - You drop your amp off at my workshop. I do an inspection first and tell you that many components and a few valves need to be replaced and quote you a price for the repair.
You are unhappy with the quote and decide it is not worth investing in the repair and you decide to take it home unrepaired.
£15 inspection fee
Total cost: £15
Valves I Use
I mainly use Tung-Sol, Electro Harmonix, Sovtek & JJ valves as replacements on repairs as they are sturdy, reliable valves and have had good success with them and no complaints so far.
If, however, you would like a different set of valves then please let me know which ones you require and I'll order them in.
Valves used for output will be bought as matched pairs or quad matched.
Turn Around Time
Expect around 1 week turnaround time as standard. However, if I need to order components in then this will extend the turn around time.
Refurbishments will take longer.
Expect around 1 week turnaround time as standard. However, if I need to order components in then this will extend the turn around time.
Refurbishments will take longer.
Service
Bringing your amp in for a service is always a good idea. Parts wear out like volume and tone controls, valves need re-biasing and checking and wires can come loose. Other parts may drift out of value like resistors and capacitors showing their end of life.
A service is recommended annually or if you are about to play at a big event and you want peace of mind that the amp is healthy then pop it in.
Inspection
Inspection takes time as there are a lot of things to test even before switching the amp on, especially an old amp which hasn't been switched on for some time.
Once switched on the inspection continues by testing voltages and parameters, all this unfortunately takes time hence the fee.
Biasing Valves
If you have just bought new valves and put them into the yourself amp then you need to bias the valves!
This is very important as having the wrong current flowing through the valve will either destroy it in a short space of time, reduce the life of the valve over time or if in a low current scenario, your amp won't sound right.
I have equipment which will enable me to set the correct current flow so that the valve anode dissipation is correct for the type of valve you have.
Mods
I can do various mods on amps, these include 'Blackfacing' a Silverface Fender amp, Blackfacing most Fender amps, Marshall mods etc… Just let me know through the contact form what you require and I'll give you an answer if I can do the job.
Spare Parts
I have an assortment of spare parts in my workshop which includes new components as well as New Old Stock and caters for most amp repairs. If I don't have the parts I order them in which needless to say extends the time of the repair.
