I sent this pic to a friend yesterday and asked “Which solder joint is the bad one”? The reply was witty and made me chuckle for a minute.
This is a modern Ampeg amp that develops a bad hum after about 10 minutes of operation. If you tap on the circuit board it goes away…only to come back about 30 second to a couple minutes later. Annoying for me, never mind the owner.
So the question still stands….”Which solder joint is the bad one”? It may be near impossible to even find the one single (or few) bad solder joint and take who knows how much time. I find that it is just easier (and faster which saves the owner some money) to re-flow just about every solder joint on the board. Yes, it is a bit tedious but it is the most efficient way I have found and works every time unless there are other issues. So you heat up the iron, pull up a stool and have at it…..one tiny solder joint at a time. I get lots of amps like this with similar problems and I strongly think that the tiny traces and solder pads are inadequate and issues like this are inevitable. Unfortunately this is the way things are built today….unless you go vintage or boutique. They cost more but you get more for the money….better tone, dynamics and reliability.
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.