Our Namesake
Cautionary Advice
Cautionary Advice
My buddy and constant companion for 13 years. Also known as the Flying Circus Dog, Baxter was a rescue. Who rescued whom remains to be seen ... I'm pretty sure he ran away from the circus (you know, like those dancing dogs dressed in tutus?) to find his forever home. He appreciated a good carne asada super burrito as much as me, although his true passion was chicken pot pie.
Cautionary Advice
Cautionary Advice
Cautionary Advice
First, please heed the high voltage warnings on your amp and never remove the chassis to expose the circuitry. Take this warning seriously. Tube amps typically run DC voltages over 150vDC in preamp stages and over 300vDC in the power amp stage. The voltages can persist due to electrolytic capacitors even when an amp is turned off and unpl
First, please heed the high voltage warnings on your amp and never remove the chassis to expose the circuitry. Take this warning seriously. Tube amps typically run DC voltages over 150vDC in preamp stages and over 300vDC in the power amp stage. The voltages can persist due to electrolytic capacitors even when an amp is turned off and unplugged. Depending on the circumstances, 30vDC to 60vDC is sufficient to kill you. If you are interested in learning how to safely work on your own amp, I or another qualified amp tech can teach you how to discharge latent voltage to make the amp safe.
Second, if your amp has a polarity or ground lift switch on the back, never operate it in a lifted state. If the amp is not grounded to the outlet, the path to ground will be through your guitar. The ground connection will be made through you when you touch your guitar and another piece of equipment that is grounded, such as a microphone.
Third, never use a 3 prong to 2 prong adapter on you amp's power cord. This has the same effect as lifting the ground described above.
Fourth, if you have an older amp that has a 2 prong power cord, stop using it and ask a qualified tech to put a 3 prong (grounded) plug on it.
In all of these cases, the point is to keep your body, specifically your heart, out of the path to ground for DC voltages that are sufficient to kill you 5 to 10 times over.
Play it safe and don't roll the dice. Ask for help.
About Me
Cautionary Advice
About Me
I became interested in tube amps during the Covid shutdown. Having played in Bay Area bands since the early '80s, I felt like I never could quite get a tone that sounded as good as the professional players I admire. Then I realized that pros have amp techs to maintain and optimize their gear. I figured that to truly understanding my instr
I became interested in tube amps during the Covid shutdown. Having played in Bay Area bands since the early '80s, I felt like I never could quite get a tone that sounded as good as the professional players I admire. Then I realized that pros have amp techs to maintain and optimize their gear. I figured that to truly understanding my instrument, I needed to understand the gory and somewhat intimidating details of how and why an amp does what it does. Then I had the good fortune of crossing paths with Mr. Gerald Weber...
Gerald was one of the leading experts in guitar tube amps, having authored 5 books on tube amps, written a column in Vintage Guitar Magazine spanning two decades, and building coveted boutique amps under the Kendrick brand. Gerald was a teacher and mentor to many amp builders and techs, including me, until his passing in 2024. He had an extraordinary talent for explaining complex subjects in a way that was easily understood. A group of about 25 of us across North America who learned from Gerald continue to meet weekly to share information about current projects, help each other solve challenging problems, and continue to learn. It's a brain trust that continues to pursue the excellence that Gerald exemplified.
Drop me a line and let me know what I might do to help you. Advice is always free.
Mike Fairley