Taking Care Of Your Amplifier

If you own an amplifier you should take good care of it and if you do, you will enjoy many years of playing with it. As with all things, amps can sometimes break down, however if you follow some guidelines about maintaining your amp, you should have a long musical life together. There will be a few things that you didn’t know, but what about the things you should know but never really think of? For example, don’t drop your amplifier, obvious! Seriously, wiring connections and other electrical components will more than likely come loose if dropped so be kind to your guitar amp, hold it close and steady.

Other obvious tips to take care of your amp

Not letting your guitar amp get wet is always a good habit as with all electrical equipment, water and moisture is not your amplifiers’ friend, it is strongly suggested you don’t let the two combine and keep your amplifier covered where wet weather or other liquids found in the area of the band may threaten its safety. Seating at times can be a bit of a bother if there is a group gathered and your amp might seem like a good alternative to sit on in the absence of available chairs, do your amp a favour, resist the temptation and don’t.

Electrical and technical do’s and don’ts

As you may well know, electrical equipment can generate a bit of heat when in use and in amplifiers this can cause it to stop working due to high temperature, always make sure it is well ventilated and don’t set it up in an area where another heat source is present. Plugging into a surge protector can guard against inconsistent power sources that can damage electrical components in your amp and play at lower than full power whenever you can, some amps are fitted with switches to use half power and unless full power is required, it’s recommended to choose this. Switch controls to zero before turning on your amp to protect against power surges and if your amp has a standby option installed use this when turning it on as it will enable any tubes the time to warm up prior to cranking complete power to the circuits. Always follow product recommendations and model specifics for your equipment, if a tube needs replacing, replace it with the same model and always make sure your amp matches your speakers.

Finally, Bass guitars should have their own bass amp and you should never play a bass through a guitar amp as the speakers, whilst at times may be heavy duty, may not withstand the power of the base. It may seem like a lot to remember but in the end, a lot of it is just common sense and having the will to keep your amp alive.