When you find yourself in a situation where your guitar rig is suddenly not working (this usually happens 5 minutes before the gig or session starts) there are a few guidelines to help quickly troubleshoot the problem. First thing is to stay calm. Getting anxious only makes things worse and makes it difficult to think. You have to stay calm to troubleshoot the problem and then…. play the gig! Second, check all the simple things first. Is a cable unplugged? Do you have power to your amp (or amps) and accessories? If you are using a wireless unit try going direct to your amp with a guitar cable, bypassing all pedals. If you are now getting a signal then it is either something with your pedals (batteries or cables) or the wireless unit. If you are using a piggyback amp (head and cabinet) make sure that the speaker cable is plugged in. Are all the tubes glowing in your amp? More often than not a sudden problem like this is a simple issue that has been overlooked. In a recent personal experience, I was troubleshooting a rig that “worked fine last night and now it doesn’t” 10 minutes before the hit. The only thing that was different was a new cable was purchased and opened on the gig. It was never given a test run at home or in a rehearsal situtaion. Why would you, it’s brand new nothing could be wrong with it right? WRONG! This pesky cable was defective right out of the packaging. The rig was dead because of a brand new cable that was defective! After a few minutes of troubleshooting I found it, but took me completely by surprise. So the general rules are first to stay calm and second to check all the simple things first, including brand new accessories right out of the package. Always carry extra cables, tubes, etc. as well. Check out the article: “Gig Bag Essentials” for a list of important items that could save the day on a gig or session.
My shop is located at 1 Executive Dr Unit L Toms River, NJ 08755
Please feel free to email me if you have any questions or are in need of some tech work.
- Monday: 10am - 5pm
- Tuesday: 10am - 5pm
- Wednesday: Closed
- Thursday: 10am - 5pm
- Friday: 10am - 5pm
- Saturday 10am - 2pm. (I am in every other Saturday).
I am also an Eminence, Mercury Magnetics, Mojo Musical Supply dealer.
I do all the tech work myself so you deal directly with me. I am a one man shop and my hours can vary so please contact me to confirm that I will be open.
Email me: billy@300guitars.com
Call or text me: 848-218-0362
Shipping Info for all repair work:
Please ship all repairs to: 1 Executive Dr Unit L Toms River, NJ 08755
I am currently offering all phases of guitar work which includes:
- Set-ups
- Fret dressing
- Re-fretting
- New hand cut custom bone nuts & saddles
- Electronics work
And amplifier work which includes:
- Basic maintenance
- Bias adjustment
- Repairs and restorations
- Modifications
- And more....
Testimonials:
David Nicholas - The 20watt amp is sounding fantastic! Delivered the goods at the gig and I'm finding cool tones all over the place with it. Love the cab w Emenince Tonkerlites too- perfect for my sounds! Makes the 12 string sound like a grand piano!
Peter Lacis - I had an audition for something recently that was all about Led Zeppelin I -- my custom Pennalizer BLEW THE MINDS of the guys I was playing with. They couldn't believe the sounds coming out of that amp. That album was never in my mind when I came up with the idea....so that's yet another testament to the amazing work that you do.
Scott Goldberg - I am very satisfied with the set-up, and the fast turn around. With the "lower" action it feels easier to play. I will definitely spread the word.