Servicing Vintage Amps for Tour | Tech Talk

[@RealDaviProf]

I am proud to say that Colleen is my “local tech” and is the kindest and most helpful person I have had the pleasure to work with. I trust and appreciate her whole-heartedly!

[@jordangibson695]

In my experience, vintage amps are built to higher quality standards with fewer points of possible failure and are easier to repair. Things like PC board construction, ribbon connectors and tubes and controls mounted to circuit board make modern amps more fragile.

[@beatmueller5119]

I spent my whole working life repairing all kind of electronic equipment, listening very carful to your explanations , can agree to 100% what you told us. I would not hesitate for a moment to give my beloved amplifier to your service.👍👍👍👍💪💪💪💪🇨🇭

[@MikeW-u4z]

I’ve found the best is the buy a matched Quad of power tubes if your amp uses two power tubes, that way if a tube dies its just a matter of putting another one in and maybe replacing the fuse jf needed.

[@that_thing_I_do]

Liking your down to earth and common sense approach

[@lostreb]

Great Common Sense approach, Colleen. Since I've been around over 3/4 of a Century, I've learned no matter how much you try to get "vintage" amps (or in my case, vehicles I've owned for over 50 years) ready to be reliable to go on the road, no matter how meticulous you are, there's always some weak that never surfaced before others were replaced, or even a part you've replaced, that will fail. That's what happens when you love to use (since I don't tour with vintage amps, in my case drive as well as daily use) vintage equipment. No matter how much you prepare for the journey, always try to anticipate and prepare for something to go wrong. (I'm sorry to say, no matter how much I try to prepare, it's usually something I don't have spares with me to remedy the problem, but, I just add those parts to my list to keep with the vehicle, or in this case, Amp before heading out again.) Please keep the great videos coming, Colleen.

[@Winterfell1066]

So smart, so competent, pretty and especially one of the nicest sounding voices on KZbin.

[@jq2147]

Unintentional ASMR gold.

[@kekejones9185]

Fazio sounds like a phone sex line worker charging by the minute. Her voice triggers my wif and daughter, so slow and intentionally sultry, its gross... does she talk to her parents with that contrived sexy type voice... it's annoying and gross.

[@johnwilliamson467]

Caps fail form a number of reason . 1. Heat 2. Aged out rated life is at a rated temp for each 10c reduction double life. Ex. up to about 40 c ( 16x) so a 1000 hour cap will last about 16 times that for a temp 40c below rated. This is a rule of thumb but plays very spot on . Very goods video telling the truth about running tube amps on the road. A good shock mount crate does help with the shock of loading and unloading .

[@giulioluzzardi7632]

A good idea. What would you recomend for contents of an amp 1st aid box for touring, a torch and magnifier too? I added a battery operated pen sized phase locator just to confirm where the + is on a plug socket in any given venue. Take Fazios advice and be prepared.

[@julesl6910]

FYI in your tubes section there is a classic fallacy about vintage equipment. The assumption is that new tubes are less reliable than vintage tubes. That could be true. However, our perception of vintage gear being reliable stems from the gear that we have today as an example. The gear that still works today with original components is for one reason or another the cream of the crop, had the best combination of the best components and it survived this long with people who took care of it as well. So you look at an old Fender amp in pristine condition and the components are all original and it still works, do not then forget that for its example probably 1,000 other amps from the same era blew up, failed, got torn up for parts, thrown in a landfill, rotted in a closet. Each vintage piece of equipment that works with original components today is special for this reason. Same goes for tubes, whatever working vintage tubes we have today are either well stored NOS, or they are the very best of a lot of tubes that ended up in the trash.

[@hnatyshyn]

That is exactly the comment I wanted to leave. I would add this reflection : given that 60 to 100 years ago tubes were the way to go, I wonder if the competition within the industry helped encouraging a higher quality standard than today's. What do you think? I'd be curious if we jumped, say, 50 years in the future and see how today's tube thrived. Or tubes from the "60s.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

@@hnatyshyn In 1969, solid state was the way to go.

[@stmonroe]

that's a cool workbench behind you

[@herbertsusmann986]

Good advice for sure. Clients have to understand that any piece of equipment can fail at any time. Older tube equipment is even more prone to this even if it has just been gone over and fixed up to modern standards. Banging around old tube equipment is just not a good thing to do no matter what. Maybe pack that old stuff even better with lots of foam cushioning etc...

[@MikeJordanAA763]

Excellent video! Thanks for the tips. Even if not touring, the advice is very good for weekend gigging as well. Bring spare tubes (just like strings!) and a spare amp is nice to have just in case.

[@fallenshallrise]

Back in the day a spare amp would be a luxury no regular band could afford but these days if I was gigging again I'd find a Katana 100 head as a backup. They are cheap, light and can replace a guitar amp or a bass amp. Build one preset for every player in the band and everyone can play cool old vintage amps and still have redundancy for like $400 if you find a used one.

[@ferdberfle5069]

Good stuff Coleen! Thanks!

[@ericwilson2585]

I always try to put a cooling fan inside my tube amps. After seeing the difference in my Marshall 6100LM before and after, I swear by putting a cooling in or on every tube amp, by whatever means possible, well in general anyways, lol.

[@666kty3]

I service blackface super reverbs that just set a world record 50 shows in 50 states in 49 days. Not a single problem. Once set up right, amps should be rock solid if toured.

[@FazioElectric]

Yup! Exactly

[@666kty3]

@@FazioElectric I'm a grumpy mean amp tech, but I like you and your channel. I have so many amp and tubes and gear it would blow your mind.

[@damonstewart70]

​@FazioElectric your the greatest

[@russelstrings9978]

For what it’s worth, According to Paul Carlson of “Mr. Carlson’s Lab”, due to design changes, some of the latest Chinese tubes are actually more robust than vintage tubes. I personally have had good and bad experiences with both.

[@johnw5734]

Do you sometimes use a variable transformer to dial down the house voltage for vintage amps? I enjoy your videos on vintage amp service and I'm a total fan of Fazio Electric.

[@FazioElectric]

I use a variac and monitor current draw whenever I’m testing an old amp for the first time! Some people like using variacs when playing, but I only use for testing purposes

[@waynead754]

My 1960 Gibson GA-79 still has some original, Gibson branded tubes!

[@FazioElectric]

Enjoy those tubes!!

[@martyh9309]

Agree on tubes, but any old electrolytic and paper cap has to go. Thwy are dangerous after 40 years of age. This is based on 50 years of working on vintage electronics. I would suggest getting a leakage tester like the one designed by Mr. Carlson on the Mr Carlson's Lab channel. That device goes much deeper into the capability of a cap beyond how it looks, capacity and ESR. Great channel! Keep on keeping on...

[@gregdolecki8530]

I was lucky to score a bunch of NOS military 12AX7s and 12AT7s when they were still reasonably priced. Sylvania for deep bass, GE for sparkly brilliance, Philips ECG for creamy distortion (if they weren't microphonic).....power tubes, not lucky enough to score those. Electrolytic caps have a useful life of about 15 years with not much stress applied. Use the best you can find.

[@oyajiblues]

ill keep the old caps until they fail. Pro’s bring a back-up amp on the road. As well a see one guitar. Besides when a cap goes it is a great stage effect. Generally, a big puff of smoke comes out of the amp….

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

Like Beef in _Phantom of the Paradise_ ?

[@fordsrestorations970]

I feel really bad if I move the amplifier from one room to another because of temperature or humidity , but if they went on the road I definitely going to pack them in a are sealed container , and slowly acclimate them if we open it

[@75YBA]

Always the best Colleen!👍😃🌍🌎🌏🎸

[@jq2147]

I know nothing about amps nor do I care about amps. I'm here because this woman's easy going voice removes all daily stress.

[@bobbyohanesian4228]

I love your program ❤️🤩🎉

[@bobbyohanesian4228]

Tubes are a fetish for me❤😊

[@longrunner258]

Do you like overdriven *bass* guitar, per chance? I feel like it retains the edge, that regular electric guitar lost some decades ago from overuse (occasionally someone uses it to great effect, but most people seem to just think “more electric guitar = more cool” and make so much music sound more-or-less the same). I think regular electric guitar is best used to convey pain (like in Mind Over Matter by Split Enz) or general harshness, rather than coolness (whatever that even means); though I don't mind if people use it otherwise *without* overdrive.

[@crsantin]

Great channel. What are your thoughts on some of the newer amps? Are there any reasonably priced new tube amps out there that you like or would recommend?

[@FazioElectric]

There are lots of great boutique builders these days! Benson, Milkman, Blackvolt, and lots more. All quality , hand wired amps that are worth the price.

[@bobsteel6916]

It's sad we get bad batches of tubes. Cheap, cheap, cheap. I would rather pay (Unfortunately) for quality tubes. How come Vintage is great and new and approved $ ucks?? ☮ to you Miss Buddy Fazio, you rock!

[@Mikeys_garage_mods]

Love your channel!

[@marcusturner142]

Colleen's the best!

[@jeremycusick5399]

Hey, Colleen! What are you finding in current production tubes for Super reverbs, that are reliable and sound good?

[@Andy-ql9wh]

Hi Colleen😉

[@BasicDrumming]

Great video.

[@evilnudibranch]

Will there be an interview with Uncle Doug?

[@donald-parker]

Curious about your thoughts on power conditioners. I had a lot of noise problems at my last gig. I tried different amps, different speaker cables, different guitar cables, different guitars, plugging into different outlets, plugging directly into my amp and bypassing my pedal board, ... everything I could think of, but nothing really worked. I bought a Furman power conditioner the next day (today will be my first gig to try it out). But if I don't have any problems I'll be wondering if I just wasted $100 on an expensive power bar or if they really make a difference. Unfortunately (or not) I have no future gigs planned at the venue that gave me the problems, so I won't be able to test it there. BTW - no one else had the problems I was having (keys, bass, PA) that night - just lucky me.

[@FazioElectric]

Power conditioners are a good idea! Especially when playing venues that may not have the best power. Always good to protect your gear

[@MM-kh7nx]

What amp does Hank take out on tour??? ARF!

[@zombiemontage]

I don't think there's a sonic difference in old vs. vintage tubes. It's like tonewood

[@HowardJohnstone]

You need to be more scientific to what to do rather than just emperical judgements. With appropriate instruments you can test current component values, you can now, 2024, easily simulate the classical designs in software, thus you will now when flashover will occur, what limits you have to work with etc. You can then work out the SOA (safe operating area) for the design, and know its limits.

[@greghensel7073]

Hey Colleen Do you know anyone in the Las Vegas area that are trustworthy with vintage amps?

[@davidsigglekow1349]

Hey, where is your dog Hank?

[@slowestjabroni]

you are so freakin cool

[@damonstewart70]

Man not only are you a musical scientist. You are gorgeous

[@giulioluzzardi7632]

Flattery will get you no-where, the Lady is wise well beyond her years.

[@PurposefulPorpoise]

Gonna open a British pub called The Tap & Bang

[@ericwobschall8410]

Sensible

[@ooinvsaoo]

What ever happened to "nütubes"

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

It's cute how today's era 'invented' solid state. LMAO

[@FoulOwl2112]

Cutting edge stuff

[@jorge10928]

First

[@gregdolecki8530]

So, what are you, 10 years old?

[@jorge10928]

@@gregdolecki8530 No, I'm first.

[@gregdolecki8530]

@@jorge10928 CHILD

[@hallanvaara6106]

Second

[@gregdolecki8530]

Dumb child.

[@ronnielobosmith4870]

Are you related to A Ashley Ottesen? Also KZbin and TikTok.Yeah, the same voice and very similar.Facial features.You look like you could be cousins.I know it's an odd question😊

[@mikeymumblesreal]

So edited. Like watching a Biden commercial. Edits every 4 seconds? Hard to watch.