Rebuild, Revoice, Refurbish
Rebuild
Not all amps arrive as happy as we’d like them to be - a troublesome tube, possibly a pernickety power supply, a reluctant reverb and definitely a couple of crackly capacitors.
Before we think about anything else, each amp gets a complete service, repair (if needed) and overhaul to get purring like kittens (or growling like tigers).
For modern amps, as well as fixing any issues, checking voltages and bias, this will always include:
Upgrading the power filtering with high quality capacitors.
Replacing the power handling resistors with higher wattage metal film.
Changing the cathode bypass caps for high quality electrolytic or film capacitors.
Replacing coupling capacitors with propolyne or polyester film and bright caps with Silver mica capacitors.
Lead dressing and cable routing.
With Vintage amps we take more of a conservation approach and try to retaine as much of the original amps as possible, whilst making them reliable and road-worthy for decades more use.
Revoice
Unfortunately, a lot of modern amps are cobbled together using cheap components and genric designs, often with little focus on how the whole system works together.
At Truth & Tone we use our ears and eyes to find an amps’ true voice. Whether we follow established mods, a design of our own, or rebuild around a customers requirements, we make sure that any changes are backed by fact, not fiction.
The first step is building a Spice simulation model for any amp we’re going to work on. By simulating the amplifier with different parameters and values, we can narrow down the areas we need to focus our attention on.
When we have a design with all the components and values we want to change, we implement them one-by-one, and test the effect each has, tweaking, rethinking or removing them to get the outcome we want, only stopping when the amp sounds it’s best.
Once we’re done, we have the blueprint to reuse in the future. We also provide all of our schematics and Spice models for anyone to download and use.
Refurbish
For some amps it’s a touch up of the tolex where it’s been scuffed or the colour worn, and a polish of the hardware. Others we go for the full works, strip the cabinet down to the wood and re-tolex in a colour we like. We’re always happy to take suggestions and work with you to get you the amp you want.
For vintage amps, unless there is real damage, we prefer to leave the amp as-is, and work with the buyer to see what they want, especially if we’re matching an amp head to one of our cabs. Typically we would take the cabinet apart, give it a clean and polish, clean any rust off the hardware and then reassemble it, making sure it'll give years more service.
With our modern amps, if the tolex and hardware is in good condition, or an interesting colour, we’ll usually give it a clean and polish and leave it there. However, when the mood takes us, we do anything from crafting new vents, swaping handles or corner protectors, to a full refurbishment with new tolex, hardware and grill cloth, to give an amp that extra bit of bling.
Feel free to let us know about anything you might want, we’re always up for something new or interesting.
