When is an Amp Worth Fixing? | Sunn Solarus & Gibson Hawk

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[@patlaw53]

I love restoring tube-type Sunn amps. They're based on the simple but solid Dynako Mark III design, they're easy to fix or modify for higher mains voltage, they sound great, and they last forever. My personal Sunn Sentura II is sitting beside my Fender Vibrolux Reverb. I'd sell the Fender before I'd sell the Sunn.

[@marchaney]

It's so easy to acquire (or not let go of) things that would be really cool to have "fixed up." The most common second step, in my experience, is the waiting period before the fixing begins - usually measured in years or groups of years (the birth of a child, that child's graduation . . . from college). It's fun to finally get around to the fixing and discover if the problem is one I can identify or not. My success record is not very impressive; but in the course of each attempted rescue I always learn something. I have found that to be the real reward. That was the case with this video. I learned something - plenty actually. Thanks for sharing your time and expertise.

[@JacobWoolf-sc9hc]

I just came into possession of the same model hawk. It's all original and works great.

[@75YBA]

All the best to you and yours Lyle! You’re one of the best of us.

[@marekgitarzysta5193]

A typical guitarist: it's got mojo man! A real service engineer: cheaply build, bad design, difficult service - I love these Psionic videos! Keep them rolling - great source of knowledge

[@ileutur6863]

I'm a live and mixing engineer, mojo definitely is a thing. Repairmen might not like it, but sometimes the thing that gets you the sound you want isn't a good or reliable piece of gear

[@brianmorton4127]

My first amp (1980) was a Sunn Spectrum II. huge cabinet with it, We kept it in the garage. One day I was playing and a neighbor kid came over and wanted to play. He wasn't wearing a shirt or shoes. The Sunn tried to electrocute him standing on the cement floor of my garage. I traded it for a 1974 Peavey Classic which I've had ever since and still works (prob needs new caps).

[@jamesleakey247]

Hi mate. I love your videos. They are really relaxing. You have a calming voice. I am from the UK and have an amp made by a fella called Dave Green. He designs them to be repairable from the start. Cheers

[@user-qe4rs4gy9i]

It's good how he explains the process so you can see it from the repair man's perspective .I have heard in the past '' it still doesn't work but I spent 5 hours on it so you have to pay the 5 hours ''. I suppose some jobs shouldn't be accepted. I've got to be honest is someone tried to charge me 3 hours work for a quote I would be furious! Haha

[@leifkeane]

I don't understand. I don't know anything about electronics and how amps work, but I REALLY enjoy your videos. I don't know why, just do.

[@NewHopeAudio]

He is very talented, does a great job explaining what’s going on as well as providing history and context.. oh and he has an enjoyable voice and banter.

[@leifkeane]

@@NewHopeAudio The explanation is meaningless to me. But yes! Voice and banter: 2 key elements. So pleased I stumbled on his channel.

[@sseltrek1a2b]

"Gibson- you done me dirty..."...love hearing your comments about these repair assessments...

[@ianperry5522]

Thanks for the "Craftsman's" perspective. People don't realize the skill that you need to keep your business profitable.

[@ajaxlepinski3285]

Excellent video!!! Love it!!! It's nice to see two vintage amps saved from the dust bin!!! Just an FYI... the Sunn Solarus came with a fuse holder.... the circuit breaker on the amp in this video is a retrofit. The Reverb Spring Hold Down Lever was a useful feature for travel. The lever pressed down on the springs to keep them from rattling while driving to a gig.... I wish all reverb tanks had a lock down lever! There are few things more annoying then listening to reverb springs rattling on a 90 minute drive. :o) As a Sunn fanboi, I have to mention that Sunn amps are not exactly flimsy - after more than 50 years, my 1969 Solarus is still sounding awesome, completely original, except for the tubes and several electrolytics which I replaced with Panasonic brand caps. My amp has the original reverb tank, connection wires and jacks... not bad for 53 years! Sunn amps, especially the Solarus, have a loose, squishy tone that make for amazing lead recordings. With the volume above 7, leads begin to melt into hot buttered bliss! For Doomers try a P90 guitar > Catalinbread Naga Viper > EQD Acapulco Gold > Sunn Solarus = Heaven On Earth LOVE THE VIDEO!!!! THUMBS UP!!! SUBSCRIBED!!!

[@PsionicAudio]

Glad yours has held up. I’ve had quite a few in where the very large transformers have deformed the relatively thin chassis. This one has a little flex but I can tighten things up.

[@ajaxlepinski3285]

@@PsionicAudio Not sure who started the rumor that Sunn amps were flimsy... but, they should be punched in the nose! Sadly, the few articles (on the interwebznet) that spread this misinformation, were enough to popularize the belief. True, Conrad Sundholm and his brother Norm, could have spent a bit more time designing a cleaner wiring scheme but, they did not use cheap components nor did they use thin or flexible chassis. I've owned and repaired a few Sunn amps... Solarus, 100S, Model T, Sentura I and II, 1200S, Sonaro. Not one had any flex in the chassis. You can find photos of Sunn amps, on Reverb.com that had been dropped, causing the transformer's feet to bend, without any damage to the chassis. Were Sunn amps built like rock solid Hi-Watts? No! But they weren't built like Gorilla or Marlboro amps either. Had they been poorly built, I doubt that Nirvana, Jimmy Hendrix, Sunn O))), Red Fang or, the Who would have toured with Sunn amps and cabinets.

[@75YBA]

I had a ‘69 Sceptre. It was fun. Doubled my $. I had a cap job done in ‘03, it was $350 then. They were toast. I paid $450 for it and the matching staggered 4x12 in ‘01. Sold it for $900 in 2010.

[@shawnmazzeimusic9549]

Surprised to see the Sunn seems to be a pretty well built and generally nice amp

[@un7ucky]

i love this topic. i got a very good shape Piggy *BP-210W Amp for basically nothing a few years ago. its a solid state amp i cant find much info for it, but its got a great Spring Reverb. intermittent issues where the sound cuts out means its time for me to ask a similar question if its worth fixing

[@williambock1821]

If it’s your own amp and you know how to fix or upgrade it, I think this would be a great amp to fix up. Paying to have it done,maybe not so much. I’d love to find either of these amp for a great deal, fix ‘em up,and flip ‘em.As long as the iron is good, it would just be a few hours of work and not too much money. :-)

[@jamesf2918]

Funny, my hawk is also missing the “G“ And doesn’t work 🤣 Hope the repair turns out awesome to justify considering a repair on it as well. I’ve never really heard it, so I hope you do a playing video?

[@jerrywatt6813]

That sunn amp is worth big$ to aombody i had the bass amp when i was a kid like 1969 i kicked ass on the bassman amps i would buy it and restor it they have a cool sound

[@BoomTexan]

The issue with knowing the value of repairing a Sunn is that they rarely come up, and when they do, if you want the sound, you buy it whether it's in good or bad shape. There are likely 2 or fewer Solarus amps on the market at this point, and I'd be willing to bet they're both super overpriced. When you consider that the cheapest price for a shippable tube Sunn is in excess of 900$, and this one is in much better condition than that one, and has the desirable 6550s instead of the less desirable EL34 or 6L6s, it could make sense to go ahead with the repair. The Sunn sound is very desirable, and if you're into doom, you'll pay out the wazoo for one of these legendary amplifiers, just because nothing else gets the sound you need other than a Sunn. For instance, there's no way in hell you're getting a Sunn Model T, 2000S, or Coliseum for less than 1k unless it's broken, and broken amps like those come up less than once a year.

[@wootks]

Yeah this is why I use a Sunn pedal that simulates the entire amp (including power section) with jfets. Get's you 90% there for sub $300.

[@BoomTexan]

@@wootks I actually have a Kenny B Sunn Model T preamp in my rig. Love it, but it doesn't really fully emulate the sound of a Model T.

[@wootks]

@@BoomTexan Nice. Check out the electronic audio experiments Model feT. This also attempts to simulate the power stage of the model T amp. Pretty much you run this into a clean power amp. I have heard some demos that have the pedal sounding pretty close. Def close enough to me. To run a real model T cranked you need either ear plugs or an attenuator. I am sure the volume level is insane.

[@Jonathan_Doe_]

Just looked up the Model T and Solaris Schematics.. Thanks got giving me an idea for a niche to fill amongst the dozens of people building yet another Marshall clone. Only tricky part about the mk2 Model T would be getting the mid EQ inductors custom wound (or attempting to diy one). The Solarus is pretty simple though, especially if people aren’t that bothered about the tremolo? Even that could be replicated with more modern transistors without it affecting the sound at all.

[@BoomTexan]

@@Jonathan_Doe_ The Mk1 Model T is the favorite, people really don't like the EQ on the 2nd model T.

[@leftymike5625]

Any chance you could do a video talking about how the wires are ran inside of a amp can affect the tone as well as the components? Thanks

[@tmartin6717]

I still have a Gibson Falcon Amp that I played in high school (1960's). It has been in storage for decades, and I sometimes wonder if I should recap it and see what it sounds like.

[@goodun2974]

The GA-19RVT (Reverb, Trem, dark brown tolex) of the mid 60's is, or a can be, a good sounding amp, rather like a Deluxe Reverb sonically.

[@tmartin6717]

@@goodun2974 Interesting, I'll pull it out of storage and recap it. At least it will be like going back in time 60 years.

[@dimbulb5549]

@@tmartin6717 Steve Ulrich from New York band Big Lazy gets a fabulous deep tremolo out of his Falcon ... I corresponded with him and asked how he got that super-intense tremolo because my Fender Princeton won't, and he said his Gibson Falcon -- it's all over their early studio albums ... I got to play an amp-collector buddy's Falcon to verify that that deep tremolo is there ... it is ... so if you like tremolo, that Falcon is your amp ... kzbin.info/www/bejne/f6OceKhrfrtsrM0

[@mattjc]

Do you maintain a stash of electrolytics to cut down shipping costs and turnaround?

[@Satchmoeddie]

Love those Sunn amp and if you know the basic secret to the Sunn tube amp transformers are super easy to find. Nothing sounds quite like a Sunn KT88 amp. These amps were made by musicians from Dynacord kit parts and a hodge podge of various components. The OPT is basically a Dynakit 470. The PT is a stereo PT from a Dynacord ST70. If you want that Leslie West sound from Mountain's Mississippi Queen, this is how you get it. Plan? Just do it. "NIKE!" Jimi Hendrix even played thru Sunn amps for a while too. I can fix 3 or 4 Sunn amps cheaper than I can buy a Park 75.

[@Satchmoeddie]

I have lots of Sunn BOMs in my magical filing cabinet. One day, maybe some day, I shall transfer all od that over to the computer. Maybe. Lots of those parts are no longer sold today, but I use snap in caps now with wire wrapped lead extensions. Do what you have to do to make it work. Gibson's crestline amps do not inspire me at all. Comparing Gibson to Valco is unfair to Valco.

[@NoOne-sn2si]

NOT Dynacord... DYNACO... Different companies... But, yes, you are correct about the dynaco output transformers. They're basically audiophile grade transformers used in guitar amp service... Overkill

[@goodun2974]

I think it was Ritchie Fliegler in his book "Amps! The Other Half Of Rock N Roll" who asked the question "where did all those Sunn Amps go? This is the amp that gave us "Mississippi Queen!". Perhaps some of them got cannibalized for the transformers by the Dynaco-owning vintage-audio crowd?

[@goodun2974]

@@Satchmoeddie , "BOM'S"?

[@weschilton]

Yeah I knew it would be tough to quote before you even said anything. In the end, you're better off high-balling someone and then hitting them with a lower bill at the end if it works out rather than taking a change that it will be more than you quoted... and then the owner never picks it up. I kinda had a bit of a desire for an old small Gibson amp... but after looking inside one, and seeing what you are dealing with, maybe not. ;)

[@yernickle]

What did you replace the "chiclet" with? thanks

[@Strumbum01]

What kind of caps do you recommend for guitars? I’ve noticed a lot of folks using expensive caps with high dc voltage ratings (like 600), resistors too…I can’t understand why. Thanks in advance Lyle.

[@kellygrant3074]

Having seen the (recent) Skylark vid; I had to laugh at the baffle on the Hawk. Or maybe your mock surprise at having to remove this one as well. Cheers

[@sarkosh]

What is the right procedures to do before firing up an amp after shipping? I bought a sound city pa 50 recently, and it was served before buying/shipping it. Thanks

[@Fr0stbyte89]

Those Sunn amps may not sound like a Marshall or Fender, but it's a sound some people look for. They seem to be rising in value and becoming somewhat collectible. Have you ever tried taking a deposit before starting work to try to avoid unpaid bills? Or is this something most customers aren't willing to accept? Thanks for another interesting and informative video!

[@PsionicAudio]

I only require deposits when I know the approved repair would exceed the resale value of the amp. On the rare occasions when the customer never picks up/pays I have sold the amp after the legal amount of time and contact attempts have expired. I think three times so far in two decades. And usually when the repair costs more than the amp is worth I try to dissuade the owner from having the repair done. Sometimes I decline the work.

[@stevem.1853]

I didn't think that Gibson started using those T filters in their amps until @ 1965, all the ones I've seen them in have the white control panels with the witch hat knobs...What year was that skylark from?

[@budhdallas]

I took one out of a 63 Falcon. Sounds great now

[@scottwilcox6313]

Hi Lyle speaking of is an amp worth fixing. I know it's the dreaded Mesa owner. It's been a while how are things going with the Trem-o-verb?

[@liarcity]

I’m gonna go on record as someone who would totally have appreciated an Ibsen joke. Trust your audience! 😀

[@ronsheehan]

+1 for an Ibsen joke!

[@PsionicAudio]

I’ll just say it involved a hawk, a duck, and a seagull. But it wasn’t worth the oxygen.

[@benlogan430]

I’ve discovered over the years of collecting vintage drums and now looking at amps and guitars I believe the mojo is often just nostalgia. Although old wood does make a difference in the tones. The hardware and electronics on the other hand are not mojo inducing. Old tubes made to military spec are better, but where do you get those in good shape.

[@PsionicAudio]

Well, in some brands old transformers really were very well made. And in general older amps had a lot more space between components - that is a criminally overlooked under-appreciated factor that very much affects the sound. Even simple things like lead dress - compare a ‘76 Super Reverb to a ‘66. It matters. But it is all replicable in a new build.

[@silviopimentel7247]

Wonder if ampeg is also not a great bye to restore cause I just got one & it's fine so far but would like to know if I should get rid of all my valcos, ampeg but even my badcat has blown. Just that Im not a fan of Marshall and fender tone. Wish I kept my hiwatt never had problems but it was just to much weight head and cab. But I do like vox

[@PsionicAudio]

Depends on which model of Ampeg in which decade.

[@daveogarf]

Ibsen - I get it.

[@HowardGittela]

I approve your Ibsen joke! 😀

[@uncleernieseffects8587]

My Sunn no longer has the reverb or the tremolo as I've removed them and totally gutted the amp. It's not worth repairing those circuits as they suck in those amps. Oddly, my other amp is a Gibson Thor. Had to completely rebuild the poor wiring and grounding throughout. It works great now. I wouldn't sell either but then I couldn't get much for them anyway.

[@totallyunmemorable]

I'm embarrassed to admit I own a Sunn (and it's my favorite amp, after fairly extensive mods) considering these doom kids that can't actually play, and use the amp to make giant fart noises. I've had mine for decades though, so I predate that fad. I too don't use the reverb/trem, though in mine they remain intact. Thing is though that circuit is partly tube powered. Some enterprising soul could take that extra gain stage and put it to good use for a high gain preamp. On second thought, don't do that. The low gain preamp is a big part of the Sunn sound. I'd be really interested in your modifications to the wiring/grounding because that is a big issue for these amps and mine hasn't been done. HOOK ME UP!

[@texanfournow]

I have a Gibson Skylark GA-5 ca. 1967. Bought it on Ebay for $225. It came to me with no issues nearly 50 years after its creation (at some point someone did add a grounded power cord). It is LOUD. The problem is that it sounds "thin". All treble, little mids, no bass. Single coils are out of the question. I wonder if that little chicklet you pointed out is the culprit.

[@taylorwerner384]

That era of Gibson amp is known for being ice picky thin. A lot of it has to do with the eq’ing in the preamp iirc.

[@texanfournow]

@@taylorwerner384 Thanks. An out-of-state shop told me they could fix it. If it is indeed "fixable" I would like to what is the cure.

[@edwardleaver7838]

@@texanfournow Try replacing the T-Filter chicklet with a resisor: 470K or less (down to zero). But try just lifting C2's ground connection first. Then try adding a 1M grid leak to the input stage. el34world.com/charts/Schematics/files/Gibson/Gibson_ga_5t_67_skylark.pdf

[@texanfournow]

@@edwardleaver7838 Thank you for your detailed response!

[@fasteddie4145]

most of the Sunns of this era used Dynaco MKIII Iron....

[@itspat7285]

Just got mine back from the repair shop, has really low volume and the tech said there’s an empty tube socket he’s not sure what it’s for

[@fredsaintfelix6828]

od afternoon, my name is Fred and I recently purchased a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV and I would like to ask you what components do you recommend replacing, what things should I look for or listen for as a owner and what are the common issues found in this amp? I would like to over time get the best out of it and get it to sound as best as possible. I’ve been watching your videos and they are outstanding in detail. I live in New York and would to know if it is worth shipping it out to you for you to work on it? Also what are some good modifications. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you soon!

[@PsionicAudio]

Thanks Fred. I don't accept Hot Rod or Blues amps sent to me. I only do them for local guys. Where in NY are you located? I know some very good techs.

[@fredsaintfelix6828]

@@PsionicAudio I’m in Middletown!

[@PsionicAudio]

Look up my friend Lane Sparber in Queens.

[@fredsaintfelix6828]

@@PsionicAudio thank you so much for the reference.

[@danielsaturnino5715]

That sun looks well built. Is there a way to safely run a 4 tube push-pull amp using only 2 tubes? I assume it involves impedance matching :)

[@BoomTexan]

Well, if you pull 2 tubes, double the impedance. 4->8 8->16 Either pull the inner or outer set of tubes, don't leave 2 on one side.

[@edwardleaver7838]

@@BoomTexan Actually, one halves the impedance: 4 tubes matching 8 ohms on the 8 ohm tap means 2 tubes match the same 8 ohm speaker on the 4 ohm tap. Consider a quad 6V6 and think about the 4 ohm tap: if the 4 ohm tap reflects zero ohms across the OT primary from a zero ohm secondary load (dead short), and the 4 ohm tap reflects 4K across the OT primary from a 4 ohm secondary load, how many primary ohms does an 8 ohm secondary load reflect from the 4 ohm tap?

[@BoomTexan]

@@edwardleaver7838 That's what I meant, whether or not I conveyed it properly.

[@edwardleaver7838]

@@BoomTexan Thanks for the clarification; I apologize for my inadvertent misrepresentation.

[@peterday7077]

It would be nice to see these amps get restored. But I wouldn't want either one of them.

[@aronhallam6449]

the gibson amps ive seen on guitarologist's channel sound great , id have it fixed.

[@cgavin1]

Idle shower thought: have you considered hiring an apprentice? The Old Masters had similar issues with the value of their time vs the volume of work required to keep the lights on. An apprentice (who is more likely to be the wrong side of 40 than not) might be every bit as meticulous and neat replacing components but their labour could be billed at half your own. You could take on more work, they get to learn from a master. Old ideas from a bygone time I guess. Everyone is an expert now based on a few KZbin videos. 🤣

[@BradsGuitarGarage]

Update: Upon reflection, Gibson was feeling nostalgic and pining for the days during which they made shitty expensive amps. "But whatever will we do?" they exclaimed in exasperation, yearning for a suitably shitty manufacturing facility to make such shitty amps. "I KNOW! We'll buy Mesa Boogie!"

[@andrewhenderson6219]

Great Video. New Subscriber From Australia. Are you a Qualified Electronics Tech, Cheers Mate.

[@PsionicAudio]

Thanks! I've been told many times that I'm certifiable.

[@jerrystephenson1172]

@@PsionicAudio 😉

[@andrewhenderson6219]

@@PsionicAudio .So you didn’t actually do a trade in electronics , that’s good to know you give hope to a lot of people in the world that want to fix electronics equipment but never actually did formal training. . I guess if you have a interest in something pursue it and learn from people like yourself . Keep up the great Videos.

[@BenPrevo]

I think the hawk may have the t filter using discrete components.

[@PsionicAudio]

It very well might.

[@michaelbutler2312]

question: why would a cap blow and take out the PT but the proper fuse is still fine? thanks, love your site!

[@goodun2974]

Are you merely wondering or are you asking because this happened to one of your own amplifiers? The "short" answer (bad pun, sorry!) is because the mains fuse is in line with the primary winding of the transformer but the shorted filter cap is in line with the high voltage secondary of the power transformer (actually it is in parallel, from the high voltage secondary and the DC output of the rectifier, to ground). The mains fuse is therefore somewhat isolated from the short-circuited cap by the resistance and inductance of the transformer windings. Note that some amps such as Marshall may have a second fuse for the high voltage supply as well, which, depending where it is placed in the circuit, should blow pretty quickly if a filter cap, rectifier tube or diode short circuits (or perhaps if an output tube short-circuits). Now if a filter cap is electrically leaky but not completely shorted, it might cause the transformer to run hotter than normal until it eventually fails. A modern amp might have an additional failure mode due to a thermal fuse tucked inside the transformer, which goes open if the transformer overheats, to prevent the transformer from catching fire.🔥

[@michaelbutler2312]

@@goodun2974 thanks, love your site!!! keep up the good work!

[@goodun2974]

@@michaelbutler2312, It's not "my site" here, I'm just a subscriber and viewer. Lyle is often too busy to answer every individual question and so, since I myself am an audio repair Tech, I took it upon myself to help him out and hopefully answer your query in reasonably correct fashion . If he feels I left something out or got something wrong he might chime in and that's perfectly OK with me. I am here to learn as well as to share, and most of us seem to be of similar mindset.

[@michaelbutler2312]

@@goodun2974 oh, ok, thanks. he's responded before so i thought it was his reply. thanks again.

[@sgt.grinch3299]

The Hawk looks smoked. If you are not a professional or gigging musician,why wouldn’t you want a modern amp? You don’t see Model Ts on the interstate for a reason. Great video.

[@PsionicAudio]

The Hawk actually looks pretty good inside. Much less of a hassle to restore than the Sunn. Guitarists like old funky things. I'm glad my wife does, too.

[@michaelmoore7975]

@8:41 Mmm...Ibsen's _The Master Builder_ (it ain't) perhaps?

[@JimmerSD]

I get an okay to a minimum repair # based on my experience before I even turn a screw driver or pick up a meter probe. It's not just a fuse, and you have to trust me.

[@russellesimonetta3835]

Nantucket sleigh ride! Where is the Mississippi Queen when you need her!

[@9999plato]

My one Sunn amp was a POS. Bought it new with a matching 10 and 18 speaker. Blew the 18" and the amp was not loud or stressed. Sent out to Sunn under warranty but I had to pay shipping both ways. With a warranty like that who needs a warranty. Manufacturer should bear all costs once I bring it to an authorized service center. Once repaired I had zero faith in the amp and traded it in. As it would turn out Sunn had a Sunn supported artist playing in a club in NYC and my old amp gets sent out for these shows for this artist to use. Well I get this story related to me by the shop that handled the repairs and the trade in... The artist is playing the gig and the amp catches on fire on stage...Good thing I got rid of it in a nick of time. A Sunn Coliseum. What a turd. The Gallien Kreuger I traded it for served me much better until it got stolen. Part of the price of doing business in NYC. Lost 1 amp and 2 basses.

[@SteveHart-tt7wk]

So, I must have missed the punch line here. Did you decide with the owners if the amps were worth fixing or not?

[@jonniegibbins]

I suppose you could say that Ibsen's Brand is one of the Pillars of Society, though many view them as An Enemy of the People as The Master Builder spent most of his time on The Wild Duck hunt. Is that the sort of thing you had in mind Lyle? 😆

[@goodun2974]

My view of the "landed gentry" is in line with what Oscar Wilde said about the fox-hunting upper-crust of British society: "The unspeakable in pursuit of the inedible". Which could perhaps also be applied to golfers.....😁 (full disclosure: my dad was a stand-up guy, but enjoyed ?golf despite kind of sucking at it; or perhaps he was merely mildly addicted, I dunno).

[@jonathanhorne6503]

The Gibson amps of that era were pretty much junk. Trying to unsolder old parts was a nightmare. The terminal lugs would often break, only slightly less often the board would break into brittle pieces. Most don’t sound that good even when working as it should.

[@acoustic61]

I can't imagine that's worth repairing.

[@TimBoulette]

Um. *I'd* like to hear the Ibsen joke. Please.

[@erajad]

Ah, of course! Glad you got it - the joke that wasn't. Schrödinger's joke.

[@MrSupro]

Ehhhh…. You are thinking too much about this… don’t get too pessimistic. I had the only vintage amp repair shop in a two hours drive for about 10 years and wound up souring on it for these very reasons. I was tired of being the bad guy telling people their $100 garage sale find needs $200 in parts and another $200 in my time to fix. I closed that business down about 10 years ago. When friends bring me stuff now I just go straight to the bench. If the line cord looks good I bring the amp up on a variac with a line current meter to get a feeling for what’s going on. If it’s alive I start doing my normal checkout stuff. If not I give a 15 minute window to look around and see if anything is obvious. If not, then we go to is this an historic piece worthy of saving. If not then I politely tell them the bad news. I have found that amps that have sat for most of their lives I no longer just blanked change out every cap. It’s just not necessary but it takes a couple decades to develop that spidey sense but then again I have been working in our family electronics company since I was a child. Don’t get too jaded and cynical. That’s very easy to do in the amp business. BTW when dead Suns used to come in I would sell the idea of let’s just use the cabinet chassis and transformers and let me build you a custom skulcrusher in it’s place as the transformers are the best parts of those amps.

[@PsionicAudio]

I’m not cynical. I just want people to know some of the behind the scenes stuff techs deal with. For example, I got the green light on the Sunn repair. Between finding the closest schematic, finding how the actual amp differs from the schematic, measuring the unloaded B+ (temping in good caps for that), measuring the actual bias voltages, and getting my parts order together that’s an hour and a half of labor but nothing has been “fixed” yet. And I think it’s important for customers to know what all is involved beyond soldering.

[@edwardleaver7838]

@@PsionicAudio Yeah. You're vid comes up with the 6550's and 600V firecrackers and okay, unloaded B+ between 450 and 700 volts, iron suggesting more rather than less. Lyle knows that, but how does he explain to the customer?

[@merlesson1164]

Fix the Sunn!

[@75YBA]

12:00 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣

[@johnwilliamson467]

I LOL on people actually using the black cats . Paper in oil that are not hermetically seal is a fool erron path.

[@finarollerz]

Isn’t this the kind of thing Leslie West was into, although a “PA head”?

[@innocentoctave]

Same manufacturer, but as you say a stock Sunn Coliseum PA amp. It was unusual for the time in that each of its four microphone inputs had an individual volume control, while the amp had an overall volume control. In effect, it was a 'master volume'-style amp before such things officially existed even as mods. It was also also very powerful, and correspondingly loud through West's Eminence speakers.

[@DavidBrown-it9ig]

Interesting discussion. I do know that a lot of these old "lesser known" amps have started to have more of a following with what I call "Hipster Musicians" , so you would be surprised at what amount of money someone is willing to spend on getting these old amps working. I have a friend that absolutely loves Sunn amps. They never did anything for me but...neither has most fenders lol!

[@motorlibro]

I would have enjoyed the theatrical joke ...Ibsen......??

[@mikeus77]

I don't usually comment when I have something negative to say, but here it goes. In terms of evaluating the cost of your service, I understand where you're coming from but in the end of the day that's the nature of your job. You're not able to see in the future, but guess what, your customers are not printing money either. The customer needs to be aware of the cost, period. It is what it is. Now, in case you can implement let's say an evaluation fee for your services, then do that and hopefully your business will flourish. Making videos being all bitter about it doesn't really help though, does it?

[@PsionicAudio]

Bitter? I don’t get that. I sprinkle little jokes throughout. I very much know my customers are not printing money - that’s why I try to make sure they are making good decisions. If I was being a salesman I’d be all “totally worth it man - you’ll be dripping in tone.”

[@mikeus77]

@@PsionicAudio You may say so, but that’s what I got while watching the video, and honestly I get why you’d feel this way. You’re not the first or the last person in this line of job to have this sentiment. But, at least in my experience it’s how you go about it that makes or breaks the client relationship. It does require some people skills for sure, which may not be super common in this line of job which I guess, it is what it is.

[@zbaby82]

I wouldn't want to own either of those amp brands.

[@louderthangod]

Two more amps in the ever growing list of amps you hate. Sunn’s are going for pretty good money these days. Also, I’m sure you’re aware that guitars do have voltage, just not much of it.

[@schism6600]

It seems gibson still doesn't respect their customers

[@DDE_ADDICT]

we always pay more for junk, LOL

[@TeleCaster66]

Gibson made some ridiculous amp designs, the chassis is attached to the baffle???

[@somebodyelseuk]

Huh? A poor reflection of society today. I'd be asking, 'when is it NOT worth repairing an amp?'

[@kmichaelp4508]

I’m just waiting for the day you start getting political like the Brad does😩

[@bryan3409]

Is $350 (labor included) a fair repair price if recap is required? Most of the caps are probably shot as tremolo quit months ago. For doom it’s a great sound, takes high gain pedals and fuzz like a champ.

[@cgavin1]

Beyond a fair price. Suspiciously cheap tbh. Minus parts and taxes and shipping that's probably 1.5 hrs labour. No way you can do a neat job on something like this in 1.5 hrs and ship back a perfectly working amp. They always need tubes (another 1-200) and they always need speakers (1-200). So that's potentially $150 in parts (+t+s), £300 in labour, $200 in tubes, $200 in speaker(s). Then there's return shipping ..

[@bryan3409]

@@cgavin1 Ive got tubes and it's only the head unit and dont have to worry about shipping as my shop is local. I still consider it a fair price

[@watkinscopicat]

not every amp comes equipped with beavers 🦫