[Niteshade]

Many people have a tube amp that's not feeling so well and all it does is collect dust.

Reasons for problems:
1. Poorly executed upgrades and former repairs
2. Poorly made cottage amp (entire thing is a glued up birds nest, hastily assembled)
3. Blown components, crispy crittered circuit boards
4. It just simply doesn't sound good


It can be difficult to see an old favorite go. This could have been something picked up on Ebay and stored while thinking you were going to get it restored, sometime. Then the years went by and it was used as a basement doorstop. I get calls and emails constantly about amps that go here, there and everywhere for upgrades (AKA: Downgrades) and never work right afterwards.

I do not like and will not work around someone else's mess. That is very good news for you. The only way to know if something is 100% right is if I'm responsible for the entire package. The best way go, especially with really old amps and amps with burnt PC boards is to recover the transformers and ditch the rest of it. Throw the problems away! It's that simple. No more worries.

A new amplifier made from that iron will outperform the old design and if it was a good sounding amp, I believe it will still sound better.  My designs are made based on how to make music travel efficiently through a circuit. They are made to gently operate tubes and internal components as well. No stress has sonic benefits of its own: Higher peak power and low noise are two of the biggest benefits. High, clean peak power results in a fast, clean transients. I always believed the two biggest ingredients to amp performance included what it does with small signals and how it performs under stress. The middle variables are easier to deal with.

The condensed version is this: If it's not working properly or it just sounds bad, I can 100% rebuild it and make it into something special. If your amp simply doesn't sound good, a few expensive caps will not save it most of the time. It needs a better internal circuit.

Price: $600.00 for the holidays! That includes all parts and labor to use the transformers out of an amplifier of yours to make a completely new amplifier. This price is for most push-pull amplifiers. Push-Pull parallel arrangements will cost extra. Small, single ended amps will cost less. Please inquire for accurate pricing.  All internal components are 100% new and high quality. You get to choose the new amp's color and we're offering wood sides and transformer covers! We can make you a beautiful amp. 

I do have a warning and it's designed in respect for other manufacturers:

WARNING!!!
I will only work on equipment that is still under a manufacturer's warranty with your permission! If I or anybody else works on something that is new, it will void the warranty.

[Niteshade]

It's the holidays. Don't throw that old tube amp out in the cold!

I just got off the phone with somebody..." I don't know...I've spent so much on it already...is it worth it?"

Actually, it is worth it!

Here's why: You're not putting the same money into the same amplifier. You're paying for a new one and the transformers are reused from the old amp. It's the same thing as getting a new amp because transformers are typically very reliable and last decades without a hint of trouble.

Save Hundreds and have some fun!

I can't think of a better recession buster.

[Niteshade]

Much better than new is a better way of putting it.

I like to think of this service as a recession buster. There is no need to look for an expensive new amplifier just because your present tube amp isn't working or doesn't sound good to you. A new one made from the existing transformers will be a new amplifier in every aspect. Transformers are rugged and typically last decades.

Poor sound is due to the circuit, not your transformers. Poor reliability is a result of the circuit as well. It has nothing to do with tube technology. Too many people working on an amp can and usually leads to a lemon. There is no need to look back on all that once that part of the amp is completely thrown in the trash. There is not one single visage of anything done to it in the past left behind.

This is not a repair. This is how you completely avoid repairs. A rebuild entails all new internal components and a new, high performance reliable circuit that is point to point wired and triple inspected. After the job is done, your new amplifier is tuned to perfection. I do not believe in cookie cutter jobs. Individual attention is absolutely necessary for great sound.

I want to re-iterate a very important topic: Is it worth it?

My answer: Yes! 100% Absolutely! Many have spent hundreds sending their amp out on tour for upgrades and repairs. Some of these amps have traveled thousands of miles. The answer is undoubtedly yes because you can't associate past work with a 100% redesigned, different, new amplifier. What I do has nothing to do with the past. The amp's past is completely irrelevant to me and should be to you.

[Niteshade]

I have heard what happens to amplifiers that are lemons. They get passed around from shop to shop, yet the amp never gets fixed the way it's supposed to be and/or it becomes an unreliable mess.

The good news is: That mess can be thrown out! Starting out with 100% new components and a high performance circuit turns lemons into lemonade.  Transformers rarely go bad. In fact, I have had exactly one go bad on me in over 5 years. The cause was a manufacturer's defect and not from age.

Give it some thought. It's a service I provide that can save you hundreds of dollars and a chance to dump the lemon!

[Niteshade]

We turn damaged or under-performing tube amps into high grade super amps. I ran experiment last year to see how well I could make the most awful output transformers sound. The nasty little units came from a couple of old tube AM radios. They were 1/2 the size of a gulf ball! 

You wouldn't think there was much to work with using such diminutive parts. Guess what? That was the wrong way to look at it! The goal was to get as much mileage out of those junk transformers as possible and it was indeed a successful mission. Lows went down to around 150hz and highs were around 15K. With the proper circuit a perfect balance was achieved and the output was enjoyable to listen to.

I am sure your amps have better iron than what I used! The right circuit with proper tuning is a delight to listen to. If junk can be wired to sound better than it should, think about how good quality parts can sound! My worse case iron scenario demonstrates the power of a good circuit.

[Niteshade]

A tube amplifier with blown components isn't much fun. The politically incorrect name for it is a boat anchor.

Typically, I do not restore amplifiers. I rebuild them. There's a enormous difference. Rebuilding involves starting from scratch and NOT working around what other people have done to the amp or just repairing a damaged area.  Everything is 100% new except the power and output transformers, which do not typically go bad even after decades of use.

There is no better way to get yourself a new amplifier for a very,very reasonable price. All my Classic Series amplifiers are rebuilds and carry the same warranty as my new equipment. That's how confident I am in their quality.

Questions are always welcome!