From Harmonica Player Richard - 1959 Tweed Fender
Champ - April 2008
"John. Great to see you
yesterday with my Fender Champ 59. Thanks for your attention
and suggestions as they have made a world of difference. I took it home
and first fitted the Russian Military 6V6 you supplied and that made a
noticeable difference to the tone. Equally impressive was the Russian
Military 5U4M rectifier – more power and even better tone again. I
swapped out the pre-amp valve for a Mazda ECC82
which I had and now I have plenty of headroom without the
early feedback. Next I fitted the early 60’s,
4 ohm Celestion 8" speaker you kindly lent me to try
– much better than the re-conned original which,
incidentally, had a piece of felt cut out by a "blind person!", stuck
in the middle for a dust-cap!
Quality rubbish job then!
It was great to
meet someone who is straight and direct about valves and valve amps, as
there is too much old-wive's-tales and smoke and mirrors! Plus
it was an education to see the amp being tested and the effect of
different valves actually demonstrated on your test equipment.
Many thanks and I will call you in a few weeks to
sort out my Fender 62.
Best Regards, Richard."
From Ken - Dallas Scala Baby Five Watt Combo - April 2008
"Hi
John. Just a short note to let you know that the amp works and sounds
fine. The buzz that you mentioned is still there a little,
but I have to turn the tone and volume right up to max to get
it. At this volume the amp shakes the windows; not really the
effect I was looking for at all! Lowering the volume gets me a
nice tone with the slide guitar. Thanks for bringing my little amp back
to life, sounds better than it ever did.
All
the Best, Ken."
From Russ -
Hiwatt Custom 100 DR103 - April 2008
"Hi
John. Just thought I'd let you know how the Hiwatt is doing.
Since you found the broken bit in the valve socket, reliability has
been returned, and the new pre-amp valves you fitted mean that my bass
through it sounds frankly.......awesome! Pity the guitarist....! Thanks
for a friendly, profesional & quick job.
Russ
& A Happy Hiwatt DR103."
From Billy -
Sixties Vox AC30 + The Making/Fitting Of A Top Boost Mod - April 2008
"Hi
John. I thought I'd email you to say thanks for doing such a great job
on
my AC30. I played it all day yesterday (burning the chips, I
was cooking in the process, whoops!) and I have to say it absolutely
ROCKS!! I was also able to open it up properly last night as I was in
the studio and I was blown away! It sounded bloody gorgeous, I thought
it sounded nice before I brought it to you but now it really
sings.
It
sounds much warmer then my Korg reissue and there's a lot less
noticeable hiss from my old AC30 compared with my modern one. I was
able to have the brilliant volume on full tilt without hardly any hiss
at all, I definitely wouldn't be able to do this on my modern Korg
reissue. I'm glad I went with the Vib/Trem pedal being fitted as well,
the Tremolo sounds great, real vintage vibe, love it.
So
thanks you for all the hard work you put into restoring my amp to its
former glories, I can't wait to get it on stage for my next gig which
is where these amps belong in my opinion. Also thanks for being so
welcoming and for all the advice... and tea! It was a real treat to get
to see you at work too. I'll no doubt be back to see you again
sometime in the future with my old Orange amp that could do
with your magic touch. Cheers John.
Yours
sincerely, Billy."
From Ged - Fender Vibro Champ -
March 2008
"Hello John.
The Vibrochamp
really does sound good now, all buzzes and crackles have been banished,
and it's sitting happily on top my Cornford Harly. A combined 12 watts
that sounds really good courtesy of a Roger Mayer Crossroads
AB box to avoid earth hum. I'm dead happy. I'm still using my old
leads, so I'm sure the problem must have been down to the loose strand
of wire you mentioned in your email. Anyway, thanks again.
All the best,Ged."
From Chris - Proamplifiers VSQ65
- March 2008
"Hi
John. I finally got the opportunity to plug her in yesterday evening
and was quite literally blown away! I thought I would try things easy
to start with so set the master volume at about 4 with the gain full
up. F**k me
John, you have created an ANIMAL!;-) I simply can't get the volume past
4 for fear of structural damage and a possible lynching from the
neighbours! My face was acheing from grinning! I never thought for a
second that the amp that had caused me so much heartache, and you so
much headache could sound so good! A thousand thank you's.
I have since re-called our experiences to a bass playing friend who has
a
100watt Hiwatt or Ampeg bass head (I can't remember which) He will
contact you soon for some of your "magic" too.
I
got a small refund from the guy who sold the amp to
me on EBay, thanks for your help in that. A bit more would have been
nice but to be honest; after hearing the amp, I really couldn't care
now;-) The amp's a keeper for sure! Look after your self and keep doing
what you do best!
Best
regards, Chris."
From Oliver in France - Echolette
M120 PA Head - March 2008
"Hi John. The
Echolette sounds very good and quite loud too....I'm happy to report.
Thank you for your great work.
Cheers, Oliver"
From Ste - 1963 Vox
AC30 Head - March 2008
"Hi
John. It was good to finally meet you yesterday and be re-united with
my rejuvenated AC30. We had a good journey home and I tried the amp as
soon as I got in. I am extremely pleased with the results of your
labours, but had forgotten how loud these amps can be! Hope the
neighbours are understanding and enjoy rock music!
Thanks again. Will be in touch in the near future with some of my
various amp rescues.
All the best, Ste."
From
Damian - Fender Tweed Bassman and a Telefunken valve 1960's mic pre-amp
- February 2008
"Dear
John. Thank you so much for the excellent work you did on my Tweed
Bassman amp, it sounds completely revived...it has had the kiss of life
and is now like a Bassman on steroids!! Its a real comfort to meet
someone who goes the extra mile.....
My
Telefunken V76 mic pre-amp is also well happy to have met you too!
Cheers Guv', Damian."
From Rod in Margate who apparently has just missed Sunday
Lunch! - February 2008
"Hi
John. I have just accidently stumbled upon your website (well actually
about 4 hours ago!) and I have been totally engrossed
with it, and cannot seem to tear myself away from the
computer!! I have even got into serious trouble with the
other-half over missing my Sunday lunch (that's a 1st for me!). Let me
just say what a great site you have and what a bottomless font of
knowledge you appear to be!! If I ever have trouble with my
current amp (1982 Fender Concert 4x10 - Paul Rivera
designed) I know where to come; and yes, Paul Rivera did work
for Fender in the early 80's, apparently to bring back some of
the sales that Fender amps apparently lost by bad
design/reliability problems in the mid to late 70's....Once again,
thanks for the totally engrossing site!!
Regards,
Rod (Margate, UK)"
From Peter in Barbados (Yes, Really!!)- 1962 Vox AC30 Head
- February 2008
"Got
it back, lovely, thanks John. Its just great...never had it without a
hummmm before, didn't know it was possible! The
tremolo is nice, but do you know what is nicer, playing that
mellow main channel quietly. Now this maybe because I
am older than dirt but what a lovely full sound!
A good
thrash this evening beckons. Thanks for your knowledgeable work, such a
relief to find a competent craftsman who works to a
fine level. My amp was lucky.
Thank God I didn't give it to
someone local!
Best regards, Peter."
From Andy - Sound City 50 & Peavey 5150 Combo -
January 2008
"Hi John. Tried both amps
briefly last night. I honestly struggled to keep the Peavey at an
acceptable level! As for the Sound City - what a difference! It's now
about twice the volume on the low gain setting than it was on the high
gain setting before you worked your magic on it. Can't wait to try them
in anger! Will keep you posted.
Will recommend you to every amp owner I know!
Cheers for now, Andy."
And
again from Andy a few days later!
"Hi John.
Took both amps to rehearsal
tonight; tried the Sound City first through the Peavey's speakers (the
cable will just reach). Absolutely awesome! Proper vintage valve
overdrive; for a minute I thought I was Pete Townsend (I believe Sound
City were early versions of Hiwatt amps?) I had an overdrive pre-amp
pedal on the floor for solos and when I kicked this in I then thought I
was Hendrix!, but believe me this was all to do with the amp as opposed
to any voodoo guitar skills! I play a Strat almost always and was
surprised at how fat and rich it sounded (after much tweaking of those
active controls on the Sound City) and how the single coils pushed it
into that sweet overdrive even at just over half volume. I
can't believe the transformation in this little amp that I've owned for
so long but have rarely used because it was so duff!! Almost
reluctantly, I switched to the Peavey (my main amp for the last few
years). I was considering selling this amp just before it packed up and
buying a Marshall but after tonight, no way! It's definitely louder
than it was before but more importantly the tone is greatly improved
with a much tighter rhythm sound and less 'mushy' with single string
work being much smoother and creamier than before. Only problem now is
that the wife wants me to sell one or the other and they are now both
so great but both so different. The Peavey is more versatile with it's
modern layout but the Sound City is just so wonderful with it's proper
(not modelled) vintage tone and feel. Perhaps if I get her some flowers
she'll let me keep both?
Many thanks John for your
wonderful work. You are a true craftsman and there ain't many left!
Long may you continue your mystical amp voodoo.
Andy."
From Jon - Marshall TSL 100 - January 2008
"Hi
John. I finally got around to mailing you about the re-valving you did
on my Marshall TSL100. In short, it sounds great! I
was explaining to you about how I needed to compete with my other
guitarist's SG, and I certainly do now! It's hard for me to
tell the difference that the new valves have made without being able to
compare directly, but the one thing I can definitely say is that it
sounds AWESOME!!
Cheers! Jon."
Footnote to this mail:-
What Jon means in his statement "It's hard for me to tell
the difference that the new valves have made without being able to
compare directly" is that his quad of EL34's were kaput and
needed to be replaced. However, when anybody brings me a 100 watt head
of any kind, and especially for guitar use (rather than bass guitar),
utilizing a quad of EL34's, I always advise a combination of 2 x JJ
EL34's and 2 x JJ KT77's. The combination of the 2 pairs adds something
to the sound of the amps and is always very pleasing!!
This is because the
EL34 is a pentode and the KT77 is a beam tetrode.....the combination of
the two gives great results, but one does have to know how to bias the
combination pairs correctly! John.
From Simon - Sound City Bass Concord Combo - January 2008
"Hi John!
Managed to do some recording with my band last weekend and used the
Sound City Bass Concord. Very, very pleased with the sound.
Prefer it to my Sound City 120 / Ampeg rig!, though that needs a
service too. The Fanes are nice, tight and punchy; just what
I was after. Need to get the back panel sorted for it as it was a
little lacking in low end!
Thanks again for the good work. One day I might ask you to sort out the
Sound City 120 head but as I'm using the Concord now there's no
immediate hurry.
All the best, Simon."
From Graham - Vox AC4 & a Champ Treboost+ (My own
clone of the Dallas Arbiter/Rangemaster Treble Booster + Extras!) -
December 2007
"Hi John. The amp is now a
delight - it
now has surprising clarity and sparkle with hardly a hint of
its earlier muddiness - whatever you did with that tiny mod has
improved it no end - not so much a treble thing but more of what would
be termed the "Presence" or "Brightness" of a bigger amp!
I have spent hours with it
today and it really has become a nice little thing - a very tactile and
responsive feel; quite the opposite of what you normally get from these
things - very pleasantly surprised!! Also the trem set-up -
normally the trem on these smaller British (and American) amps is
relatively unusable or at best something you would only find a use for
occasionally but by getting that little trim pot installed it
has all changed - with some reverb added into the mix it now has what
is practically a "chorus" sound as opposed to what I would normally
think of as a tremolo - very nice indeed and now a very usable effect
- I am very pleased!!
Your "own
designed" treble boost arrived this afternoon - I opened her
up and was impressed by the innards - very tidy, not as if I expected
anything else from you! I set it up through the Vox AC4 and
tried it out against several other treble boosters I had kicking around
- basically I did some side by side comparisons with an original
Rangemaster by Dallas - and a rare treble/bass booster face by
Arbiter (both from the days before they amalgamated into the better
known Dallas-Arbiter of fuzz face fame) and what is considered by many
to be one of the best current RM clones the Analogman Beano Boost -
Your box of tricks holds up very well indeed - the only major
difference is it lacks the overall gain (volume boost) of the original
although it is very similar in its sound giving a great clarity -
particularly noticeable when using chords - it lets all the notes get
heard and giving a very nice bit of overdrive when playing lead - I
couldn't help myself but started hitting some Rock & Roll
riffs on a Fender (you know Johnny B' Goode and all that
stuff) - it thickened up the sound very nicely indeed and although I
only used it on the small Vox it was bloody good at tilting that EL84
over into a nicely sustained overdriven sound. I found (so far ) that I
just left the Gain control maxed and used either the second or third
tone filter setting. Apart from on the most bass of the four settings I
felt that my speaker was safe (you know how hard it is to get these old
4 ohm jobs!) I certainly didn't want to have to own up to "breaking"
the amp less than a day after getting it back..
Your design Treboost+
pedal sits exactly with it's middle two tone
settings as good as any of the others I tried, so I think it will prove
to be a very useable bit of kit; particularly when you think
that it only runs to about a tenth of the cost of replacing the
original Dallas-Arbiter Treble Booster!!
Kind Regards & Many
Thanks indeed - Graham."
From Chris - Linear Concord 30 - December 2007
"Dear
John. Thanks for re-building my Linear Concord. It sounds surprisingly
good!
Best
regards, Chris."
From Ed - Wem Dominator Mk III - December 2007
"Hi
John. They are in and glowing, sounds really nice. If I were a techie I
would say that the amp has a lovely warm tone but as I'm not; I'll say
it sounds nice!
Many regards, Ed."
From Jim - Impact 60 Head - December 2007
"Hi
John. Tried the amp last night, very nice. Quite a wide
ranging tone, warm and mellow when the bass is raised (especially with
the SG set to neck humbucker). Thanks for a good job well done!
Jim."
From Pete - Rivera Quiana 112 Combo - November 2007
"Hi
John, it's
Pete. I brought over the Rivera Quiana 112 amp last week. I've used it
at two gigs and with no probs at all, so it looks like you cured the
fault for me! Thanks very much for your time.
Pete"
From Tim - Gem Venus and a Selmer T n' B Mk I - November
2007
"Hi
John. Just a quick
note to say how
pleased I am with both amps.
The Selmer is sooooo loud! Its far louder and quieter (hum/hiss etc) than any Selmer I've ever
encountered and its great to
find someone who could bring the old gal
back to life. I'm sure it will be on a stage with me very soon! If only all Selmers were this good!
The
Venus is a revalation. I still can't believe how good this thing sounds. It's so hum-free, yet so
warm and crystal clear. I've
owned and recorded with quite a
few amps over the years and this is up in the top five of all time. I've recorded some Gilmour-Esque stuff with it and it excells with a couple of
pedals in front of it. I am
over the moon with this amp and reckon
it to be one of the biggest bargains of my life thus far. No doubt it will be my first choice for recording from now on...
Once again,
thanks mate. Speak soon. Tim."
From Chris - Selmer T&B Mk III and a Carlsbro CS60
PA
Head - November 2007
"Hi
John.........I can report that FIRST: the Selmer Mk3 is sounding better
than ever with your earthing "tidy up" and new ECC83's. Man, I love the
sound of that amp!!! However, on the guitar side, the Carlsbro is EVEN
BETTER THAN THE SELMER!!! The bass doesn't quite do it just yet, but
there's not much in it.......it's just a bit less warm or something.
Anyway, thanks again for a great service.
Chris."
From Steve - Peavey Classic 30 Combo - November 2007
"John.
Thanks for your help. amp working & sounding better than ever!
Keep on rockin'
Cheers, Steve"
From Andi - Marshall 50 Mk II Lead Combo - October 2007
"Hi John. Sorry
I haven't replied. Just to say though, that I am well-chuffed with the
amp. The clarity of the sound is much better and brighter than before
and the overdrive seems to be more consistent. Whatever the problem was
it now seems to be fixed and I spend large parts of the weekend getting
sore fingers. Many thanks for all of your help & hope to see
you again (although not too soon of course!)
Cheers, Andi"
From Andi again in
January 2008, regarding the same amp.
Hi John. Just
wanted to let you know that I am still dead chuffed with the work you
did on my amp
- it is sounding 'sweet as' and I can't thank you enough.
Cheers! Andi.
From Richard - Laney LC15 Combo - October 2007
"Hi John. Thanks for the photos and for the work
done. The amp sounds great and the new output
transformer has really improved the tone, headroom and
power-stage overdrive.
Cheers, Richard"
From Jean-Paul - Selmer Zodiac 30 (Power Amp only) -
October 2007
"Hi John. Just wanted to
let you know the amp is working great! I plugged it in last
night and was delighted. Today I am going to crank it up (as
it was late last night) and enjoy it for the first time in
ages! Thanks for your hard work.
Kind regards, Jean-Paul"
From Eric - Sound City 200 PA Head - October 2007
"Hi
John. Just sending an e-mail to say thanks, the amp sounds great! See
you soon about my other amp.
Cheers, Eric."
From Rob - Two Fender "75" amps - October 2007
"Hi
John. Both Fender 75's sound fantastic now. Thanks so much.
All the best, Rob"
From Steve - Stentor Combo - October 2007
Hi John. As
expected the Stentor sounds superb even to my ears....If I had to
describe the sound it would be warm and rich sounding, and it breaks up
nicely around 2/3 volume! I should be taking both amps to my friend
Paul next week so he can try them both out, as he is eager to hear them
as he knows your reputation.
From Alec - Orange AD30R - September 2007
"Hey John. Played a gig with the
Orange a couple nights ago and its sounding gorgeous, really beautiful.
Thank you for your work on her, your patience is very much appreciated.
Alec."
From Edward & Sharon - Leak and Varislope HiFi -
September 2007
"Having inherited a Leak Stereo 20 Power
Amplifier and Varislope Pre-Amplifier, and having been used to
listening to its sweet sound in the past, I was aware that it needed
some attention. I
contacted John Chambers who agreed to overhaul both units. I left them with him,
trusting in his abilities. I
could not have chosen better. Both
the beauty of his work and the beauty of the sound could not fail to
please any audiophile. In
short, anybody who finds themselves in the same situation need look no
further. I have no
hesitation in recommending John’s thoroughness and skill.
Edward & Sharon, Norfolk,
UK."
From Clive - Relyon HiFi Amp - September 2007
"John.
Thanks again for a great afternoon and for getting the little Relyon
hi-fi amp up and running..........buzz free! Look forward to seeing you
again perhaps later in the year. (I'll bring that old A60 if that's OK?)
Best regards, Clive."
From Mike - Selmer Bassmaster 50 - August 2007
"Hi John.
Many
thanks for the photo's. I used the amp last night and it
worked fine. No drop off in volume, and the tone was great.
Many thanks for your work,
it's much appreciated.
Regards Mike"
From Steve - Sound City Concord and B & M Crown -
August 2007
"Hi John. I had a quick go with the Sound
City Concord and even with my bad playing and practically deaf
hearing I can honestly say this....there is no hum whatsoever
and I have to have the volume 3/4 full as I cannot hardly
hear! On chords, you can hear every note...it's very clean and crystal
like...imagine hitting a bell, that's what it sounds like...you hear
every note. I thought my "Oliver G150R" was clean, but no
where near as clear as this; it just chimes...! I played a few bars of
"House Of The Rising Sun" and it sounded superb....really chuffed,
thank you. I cannot wait to hear my friend play through it...I only
wish my hearing was better as I have to have everything on
high volume which sounds normal to me...!
Onto the B & M Crown. Being only 5
watts, I have to
crank it up to hear it and then it distorts (lol) but it clips
nicely....I'll have to get my ears sorted!! I will ask my
friend to e-mail you directly without any influence from me to give you
his honest opinion!
Cheers
for now mate
and nice to have seen you again also. Many, many thanks indeed for a
great service. Steve"
From Anthony - Fender Twin - July 2007
"John.
Delighted to say we had a great gig, everything on the Twin functioned
perfectly which made a nice change. We got 3 encores and a repeat
booking in 4 weeks.
Thanks
once again for sorting it out. Ant."
From Matt - Fender Twin-Amp - July 2007
"Hi
John. Thanks for the photos. The amp sounds absolutely incredible, the
tones when the distortion kicks in are amazing. We had a great
rehearsal tonight, my amp has never sounded so good.
Thanks
for all your hard work. Matt"
AND...........
"Hi
John. I’m more than happy for you to put my email on the
testimonial page. Thanks again – our bass player was still
going on about how good my amp sounded this morning!! Matt"
From Neil - Fender Twin Amp - July 2007
"Hi John. Many
thanks for your enthusiasm and care in the repair of my Fender
Twin amp. Your attention to detail is second to none and I would
recommend you without hesitation to all tube amp guitarists like me,
who have struggled to find someone with the knowledge
and skill to repair and
service their amp properly. I think my "Twin" sounds
as good now as the day I bought it!
Many thanks, Neil -
Chesterfield."
From Robin - Linear Diatonic Amp - July 2007
"Hi John. Just
a quick note to thank you for the speedy and efficient repair of my
Linear Diatonic amp which has been languishing for some months waiting
for someone who knew what they were doing! I tried it when I got home
and it is sounding fine.
Robin"
From John - Dulci Amp - June 2007
"Hi John. Sorry for
taking a
while to get back to you. It was great meeting you and seeing your
workshop. The Dulci amp works great. Thank you.
John (Leicester)"
From Justin - Vox AC 30 - June 2007
"Hi John. I used the Vox
AC30 at the weekend to good
effect, plus it was on hire on Wednesday - everyone that tries it is
impressed...!
All the best, Justin"
From Paul - Triumph Leo - June 2007
"Hi John. I received my
little Leo amp today, and
just like a kid at Christmas I tore open the packaging and plugged her
straight
in! Well, what can I say!? What a transformation! All the nasty hiss
has
completely vanished, and the hum is barely noticeable, plus it is so
much
LOUDER!!!! than it was (I can't believe it's only a 4 or 5 watt amp!).
I can
only describe the sound as "Sumptuous" and the tremolo (or should that
be Vibrato?) is perfect. So I can only say Thank You!, not only for the
excellent job that you did on it, but also for going that extra mile
with the
addition of some really great little modifications, which has given me
far
greater control over the sound. (This little amp was definitely in the
right
hands!).
I will be in touch
soon!.... : ) All the best.
Paul"
From Cliff - Five Amps....Bird Golden Eagle; Bird Talisman;
Sound City
Concord; Shaftsbury Scala; Small Fender Combo - May 2007
"Hi John. I had a good
journey back to Preston,
(less than two hours) and, after a quick bite to eat, I thought I'd
have a play
with my Bird (!!) - The Golden Eagle. What can I say - it's absolutely
fantastic, (it was really good before but I was always slightly
distracted by
the hum). Now the hum has gone it's just perfect. I connected it up to
an
extension speaker for the first time and I 've been grinning like a kid
ever
since! By the way - thanks for the tip about making sure the extension
cab was
correctly wired - mine wasn't, but I would never have known about the
"battery phasing check" if you hadn't shown me. I'll give the other
amps a workout over the next few days and let you know how I get on,
although
I've no doubt they will all be great! Thanks for your hospitality and
great
service. If I may, I'll book in my other amps for a service with you in
a few
months, (Wem Clubman, 2 little Silvertones and the Carlsbro TC60).
Cheers for now and kind
regards. Cliff."
From Dieter in Germany - Geloso Amp - May 2007
"Hello John. By now I
got my Geloso G1.1070
working very nice on a pair of EL36, and all thanks to your works I now
have a
perfectly functioning and lovely sounding valve amplifier at a total
cost of
about €100!
Kind regards, Dieter."
From Josh - Marshall VBA400 - April 2007
"Hi
John. The amp is now
amazing
mate. This Marshall VBA-400 is fantastic now!! It's bloody brilliant!!
I got the cab for it and everything is working perfectly, it sounds
amazing, even when turned up enough so that the pictures vibrate off
the
walls! Thanks again for the repair and for a really good price. Hope
you and your workshop are doing well!
Josh."
From David - Vox AC30 Output
Transformer Re-Wind - April 2007
"Hi
John. The transformer arrived this
morning and within half an hour it was in and singing fine. The owner
had bought
it in this state 10 - 15 years ago and since it sounded OK but not very
loud he
thought this was normal. When he put it up against a Dallas Scala and a
Bird
Talisman he knew something was wrong! The rest is history. He, like
many of your
customers is very pleased with the results. Thanks once again for a
great
service.
Many
Regards, David."
From Jeremy - Elpico AC85 Amps - March
2007
"Hi
John. Just a short note to thank you for
all your hard work restoring my two Elpico AC85 Amplifiers. As you know
my
previous technician had pronounced both output transformers to be down.
I was
relieved to hear that one was fine. It is rare to find an amplifier
technician
that can also rewind transformers. Previously I had to get my repair
man to
remove the faulty transformers and then post them off to a transformer
specialist for rewinding. Expensive and time consuming. Your attention
to detail
is also first-rate. Nothing is too much trouble and you understand how
to work
sympathetically on old valve amplification without compromising on
originality.
Both the Elpicos sounded amazing!
Many
thanks from a very happy customer!
Kind
regards, Jeremy"
From John - Music Angel 300b HiFi Amp -
February 2007
"Hi
John, Sorry about delay in getting back
to you. Yes indeed, the amp works fine and sounds very good. Although
its not
that powerful, it drives the Tannoys ok. It was a pleasure to meet you
and to
watch you solve the problem with the amp. Great service. I would
recommend you
to all hi-fi fans who have valve amps that need repairing.
Many
thanks, John."
From Chris - Gibson Skylark &
Gibson Les Paul Junior combos
- February 2007
"Hi
John,
You've
done it again (no surprise). Have just played the Gibson Les Paul Junior
and Skylark amps -
absolutely awesome - can't believe the improvement
especially in
the Junior thanks to your superb detective work. The tremolo on the
Skylark is now
all you said it would be - very Stringalongs (who still remembers
them?) so I may drop in that resistor to reduce the depth a touch
as you suggested.
Great
to see you again and many thanks for the tea and hospitality -
unbeatable service.
Very
Best Regards, Chris"
From Dave - Sound City 50 &
Marshall PA 20 - February 2007
"Hey
John,
Hope
you are well? Sorry It's taken so long for me to email you. Just like
to thank you for the superb job you did on my "Sound City 50 plus " and
the "Marshall PA 20" they both sound superb!!
I'm soon to be off
on my travels again, for a few months. I'm sure i can find you a few
more projects!! Take it easy.
Dave
"Digger, the guitar-tech" "
From Chris - 1963 Selmer Diplomat
& Fenton Weill Cadet -
February 2007
"Hi
John,
Hope
you are well? Just to let you know the amps sound absolutely
great especially the Diplomat, so will probably end up
selling the Cadet. Have upgraded the Diplomat with a 20 watt
handling early Goodmans Audiom 61 which sounds even
better than the Fane.
Once
again many thanks for resuscitating two great vintage amps; look
forward to seeing
you
soon.
Best
Regards, Chris"
From Dave - 1967 Fender Deluxe -
February 2007
"Hi
John,
Many,
many, thanks for the repair to my Fender '67 Black Face Deluxe. I don't
think that the amp has ever sounded better. I played around with
pre-amp tubes and I've got a pair of RCA 12AX7's and a pair of CV4024
in the pre-amp section now. I put in a pair of Brimar Military 6V6GT's
and when I checked the bias it was up at 59 mA, I've got them
running at about 25.6mA now and it sounds so creamy, just breaking up
at about five and a half, really warm clean sound, reverb is superb,
really lush Fender.
The
Les Paul's sound really fat and the Tele has everything, haven't tried
a Strat yet but plenty of time for that.The amp has really come to
life, what a beauty it is now it's well again. Thanks very very much
indeed, I'm sure this amp will inspire me to play more!
The next
project will be the 18Watt Marshall combo clone.
Many
thanks for the hospitality, coffee and the care and attention to the
fine detail you have given to my amp.
All
the best, Dave."
From Regan - Vox AC30 -
February 2007
"John,
I
got to use my Vox in all her glory over the weekend and have to say
what a beautiful noise it was too. The Vib-Trem is a revelation - why
doesn't every amp sound like this?
Great
work!
Regards,
Regan"
From Tim - Vox AC30
- January 2007:
"John has got my old 1962 VOX AC30 working better
than it ever has in all the 29 years I've owned it. It may still look
ugly but it sounds beautiful!
I bought my very battered Vox AC30 in 1977 from a
second hand shop in Newcastle. It was a time when Vox's were out of
fashion, so between me and the rest of our poverty stricken student
band we bought 3, very cheaply and I got the cheapest and most battered
but it still sounded wonderful. Unfortunately some deranged incompetent
had stripped the original covering and modded it. But at least one of
the channels worked like they should and it had the Alnico Vox speakers.
I used it on and off with minimal maintenance until
it died around 2003 and then I had a bit of a dilemma. If I took it to
a repairer they might fix it but really I wanted to restore it to the
original circuits and maybe even get the Vibrato/Trem working! I
decided to try to find an engineer who was competent enough to restore
the wiring and get it working like it should but wouldn't cost the
earth. I talked to several but some did not inspire confidence at all,
some couldn't be bothered, some wanted a big fat blank cheque and some
were willing to have a go but had no experience of restoration. I found
John's website and quizzed him about the job and looked at the work he
had already done on other peoples AC30's and I finally had the
confidence to put my favourite amp under the surgeon's knife (or should
that be soldering iron?).
3 weeks later I collected what is still the ugliest
VOX on the planet but it now sounded like it should - and some!. The
Vib/Trem was a revelation and all 3 channels sang sweetly. It still
hums just a little but who wouldn't after 44 years? John uses quality
parts and lots of skill, attention to detail and TLC and he doesn't
charge boutique prices. He also fixed my son's Impact 60 head and that
too is brilliant. I can unreservedly recommend anyone to get their
valve amps fixed by John and I will happily ask him to service and
repair 3 other amps I have that need some TLC.
Now all I need is to complete the cosmetic refurb
on my VOX
Tim."
From
Will - Sonus Alpha Combo - January 2007:
"Hi
John, just got the chance to listen to the amp properly and it's
sounding great; well its never sounded this good anyway.
It's
also about 3 times louder than it used to be which can't be a bad thing
and, it doesn't make weird noises any more.
Great
work, decent price and a really quick turnaround. Cheers John.
Will."
From Anton in
Italy - Geloso G226A - December 2006:
"....My
Dear John, I have always thought that having gotten to known
you via your web-site, e-mail and then telephone has been a big luck
and pleasure for me but, after the PERFECT work/restore on my
two nice monophonic GELOSO G-226-A amplifiers, I'm
very, VERY glad to be your FRIEND. First of all, I think I could not
give in BETTER HANDS my old amps!! I was always following with
big attention all your updating Mails on the restoration as it
progressed, and I was often not believing to my eyes when I was seeing
all the "old parts" going BACK to live and to
SPARKLE!!! In a few words, your total
work/restore is wonderful, perfect in any details,
very clear and respectful, up where it was possible, of the
original apparances!!
With
just two things you've
completely changed, naturally informing me
before because you're an absolute serious person, they are "the choke"
that was placed over the chassis instead inside and this has given a
much better total look and the other was "the
rewiring of the secondary of the output transformer", in this
case for to reach a SUPERB quality of sound, MUCH BETTER then the
original response!!! I also think that describing your "meticulous
work" is absolutely useless, because everything is CLEAR and
VISIBLE in all the photos published in your nice web-site!
Instead
I would like to add a last thing about the final result of the sound
quality; it's unbelievably WONDERFUL!! I'm a lover of vintage
hi-end sound and in my life I have listened to many glorious tube
amplifiers, so I know what I mean by real vintage warm tube sound.
The
sound that comes out from the pair of Geloso
G-226-A's restored by you through my splendid Tannoy
loudspeakers, it's absolutely PERFECT, nothing to
envy a many expensive and boasted tube amp of today!!!
THANK
YOU VERY MUCH JOHN!...We've many other old device to restore, like my
next original and rare TELEFUNKEN TRIODE amplifiers!...
Till
the next time my dear Friend..... Anton."
From Steve -
Selmer Professional Amp - November 2006
"Hi
John
I
had a good session with the Selmer Professional TV12 last night. As
usual when I get repaired amps back from you, I am very pleased with
it. Many thanks! Quite apart from the tremolo now working perfectly, I
do think that the amp itself sounds better - more oomph and very Shads/
Vox AC** sounding with the echo turned up. Maybe it's my imagination,
particularly that you have now told me that it is push-pull Class A?
Did you do anything to it that would have had that effect?
Cheers
for now, Steve."
From Tim - Vox
AC30 & Impact Head - November 2006
"Hi John,
Ethan and
I didn’t get much time to try the amps out last
night but the initial impressions are:
1). The Vox is brilliant - I've just got
to re-learn how to get the best possibilities out of it but first
impressions are it still has the one good sound I used to get
out of it and it now has a whole bunch of other possibilities!!
2). The Impact is a revelation. The bass
channel is great but, it makes the Celestion Greenback
speakers flap a bit at 60%. The Treble channel is a fantastic 70's
style distortion at 50% and this is before I've had time to put the JJ
EL34s in.
I look forward to a
more detailed try out at the weekend. Thanks very much,
from two satisfied customer’s, I'll be in touch soon with the
additional pictures and comments later.
Many thanks for your hard work, time and
effort, Tim."
From Adrian -
Fenton Weill Porta Bass - September 2006
"Hi
John,
Don't
know if you remember me. You repaired my Fenton Weill Porta-Bass
amplifier for me. Just thought I'd say thanks for your hard work and
also to send you a photo of the finished re-covered amp in full working
order.
Thanks
again.
Adrian"
From Karl -
Gibson
Skylark Combo - August 2006
"Hi John,
Just to say how pleased I am with the work you have
done rescuing the Kalamazoo Skylark. It did look as though there was a
great amp waiting to emerge from what arrived from the USA, incomplete
as it was. The work you have done exceeds all my expectations
particularly as the amp has not been modified or changed in any way
other than for safety. The amp looks great and sounds stunning I
imagine just as it did when it was bought in 1964, if not better? Why
these amps haven't got the kudos and collectability of Fender Champs is
a mystery and lets keep it that way. Cheers again for your painstaking
work.
Karl"
From Justin -
Wem
Westminster Combo - August 2006
"Evening
John... is that whisky flowing yet? What's your poison anyway?
Just
wanted to say thanks for the work that you carried out for me earlier
today. I've been playing through the WEM all evening and absolutely
love it. To my ears its got a lovely warm tone and no more crackle and
pops! ;-)
Thanks
for letting me call in today and stick around while you diagnosed and
resolved the issues - it was very interesting to witness the process
and learn about your other projects. I also realize that you went out
of your way to save me effort, time and money - you're a rare breed,
thanks. I hope you managed to get to the garden centre for your mum
before closing and got everything sorted?
Thanks
again John.
Cheers.
I'm off to buy another doggy amp!
Justin."
AND...........
"Hi
John,
Hope
you're well on what's suddenly turned out to be a sunny Sunday evening
down here in Worcestershire! Its been rather cloudy all day. Anyway, as
promised, please find some photographs (I've included a few for you to
choose from) of the Wem Westminster you revived before my eyes at the
"Amp Hospital". Take a look at the pictures and let me know if they're
suitable or if you would like anything in addition.
Once
again, I'm absolutely delighted with the results following your
meticulous service and repair of my beloved Wem Westminster. Thank you.
Cheers
for now. Justin."
From Cliff -
Bird
Golden Eagle - July 2006
"Hi
John,
Just
a brief e mail to say thank you for performing miracles on my old Bird
amp, the difference is amazing and to my ears it sounds as good as any
amp out there, both vintage and modern. When I first made the journey
down to you from Preston, I was just wanting to get the amp repaired
and working, (something that other amp technicians weren't prepared to
take on), and I was therefore absolutely delighted that not only did
you get everything working properly, but you have transformed its
performance. I would imagine that the amp sounds better now than when
it was brand new!
Once
again, many thanks. Kind regards. Cliff"
