Expert and Thorough Repairs and Restorations:  

Amplifiers

If you need expert repair or restoration, contact me to get your amp back up and running. Experience the difference between taking your amp to the "tech" and getting expert professional service. Carl's Custom Amps goes beyond just keeping your amp running. The goal is to make the amp perform.

Older vintage amps often require more than quick fixes many shops do so they turn on and make sound. They require restoration, which requires understanding of how electronic parts age, the history of the amp’s design, knowing what the amp should sound like when working properly. It also requires that you understand why amps sound the way they do, how they are meant to operate, and the quirks, flaws, and service issues various models have. This requires the kind of experience, attention to detail, and ability to research that we pride ourselves on at Carl’s Custom Amps. It’s the right place to send a vintage amp or boutique for work.

Remember, all tube amps need servicing from time to time. Tubes wear out, caps dry out, resistors shift values...all those factors can keep your amp from sounding it's best. Preventative maintenance is important. See the gallery for some of these restorations and repairs.   Local players in the Las Cruces, NM and El Paso, TX area can drop off amps.   Players outside that area ship them to me. The bench fees is 85 dollars per hour with 1/2-hour minimum fee.

I do not work in solid-state amps of any sort aside from replacing a jack or speaker. They simply are not worth the cost to repair.

As of the 9th of May 2023, Carl's Custom Amps will focus our line of amps and custom amp builds, vintage restorations, vintage amp repairs and boutique amp repairs.

We will largely stop servicing made PCB board amplifiers. We will continue to service some vintage PCB board amps including 70s/80s Marshalls, Hiwatts, Ampegs The.re are some other modern PCB amps we will work as well which include most Fender RI amps. Please feel free to ask. This will allow us to provide best services possible and be able to deliver in a timely manner.

Note:

I get requests from time to time to repair an amp so it “turns on and makes a sound” or to fix it as cheaply as possible so it limps onward. I cannot fill these requests; I repair amps properly or not at all. This not cheapest or fastest way to repair an amp but it produces the best tone and reliability.

I no longer “fix” customer made kits and that didn’t work. After many years of doing this, I’ve found it time consuming and despite the customers best intentions they seem to have more mistakes than can easily be addressed. Most often these same project amps became rebuilds or extremely long repairs. These problems partially the customer’s inexperience (everyone has to start somewhere!) but often has just as much to do with the poor design of many kits. Instead, I can rebuild a kit to my superior build quality and with all the tricks I know.

A note on aging amps—-

Amps that are over 20 years old as are starting to require “cap jobs” (we recommend a cap job every 13 years so you never develop symptoms of dying caps). Another common problem is that switching issues in channel switching amps begin to manifest at that age as well. These amps are beginning to be more in the restoration category with chronic systemic problems rather than with small acute issues. Unfortunately, the bulk of tube amps built after the mid 80’s are cheaply built and not easy to service. The same restoration job that took 3 hours on hand wired amp might take 5 to 6 hours on a more modern amp. Modern non-boutique amps are not as valuable, but the labor and cost of proper restoration is higher. This is why getting a well-built amp pays off—-it can be serviced, they break down less, and sound better. This also why owning roomfuls of amps doesn't make much sense. At some point any amp will need servicing and caps age more quickly if they are not regularly charged by use. It’s far better to have an amp or a few amps that you really love rather than too many keep in good working order.

Mods-

I modify and improve the tone of all sorts of amps.  Blackfacing a Silverface Fender, adding more gain, adding a effects loop and sculpting the tone to the player's needs are just few examples of the possibilities. Most PCB board are not conducive to extensive modifications with the notable exception of 70’s Marshall amps. Contact to discuss what you need done! 

See the Gallery Page for picture of amps I've worked on and custom builds:

Important:

If you are having a amp or guitar repaired payment and pickup of the amp is required within 30 days of completion. I give out estimates prior to beginning work so please do not proceed with  the repair if it does not meet your budget at the time.  Items left past 30 days will be liquidated so please plan repair costs accordingly. Keep in mind that cheaper amps tend to be harder and more expensive to repair than well made amps.