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Request opinions on Hickok 230 for Guitar Amp Repair
I can get one of these for $200 plus shipping. Is this what I need for
use on a guitar amp building/repair workbench? thanks...J.P. |
Request opinions on Hickok 230 for Guitar Amp Repair
J.P. wrote:
I can get one of these for $200 plus shipping. Is this what I need for use on a guitar amp building/repair workbench? thanks...J.P. Very strange question.... Anyone who builds/repairs guitar amps should know the answer. jak |
Request opinions on Hickok 230 for Guitar Amp Repair
On Wed, 30 Aug 2006 15:30:39 -0500, jakdedert
wrote: J.P. wrote: I can get one of these for $200 plus shipping. Is this what I need for use on a guitar amp building/repair workbench? thanks...J.P. Very strange question.... Anyone who builds/repairs guitar amps should know the answer. jak Nothing strange about it! I am a rookie and am studying about guitar amps and trying to build a work bench one tool at a time. I have a Fluke meter and think my next tool should be a tube tester. I have no clue as to how to use it nor do I have a big wad to buy one with so I am looking for information instead of just buying something off of Ebay with no idea of what I am getting. I would appreciate any information I can get. Thank you...J.P. |
Request opinions on Hickok 230 for Guitar Amp Repair
On Wed, 30 Aug 2006 15:30:39 -0500, jakdedert
wrote: J.P. wrote: I can get one of these for $200 plus shipping. Is this what I need for use on a guitar amp building/repair workbench? thanks...J.P. Very strange question.... Anyone who builds/repairs guitar amps should know the answer. jak Nothing strange about it! I am a rookie and am studying about guitar amps and trying to build a work bench one tool at a time. I have a Fluke meter and think my next tool should be a tube tester. I have no clue as to how to use it nor do I have a big wad to buy one with so I am looking for information instead of just buying something off of Ebay with no idea of what I am getting. I would appreciate any information I can get. Thank you...J.P. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++ I'd do a bit more studying first. Most Hickocks are good units. I'm not personally familiar with the one you cite; but any tube tester that you buy is probably pretty old and should itself be restored and calibrated. I'd check eBay for price. There is a fairly limited number of unique tube types for guitar amps, so substitution is an viable option to checking (although the output tubes in many amps are very expensive). I think I'd look into an audio signal generator, several hundred watt 8/4 ohm dummy load and an oscilloscope first...all of which might cost you less than $200 and be more useful on a day to day basis. Make sure you have good soldering tools...a good assortment of hand tools in general. Another thing which is particularly useful when servicing these big dogs is some sort of a chassis dolly which allows you to rotate the unit without picking it up.... jak |
Request opinions on Hickok 230 for Guitar Amp Repair
J.P. ) writes:
On Wed, 30 Aug 2006 15:30:39 -0500, jakdedert wrote: J.P. wrote: I can get one of these for $200 plus shipping. Is this what I need for use on a guitar amp building/repair workbench? thanks...J.P. Very strange question.... Anyone who builds/repairs guitar amps should know the answer. jak Nothing strange about it! I am a rookie and am studying about guitar amps and trying to build a work bench one tool at a time. I have a Fluke meter and think my next tool should be a tube tester. I have no clue as to how to use it nor do I have a big wad to buy one with so I am looking for information instead of just buying something off of Ebay with no idea of what I am getting. I would appreciate any information I can get. Thank you...J.P. But this newsgroup isn't about the repair of guitar amplifiers. So indeed asking where the discussion is about repairing guitar amplifiers would seem to be a far more appropriate place. Now, had your question been whether the unit is good for testing tubes, that might give a different response. Michael VE2BVW |
Request opinions on Hickok 230 for Guitar Amp Repair
Michael Black wrote:
J.P. ) writes: On Wed, 30 Aug 2006 15:30:39 -0500, jakdedert wrote: J.P. wrote: I can get one of these for $200 plus shipping. Is this what I need for use on a guitar amp building/repair workbench? thanks...J.P. Very strange question.... Anyone who builds/repairs guitar amps should know the answer. jak Nothing strange about it! I am a rookie and am studying about guitar amps and trying to build a work bench one tool at a time. I have a Fluke meter and think my next tool should be a tube tester. I have no clue as to how to use it nor do I have a big wad to buy one with so I am looking for information instead of just buying something off of Ebay with no idea of what I am getting. I would appreciate any information I can get. Thank you...J.P. But this newsgroup isn't about the repair of guitar amplifiers. So indeed asking where the discussion is about repairing guitar amplifiers would seem to be a far more appropriate place. Now, had your question been whether the unit is good for testing tubes, that might give a different response. Michael VE2BVW Yeah, I meant to direct him to sci.electronic.repair. Forgot.... jak |
Request opinions on Hickok 230 for Guitar Amp Repair
On Wed, 30 Aug 2006 21:52:35 -0500, jakdedert
wrote: On Wed, 30 Aug 2006 15:30:39 -0500, jakdedert wrote: J.P. wrote: I can get one of these for $200 plus shipping. Is this what I need for use on a guitar amp building/repair workbench? thanks...J.P. Very strange question.... Anyone who builds/repairs guitar amps should know the answer. jak Nothing strange about it! I am a rookie and am studying about guitar amps and trying to build a work bench one tool at a time. I have a Fluke meter and think my next tool should be a tube tester. I have no clue as to how to use it nor do I have a big wad to buy one with so I am looking for information instead of just buying something off of Ebay with no idea of what I am getting. I would appreciate any information I can get. Thank you...J.P. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++ I'd do a bit more studying first. Most Hickocks are good units. I'm not personally familiar with the one you cite; but any tube tester that you buy is probably pretty old and should itself be restored and calibrated. I'd check eBay for price. There is a fairly limited number of unique tube types for guitar amps, so substitution is an viable option to checking (although the output tubes in many amps are very expensive). I think I'd look into an audio signal generator, several hundred watt 8/4 ohm dummy load and an oscilloscope first...all of which might cost you less than $200 and be more useful on a day to day basis. Make sure you have good soldering tools...a good assortment of hand tools in general. Another thing which is particularly useful when servicing these big dogs is some sort of a chassis dolly which allows you to rotate the unit without picking it up.... jak You're the second person,so far, that has suggested I get a scope first. What scopr would you suggest. I like name brands but am not stuck on them. I just want accurate readings. |
Request opinions on Hickok 230 for Guitar Amp Repair
|
Request opinions on Hickok 230 for Guitar Amp Repair
J.P. wrote:
jak You're the second person,so far, that has suggested I get a scope first. What scopr would you suggest. I like name brands but am not stuck on them. I just want accurate readings. You won't get accuracy with a scope. That's okay. You use a scope for qualitative measurements most of the time. So buy whatever you find that is cheap. You don't need dual trace. You don't need more than a MHz or so bandwidth at best. Tektronix made some fine scopes, but a $10 Heathkit from a hamfest will be just fine for fixing audio gear. You will want a signal generator too. The HP200CD is decent and shows up cheaply at hamfests. As far as tube testers go, you want a real transconductance tester, and you want to make sure it can handle typical audio power tubes. So look on the chart for 6550s and 6CA7s and if they are there, you're good to go. Most of what you'll use a tube tester for is matching tubes anyway. Finding bad tubes is usually a lot easier to do by swapping and checking voltages. And for the most part, small signal tubes don't fail much so you're mostly worried about power tubes. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
Guitar Amp Repair..what DO you need..?
JP....
I'd go along with what's been suggested so far...though I might suggest a good isolation transformer, a fused (read: circuit-breakered) outlet right at-hand, and any DIY guitar amp repair literature you can lay your hands on. There's one fellow's books come to mind, but darned if I can't remember his name off the top of my head, he's written several books on amp repair and effects-building and repair. THAT'S lucrative, a purist will pay boatloads for restoring his 1965 Jimi Hendrix fuzzbox and such, so keep transistorized circuitry in mind as well. A good lighted magnifying gizmo is always handy. There are a multitude of musical instrument repair websites; the fun part is, as with boatanchors, digging up parts. And schematics, tho' many are available on the 'net. Reverse-engineering skills will come in handy, too. Consider apprenticing yourself to a local repair guru; you'll learn more in less time than you can imagine, PLUS you'll have access to tools to do the job with. Homeowners & fire insurance is a good bet as well.... Good luck, and Rock On, JP. Terry Bakowski ps try an Amazon.com search on 'Craig Anderton....', I think that's the name I'm trying to remember. Also check out: PC-based osciloscopes, there are several freebie downloads for them. And if anyone knows how to set up a rig to measure transconductance using a 'scope..please let me know. It shouldn't be THAT difficult...er..should it? G |
Guitar Amp Repair..what DO you need..?
On 31 Aug 2006 15:32:10 -0700, "Jammer" wrote:
JP.... I'd go along with what's been suggested so far...though I might suggest a good isolation transformer, a fused (read: circuit-breakered) outlet right at-hand, and any DIY guitar amp repair literature you can lay your hands on. There's one fellow's books come to mind, but darned if I can't remember his name off the top of my head, he's written several books on amp repair and effects-building and repair. THAT'S lucrative, a purist will pay boatloads for restoring his 1965 Jimi Hendrix fuzzbox and such, so keep transistorized circuitry in mind as well. A good lighted magnifying gizmo is always handy. There are a multitude of musical instrument repair websites; the fun part is, as with boatanchors, digging up parts. And schematics, tho' many are available on the 'net. Reverse-engineering skills will come in handy, too. Consider apprenticing yourself to a local repair guru; you'll learn more in less time than you can imagine, PLUS you'll have access to tools to do the job with. Homeowners & fire insurance is a good bet as well.... Good luck, and Rock On, JP. Terry Bakowski ps try an Amazon.com search on 'Craig Anderton....', I think that's the name I'm trying to remember. Also check out: PC-based osciloscopes, there are several freebie downloads for them. And if anyone knows how to set up a rig to measure transconductance using a 'scope..please let me know. It shouldn't be THAT difficult...er..should it? G Well, I guess if it was that easy, everyone would have one... I am half way through my second repair book and am starting to line up tools for a future bench. I am a hobbyist at this time but might get into a job thing later if it starts to pay off. I enjoy it at this level. It's kind od fun to listen to some of those tube amps and being able to hear things others miss while they are listening to the words. A lot of brands have their own "signature sound" and I like trying to figure out what they are and what has been done to them. Hearing isn't what it used to be but I can still tell a Marshall from a Vox. And since I am a diabled vet living in a small town on a small fixed income, I have found that I can pursue this by computer and book. There is one old radio guy around here but as far as I know, that's about it. I need to go buy his place and see what he does one of these days. Caught him slipping out of an auction with an old tube radio under his arm he had just bought for nothing. He looked like he was stealing something...so I stopped him and got his address. Guess he got a real deal on that radio.You'd have thought he had bought a gold bar!.... so I figure there is something to be gained from this, maybe some money but mostly some pleasure. I never was that much of a guitar player but always have had one. And after spending time trying to change the sound of the guitar came to the conclusion that the amp is "the sound"! so I am now on that trail.... what the hell, beats waiting for the "Rockford Files" to come on TV! |
Guitar Amp Repair..what DO you need..?
J.P. wrote:
On 31 Aug 2006 15:32:10 -0700, "Jammer" wrote: JP.... I'd go along with what's been suggested so far...though I might suggest a good isolation transformer, a fused (read: circuit-breakered) outlet right at-hand, and any DIY guitar amp repair literature you can lay your hands on. There's one fellow's books come to mind, but darned if I can't remember his name off the top of my head, he's written several books on amp repair and effects-building and repair. THAT'S lucrative, a purist will pay boatloads for restoring his 1965 Jimi Hendrix fuzzbox and such, so keep transistorized circuitry in mind as well. A good lighted magnifying gizmo is always handy. There are a multitude of musical instrument repair websites; the fun part is, as with boatanchors, digging up parts. And schematics, tho' many are available on the 'net. Reverse-engineering skills will come in handy, too. Consider apprenticing yourself to a local repair guru; you'll learn more in less time than you can imagine, PLUS you'll have access to tools to do the job with. Homeowners & fire insurance is a good bet as well.... Good luck, and Rock On, JP. Terry Bakowski ps try an Amazon.com search on 'Craig Anderton....', I think that's the name I'm trying to remember. Also check out: PC-based osciloscopes, there are several freebie downloads for them. And if anyone knows how to set up a rig to measure transconductance using a 'scope..please let me know. It shouldn't be THAT difficult...er..should it? G Well, I guess if it was that easy, everyone would have one... I am half way through my second repair book and am starting to line up tools for a future bench. I am a hobbyist at this time but might get into a job thing later if it starts to pay off. I enjoy it at this level. It's kind od fun to listen to some of those tube amps and being able to hear things others miss while they are listening to the words. A lot of brands have their own "signature sound" and I like trying to figure out what they are and what has been done to them. Hearing isn't what it used to be but I can still tell a Marshall from a Vox. And since I am a diabled vet living in a small town on a small fixed income, I have found that I can pursue this by computer and book. There is one old radio guy around here but as far as I know, that's about it. I need to go buy his place and see what he does one of these days. Caught him slipping out of an auction with an old tube radio under his arm he had just bought for nothing. He looked like he was stealing something...so I stopped him and got his address. Guess he got a real deal on that radio.You'd have thought he had bought a gold bar!.... so I figure there is something to be gained from this, maybe some money but mostly some pleasure. I never was that much of a guitar player but always have had one. And after spending time trying to change the sound of the guitar came to the conclusion that the amp is "the sound"! so I am now on that trail.... what the hell, beats waiting for the "Rockford Files" to come on TV! I'm not encouraging crossposting, but there are much more appropriate newsgroups for this thread. Foremost, I would try sci.electronics.repair. There are a number of people there who probably have more experience with what you are trying to do, than here. For specifics, like tube test equipment, try rec.antiques.radio+phono. You're getting some pertinent advice here, but it's way off-topic. In fact, I'm sure there are even more topical newsgroups specific to guitars and amplifiers, I just don't subscribe to any of them. jak |
Guitar Amp Repair..what DO you need..?
"jakdedert" wrote in message .. . In fact, I'm sure there are even more topical newsgroups specific to guitars and amplifiers, I just don't subscribe to any of them. jak alt.guitar.amps should be good. Frank Dresser |
Request opinions on Hickok 230 for Guitar Amp Repair
You're the second person,so far, that has suggested I get a scope
first. What scopr would you suggest. I like name brands but am not stuck on them. I just want accurate readings. Just about any scope is good enough for audio work. Dual trace scopes are better than single trace scopes, but dual trace isn't absolutely necessary. There are now tons of perfectly adaquate TV shop 5 Mhz scopes out there at give away prices. Frank Dresser |
Guitar Amp Repair..what DO you need..?
On Sat, 02 Sep 2006 07:55:27 GMT, "Frank Dresser"
wrote: "jakdedert" wrote in message . .. In fact, I'm sure there are even more topical newsgroups specific to guitars and amplifiers, I just don't subscribe to any of them. jak alt.guitar.amps should be good. Frank Dresser Might figure I have asked this question there also but sometimes, even if off topic, it pays to ask a question where you might get the best answer, at the risk of being flamed, of course. Alt.guitar.amps is a good place when you get real answers but also serves as an amateur boxing ring for political issues and trolling parlor... |
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