Amp servicing

[SteveXFR]

Do hybrid amps (Ashdown ABM 600) need servicing and if they do, how often?

[BassmanPaul]

They need servicing when they stop working until then leave the thing alone.

[Phil Starr]

Amps don’t really need ‘servicing’ at all. There aren’t any moving parts or any components that need routine replacement. The idea of a service comes from machines which wore at a known rate which would need regular checking to see that they were wearing at the expected rate and parts replaced at regular intervals. Parts in an amp all have known rates of aging but they usually last decades. The only exception to this is a valve/ tube which decay slightly quicker than the other components and can be expected to need replacement. If you were a touring band you’d probably get the valve amps checked regularly. Even so a pre amp valve like the ECC83 often lasts decades. I’ve got a valve radio from the 50’s still working with the original valves. Power amp valves run hotter and last less well but even so can give years of life..

 

The only thing that might make sense are regular safety checks. PAT testing in the UK, maybe blowing out the dust and cobwebs every 5-10 years if you are an obsessive. The thing is that components have a half life, a very few will fail in the first year some might last a century but it will be decades before most of them fail and you can’t really predict which resistor or capacitor will go first or indeed if it might be a bit of plastic insulation on a wire that goes first. There is no point in replacing everything just to be safe and it would cost a lot more than a new amp to do so.

 

The other thing is that cleaning the pots (volume and tone controls) is more likely to shorten their lives so regular tinkering IMO is more likely to shorten the life of a modern amp. Save your money and don’t let some monkey poke around in your precious bits😆

[Woodinblack]

No servicing needed, but check the screws haven't got loose sometimes - my DI socket got a bit loose.

[agedhorse]

I see mode amps damaged by failed service attempts (where the problem actually had nothing do do with the amp) than amps that are just left alone. If it's working properly, leave it alone (IMO and IME).

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

Periodic cleaning of the jacks is a good idea.

[asingardenof]

On 01/12/2023 at 20:11, SteveXFR said:

Do hybrid amps (Ashdown ABM 600) need servicing and if they do, how often?

Shouldn't do, but if anything needs fixing Ashdown won't charge you a lot to do it.