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Must-Know First-Aid • 101-Level Mods

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 Must Know Amp
First-Aid
6 Common Tube-Amp Ailments Every Guitarist Can Cure
BY JEFF BOBER

TUBE-AMP FIRST-AID

F
or a good percentage of
KIT ESSENTIALS 6-string guitarists out there,
a tube amp isn’t just the
Every guitarist who plays a tube amp, whether
it’s a combo or a head and cab, should have
preferred way to achieve the ultimate
the following tools and spare parts on hand to tone—it’s heresy to consider playing
address low level first-aid needs: anything that doesn’t have glowing
• LED flashlight valves around back. And the longer
• Small, inexpensive multimeter you play, the more likely it is that
• 1/4" female-to-female mono adapter
• Extra speaker cable
you’ve been through a bunch of
• Small flat-blade screwdriver brands, models, and output-tube types
• Standard-size flat-blade screwdriver in effort to find the sound(s) in your
• Philips screwdriver (for removing rear panel)
• Spare fuses head. We all tend to start out with
• Spare rectifier tube (if applicable) what we can afford, and gradually we
• Spare set of matched power tubes
• At least one spare of each type of preamp-
graduate to something better—and
type tube in your amp better again—all to achieve the next
• Oven mitt or ‘Ove’ Glove degree of tonal satisfaction.
• Electronic contact cleaner without lubricant
(for cleaning tube sockets) But at some point, most of us tube-
• Electronic contact cleaner with lubricant amp fans also experience some sort
(for cleaning 1/4" jacks)
• Spare amp, head, or power-amp pedal
of failure related to this arcane—yet
(for emergency gig triage) fantastic and sonically satisfying—
• 1' speaker-extension cable with 1/4" male technology from the 1950s, and
and female
• 1/4" connectors OR a 1/4" female-to-female it’s often at the worst possible time.
mono adapter Unfortunately, there’s no practical

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 or accurate way to predict when
or where this will occur. But, as
someone who has been in the repair
and modification business for more
than 25 years, I can tell you there’s a
very good chance it’ll happen to you
sometime if it hasn’t already. Sans a
crystal ball and the ability to see into
the future, the best way to prepare is
to practice preventive maintenance and
be prepared for the inevitable with a
little bit of basic knowledge and the
proper contingent of tools and parts
to back it up. To that end, this article
will furnish you with must-know If your tube combo dies on a gig, a pint-sized solid-state
information that will help save the gig and head like the Orange Micro Terror or a small, mic-able
solid-state amp such as the Roland CUBE-80XL—perhaps
allow you to execute basic troubleshooting paired with your favorite overdrive/distortion pedal—will
and repair on your amplifier. get you through the gig and avoid the embarrassment of
cancelling mid-show.

Gig-Meltdown Triage
The first and most important tip I can give don’t have another tube amp that’ll suffice,
is to bring a spare amp to every gig. If you many solid-state options on the market
notice, quite a few of the players you see offer an affordable solution. Remember,
in television performances have two amps your backup doesn’t have to blow minds
of the same make. This is generally not for with its peerless tonal ecstasy—it just has
increased volume, tonal variety, or to look to get you through the gig.
cool—it’s life insurance. There’s no time to Whether you play a combo or a stack,
change out or troubleshoot an amp in that you just need a spare head or combo with
situation, and it would certainly be an epic a speaker out. Something like an Orange
fail if you were performing on a late-night Micro Terror head ($149 street) or a Roland
talk show and your one and only amp CUBE-80XL combo ($379 street) and an
failed during the performance of a lifetime. overdrive pedal will do—and if the volume
I know some of you will say you either isn’t raging, you can just mic the cab. Or,
can’t afford or don’t have room for another if most of your tone shaping comes from
amp in your car, band van, or on your pedals and outboard gear, something like the
stage, but your backup doesn’t have to be überportable Electro-Harmonix Magnum
the same model you normally prefer. If you 44 ($150 street) or Diago Little Smasher

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 probably either because it doesn’t sound
right or isn’t making sound at all. Although
it’s a bummer to deal with this, hopefully it
happens at home or during a rehearsal, so it
doesn’t interrupt a gig.
The first step to take when you think
Stompbox-sized amps like the there’s something wrong with your amp
Electro-Harmonix Caliber 22
and Diago Little Smasher are an
is to make sure it’s actually the amp that’s
easy-as-pie lifesaver when your faulty. To do so, first, plug directly into
tube amp melts down on the go.
your amp, bypassing any pedals or effects
gear. If the amp functions properly, look
($190 street) can be a godsend— elsewhere in the signal chain to pinpoint
even if you still need to mic your the problem. If it still won’t work, try a
cab. With most tube combos, you can use different 1/4" cable, and if that doesn’t fix
a 1/4" male-to-female speaker cable or the problem, use a different guitar. If the
female-to-female mono adapter (which costs problem persists, it’s probably your amp.
approximately $2 street) and another speaker The following sections detail some of
cable to connect the internal speaker to your the most common issues that the average
backup power amp. (Note: Because most guitarist should feel comfortable detecting
cable adapters, whether male-to-female or and rectifying (forgive the pun) without
female-to-female, aren’t up to the same specs going to an experienced amp-repair tech.
as quality speaker cable, you should only
resort to using them for short periods such Is the indicator lamp illuminated?
as during an emergency onstage meltdown.) If not, it’s probably because of a blown
All of the aforementioned options are fuse. Usually a fuse blows due to a failure
light, portable solutions that can be kept in the amp, but occasionally it’s due to
on hand with minimal inconvenience so something as simple as a power surge.
you can do a quick swap and troubleshoot Because fuses can sometimes look good to
your main amp during a break or after your the naked eye even when they’re blown, the
gig—when you’re not under performance best way to check is to use a multimeter.
pressure. That’s much more expedient than Set the meter to read continuity in ohms
troubleshooting onstage—and it will keep (Ω) and measure across the fuse. If the
your bandmates and audience happy. meter indicates continuity or an almost
zero reading, the fuse is good. If not, you’ll
Troubleshooting After the Gig need to replace it.
Now let’s move on to actual first-aid To avoid buzzkill during a productive
measures. It goes without saying, that if home jam session or band rehearsal, I
you think your amp may have issues, it’s recommend you get to know the fuses

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 the fuse holder. Whichever type your amp
uses, check the value of the fuse currently
installed—especially if you’re not the
original owner—and make sure it’s correct.
If your amp has multiple fuses, such as
a high-tension (aka “high-voltage” or
“HT”) or output fuse, make sure you have
multiple replacements for each.
One point that’s crucial to keep in mind
is that you should never replace the fuse
with a substantially higher current rating
just to keep the amp running. If a fuse of
the correct value continues to fail, the amp
Because fuses can often appear good to the naked eye,
it’s best to test them with a multimeter set to read has a problem that needs to be addressed.
continuity in ohms. In such a scenario, possible causes for
repeated fuse failure could be:

• A faulty rectifier tube. If your amp

uses tube rectification in its power
supply, a shorted rectifier tube can cause
a fuse to repeatedly blow. To see if this
is the case, locate the rectifier tube in
the amp—it’s usually the tube closest
to the mains (AC) transformer, and it’s
typically a 5U4, 5Y3, 5AR4, GZ34,
or 6X4. (Side note: It’s a good idea to
know what kind of rectifiers are used in
Some fuse holders are integrated with the line-cord all your amps and to keep one of each
receptacle and require a small flathead screwdriver.
necessary type in your spares kit.) After
you’ve located the rectifier, install a new
in all your amps and carry extras so you fuse and a new rectifier tube and try the
can pop them in and keep rocking. Some amp again. If it now functions properly,
fuse holders are easy to find and as easy to you’ve found the cause of the failure. If
operate as a push and a turn. Some require not, replace the original rectifier tube
use of a flat-blade screwdriver. Others are and continue troubleshooting.
an integral part of the line-cord receptacle • A faulty output tube. This is an
and require you to remove the cord and especially likely culprit if the fuse(s)
use a small flat-blade screwdriver to pry out failing is an HT or output fuse. If you

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 TUBE TIP currently installed in your amp. are graded, replacing with the
This is especially true with regard same grade—should avoid having
Whether they’re preamp or to output tubes: While preamp to get the amp re-biased.
output tubes, valves of the tubes from different companies In a pinch, you can replace
same type (e.g., EL84, EL34, can result in differences in tone power tubes of different brands
GZ34, or 12AX7) from different and gain, output tubes from or grades to get through a gig,
manufacturers do sound different. different manufacturers tend but be sure to have the bias
Whenever possible, make sure the to bias up quite differently. checked and/or set as soon as
tubes in your spares kit are from So staying with the same you can for optimal performance,
the same manufacturer as those manufacturer—and, if the tubes tone, and lifespan.

suspect this is a problem, install controls. With the amp in operating mode,
the new fuse(s) and replace the hit the top of the amp with your hand or
full set of matched power fist using moderate force. If this produces
tubes. If this corrects the noise in question, read the steps below:
the fuse-blowing issue,
you’ve found the cause • If the noise is of a rumbling nature:
of the failure. However, It could indicate a faulty output tube.
this unfortunately does For a quick fix, replace the amp’s power
not mean the amp has a tubes with a full set of matched output
clean bill of health. Some tubes. If this alleviates the noise, you’ve
tube failure can cause internal isolated and repaired the problem. If the
components to fail. If you problem persists, replace the original
An ‘Ove’ Glove replace the power tubes and notice tubes and continue troubleshooting.
or an everyday
oven mitt is a
lackluster performance, an increase in • If the noise is of a glassy or high-
handy tool for hum, or one or more tubes glowing pitched nature: It is likely due to a
dampening hot
preamp and exceptionally red, the amp will need faulty preamp-type tube. Starting with
power tubes to to be serviced by an experienced tech, the preamp-type tubes closest to the
determine which
is bad, as well because more than likely the grid or output tubes, tap each one with your
as for removing screen-grid resistor(s) have failed. If fingernail or the end of a pencil. If
them once you’ve
isolated the replacing the output tubes has not one in particular produces the noise
offending valve.
alleviated the problem, re-install in question, replace that tube. If this
the original tubes and have the amp alleviates the noise, you’ve found the
serviced by an experienced tech. problem. If not, replace the original
and continue this process with the
Is the amp making rumbling or remaining preamp tubes. If more
glassy, high-pitched noises? than one tube produces the noise
If so, narrow down the source of the noise during the tapping process, a trick to
by turning down any internal effects such narrowing down the possible offender
as reverb or tremolo, as well as all volume is to attempt to dampen the adjoining

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 Left: If your amp
is making loud,
static-y sounds
when you play,
you may need
to clean its tube
sockets with
electronic
contact cleaner.

Above: Before
removing tubes
to clean their
sockets, label the
tubes and their
sockets to ensure
you replace them
in the spots that
were producing
satisfactory
results prior
to the static
problem.

tubes while tapping. This can usually • If none of the above troubleshooting
be done by placing your hand on as techniques produce the noise
many of the tubes as possible except in question and your amp has a
the one you’re tapping on. If they’re mechanical type reverb (i.e., a spring
too hot to perform this barehanded, unit), turn up the reverb control. If the
use an oven mitt or ‘Ove’ Glove. This noise is now present, the reverb drive
same technique can be used to find an and/or recovery tube could be the cause.
offending output tube. Unless you know the specific location
• If tapping on the amp with all the of these tubes, you may need to go
volume controls set to minimum through the tap test one more time to
produces no noise, set all the volume find exactly which tube is at fault. (If
controls to your typical settings and your amp is a blackface or silverface
try again. If the noise in question is Fender style, looking at the amp from
now present, go through the preamp- the rear, the reverb-driver tube is
tube tap test once again, starting with generally a 12AT7 and it’s usually third
the tubes closest to the input(s) of the from the right, while the 12AX7 reverb
amp—you’ve most likely narrowed it recovery tube is fourth from the right,
down to the first couple of gain stages. just past the small transformer.)

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 Is the amp making crackling or electronic contact cleaner, and then insert
popping noises when you’re and remove each tube in the socket 8 to
not playing? 10 times. (Note: Be sure your electronic
If so, this is can be caused by faulty contact cleaner is the type without
preamp or power tubes. The best course lubricant—lubricant can attract dust and
of action here is pure substitution. One by debris, which can become conductive.)
one, replace each preamp tube and see if it Once you’ve cleaned all the sockets, leave
alleviates the noise. If none of the preamp all of the tubes out for 5 to 10 minutes so
tubes seem to be the cause, try replacing that the cleaner can evaporate. After the
the full set of output tubes with your set sockets are dry, replace the tubes and try
of matched spares. If no tube substitution the amp again. If the symptom has cleared
alleviates the problem, the amp will need up, you’ve taken care of the issue. If not,
to be serviced, because there’s a good try the socket-cleaning procedure again—
chance it has a failing plate or cathode sometimes it can take more than one
resistor in the preamp. cleaning to get the job done. If the problem
still persists after a couple of cleanings, the
Is the amp making loud, static-like sockets may need to be re-tensioned or
noises when you play? replaced, which is probably best left to a
This could be due to dirty, oxidized, or professional.
compromised connections in the tube
sockets. To find out, while the amp is in Does sound from the amp cut
operate mode, wiggle each tube, starting in and out while you play?
with the output tubes—which are usually This can be due to quite a few things,
the biggest offender. In order to avoid one of which can be related to the tube
blurting out expletives in front of children sockets (see the previous section on
or others with sensitive ears, be prepared cleaning tube sockets).
for the amp to make a loud crackling noise. If your amp has an effects loop, the
If it does, there’s a good chance the sockets problem could also be that the contacts
are dirty or oxidized. More times than in its 1/4" jacks are dirty or oxidized—
not, the fix is a good cleaning—and that’s especially if you don’t use the loop. To
something anyone can do. remedy this, spray electronic contact
To clean the sockets, turn the amp off cleaner—only this time use the type that
and remove the tubes once they’re cool, does have lubricant—into each jack, and
being sure to take note of their locations in then insert and remove a cable 8 to 10
the amp. I recommend marking each tube times. Afterward, leave the plugs inserted
and its associated socket with a Sharpie for 15–30 minutes—or even overnight, if
(“1,” “2,” etc.) while you’re removing them. possible. This will leave the jacks’ switching
One by one, spray a couple of shots of contacts open and give the cleaner a chance

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 If your amp cuts
in and out during
play, your effects-
loop jacks may
need cleaning
with an electronic
contact cleaner
that has lubricant.

to dry. You can then remove the cable and

try the amp again. (Note: As a preventive
measure, it’s not a bad idea to perform this
type of jack cleaning on your input and
speaker jacks.)

Does the amp not make

sound at all?
This can be due to an open speaker
connection. To check for this, unplug the
speaker cable from the head (leaving the
other end connected to the cab), and use
your multimeter to measure the resistance
of the speaker load. Set the meter to read
resistance in ohms, connect one lead of the
meter to the body (sleeve) of the plug, and
then connect the other to the tip. A typical
If your amp isn’t making any sound, it may have a bad
16 Ω load will measure approximately speaker connection. You can test whether the speaker is
12–14 ohms, an 8 Ω load will measure getting a proper signal by connecting one multimeter lead
to the sleeve (as shown with the black lead above) and the
approximately 6–7 Ω, and a 4 Ω load will other to the tip.

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 and you still wish to check the speaker
resistance, you will need to disconnect one
of the leads coming from the chassis to the
speaker(s). Luckily some amps use quick
connects to attach the speaker leads. If this
is the case, simply remove one connector
from the speaker (this may take some force,
but it will come off ) and measure the
speaker resistance by connecting the meter
leads directly to the speaker terminals. If
your hardwired speaker doesn’t have quick
connects, you’ll need to unsolder one of the
leads. (Note: Checking speaker resistance
Although they may require a bit of a tug, the quick connects with the speakers still connected to the
on many combo speakers can be removed to facilitate
testing of the speaker’s resistance—which can help you amplifier will result in a false reading.
determine whether the speaker cable has gone bad. Because the amp’s output-transformer
resistance is extremely low, it will cause
measure approximately 3 Ω DC resistance your reading to look like the speaker(s) are
with the meter. If you can’t get a resistance shorted, which is almost never the case.)
measurement, try again with a spare
speaker cable. (Note: For testing purposes, Be Prepared—and Don’t Get in
a 1/4" instrument cable can be used, but Too Deep
you should not use one as a permanent A number of issues with tube amps can
substitute for a proper speaker cable.) be alleviated by even the most risk-averse
If you have a combo and you can’t get a and electrically un-inclined guitarist using
reading at the end of the combo speaker the tools and methods discussed here. The
cable, perform the resistance test right at most important thing is to have the proper
the terminals on the speaker itself. I have instruments and supplies on hand and to
seen numerous instances where inexpensive follow the right processes. We recommend
combo speaker cables with the molded keeping this story handy so you can follow
plastic ends have failed, so it’s not a bad the steps outlined here precisely every time.
idea to replace these with an upgraded Hopefully your amp woes never become
cable as a preventive measure—because an so great that these fixes don’t solve the
open speaker cable can cause substantial problem, but if they do, be sure to
damage to a tube amp. If you happen document the problem well and get in
to have a combo where the speaker is touch with a qualified amp-repair person so
hardwired (i.e., it does not have a 1/4" they can help you get up and wailing again
jack you can disconnect from the chassis) with minimal downtime.

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 Guitar-Amp
Mods for Newbies
Removing or replacing a single component in your
amp can have significant impacts on both its tonal
character and the amount of gain or headroom on tap.
Here we guide you through several easy projects you
can do in relatively little time with a few basic tools.
BY TIM SCHROEDER
 I
t’s in a guitarist’s nature, I believe, Here we present eight short projects that
that we can’t leave well enough alone. pretty much anyone with rudimentary
Most of us have an ideal sound (or soldering skills can tackle. Even better, the
sounds) in our heads, and we won’t rest mods we’re detailing here are all reversible.
until our vision is realized. We can have So if they don’t suit your fancy or you need
a perfectly fine guitar or amplifier, but to return your amp to its stock circuitry
we still have an inherent urge to tinker (for example, to sell it), you can do so
with it until it’s “just right” in feel or without much trouble.
tone. On this premise—as well as the fact
that many of us are on budgets that don’t MOD 1: Swap Preamp Tubes to
allow us to buy every amp that strikes our Adjust Headroom
fancy—the idea of modifying an amp we One of the most common things
already own strikes a very appealing chord guitarists request from us at our shop
for many players. (schroederaudioinc.com) is the ability to
Of course, before beginning any sort of get more or less headroom—either cleaner
amp modification, you’ve got to pinpoint tones at higher volumes or more overdrive
exactly what you want to accomplish. And or distortion at lower volumes. Let’s begin
you have to keep in mind that an amp is full by looking at some simple ways to alter
of many parts that interact with and affect your amp’s headroom.
one another, so even small changes to any The first preamp tube (aka “valve”) in an
of these parts can yield major differences amp’s circuit is used in its first gain stage(s)
in tone and performance. However, this of an amp. It’s usually a 12AX7 (aka an
exponential effect that small changes can ECC83 in Europe and abroad), and it’s the
have on tone means there are many relatively small tube located farthest from the larger
easy ways in which even inexperienced but power tubes. Typically, a 12AX7 has a gain
adventurous DIYers can mod their amp. rating of 100. One simply way to achieve

ESSENTIAL TOOLS
No job can be done well without the proper tools—in
fact, attempting to do so usually results in a nightmare
of frustration. For the mods we’re exploring here, I
recommend the following tools:

• Standard-size Phillips and/or flat screwdrivers

(for re-moving and securing the chassis)
• Wire cutters/strippers
• 25–40-watt soldering iron
• Acid-free rosin core solder
• Safety goggles
• Needle-nosed pliers
• A copy of your amp’s circuitry schematic

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All amplifiers contain lethal It’s imperative that these
voltages. If after reading capacitors are discharged
through this entire article before proceeding with any
you still feel unsure of your work on the amp. The best way
capabilities, please refrain from to do this is with an alligator
performing any modification clip wire with a 100K resistor
to your amp. If you decide to in series to ground. Clip one
proceed, make certain the amp end of the wire to ground and
is unplugged and that all tubes the other end to the positive
have been removed before side of each electrolytic
beginning. Next, remove the capacitor. This will bleed off
amp chassis from the box it is any voltage that may be stored
housed in and turn it upside in the capacitor. To be certain
down so the circuitry is exposed all voltage is discharged, use
and easy to work on. a voltmeter set to DC voltage.
The most dangerous After about a minute, the
voltages in an amp are stored capacitors should be fully
in electrolytic capacitors, discharged. If you are unsure Above: Common tube-amp
even after the amp has been of this procedure, consult your capacitor types.
unplugged from the wall. local amp tech.
Below: To confirm that voltage has
been discharged, measure each cap
with a voltmeter set to DC voltage and
make sure none is detected. Touch the
black lead to the chassis, and the red
lead to the positive cap terminal.

Above: Before touching anything inside the chassis of a tube amp, bleed off any
lingering fatal voltages being stored inside by attaching one end of a 100 kΩ
resistor (inside the black shrink wrap in the middle of the green wire) to ground
and touching the other end to the positive side of each electrolytic cap in the
circuit (the blue ones) for a full minute each.
 Above: You can alter your amp’s headroom by swapping out the first preamp tube in its first
gain stage—typically the small tube furthest from the power tubes. In this picture of a Fender
Twin Reverb amp chassis, the power amp tubes are the two large glass bottle-like things at far
left, which means the first preamp tube of the first gain stage is the small valve at far right. The
phase inverter preamp tube is the third from left.

Right: A 12AX7 preamp tube (aka ECC83, left) typically has a gain rating of 100 and yields
more distortion, while a 12AT7 (ECC81) has a cleaner gain rating of 70.

more headroom in your amp is to replace MOD 2: Swap Negative-Feedback

this tube with a 12AT7 (aka ECC81), Circuit Resistors to Adjust Headroom
which has a gain rating of about 70 and Another way to increase your amp’s
will yield cleaner sounds than a 12AX7. headroom is to adjust the size of the
Conversely, players who have an amp with negative-feedback resistor. Because
a 12AT7 in the first gain stage can get the earliest tube guitar amps from the
more gain and overdrive from their amp by 1950s weren’t intended to overdrive
swapping it for a 12AX7. (though it wouldn’t be long before rock
You can further alter your amp’s ’n’ roll pioneers harnessed the glorious
headroom by simply changing its phase sound), the negative-feedback circuit
inverter, which is the preamp tube located was implemented as a way to reduce
right next to the power tubes. It sends the distortion. It does so by taking a very
signal from the preamp into the power small signal from the amp’s output and
amp, and swapping it with one that has a injecting it back into the gain stage—only
higher or lower gain rating (i.e., a 12AX7 it’s out of phase with the output. This
vs. a 12AT7) will also adjust the amount of causes phase cancellation and affects the
gain being sent to the amp’s power tubes. amp’s overall gain character.

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16 PREMIER GUITAR - DIGITAL PRESS ALL ABOUT AMPS VOL. 1
 The negative feedback resistor located off
of the amplifier’s output jack. Decreasing
its value will increase your amp’s overall
headroom. In the photo above, the feedback
resistor is located between the top two blue
coupling capacitors—it’s the component
with (left to right) gray, red, brown, and
silver bands on it, and one of its leads is
being gripped by needle-nose pliers. (For
complete information on how to read
resistor color codes, visit wikipedia.org and Amp headroom can also be
adjusted by swapping the
search for the “Electronic color code” entry.) resistor in a negative-feedback
To remove the current resistor and circuit for a different value. Here,
the resistor ringed with gray, red,
install a new one: brown, and silver value marks is
being desoldered, one lead at a
time, to make way for another.
• If you have a soldering iron that lets you
set exact temperature, set it for between
700 and 800 degrees Fahrenheit. MOD 3: Swap the Cathode Resistor
• Heat the solder joint on one end of the to Adjust Headroom
feedback resistor and gently lift it out of Adjusting the value of the resistor
the circuit, then do the other. connected to the cathode (the main
Note: Be careful not to leave the soldering filament-like part that forms the core
iron on the solder joint for too long as of a vacuum tube) of any of the gain-
doing so could damage the component. stage preamp tubes can greatly affect the
• Bend the tips of the new resistor’s leads overdrive capabilities and headroom. The
to fit neatly in the two vacated solder bias of a preamp tube—how much voltage
joints. is running through it—occurs in the tube’s
• Snip off excess length on the leads of cathode.
the new resistor. Not all amps have a cathode resistor, but
• Heat one of the solder joints and put when they do, it’s wired in parallel with
one end of the resistor in place, and a cathode capacitor—which can also be
then proceed to the other solder joint. swapped out for one with a different value
• Add a bit of solder to the new solder to increase or decrease headroom (see Mod
joints so that there’s a solid connection. 4, below, for more on this).
• Repeat the steps above with different Generally, the range of values for the
value resistors until you are satisfied cathode resistor is 820 ohms (Ω) to 10 kΩ,
with the increase or decrease in but the most common value is 1.5 kΩ.
headroom. Decreasing the value causes the tube to

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 Shown here is our
Fender Twin Reverb.
Its 1.5k Ω cathode
resistor is marked by
the brown, green, red,
and silver bands.

bias hotter, which in turn causes the tube smaller the value of the cathode cap, the
to overdrive quicker, yielding a hairier tone more high end is accentuated. The typical
due to the increase in gain. It follows that range of cathode capacitor values is
increasing the value of the cathode resistor anywhere from .68 µf to 250 µf. A typical
causes the tube to bias cooler, lowering cathode cap value in lower-gain amps
the gain of the tube and thus increasing (including the Fender Twin we’ve been
clean headroom. To change the value of the working on here) is 25 µf. In higher-gain
cathode resistor, refer to the steps in the amps such as a Marshall Super Lead,
Mod 2: Swap Negative-Feedback Circuit you would expect to see a cap value of
Resistors to Adjust Headroom section. .68 µf. The reason higher gain amps
use cathode caps with such small values
MOD 4: Swap the Cathode Capacitor (especially in the early gain stages) is to
to Adjust Headroom tame the potential for too much bass to
As mentioned above, the cathode capacitor be amplified—which could result in the
also has a significant effect on an amp sounding too muddy when pushed
amp’s available gain. The larger the value into overdrive.
of the cathode capacitor, the more low Some amplifiers—including old Supros
end is accentuated in that gain stage. The and Magnatones—do not have cathode

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18 PREMIER GUITAR - DIGITAL PRESS ALL ABOUT AMPS VOL. 1
 and – poles are oriented before removing it.
The negative side must be attached to ground,
and the positive side of most electrolytic caps is
the side with a lip near the end. The negative
side will not have such a lip and will be flat.

MOD 5: Swapping the Coupling

Capacitors to Adjust Bass Response
The second most common request we get
at our shop is to change the overall tonal
character of an amplifier. As with changing
an amp’s gain, small changes in the circuit
can greatly affect the tone.
If you’re looking to get more (or less)
bass out of your amp, its coupling caps—
which act as frequency filters—are great
candidates for modification. Coupling
capacitors typically have values from .022
µf to .1 µf. The purpose of coupling caps
is to block DC voltage and can be found
in several places in the circuit. The specific
To increase or decrease gain, you can swap out the ones that we’ll be dealing with are situated
cathode capacitor (here, it’s the black component with
green writing) with one of a different value—a lower between the phase inverter plates and the
value for more gain, higher for more dirt.
power-tube grids. Smaller values such as
.022 µf attenuate the bass in the preamp,
caps on the first gain stage(s). You can preventing it from being passed into the
increase the gain of these amps by adding power amp section. Larger values such as
a cathode capacitor in parallel with the .1 µf allow more bass to pass through. In a
cathode resistor of that gain stage. To bass amp, you may see up to .47 µf.
change the value of this cathode capacitor, Naturally, the idea when modifying
follow the rules for changing a resistor in coupling capacitors is to get the great bass
the two previous sections. response you desire without causing the
Note: Cathode capacitors are often amp to sound too boomy. High-gain amps
electrolytic—meaning, they store electrical typically have a smaller value than clean
charges and therefore have + and – poles that amps for this reason.
must be installed in the proper direction. Coupling caps are rarely electrolytic and
It’s therefore imperative that you pay special will therefore function without regard to
attention to where the existing capacitor’s + polarity. That said, certain types of coupling

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 Another way to alter your amp’s
frequency response is to swap the
slope resistor for one of another
value. In this picture of our Twin,
it’s the one with brown, black,
To alter bass response, you can swap coupling caps for different values. In our yellow, and silver bands being
Twin Reverb example, the coupling caps are the two blue cylinders at the end of gripped by one lead with needle-
the circuit board (closest to the power tubes). nose pliers.

caps—including film and paper-in-oil control. Simply put, the slope resistor
varieties—may yield small sonic differences changes the slope of the midrange dip if it
depending on the direction of travel. were charted on a frequency-response chart.
Typical slope-resistor values range from
MOD 6: Swapping Tone-Stack 33 kΩ to 100 kΩ. A larger value yields
Resistors a sound with more of a midrange scoop
The part of an amp’s circuit that governs (i.e., where treble and bass frequencies
the ranges of its tone controls is known are louder than the mids). Smaller values
as the tone stack. This part of the circuit is accentuate midrange. In our Twin Reverb,
most commonly a combination of three the vibrato channel’s slope resistor is
potentiometers (for bass, mid, and treble the 100 kΩ one (with brown, black,
knobs), three capacitors, and a resistor and yellow rings) attached to a 100 kΩ
called the slope resistor. One simple mod resistor on one end and two blue .1 µf
that will change the tonal character of coupling capacitors on the other. To
your amp is to experiment with the value change the value of the slope resistor,
of the slope resistor, which controls how follow the previous instructions on how
frequencies are divided over each tone to replace a resistor.

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20 PREMIER GUITAR - DIGITAL PRESS ALL ABOUT AMPS VOL. 1
 To tame treble response in a Marshall head, simply clip or desolder the bright cap on the volume pot. In case you decide
to reverse the mod in the future, make sure you leave as much of the capacitor’s leads intact (if you decide to clip it) to
facilitate easy reinstallation.

MOD 7: Removing the Bright Cap to MOD 8: Adding Shielded Wire to

Tame Harsh Treble Reduce Noise
If your amp has a treble response that Our final project here is a mod that will
feels too harsh to your ears—especially subdue hiss or unwanted background noise
at lower volumes—you can tame it by in your amp. A lot of the time when an
removing the bright cap. In a Marshall amp is plagued with this malady, it’s because
amplifier such as a Super Lead, you simply it uses unshielded wiring in key sections
remove the capacitor that lies across two of the circuit. Strategically replacing these
legs of the volume pot. This cap allows lengths with shielded wire is a fast, easy way
the high frequencies in the guitar signal to improve the amp’s noise floor.
to bypass being attenuated by the taper Perhaps the best place to start adding
of the volume pot, so removing this cap shielded wire is the section going from the
eliminates the amp’s severe-sounding highs amp’s 1/4" input jack to the grid of the
at lower volumes. first preamp tube. The grid in question for
To remove a bright cap, simply desolder a 12AX7/ECC83 or 12AT7/ECC81 tube
the leads or clip them at a point near the socket will be pin number 2. Any noise picked
lugs on the pot. Be sure to leave enough up in this part of the signal path is passed
lead on the cap so that, if you later decide through each of the amp’s gain stages, getting
to reinstall it, there will be enough length amplified each time, so adding a shielded wire
left to be able to solder it back into place. here should yield significant noise reduction.

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR - DIGITAL PRESS ALL ABOUT AMPS VOL. 1 21

 To perform this mod on an amp like our
Twin Reverb:

• Snip the lead or desolder the wire where

it attaches to the input jack. (A standard
soldering iron will work for desoldering,
but a solder sucker/desoldering pump
will create a cleaner joint for the new
connection by removing excess solder.)
• Snip or desolder the other lead where
it attaches to the grid pin of the
preamp tube. The grid on a 12AX7
will be pin 2 or 7 If your amp has a lot of hiss and
• Solder the two leads from a length background noise, you may want
to check and see if the wire
of new shielded wire to the newly connecting the input jack to the grid
vacated spots. of the first preamp tube are made with unshielded wire.
If so, replacing it with shielded wire should decrease noise.
Here, we’re stripping the shielding from one lead prior
to soldering the connection, then tinning the gathered
Ground the new wire by soldering the shielding lead that we’ll solder to the input-jack side.
shielding on the input-jack side to the
ground on the input jack. On a vintage
Fender-style amp, this is the lug that is Go Forth and Mod
making contact with the chassis. Only I hope you’ve found some modifications
ground this shield on one end. here that seem like projects worth
Note: It’s a good idea to tin the leads of the pursuing on one of your amps. Although
wire you are installing before attempting to these projects yield pretty significant and
solder it into place. To do this, simply wick impressive results considering how little
a small amount of solder onto each bare work is involved, I know it can be pretty
end of the new wire. Tinning the new wire daunting to poke around inside a device
before installing it improves the quality of with significant safety risks for the first time.
connection it makes in the circuit. The safety measures we’ve outlined should
Note: Often the shielding on shielded wire alleviate any danger, however if you have
is braided and needs to be unwound. I like to any doubts about your ability to pull these
use a pointed object to get between the braided off, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
fibers to unravel them. Once you’ve unraveled But even if you decide to have a qualified
enough shielding on the end that will be tech execute these mods for you, at least
attached to the input jack, gently twist the this information will give you a better
fibers together to create one uniform shielded- understanding of some of the nuances and
wire lead—which you’ll then want to tin. possibilities of guitar amp modifying.

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22 PREMIER GUITAR - DIGITAL PRESS ALL ABOUT AMPS VOL. 1
Visit the boutique amp aficionados at:
MIDWOODGUITARSTUDIO.COM
980-265-1976
1517 Central Ave. Charlotte NC 28205
 joe bonamassa’s
5 Most Underated Amps
BY JASON SHADRICK

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR - DIGITAL PRESS ALL ABOUT AMPS VOL. 1 25

E
ven after a cursory glance at Joe that’s comfortably in the three digits, he has
Bonamassa’s Twitter and Facebook literally seen and played them all. When
page, it’s easy to tell this guy is into talking about his most underrated amps,
great vintage gear. From the rows and rows the excitement in his voice was palpable. A
of Fender combos to a few vintage Marshall genuine curiosity and interest came across,
stacks, Bonamassa doesn’t discriminate—if and when he touched on each amp it was as
it’s a benchmark for a great guitar tone, he if he was reconnecting with an old friend.
has one (or seven). “I love talking about Set aside the Dumbles and Silver Jubilee
amps. It’s so much better than talking about Marshalls—these choices are not only
other stuff,” Bonamassa gleams from his quirky and interesting, but in most cases,
home in Los Angeles. With a collection they’re affordable.

Lab Series L5
Everyone knows it as the “B.B.
King” amp, but it’s also the
Ronnie Montrose amp—and
the Ty Tabor amp. They can
readily be had for less than
$200 because people just
want to get rid of them. It’s
simply a kick-ass, solid-state
amp. I like the immediacy of
the older solid-state amps—
they’re so punchy. The new
digital solid-state junk is
another story, but the old
stuff is killin’. B.B.’s tone is
great with the Lab Series. It’s
warm and creamy and much
more consistent than a Twin.
 Sovtek MIG-50
You can generally get one of these for between $350 and $500. It’s a really cheap, Russian
amp made of military parts with poor solder joints that’s basically a hot-rodded Bassman.
They were made in the early ’90s and are definitely road-worthy. Mike Matthews from
Electro-Harmonix came up with the design. My amp tech, Bob Dixon, loves them. He even
likes the MIG-60. They also made a MIG-100, but the MIG-50 is great.

1963 Fender
Deluxe
Everybody gets all hot and
bothered about the Deluxe
Reverb, but not many people get
worked up about a “brownface”
’63 Deluxe. But you put a mic
in front of it and there’s just
something about that circuit—it
just explodes with tone. It’s one
of the biggest-sounding, small
Fender combo amps ever made.
But, they’re pricey—usually
between $2,500 and $3,000.
You can hear it on “Trouble
Town” and “Living On the Moon”
from the new album.

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR - DIGITAL PRESS ALL ABOUT AMPS VOL. 1 27

 Seymour Duncan Convertible
Seymour made them in the ’80s and it was the first amp to feature power
scaling. It could go from 100 watts to one watt. It had different modules,
like cards, that would go into the amp and they had tubes in them with
different gain stages and preamps. Mine is set up with low gain and it
sounds like a cross between a Deluxe Reverb and an early Mesa/Boogie.
It’s pretty fun. I talked to Seymour about why they stopped making them
and it was just way ahead of its time. They were expensive to make and
it almost bankrupted the company, plus they had problems with the
cards breaking. You can find them for under $500.

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28 PREMIER GUITAR - DIGITAL PRESS ALL ABOUT AMPS VOL. 1
Fender ’68 Custom Deluxe Reverb Reissue
They are arguably some of the
greatest Fender amps built in the
last 40 years. I took notice because
other cats had been commenting
on them saying that they sound
better than the original ones!
They just came out, but I think
they’re one of the most underrated
modern amps around. Plus, they’re
very affordable—you can get
one for under a grand, which is
a third of the price of an original
one. I don’t trust new amps. Well, I
certainly don’t trust boutique amps
because they blow up. I’ve always
had bad luck with them. You just
can’t lose with a good, old Fender amp.
The wacky thing is that the silverface reissues sound
nothing like the blackface reissues, which I didn’t think sounded good
at all. But these sound unbelievably good. I don’t know who is building their amps over
there now, but they are doing a good job.
I have an original Twin and Super in mint condition and they are good amps. I do have a
Fender amp in my live rig—they’re just called Dumbles. They sound like Fender amps. For
an upcoming gig at Red Rocks with the blues band I’m using two high-powered Twins (one
from 1958 and one from 1959) along with two ’58 Bassman amps.

Honorable Mention
Jim Kelley Amps
I have nine of these amps—two of the very first
of the Suhr reissues, which sound exactly like
the old ones, and seven original ones. They’re
essentially 60-watt Deluxe Reverbs with just a
huge amount of headroom. Everyone calls them
the “poor man’s Dumble” and they truly are.
They have such a great, open sound.
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32 PREMIER GUITAR - DIGITAL PRESS ALL ABOUT AMPS VOL. 1