Clean Your Input Jacks – a little DeOxit goes a long way, alcohol works and so does a little spit. No really, the acidity of your saliva can break down contaminants
Clean Your Pots – you may not even need a chemical cleaner, just exercise them and work them through the whole travel about 15-20 times. If they are really noisy do it with the amp off first, then listen and work them some more. If they are still noisy take your amp to a qualified tech, there may be other problems.
Clean your tube sockets, use just a little DeOxit and work them around in the socket – do it with the power off. You can check it with the power on but unless you are an experienced technician I don’t suggest you work on your amp when it is plugged. It’s been said (and I’ve felt it) – there are lethal high voltages in a tube amp, so be VERY careful. Nuff said.
Tighten Your Speaker & Baffle Hardware – how tight? Wrist tight for the speaker, tight as you can for the baffle.
Noisy pots can usually be cleaned up easier than you think. Often no solvents are necessary and if you do use a solvent, use as little as possible. I find that most of the aerosol cleaners dispense far too much solvent and can affect the "velvety feel" of the pot....
I had an Ampeg B15 that kept coming back because the bias would go wonky and the tubes would red plate. I had replaced all the components in the bias circuit and mod'd it to be adjustable. Ran it on the bench for two days at mostly full power and...
First - biasing is for the output tubes only on your amp - that's basic but some owners have asked about how to bias the pre-amp tubes. The intent is to set them at a proper idle current so that they swing signal positive and negative above and below their...
I am an electronics technician and have no talent with woodworking. Fortunately, I work with a gifted guitar technician and his influence has helped me come a long way. Soon I will be able to cut a straight line on a table saw. That said, I was asked to put...
