I have a degree in electrical engineering (1976). I studied vacuum tubes in college. I designed an op-amp based preamp and active tone control that fit inside of my guitar (except for the battery) in the early 80s before quitting the guitar and then picking it back up in 2010. Since that time I have been studying vacuum tube design. I converted a Champion 600 (Chinese version) to a 5F1 Champ configuration. I have heavily modified my Blues Deluxe Reissue. I built a Weber 5F6A kit and documented it here. I do all my own basic setups and since being laid off a month ago, have been working part time for a luthier and have learned how to do frets, nuts and saddles, and some other things along with doing electronic work for him. I've been here trying to help people, especially with amps, for a few years now.

Am I a qualified tech? I haven't got a clue.

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Bill

You're Nikola Tesla as far as I'm concerned, Bill!



Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

I know about you Engineers. No two will ever agree.

I work with a EE who was an amp tech for several years at a local large shop here and he laughed at me when I mentioned my amp's speaker wasn't broken in yet. He told me speakers don't "Break In".

As a mechanical lab tech, I think he is wrong.

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Gary

He's as old!

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Gary

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

OUCH!



Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Yeah, and my hair stands on end too, especially when I read some of the questions here.

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Bill

Andy,

Thank you! As modestly as I can put this, suffice it to say that I'm a twice over product of the 'guild system' with over four decades of experience.

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You dig?

Hi Andy: naturally, happy to be of any possible help - though I also happen to know that your near neighbour The_Nutter is a dab hand at removing and installing frets. He's very modest about it - and not bad at all, if you're looking for assistance in that direction!



As some have said, it depends what we mean by "qualified". Certificates or some sort, or years and decades of hands-on experience with guitars and amps?

Ideally both, I should think?

I love hearing adolescent backroom music shop dabblers with little exerpience of any kind described as "luthiers". My country and no doubt most others have very excellent schools, colleges and universities where you can receive a thorough training as a luthier: someone who's done that and then gone on to many years building fine instruments is someone who gets to call themselves a luthier, far as I'm concerned.

On the other hand, I used to have my amps serviced by a gentleman who I suspect had no formal training but spent decades doing electronics work for musicians of all levels, from some of the big names who's tickets I'd see on gear in his workshop (I once bumped into Pino Palladino coming out as I was going in) down to the indescribably humble, such as myself. From recommendation and experience I found I trusted someone like that without needing to see any type of diploma or degree certificate on his wall - which was lucky because he didn't have one!

Haven't needed work done on an amp for quite a while. Not sure what I'll do next time round...

Cheers - C

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Someone who doesn't ding my new guitar and say that he might have done it but doesn't know.

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Someone who has the education, skill and experience to make, mend or modify and gets acceptable (at a minimum) if not perfect results. A QT uses the right materials. A QT takes a long term view of the situation (like will this mod make future repairs possible or not). A QT uses the correct tools so he can work efficiently and quickly. And so on...

Proper education is desired but in many cases experience can largely make up for lacking education.

I also think a QT is constantly learning because materials, constuction techniques, tools and the state of the art are constantly evolving.

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

Little green man, also known as Martian!
Jk , for me is someone who tells me exactly what he's gonnna
do, technical and comes highly reccomended.
Or
Educated in that aspect and again comes highly recommended
Or
If I ask a tech,"my guitar buzzes, pops, or hums", and can give
a few suggestions on how to fix that, competency goes a long
way .

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"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

oogway, kungfu panda 2008