Amp repair shop...necessary tools?

[Tone_Terrific]

To set up a small workbench/shop and undertake amp repair (tube and ss), can anyone recommend a basic shop kit and also add those 'nice-to-have' extra tools and devices? What is useful, compact and not too expensive?

[John Ward]

Here's a start, I find these things to essential.

digital volt meter that also reads capacitance
soldering irons and solder sucker
oscilloscope and tone generator
dummy load
tube tester
drill press
variac
chassis punches
Dremel
decade resistor boxes, decade capacitor box
all normal values for resistors, caps, pots, jacks, spare tubes, wire, screws and nuts, grommets, tolex and grill cloth

[SatelliteAmps]

Guitar(s)
Speaker cabinet(s) w/ Speakers
Analog and Digital Multimeters
Stand alone Capacitance meter
Solder/De-Solder station
A source of schematics
Calculator

[BillyJoeJimBob]

'nice-to-have' extra tools and devices?

For your "nice to have" category (that you'll never do without again):

Probemaster (brand) leads/probes for your meters. Know them by their super hard and SHARP tips which get amazing contact through old flux and oxidization.

Pamona (brand) "Mini-Grabbers" in 36" - also for your meters.

Bag of fuses for said meters for when you forget and leave a probe in the current jack.

[soldersucker]

Thanks for bringing this thread up i bought a tube amp shop lock stock and barrell in the summer and have been E-baying much of it but have kept most of the test equip.Could a pro chime in on the nessitiy of say an Automatic distortion meter?how about an impedance bridge?
Some of the definite keepers are the scopes,variac/isolation transformers and signal generators.I don't plan on going pro i'd hate being the one to try to get musos to pay thier bills! Just want to keep my big old vintage collection purring along:)

[soldersucker]

Found this-
http://xoomer.alice.it/augiuliv/amps/soldering.html

[Tone_Terrific]

Found this-
http://xoomer.alice.it/augiuliv/amps/soldering.html

There's another website beyond TGP!!??
Thanks for the lists.

[donnyjaguar]

I just repaired one of these boutique hi-end amps. Here's exactly what I used:

Signal generator
Oscilloscope
Multimeter
Crocodile clip jumpers
Audio amplifier
Calculator
Notebook
Essential Characteristics Tube book
Allen key
Screwdriver

Yeah, that's right, I didn't need the soldering iron. Sometimes you get lucky. ;)

[Tone_Terrific]

Yeah, that's right, I didn't need the soldering iron. Sometimes you get lucky. ;)

Didn't use cable ties and black goop?:AOK

[donnyjaguar]

That reminds me. Note that nobody suggested electric tape as a necessary tool. This is a good thing!

[mark norwine]

Here's a tool that you'll buy "eventually", and when you do, you'll wish you had bought it on day #1:

The "special pliers" used to install & remove a Heyco strain relief.

Just buy them!

[mark norwine]

Oh..... and a heat gun (for shrinking)

[schmidlin]

Gotta have an ammeter coming out of the wall: 0-3 or 0-5 amps AC. Tells you a lot as you bring up the AC, like if you have a short in the PT or a main cap, depending on how much current you draw at 1/3 AC. It also tells you how hard an amp is working: key to a healthy amp, and even help you bias.

Nobody mentions these, but it would be my first tool if I was restocking. And they're cheap ;)