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Post by Michael Messer on Sept 30, 2021 12:23:11 GMT
  A couple of days ago my trusty handbuilt Champ style amplifier that I have used constantly for 20 years started complaining when I switched it on. It made nasty electrical gurgling noises and needed looking at by a valve/tube amp specialist. My local guy that had looked after my amps for 30 years retired recently, so I went online to see what I could find without having to drive into London or across the country. I found a guy just outside Reading (25 miles from me) that when I looked at his website and read the reviews I liked the sound of. So I contacted Stuart Smith at Berkshire Amp Repairs and he said to drop round on Wednesday afternoon and that he would have a look while I waited. I turned up at 2:25 on Wednesday afternoon, Stuart checked the amp over, found the fault, soldered up the broken connection, cleaned everything, checked all the valves/tubes and said that it should be fine for another few decades. He then didn't want to charge me the proper rate for his time, so I gave him double what he asked for. By 3:15 I was back in the car and heading home. Anyone within reach of Reading with a guitar amplifier that needs repairing or servicing, Stuart Smith at Berkshire Amp Repairs is your man. Excellent service by an experienced and skilled electronics engineer. Check out Stuart's website. www.fixguitaramps.co.uk Shine On Michael   |
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Post by snakehips on Sept 30, 2021 17:02:49 GMT
Hi there !
Glad you had a good experience.
You were lucky perhaps, in that it was an easy, therefore cheap fix.
I've had lots of problems getting a good amp tech in Edinburgh, so have had to drive across to Glasgow, to take my vintage valve amps to Flynn amps (who make their own take on Fender amps, in high quality, and do great repairs etc). One amp of mine needed a new power transformer - and as it was a vintage amp, of not a well known make (a Lectrolab R600, essentially a twin 6V6 amp though), Edinburgh techs were doing their best to avoid taking on the work.
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Post by bonzo on Sept 30, 2021 17:30:33 GMT
Maybe it was you they didn't want to take on Snakey! Lol! 😉😊🎸👍
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Post by Michael Messer on Sept 30, 2021 17:48:03 GMT
I would agree that I was lucky it was a simple fix, but Stuart is set up to take on any repair and he's very good. I have only ever needed a replacement power transformer on one amp many years ago and that was a brand new Mesa Boogie that went down a week after I bought it. A relatively newly built twin 6V6 Fender or Fender copy, which is what mine is too, should not need one of those until it's has 50 or more years of heavy use. In the 20 years since it was made, mine has done hundreds of gigs, thousands of miles in the boot of the car and been left on in studios all day to get as hot as it can get before using it. It has even been on my bed overnight in freezing hotel rooms to generate some heat, which it does brilliantly! My National Westwood, made by Supro in 1957, is still running perfectly on the valves that were in it when I got it 30 years ago, and with all original components. Nothing has ever been done to it, apart from replacing the plastic handle with a leather one and a squirt of switch cleaner in the pot, and like my Champ it has done thousands of miles, and hundreds of gigs and sessions. It's really road worn and just goes on and on.  I love this amp, it has been on numerous recordings and gigs and always sounds amazing. Mind you it is a bit complicated to understand the controls.  Shine On Michael   |
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Post by bonzo on Sept 30, 2021 18:09:18 GMT
Left hand down a bit captain! 😊🎸👍
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Post by Michael Messer on Sept 30, 2021 18:20:54 GMT
The three felt tip pen lines are - 12 o'clock with the arrow is OFF/ON, 4 o'clock is where I like it most of the time, and 7:30 is where beyond that point nothing much changes, so that is essentially full power "Captain"
Shine On
Michael
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jca
MM Forum Member
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Post by jca on Oct 2, 2021 20:57:24 GMT
I also used Stuart when I lived in the Reading area, and he was fantastic - did a great job on servicing and refurbing my old marshall for surprisingly little money. Very pleasant to deal with and quick service as well.
Now I've moved back up to Dundee he may be less happy to pick up the amp from my home as he was before!
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Post by Michael Messer on Jun 13, 2024 12:46:43 GMT
Berkshire Amp Repairs do it again! A few days ago I took my 1974 Pignose amp over to Stuart because it was making some nasty noises (haha...no not my playing!). Stuart did a wonderful job on it and all while I waited. The amp is now working perfectly and sounds fantastic. I can't believe these things are now 50 years old.  Shine On Michael  |
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Post by snakehips on Jun 13, 2024 13:07:59 GMT
Great stuff !
My previous post on this thread mentioned me taking some amps to an amp maker in Glasgow.
Unfortunately, that didn't go too well at all.
The guy fixed one simple thing each on two amps but said the amps had some dodgy wiring inside.
I bought those two amps and a 1950's Stromberg-Carlson 4-channel PA amp from a blues guitarist in the USA.
So, I took this PA amp for him to check out & make sure all is safe etc.
The amp sounded absolutely ace before I brought it to him, but once I got it back, it wasn't working - and still hasn't worked right after another two times sending it back to him !!
Oh, he also worked on a wee Fender (Hot Rod series) Pro Jnr for me - and that now has a whining noise that wasn't there before.
I recently found a very local amp repair guy - and he has checked out all these amps and found the Glasgow guy has used a lot of hard glue to stick components together in all these amps, making them much more difficult to do any future work on them !!!
This new guy seems good & knowledgeable, but unfortunately takes forever ! Maybe it will be worth it ??
(I hope so !!!)
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