Safety
Posted by Mike Pascale on
WARNING!!!! EVEN THE SMALLEST TUBE AMP CONTAINS DEADLY VOLTAGES!!!
BEFORE WORKING ON ANY TUBE AMP BE SURE THAT THE AMP IS UNPLUGGED AND THE FILTER CAPS HAVE BEEN PROPERLY DISCHARGED!!!
TUBE AMPLIFIERS CONTAIN VOLTAGES HIGH ENOUGH TO KILL YOU, EVEN IF THE AMP HAS BEEN OFF & UNPLUGGED FOR DAYS!!!!
Safe discharge in vintage Fender amps can usually be accomplished by turning the amp off, unplugging it, & flipping the standby switch to the “play” mode. If your amp has no standby switch, just unplug it & leave it “on” for several minutes.
After a few minutes, your amp should be safe to work on. Double check by reading the voltage on pin #1 of any preamp tube & pin #3 of any power tube. There should be 3 volts or less.
Disclaimer: Vintage Fender Amp Repair & the author/publisher of these instructions will accept no responsibility for any injuries or damage suffered by anyone as a result of carelessness or misinterpretation of the instructions/information contained in these kits. Proper electrical safety procedures must ALWAYS be practiced when working on or around high voltage tube amplifiers. If you are not completely familiar with these safety practices, do not attempt any electrical work! Bring your amp to a qualified technician!