Flashback: Resurrecting This Old Amp

Music
Flashback: Resurrecting This Old Amp
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Nothing sounds quite like a vintage amp for that old school flavor, and there are plenty of them online waiting to be employed. But when you get your hands on that oldie but goodie, you’re most likely going to have to do some housecleaning and resurrecting. Enter this “vintage” MAKE article from Volume 02, back in 2005. Brothers Tom Anderson and Wendell Anderson show you how to get all Bob Villa on that amp in their how-to, “Resurrecting This Old Amp.”

From the intro:

Musicians use vintage amplifiers for their uniquely satisfying tone. Old tube amps are expensive, but you can find solid-state models from the 1970s for less. Some audiophiles argue that transistor amps from this era have the best sound of all, because they don’t burn out like tube amps and don’t exhibit the crossover distortion found in many modern designs. We bought a few classic amplifiers on eBay, restored their vintage tone, and made them safer.

Tom and Wendell give you the know-how you need to diagnose, open, and repair that old amp and make it sound as good or better than the day it was made. Check out the project in full in our Digital Edition to get started. And if you don’t already own a copy of Volume 02, you can still pick one up in the Maker Shed.

Discuss this article with the rest of the community on our Discord server!
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I'm a word nerd who loves to geek out on how emerging technology affects the lexicon. I was an editor on the first 40 volumes of MAKE, and I love shining light on the incredible makers in our community. In particular, covering art is my passion — after all, art is the first thing most of us ever made. When not fawning over perfect word choices, I can be found on the nearest mountain, looking for untouched powder fields and ideal alpine lakes.

Contact me at snowgoli@gmail.com or via @snowgoli.

View more articles by Goli Mohammadi

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