Captain Tube Amp Service
The repair of tube amplifiers is our core competence.
For more than 35 years I have been dealing with tube technology and since January 2010 there is the Captain Tube Amp Service.
More than 600 tube amplifiers of all brands and years are professionally repaired, modified or restored here every year, and the trend is rising!
They range from vintage treasures to modern high-gain amps to boutique amps from all over the world.
The Captain Tube Amp Service has become the predicate for professional service, the sticker on the amplifier proves: The amp was at the Captain, everything is fine!
By the way:
We do not replace all tubes across the board, as some of our colleagues do. That’s bad for the environment and bad for your wallet.
Our tube tester and our ears tell us which tube is still good and which needs to be replaced!
If you should send us an instrument or an amplifier please have a look at our Delivery and packing instructions.
To ensure reliability, regularly played tube amplifiers should be inspected once a year.
The following works are performed:
| Small inspection | Major inspection | |
| Function test | x | x |
| Optical control | x | x |
| Check the fuse values (many amplifiers have a wrong fuse installed!) | x | x |
| Check the heating voltage and set the mains voltage correctly. | x | |
| Emission test of the pre-stage tubes | x | |
| Emission test of the power amplifier tubes | x | x |
| Checking quiescent current (bias) and matching of the output stage tubes in no-load operation | x | x |
| Control matching of the power amplifier tubes under load and check of the transfer distortion | x | |
| Clean Potis | x | x |
| Clean/rebend tube socket | x | |
| Clean switches and sockets | x | |
| VDE test | x | x |
| Sound Check | x | x |
| Inspection report with measured values | x | |
| Price for amplifier up to 6 tubes | 67 € | 107 € |
| Price for amplifier 7-10 tubes | 77 € | 117 € |
| Price for amplifier from 11 tubes | 87€ |
127€ |
Further work and possible repairs and spare parts will be charged extra.
Noise, crackling, scratching, or no sound at all? No matter what problem your amp has, we can fix it!
Years of experience with all common amplifiers and numerous exotics guarantee a quick localization of the fault in your amplifier and keep the repair costs low.
Many faults already appear in the course of an inspection and can be fixed right away.
Thermal faults and those that occur only sporadically are harder to find. Here it helps to describe as precisely as possible when and how the error occurs.
The repair costs 107 euros per hour plus materials.
As soon as the amplifier is on our workbench, a flat 47 Euro bench fee is charged, even if nothing is repaired at the end.
Most spare parts are in stock in our workshop, special parts can be procured at short notice.
We use tubes from Tube Amp Doctor in Worms. They supply top quality at low prices.
Delivered tubes are installed and calibrated, but there is no warranty whatsoever.
We are happy to test your tubes of unknown origin on our tube tester and give a recommendation regarding usability.
The lead time for repairs and inspections is is usually around 10 workingdays, depending on how busy the workshop currently is. .
Larger modifications, restorations and spare part-dependent repairs may take longer.
Current lead time is available by phone.
We will be happy to provide an estimate for the repair of your amplifier.
This costs a flat rate of 77,- Euro and will of course be credited when placing the order.