Who Works On Amplifiers In The DC/Baltimore Area?

[dudeunitx5000]

I moved to Beltsville, Maryland about six months ago. So far I have met quite a few musicians, started gigging regularly, located and spent money in most of the area music stores, and found somebody to work on my guitars. But I haven't found anybody around here yet to work on my tube amplifiers. Can any of y'all who live around here recommend anybody?

 

[burstone]

+1000000000000000000000000000000000

 

[dudeunitx5000]

Pete Cage without a doubt.

Great tech, even greater guy.

http://www.audiocage.com

Thanks.

 

[tone4days]

jeff bober (cofounder of budda amps) of precision audio tailoring did some work for me a number of years back (before budda was founded) ... great guy - great results ... dunno if he still does outside work or not ... last contact info i had was

3916 Vero Rd
Halethorpe, MD 21227
(443) 568-0891

 

[ScottR]

Joe at invisible Sound Studios-Check out the Amp Museum if the studio is available while you're there

invisiblesoundstudios.com

 

[Troubleman]

jeff bober (cofounder of budda amps) of precision audio tailoring did some work for me a number of years back (before budda was founded) ... great guy - great results ... dunno if he still does outside work or not ... last contact info i had was

3916 Vero Rd
Halethorpe, MD 21227
(443) 568-0891

If it's a tube amp, Jeff'll work on it.
He's out of the gnat-surgeon business, so transistor amps......not so much.
He is absolutely THE MAN for repairs and tonal tweaks. He went through my 2555 Jubilee, and now it's stupid sweet-sounding...:AOK

jb

 

[GuitarsFromMars]

Try Tom Lepson at Prototypes in Kensington,MD.

 

[Troubleman]

I moved to Beltsville, Maryland about six months ago.

Great, just what we need - yet another gigging guitar player in the area....


Welcome Dude - great to have you aboard!

jb

 

[pete kanaras]

a big Plus 1 on ALL the guys mentioned. i've using joe rinaolo a lot lately; he's really thorough and clean and has a total passion for glowing glass. and best of all he's right next door at work, a pretty sweet situation. next i've got an ampeg rr2 going in for a cap job, a bf vibrochamp for a full resto and a second rr2 for a full ground-up resto

 

[mcknigs]

I've had good experiences with Jeff Bober. He can't always get to things right away, due to the amp building, but things he fixes are always fixed right.

I've heard good things about Tommy Lepson's work. The couple times I took amps to Prototypes it wasn't Tommy who did the work and I wasn't entirely happy.

It's farther away but Mike Kropotkin (www.kcanostubes.com) in Sterling, VA, has done good work for me.

There's a guy named Paul Mastradone who was right in Beltsville who did work for Atomic Music. He did a good job on an amp for me. I know people who swear by him and others who've had problems. Last couple times I called him I never got an answer, so maybe he's moved.

Look here:
http://www.webervst.com/techreg/maryland.htm

FWIW - I work in Beltsville, well, Calverton, across I-95.
-Scott

 

[pete kanaras]

paul's pretty much retired at the moment because he simply has way too much on his plate these days. pity, because that's my man right there. he's also one of the best re-coners to be found anywhere; his P12N recones are the stuff of legend. a tremendously talented guy, a very dear friend and a mighty fine guitarist/bassist.

 

[dudeunitx5000]

paul's pretty much retired at the moment because he simply has way too much on his plate these days. pity, because that's my man right there. he's also one of the best re-coners to be found anywhere; his P12N recones are the stuff of legend. a tremendously talented guy, a very dear friend and a mighty fine guitarist/bassist.

I know Paul Mastradone. He was hosting the Sunday blues jams at Chick Hall's Surf Club in Bladensburg for awhile until the Sunday jams ended a few weeks ago. He is supposed to be starting Sunday jams at the Bowie Town Grill pretty soon. Paul is a certifiable character.

I am in the band that hosts the Monday and Wednesday jams at Chick Hall's Surf Club.

 

[mcknigs]

I know Paul Mastradone. He was hosting the Sunday blues jams at Chick Hall's Surf Club in Bladensburg for awhile until the Sunday jams ended a few weeks ago. He is supposed to be starting Sunday jams at the Bowie Town Grill pretty soon. Paul is a certifiable character.

I am in the band that hosts the Monday and Wednesday jams at Chick Hall's Surf Club.

That might explain why I saw a picture of a guy that looked like Paul posted on the wall at Chicks when I was there Saturday. I don't suppose any TGPers attended the Buddy Holley tribute?

Too bad Paul's not taking in work because I can practically see his house from my office window. Very convenient.

-Scott

 

[TheRockDoc]

It's farther away but Mike Kropotkin (www.kcanostubes.com) in Sterling, VA, has done good work for me.
-Scott

I've been following this thread in the hopes that I can restore an old V4. Being in the Va Beach area, there simply is no one that is a 'primo' level tech for things like this.

I contacted KCA NOS tubes, and was told he is not taking amp work at this time (as of my email 3/25/08) and to call Eric @Viking Amps

just for the update...

and a reference for Viking Amps... www.vikingamps.com anyone else know his work?

TRD

 

[Blue Strat]

I've been following this thread in the hopes that I can restore an old V4. Being in the Va Beach area, there simply is no one that is a 'primo' level tech for things like this.

I contacted KCA NOS tubes, and was told he is not taking amp work at this time (as of my email 3/25/08) and to call Eric @Viking Amps

just for the update...

and a reference for Viking Amps... www.vikingamps.com anyone else know his work?

TRD

I guess this is a "double endorsement" for Eric, but he's great. Unlike some "techs" (not the guys listed in this thread) who are "parts swappers" he's an Engineer and Amp Designer (not a schematic copier or cobbler of various classic amp circuits into a "new amp"). He really knows what he's doing.

 

[mrface2112]

and a reference for Viking Amps... www.vikingamps.com anyone else know his work?

Eric at Viking Amps does FANTASTIC work, and he's a great guy to boot. i can't recommend him enough.

he tweaked out and resurrected a '74 vibrochamp for me. it was running waaay too hot, was really noisy, and needed recapping. while he had it, he did a blackface mod on it and installed a pull-pot on the volume which gives a little gain boost.

i originally wasn't sure about the whole gain boost thing (leave a fender a fender and all that)......but after i got it back, i was really blown away. it really helps my ebow sing, and when the amp is cranked, it's like a little Marshall. i didn't know fenders could crunch like that!

this amp is now my #1 amp. it's dead quiet and sounds absolutely stunning. it's incredibly responsive, and thanks to the heavy-ass Weber i put in it (8F125), it's also loud as hell.

Eric's work is top notch and i will HAPPILY make the 2-hour drive to Warrenton from Charlottesville to have him work on my amps.


cheers,
wade

 

[FFTT]

Eric @ Viking is not only highly knowledgeable, but one of the nicest people
I've met. Very reasonable too! You can take your amp to Eric with complete confidence.

For someone closer and also highly qualified, you might call VVT amps
in Waldorf MD.
http://www.vvtamps.com/

 

[TDJMB]

+1 for Pete Cage. A heck of a nice guy, knowledgeable, and has huge respect for an amp's integrity & vintageness.