Repairs & Modifications

at highest level.

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Although Tube WorkShop is not a classic service-station, we are also happy to offer amp repairs, as it is our passion to bring guitar amps into top condition for the owner. Our specialty here are amplifiers that are mainly built in tube technology. Modern modeling-amps with a large number of processors are probably better off in a specialised facility other than Tube WorkShop.

 

Many service workshops optimize their work to achieve the best possible price/performance ratio. Current, inexpensive components that meet all technical parameters are used. Defective components are usually simply clipped out and new components are soldered to the existing wires. In terms of pure functionally this is fine (as long as it is carried out conscientiously), however, the amp is more and more "disfigured" by such interventions. We only use this repair method in exceptional cases, as it does not correspond to our "Let's do it right" philosophy.

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At Tube WorkShop, repairs are done according to "manufacturer standards" resp. "vintage correct".
This means that components are replaced by types which are mechanically and sonically as close as possible to the original condition of the amp and are of the highest quality. Within PCB-Amps, components are always completely removed from the detached boards and replaced with new ones. This results in a slightly higher component cost and a higher amount of working time, but the amp is then in a condition as if it had just left the factory and is not just "patched together" as a makeshift.

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Restorations

old treasures... fit for the future.

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Restoring vintage amps is always a unique and very personal thing, often associated with memories and emotions. Every amp is different... and every idea of the result is different! 

 

It is not only about the pure restoration of the technical function, but also significantly about the restoration of the unique sound and the corresponding optics. Defects must be eliminated... as well as conversions that have "disfigured" the amp over time... that's for sure.

On top of that, it is very individual how much historical charm you leave into an amp.

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From a technical point of view, at TubeWorkShop we have all the options from a complete rebuild of the electronics to a completely new hand-built and upholstered housing. But this should only be used in corner-cases.

 

Normally we act according to the maxim "as much as necessary... as little as possible" when restoring vintage amps. We try to keep as much of the original substance as possible and only replace things that are obviously defective, safety-critical or generally not "in the spirit of the inventor". This often exceeds the effort of simply renewing everything, since every single original component has to be checked for its function.  When restoring old amps, it is always about making a piece of history available for future generations and preserving it! 

 

There is no standard recipe for restoring vintage amps. Every amp requires a personal consultation with the owner regarding measures, effort and costs.