How to Work on an Epiphone Guitar Amp
Epiphone began making amplifiers in 1934. The company was bought by Gibson in 1957. Epiphone amps were basically modeled on Gibson and Fender amplifier technology. Epiphone revitalized its amplifier production in 2006 and introduced two new amps to the market: the Blues Custom and the Valve Junior. These new Epiphone models are rapidly gaining in popularity. They are similar to Fender amps and recreate a vintage tone. In other words, they rely on primitive tube technology that creates warm rich tone that guitar players love. A basic knowledge of tube amplifiers will keep your amp in good running order.
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Instructions
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Take care of your tubes. A general rule of thumb is to change your tubes once to twice a year if you are using your amplifier on a regular basis.The most common problems with tube amplifiers are bad tubes. Tubes can fail for a variety of reasons and there is no guarantee for how long tubes will last. All amps are designed for specific tubes. This will be marked on the tube and on the amplifier as well. The Blues Custom uses 12Ax7 preamp tubes and 6L6 power tubes. The Valve Junior uses 12Ax7 preamp tubes and EL84 power tubes.
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Make sure all connections are secure. Transporting amps around to gigs and amplifier use will eventually cause things to become loose and, sometimes, disconnected. Check all the connections from time to time: input jacks, speakers and the tube sockets. Loose tube sockets will cause tubes to fall out and not make a secure connection. Also tighten all the nuts and bolts on the amp. Loose nuts and bolts will cause all kinds of rattles and hums. However, don't overtighten the speakers because they need room to vibrate.
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Take your Epiphone amp in for an annual tune-up. Amplifiers contain high voltage, and certain things should be left to professionals who know how to work safely with electricity. The tune-up should inspect the tubes and tube sockets, the capacitors and the resistors. Capacitors are the amp's filtering system that filters out strange harmonics. They should last 10 years or more. If you are hearing strange ghost tones or noises, this is a sign of a bad capacitor.
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Keep an extra set of tubes and fuses with you when you play gigs. A tube problem or fuse problem may occur at any time. If the fuse is bad, the amp won't have any power. Replace the fuse and you should have power. Have the amp checked out after the gig because a blown fuse may be an indication of a more serious problem. It is also important to recognize the symptoms of bad or weak tubes. A loss of power or a muddy tone quality indicates a faulty or weak power tube. High squealing sounds are an indication of a bad preamp tube. Sometimes tubes don't function properly because they have become loose.
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Visit guitar forums online and read guitar magazines to learn more about Epiphone amplifiers. Online forums and trade magazines are important resources for guitarists to learn and share information.
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