Service and Repair

We are passionate about vintage amplifiers, and our service work is always performed with the purpose of safety and reliability, while maintaining as much of the amplifier's originality as possible. 

 

Service is available on most makes and models of guitar amplifiers, tube or solid state

There is a $80+ tax minimum bench fee for amplifier and other electronic repairs.  We collect this non-refundable deposit when you drop off your amplifier. This covers the first hour of labor which includes diagnosis and some simple repairs. Any additional parts or labor will be paid at time of pick up. Labor after the first hour is billed in 15 minute increments at a rate of $75/hr.

Estimates - After we complete the initial inspection we will provide you with an estimate and strive to be as accurate as possible. This is included with the $80 bench fee. Major repairs and restorations of some vintage amps are sometimes difficult to give an accurate estimate, as we don't know what we'll run into once the amp is up and running. In these cases we will discuss the full situation of your amp with you, and based on what your budget is we can agree on where to go from there. 

Below is a short list of some of our standard amplifier maintenance packages available. Other repairs or services will be quoted on a case by case basis. All amplifiers are repaired locally in our shop.

 

Tube Amp Tune-Up

Heat, high voltage and age can cause components to change value or fail. If it's been awhile since your tube amplifier has been serviced, it will most likely benefit from a tune-up. Amps in need of a tune-up exhibit symptoms such as a loss of tone or volume.

Tone I/O can perform a full tune-up on your tube amp. Our full service tune-up starts at $175 plus the cost of parts, and includes 2.5 hours of labor. Final price will depend on amount of time and materials required. Our standard tune-up service includes the following:

• Perform a full safety inspection and check main fuse size and replace if out of specification (dangerous condition that could be masking a serious issue or safety concern).
• Check all tubes and replace as necessary. Power tubes are replaced with matched sets. Tubes that test good with adequate life left will not be replaced unless requested by customer. We stock and use JJ tubes unless otherwise requested. JJ tubes are well known for their quality, and we believe they provide the best all-around tone and reliability for the value. We have several other brands available, including high quality Asian manufactured tubes that provide great value at a reduced cost. ***If you wish to provide your own tubes, please notify us up front and bring them in with the amplifier. If you fail to notify us or provide us with the tubes, once our tubes are installed we will decline to remove the tubes we supplied without charging labor costs to replace the tubes, re-bias the new tubes, and a 15% parts restocking fee.
• Clean and re-tension tube sockets.
• Measure and adjust power tube bias.
• Clean all input and output jacks.
• Inspect all soldered connections for cracks or cold solder joints and re-flow/re-solder as necessary.
• Clean and check potentiometers (POTS). If any are found to be faulty or not operating within specification, we will replace it.
• Check power supply filter capacitors and replace if necessary.
• Inspect all electrolytic capacitors, measure ESR values, and replace as necessary (Vintage amplifier signal based capacitor situations will be discussed in depth with the customer and agreed upon before any capacitors are replaced).
• Check resistors and replace if out of tolerance.
• Check reverb unit and repair if necessary.
• Check and clean speaker connections. Tighten if necessary
• Clean inside of chassis.
• Once your amplifier has been serviced and repaired as necessary, we'll fully test the amplifier and all functionality before we inform you that it is ready. 

Solid State Amp Tune-Up

Solid state amplifiers are more stable than tube amps, but can still require maintenance. If the controls are scratchy sounding or the sound cuts out, it may just need a “tune-up”. Price starts at $110 plus parts, and includes 1.5 hours of labor. Final price will depend on amount of time and materials required. This includes the following:

• Check fuse sizes and replace if out of spec.
• Clean and check input and output jacks.
• Clean and check potentiometers (POTs). Replace as necessary.
• Check for signs of charring from failing components.
• Check reverb unit and repair if necessary.
• Check and clean speaker connections. Tighten if necessary.
• Clean inside of chassis.
• Check full operation of amplifier.

Analog Effect Pedal Repair:

• $65 up-front bench fee - Includes first 45 mins of labor.

Other Services:

• Speaker Install - $37.50 per speaker
• Vacuum Tube Testing - $3.50 per tube
• Complimentary inspection of 3rd party amplifiers for customer purchases - We will perform a free quick condition/originality inspection of any amplifier a customer is considering to purchase from a 3rd party.

Expedited Repair Services:

• For an additional $135 expedite fee, We offer expedited repair services with a turnaround time of no more than 24-72 hours depending on the complexity of the repair and availability of any special parts needed.