There are lots of rumors, heresay, impressions and not a lot of hard tech data about why old gear may sound different or better or worse than a new piece of gear. There can be marketing fluff as well, perhaps telling people what they want to hear to drive sales of something. In some cases there are documented differences in materials or manufacturing methods or specs. I'll try to call those out where I think I can support it although unless I can measure something concrete

Very nerdy stuff, but I am hoping I can de-mystify transformers a little bit for other casual music tech types. I am not an expert by any...

Not the only way, but my preferred cheap, quick and easy way (pick 3) Buy some Garolite. This is flame proof PCB material. It cuts...

An old pic, the filters were all renewed long ago. The chassis is dated 4-14-70 for "Test" The front panel is metal (not perspex/plexi)...

This Lisajous pattern means, "Your amp is angry!" In our little online world we run into folks who work with musical instrument amps in a...

As with any hobby, there are the parts you think you need to know, and then all the other stuff you learn along the way. The hard knocks,...

What do we do when our amp is "too loud"? TL;DR Your amp makes some power, that power may easily be too much to play at home - or even...

"In God we trust; all others bring data" - Mike Bloomberg I am speaking of course about tube guitar amps that hang their tubes upside...

A few salty thoughts about pedal boards Thought #1 - get a board with a power supply. Chasing dead batteries is for suckers. Constantly...

Many years ago I made output transformers for old Marshall Amps. I sold them via a website, and with an eye on community service I...

I bought this Hammond M3 with a Leslie 145 cabinet from a friend who was moving and needed to clear out his recording studio. They were...

Since I was building a 5F6-A Bassman, the amp that was copied to make the first Marshall, I thought it would be informative and fun to...

A Sept 1965 Super Twin Trapezoid head amp, rescued from eBay. [Updated for clarity] I had wanted an AC30TB for many years, but they were...

The mother of all guitar amps, originals still sell for north of $10,000 64 years later. So build vs buy is once again, a no brainer....

The 5B5 Fender Pro was made from 1951 until 1954. They featured octal pre-amp tubes until roughly the summer of 1953 when they switched...

Another small amp whose pricing has gone bonkers since the pandemic. Build vs Buy is an easy one now. Same basic drill as the 5E3, board,...

Pics and notes about getting good results You don't need much, just a warm dry day and a couple of basics: For a classic finish, we'll...

Assembly hints here for the DIY crowd. The narrow panel Fender Deluxe Amp (circa 1957-59) is one of the all time greats. Used by too many...

Not the last word, but a few hundred on the most popular & I'd argue important circuit topology of all time when it comes to rock and...