Most Common Gear Repairs ?

[yZe]

I am currently considering taking some electronics courses and want to get into the gear repair side of things

What are the most common repairs on tube amps?

On solid state amps?

On Mixing boards ?

Power Amps ?

etc . . .

[VaughnC]

Here are the most common ones I run into:

Tube amps: tubes, electrolytics, screen resistors, bias issues, ss rectifiers, switches, pots.

Solid state amps: audio output devices, opamps, rectifiers, voltage regulators, switches, pots.

Mixing boards: pots, switches, voltage regulators, opamps.

Power amps: audio output devices, rectifiers, opamps, voltage regulators, switches, pots.

The repair skills come with training and experience to know how to isolate a problem using the appropriate test equipment so you aren't just replacing parts until the problem goes away. Too many people want to jump right into amps....but you need to get a handle on basic electronics, how to use electronic test equipment, and the math behind it all to really understand it properly. I went through a electronics degree program and ended up in telecommunications for my day job.....but, because I learned the basics, I can keep my own guitar gear going and even did warranty work for Fender for 10 years. IMO, learning the basics is very important before you take the next step.

[Rosewood]

Bad solder joints would be one of mine.

[paulg]

+1 on the solder joints. I suspect many a bad joint makes a connection for years until that fateful day when all goes south. Get a chopstick!
Seriously, I learned so much by just taking an Electronics 101 course. They don't talk much, if at all, about tubes, but they cover the other 95% of what you need to know. good luck!

[Rosewood]

I've worked on many amps with wires looped through a terminal with no solder but somehow it worked for years.

[paulg]

The most critical skill for repair work is using your eyes. Of course you need to know what your looking for! When I have an amp on the bench I spend several minutes just looking at it: is it stock, what's been changed, charred parts etc. It's almost like being a detective.

[TheAmpNerd]

Originally Posted by Rosewood

I've worked on many amps with wires looped through a terminal with no solder but somehow it worked for years.

Funny you should mention that...a few years back when I opened up
an early blackface...I found the reverb mix eyelet had never
been soldered. Everything had worked find all these years.

I couldn't believe it.

There was another amp that had something else like this too
but I forgot what it was...perhaps one of the wires on a pot
had never been soldered either.

[ClinchFX]

Originally Posted by VaughnC

The repair skills come with training and experience to know how to isolate a problem using the appropriate test equipment so you aren't just replacing parts until the problem goes away. Too many people want to jump right into amps....but you need to get a handle on basic electronics, how to use electronic test equipment, and the math behind it all to really understand it properly. I went through a electronics degree program and ended up in telecommunications for my day job.....but, because I learned the basics, I can keep my own guitar gear going and even did warranty work for Fender for 10 years. IMO, learning the basics is very important before you take the next step.

Agree completely. While I will admit that many faults can be found with the "eyeball" test, you will need the in-depth knowledge for the difficult ones.

Peter.

[tremolux]

Troubleshooting (the detective work) is number one after the math, then component knowledge...trouble shooting can still put me over the edge, sometimes all intuition I may have developed from prior experience just goes out the window with some stuff.....sometimes with intermittants... or when everything tests ok but there an audible loss of power or punch etc.....(like this little 60s valco amp Ive been trying to nail down for a week or so....lil beotch of an amp it is....! It only has so many working parts...??

A lot of it is just like most other things in life...work at it and get the experience and keep reading wherever you find good info.

[VacuumVoodoo]

Keep a diary with details of troubleshooting weird faults and repairs. Take photos. It will save you a lot of time next time something similar shows up on your bench.