Amp Craft News
Amp Craft is now the central coast dealer for Ulbrick Audio NRS products
Amp Craft is now your local dealer for the Ulbrick NRS - noise reduction system for Stratocasters, Telecasters, and P90 guitars. We can arrange professional installation with factory warranty. Please call us to obtain pricing as there are many configurations and variables to consider.
Link to Video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pK0i2L501Y |
Price increase as of 14-07-2023
Due to rising costs across the board, including parts, utilities rent and wages, Amp Craft is forced to increase prices. For many years we have been the affordable solution for many musicians, recording artists, engineers, schools clubs and hotels. While we plan to remain reasonably priced, we must increase our labour charges in line with the the rising costs of doing business which we can no longer absorb. We will maintain our high standards and quality and only use high quality parts without compromise. Some business combat rising costs by seeking cheaper alternatives. Amp Craft already have a good relationship with all of the top parts suppliers in Australia and oversees. We are passing on the savings to our customers with little to no markup on parts.
Turn Table -Cd players & Cassette Deck Repairs AV equipment.
- Class D Amplifiers
- Amp Craft rarely turn away anything that comes in for repair however, when it comes to Class D amplifiers we make an exception. They are painful and expensive to repair. They are however cheap to manufacture. In most cases you are better off buying a new one with a full warranty. We have had Class D bass amps and powered speakers that have been beyond repair on several occasions. Unless your problem is a simple one its probably not worth fixing.
- Peavey 5150 Refurbs
- At Amp Craft We specialize in the repair and full refurbishment of the venerable Peavey 5150 and 6505 range of High gain amplifiers. If you have a block letter or original signature 5150, it is defiantly time to service it. Back in the day, Peavey used quality components that lasted a long time however, they are by now at the end of their useful life. At Amp Craft we use quality replacement parts that will not only retain the famous 5150 tone and gain but ensure that it will run for another decade or longer. We can also tame your gain stages if you wish. We only use quality components from the USA & Japan. We have access to most brands of Valves depending on availability. If you have a newer made in china 6505 variant, we can upgrade key components to bring it more in line with their USA made counterparts. Their circuits are essentially the same so there is no reason that your made in china 6505 cant be an awesome amp and last for a very long time. Call us to discuss your needs and we can advise you on the best course of action.
- Parking at Amp Craft
- Parking at Amp Craft is a little limited. Our driveway is not intended for parking as it is shared with another property. We do have a single level parking space off to the right as you enter our drive way. We only take one customer at a time so appointments are essential. If you are disabled or have mobility issues, please let us know in advance so that we can ensure that there is free parking for you and we can offer assistance.
- Pensioner Rates
- Some of our favorite customers and valued members of the music community are pensioners. We value their contribution to society and our music evolution. It is for this reason that we offer special rates and discounts for our age pensioners, pensioners suffering illness or disability of any kind. It can be hard getting by on a pension in today's expensive world. At Amp Craft we always go above and beyond to help pensioners get there beloved equipment repaired or restored to its former glory. For some , music is their only means of respite . We believe that everyone should be able to afford to keep there favorite piece of music gear and in some cases music history working so it can be enjoyed. If you are a pensioner please let us know so we can apply these special rates to your repair.
- Yes We Charge a Bench Fee
- We are often asked if we charge for looking at a unit or diagnosing a unit. The answer is Yes. We charge a $100 bench fee. We have been waving this fee for over a year to help out our Covid 19 affected customer base. We are no longer in a position to offer this but, remember that this fee comes off the total coast of the repair. If we cant fix it we don't charge. Not too may repair businesses will offer this. We stand by our work and offer the best service we can based on years of experience and feed back from our valued customers.
If you are experiencing financial difficulties and need an item repaired we can assist you. Don't be afraid to ask. We are here to help. - New Product Release Announcement for 2023
- For years we have been working on prototypes and field testing our new range of high power class A/B solid state bass guitar and guitar amplifiers. These amps are not like the class D light weight amps that we see on the bench on a weekly basis. They are built for punishment and trouble free operation. When your onstage or in the studio, the last thing on your mind should be your amps reliability. For the serious live & loud bassist we are offering power ranges from 300 watts to 500 watts into 4 ohms continuous. We Are also working on some higher power models for the purely insane power junkies. All of these models use a linear power supply arrangement for durability, reliability and raw old fashion rock & roll power. We also have a light weight version for the older rockers or the traveling bassist. All models available as a fully featured system including pre amp and power amp or can be ordered as a power amp block only so you can use your favorite pre amp. All the amplifiers in this range are still under development and will be available on a pre order basis later next year. All models are made to order.
Turn Table -Cd players & Cassette Deck Repairs AV equipment.
- Amp Craft are no strangers to the Pro DJ and HI-FI market. We will do repairs on Turn tables-CD players and Pro CD decks, Cassette decks- reel to reel tape machines and Speaker systems. We have access to replacement lasers - Belts, Stylus and cassette deck mechanical parts. We can perform demagnetising and cleaning of heads and tape path. Tone arm repairs Jamming CD draws you name it. We will no longer work on AV receivers and modern cheaply made HI-FI amplifiers.
- Call us today so we can discuss your needs.
Bench fees are back
Over the past year we have been waving any bench fees to help our customers through these tough times. It has been tough for everyone. Bench fees are necessary to cover the cost of time and parts consumed in the diagnosis of repairs. In some cases it is necessary to repair the unit to some degree just so that we can get to a point where we can diagnose the real issue. It is not uncommon for us to spend several hours on a single unit trying to solve a problem. As products become more complex and more integrated, this becomes more challenging. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes to get to a quality repair outcome. Wages, Testing, Partial repair, ordering parts, chasing suppliers, finding information form manufactures, purchase of service manuals etc. It is for these reasons that we have decided to re introduce our bench fees. An amount of $100.00 is due when your unit is dropped off. An estimate is then provided with the details of the repair. The fee is then deducted from the final repair cost should you decide to go ahead. If it is deemed that the unit is not repairable or you refuse the estimate, the fee is retained. This is of course at our discretion and some exceptions are made. Some items may not attract the full bench fee. Any repair up to and including $160.00 will automatically go ahead without an estimate unless this is negotiated prior.
We trust that our customers understand this need and as always will continue to support us as you have done in what has been a very tough time for all.
We trust that our customers understand this need and as always will continue to support us as you have done in what has been a very tough time for all.
Buying Second Hand goods
We often get calls about purchasing items second hand from Market Place, ebay, Reverb and the like. While this can be a great way to secure a bargain and there are some great deals to be had, it does come with some risk. Buying locally is the best option . We often have customers ask us if they should take the risk of purchasing something that is not working, especially guitar amplifiers and vintage effects. The short answer is that we do not recommend that any one buy a unit knowing that it is not working. That being said there are some cases that it might make sense to buy a product that has a fault providing that it is bought with consultation. Dead on power up could be a simple as a fuse or it could be a dead power transformer. Intermittent faults can be solved mostly. If the unit is working but has an issue such as noise, crackling ,shutting down or blowing fuses, This can most often be fixed. The big question is how much are you willing to pay for the unit considering that you will need to spend money on the repair. It is probably a better idea to approach the seller from a different angle. Ask them if they are willing to have it looked and quoted. Then you have some idea of what the total cost would be. We will accept the item and offer a repair estimate at no charge. The repair cost can be deducted from the value of the item. It my even cost you less in the end. Items can be shipped to us from anywhere in Australia. We do not currently accept international items. You can have the seller contact us directly and we will work with them.
Powering up without tubes in place
There has been a growing trend for guitar amplifier users and enthusiast to look to you tube videos to help diagnose faults with there amplifiers. While this is a great resource, not all information is accurate. The one thing that we have seen time and time again is the pulling of all tubes and applying full mains voltage. This is not recommended and it can cause damage to your amplifiers power supply. Your amplifiers power supply is expecting to see a load which would normally be the tubes. Removing them means that the high voltage supply is now unloaded. The voltage across the capacitors can often exceed the maximum voltage ratings of these capacitors. If this is done repeatedly or power is maintained while you are trouble shooting, you are shortening the life of your capacitors and, in the case of old ones, they may fail entirely. Even to the point where you may damage your output or power transformer. A good way to take a repairable amplifier and make it an expensive boat anchor. There is a way to do this safely although it requires some equipment that most owners don't have and you must monitor the power supply voltages to ensure that they do not go beyond the intended voltages. If your amplifier is blowing fuses, take it to a technician.
DIY Diagnosis Plea
While we encourage amplifier owners to be more aware of how there amps work and to be proactive and give it go, there are some situations that require knowledge that only comes from experience. Working on your tube amplifier can be lethal. There are dangerous voltages inside most tube amplifiers and it takes time to develop a healthy respect for them and to become comfortable working with such voltages.. If you are not confident or nervous about working with these devices, please reconsider. It is more helpful to your amp technician for you to observe the symptoms and record the amps behaviour. Take note of the conditions at the time that the fault occurs. Anything unusual , any burning smells, noises flashes, loss of power or distortion. Your amplifier may not behave the same way once it has been transported to the workshop. All of this information is helpful to any technician. Changing parts and moving stuff around will just make it harder to diagnose and more expensive for you.
Corona Virus Impact
Due to corona virus, political unrest and general chaos around the world, some repairs may take longer than usual. Parts that can only be sourced directly from the manufacturer are proving to be difficult to get for some brands. Availability has been impacted for brands such as Peavey & Fender. Marshall and Yamaha appear to be OK for the moment. Some components that can be sourced from large supply houses are also becoming harder to get. in particular semiconductors. They are still available although the lead times have increased significantly. We do our best to anticipate the type of repairs that will come in and stock parts . it is impossible to stock every component for every make and model of every product that may come in. We do our best to keep stock for most faults.
Roland JC120 Parts becoming scarce.
Some Parts for the classic 70's built Roland JC120 are becoming very difficult to find. Roland Australia do not have the chorus chips in stock and some of the diodes used are very special and rare. Generics parts such as pots, capacitors etc are no problem but parts such as the chorus switch, speakers, face plates & knobs are rare. Look after your baby, be careful not to damage these things as they can not be replaced. It is possible to replace some parts with generic equivalent's but this will decrease the value of your amp.
Roland Space Echo Some parts still available.
We are pleased to announce that we have discovered a source for Roland Space Echo parts. We have service manuals & documentation. We also have the required instrumentation and tools to services and align them to the factory specifications.
Amp Craft acquires the latest in digital test and measurement equipment.
We are pleased to announce that we have recently acquired the latest in test & measurement equipment from Keysight Technologies & fluke. We now have data acquisition systems that can monitor circuits for intermittent faults making us more efficient than most. This innovation in servicing technology allows us to accurately diagnose problems and therefore implement the repair with more reliable results.
Amp Craft acquires rare obsolete chips and other semiconductors for Marshal Valve state amplifiers
Amp Craft has just acquired obsolete chips and transistors for the venerable Valve state series of Marshal amplifiers. The Valve state series are getting on in age and some parts are no longer made. Amp craft is now in a position to repair the Valve State amplifiers for some time to come.
Amp Craft set to release new product line. On hold due to Covid- 19 Impact
oWe are pleased to announce that we are planing to release a line of new product's by 2024 with a focus on guitar solution boxes and school public address control systems. This new product line will be all about quality reliability, practicality and old fashion bullet proof design. Included in the lineup are boutique guitar amplifier attenuator's, routers and switches, P.A Zone Selectors & small solution boxes for musicians and school audio visual systems. Keep an eye out for some great introductory offers.
Schools be ware: Portable P.A System battery Warning.
Replacing batteries in portable P.A systems should be simple but it can lead to fire and injury if not done correctly. Observe proper battery terminal polarity and be sure that the battery cables do not become pinched and short out. Faulty chargers or terminals can lead to premature battery failure and possible overheating issues and should always be checked before the batteries are replaced. If you are uncomfortable doing this please give us a call. We will ensure the health of your batteries and maintain a long service life for your investment and above all, ensure that your item remains safe to use.
Contact Cleaner Madness
Recently we have had quite a few audio products come in to our workshop that have been damaged with the use of contact cleaners and other solvents. Some contact cleaners available at hardware stores and hobbyist electronics retailers ,are not always the best choice and some times not safe for your equipment at all. These cleaners and solvents may improve scratchy controls and crackling sockets to some degree but they can do more harm than good. These solvents will often wash out the lubricants put in place by the component manufacture. This will cause the part to fail soon after. Some solvents are not safe on some plastics and permanent damage can occur.. Contact cleaners should never find their way onto the PCB of radio transmitters and receivers as they can de-tune the circuit and render the device inoperable. In most cases these parts need to be replaced or cleaned professionally. Cleaning can be an economical and quick solution if done correctly using the correct products however, If your not sure or have any reservations please contact us for advice.
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