'58 Gibson GA-20 Amp Repair
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- Hello everyone, it's been a while! Watch me refurbish and demonstrate this incredible amp. It's so gritty, I love it!
Also, I have more merch in stock: www.fazioelect...
Keep up with more repairs & updates on my Instagram! (@fazioelectric)
Thank you :)
You don't have to wait for a special amp to document. I'd watch you work on just about anything. You're an amazing tech. I love how all your leads go through and get wrapped around before soldering, your attention to detail is fantastic!
Yes.
Hey sister! Just wanted you to know you gave me the confidence to fix my Blues Jr! And I did! You’re a superhero and we all know it
Just an FYI, your ground wire on the power cord should be the longest of all 3 so if the power cord ever gets pulled out for some reason, the ground is the last wire attached. Love the videos!
She has a bigass knot, it aint go'n no where!
Tribal knowledge 👍
may i suggest a thicker solder wire for this type of work.. you deposit the solder quite a bit faster so there's considerably less heat dissipating into old terminals/wires/components.
to give it a try, twist together 3 or 4 solder wires you currently use... you'll notice it halves the time required to keep the soldering tip on these types of joints.
nice choice on shorter cap leads. less wire = less noise :)
It is nice to see someone using wire cutters to strip wire the correct way.
It’s the way I’ve always done it too
I thought it was common knowledge.
I used to use my teeth but now I don't have any teeth. So now I use a razor blade it's convenient because when I cut my finger I can check my blood sugar.
I used to use my teeth too ! 😂
Just make sure its unplugged 🤓
This amp is so clean it looks like a reissue
This was another fine video. Once again, your calm voice and thorough explanations were not only informative but relaxing. For an old electronics test engineer like, me, it's a treat.
a treat especiale
Good to see you back! That amp is off the charts beautiful.
My dad worked for General Electric after he graduated from Syracuse University. He started in radio design and then went into sonar and radar design. I used to build Heathkit and Knight kits and dad would as always check my work. Watching your videos brings back some very fond memories! This is a lost art! Thanks for the videos!
For me As an old solder soldier , that video was a pure pleasure to watch, not to mention the awesome sound.👍👍👍👏👏👏🇨🇭
viva CH
That amp is a beaut and it sounds awesome!!! Nice troubleshooting to get it going, thanks for sharing your processes with us. Look forward to the next vid.
I'm a moron when it comes to electronics; but I LOVE watching these videos! What separates you from others is your very down-to-earth and humble approach without all the "engineery" talk. Go you! :)
The “Just Got Paid” bit at the end was the best part. Amazing work, and I subbed instantly.
As an apprentice telecomms engineer we were taught to use cutters as strippers, which did not exist back then. i.e. cutters were the norm for stripping wires, non of this jessie stuff back then!
As always, it's a pleasure to watch you work, Colleen. Stripping wires with your cutters???? You are totally aware that is a very tricky, acquired skill that most cannot master. No matter how many times I tried, the failure rate was so astronomical, I've been related to using strippers. Only a true master as you, can achieve the results you do using your cutters. Be proud and do not let those that may not have acquired the skill you have mastered bother you. (I'm not trying to p*$$ anyone off, but maybe they are more in my category than your master craftsman category, so be proud and keep on keepin' on!!) That amp looks like my amps do now that I'm in retirement...Very pampered and well taken care of. While I was playing in 1962, I was gigging then (back then we called it playing because a gig was not a term we used in my rural locale, but I digress, and totally age myself) and my amps...well...were far from pampered (Today's term "road worn" is more applicable, but, back then it was a detriment, not something desired in the least). This gem is priceless. The Logo and face plate still being basically perfect is totally amazing. Fantastic job of a perfect restoration to better than original sound while keeping everything as close to original as possible. Please keep the great videos coming!!!
simp
As a tech who also uses cutters to strip wires on a daily basis, I solute and commend you. We are a dying breed.
Wire strippers are for pansies. I'm not a tech per se, more like a jack of all trades, but I used to be a telecommunications technician, and I've done electrical work, electronics assembly ect. I've always had my hands in electrical stuff since I was a kid, so I'm a little surprised that people are critical of her using side cutters to strip wire, because wire strippers are a terrible idea when you you're working on older gear with random wire guages and different insulation types. Wire strippers require you to think about what size the wire is, carefully put the wire in the correct notch and are actually slower to use. OK if you have an unskilled person stripping the same wires all day in a factory, because quality ones are consistent, but madness for this kind of work. Plus they don't go in tight spaces well.
@@Patrick-857 I usually use old-style "adjustable" wire strippers. They're kept on the smallest setting (works great for 24awg solid) and for larger wires I'm just careful about how much I squeeze.
I’ve got an early 50’s GA-20. Absolutely love it. Currently my favorite tube amp. Thanks for showing the process of changing the caps.
Same! Mine has been my full time touring and studio amp for the past 15 years. I've had people offer me stupid amounts of money for it, but I'm not really interested in selling. It's got such a unique sound and gorgeous tone. Unfortunately, as you can imagine, mine isn't in this good of shape lol... like Colleen said, my amp's logo is broken. Also, I've replaced the handle at least three times since the late 90's. Other than that, it's a joy to work on and keep running.
@@slamcrank that’s rad! I can relate. Very recently sold off my old Marshall and Laney tube amps. The Gibson not only sounds great at a lower volume, it’s super light and easy to carry. Some people think they are dark sounding. Works quite well with the p90’s I use though. Great little amps. Glad I got one when they were flying under the radar. Everyone was buying up the tweed fenders.
Love the old Gibson Amps. I just built a GA-18T from scratch as I can't afford to buy a real one.
Totally awesome that an amp of that age is up and rocking. Fantastic video.
It was nice to see an amp that was kept with it's cover on, and looked well designed on the inside. You made light work of the old power cord and dried up caps.
Now that Gibson owns Mesa I keep looking for a reissue of some of these old Gibson-branded amps.
Oops, I forgot something. Hello, Hank! Who's a good boy, you're a good boy!
To clean the input jacks, fold a thin strip of fine wet/dry sandpaper over on itself, insert a plug to separate the contacts, insert the sandpaper, remove the plug and move the sandpaper back and forth a few times. As a Texan, it was nice to hear some ZZ Top for your playing test! 😃
I just stick the Jack in my mouth and gnaw on the contact with some horseradish and pepper
Wow, that’s a museum grade amp. Amazing
I’ve always used (30yrs) wire cutters to strip wire. You develop a feel for what your doing. Keep up the great work. Luv your channel.
That's what I was taught sixty years ago.
Great bare bones maintenance…just what it needed. I have a 55’ GA45 Maestro that’s needing this same tlc!
A thing of beauty, a joy for ever! Lovely work on that amp. Your videos may be few and far in between but I always love watching them.
I always use heatshrink tubing for mains connections not just for splices, but also for soldered connections on switches and fuse holders. The rule is to insulate as much on the mains side as practically possible.
For the sake of original look, I'd consider gutting the old electrolytics and restuffing them with new ones, and leaving a service note, Uncle Doug style.
You just brought me a major nerd moment. Your mention of the 6L6 and 6V6 tubes caught my attention, because those were two of the tube types that were used on the ENIAC. :) Although I don't play much guitar, I do love watching you refresh these classic amps. It's wonderful to see their lives continue.
I didn't know they were used in the ENIAC 🤔. Very interesting! Both are very popular guitar amp power tubes, fender used 6v6s in their smaller amps up to about 25 watts and 6L6 in their mid to higher wattage amps.
Beautiful old amp from my birth year. Great video, as always!!
My thoughts exactly!
Very nice little amp , great condition, I like that you show everything you do most videos that people make just snap their fingers and it’s all done you show us the procedure, very well done
Man that top panel was super clean! Great video and always a pleasure watching you walk us through your thought process as you sort it out!
Never saw an amp with so few components, love that point-to-point wiring. Simple, elegant. What a treat!
What a gorgeous, clean amp. Even a layperson like myself can appreciate the beauty in its circuitry and the skill and knowledge of a pro like you. This amp looks and sounds amazing! Cheers Colleen
This was a beautiful amp. Thank you for posting. I am 65 years old and have several real 'wire strippers' in my tool box. Out of all of them I find using the clippers much more comfortable for me. I can feel when I cut through the insulation and get to the wire.
A new generation inheritor of Uncle Doug's legacy complete with pets and "trusty" tools! I mean that as a compliment, by the way. I don't think Doug would have drilled a hole for a terminal strip, and he probably would have found a way to stuff the new caps into those old cardboard cylinders. But it's all good, "originality" is a rabbit hole with no end. Great video, as usual.
I thought the terminal strip was using the same hole the old capacitor brackets were using.
Thx for actually showing your soldering and wire stripping technique's ... That's what makes your vids so interesting to see you do the repairs in real time ... And I wore my Fazio Electric cap in your Honor
Great to see you back. I love that you always explain what you're doing and why. What a beautiful amp. I very briefly had a 1960 version, but I was stupid enough to do a video on it, and my friend offered me too much money for it to turn down.
Cool video as always. It takes skill to use side cutters to strip wire.
Excellent video. Hank is just adorable, by the way. He deserves much more screen time in future vids, too.
my boyfriend laught to hard as we looked this video😂 Hes always down for inputjack repairs and other things such as powercables updates…use exactly the same techniques, but he loses all by this freakin green bic lighter😂😂😂😂😂 greetings from Germany!
Nice work troubleshooting that hiss and crackling. It can be hard sometimes to figure that out (for me anyway!) The amp sounds great too! Thanks for the video!
Your soldering game is elite, kudos.
It's always satisfying to watch a dedicated professional like you. I do wonder if that IEC cord has sufficiently fine stranding to stand up to flexing for a long time though. Most gear I use those on is not portable.
Beautiful clean old amp and well done documenting. I noticed the dust on the speaker, I swear there is a well known singer songwriter Guitar nut in Liverpool that used to collect that dust cos he honestly believed that there is magic in the dust. He used to sprinkle it on his amp and Guitar before recording. Gather the dust and put in a little glass bottle labelled (1958, magic fairy dust)?. True story I swear. I won't ask for a discount if I get my amps serviced because the dog will bite me and then "old faithful" would weld my shoes to a lamp post...happy to pay full price..always! Still can't believe how clean that Gibson amp is, looks like it was built last year..and sounds like a new amp too! Brava.
I have an old (1954 Gibson GA5 Les Paul) amp that I've had fixed 3 different times. It sounds great, but if I ever have problems, I plan to repair it myself. Your videos are absolutely a great help. Thanks!
A real tech...this girl knows electronics.
Colleen i loved seeing an antique come back to life under the skilled hands of a pro like yourself. It has been a passion of mine that only stayed at a "hobby" level. But i will dive into it more at another time. Love your shop "mascot". ❤❤
the bloody knuckle is so relatable! Thanks for a great video!
Nice work as usual Colleen! Keep these classic amp videos coming. Always enjoy watching the revival of gear from yesteryear.
Wow, it's so peaceful and quiet there. All I can hear are the birds!
I got a GA-20T, been using it cranked for years as my main amp, love the trem. Haven't had to do any repairs in the 13 years I've had it. caps were replaced probably 15 yrs ago, and new speaker installed. Was nice to get a bit of a run down on the insides. Probably should replace the filter caps one day soon.
Hello! I enjoy your talent. It's very refreshing to see someone who is actually doing something besides making ducklips for likes. I have always loved electronics. My parents bought me a Radio Shack 150-in-One electronics project lab one Christmas.
I ended up becoming a Xerox copier repairman. Watching you repair vintage amplifiers is the coolest thing I've seen a lady do on UA-cam. Thank you for making these videos! You Rock!
The amp matches your decor! Thank you so much for this video. I learned a lot!
This was a pleasure to watch. I'm so glad I found this channel. I have tried so hard to get younger people in my life interested in old school electronics but no luck. this makes me happy
That is a clean amp for sure !!! Thanks for the video ❤
Watching your videos makes me want to sharpen up on my electronics knowledge and relearn the things I used to know.
The camera work was top notch. Loved the explanation of each step in the thought process.
I have a ‘54 GA5 and LOVE it. It sound as good or better than a Champ from the same era at a fraction of the cost.
Nice video. These little old amps are so simple to fix and sound great. I’m sure that they would sell like hot cakes if somebody could manufacture them today and sell them for a reasonable price.
HI! I would have connected the hot cable first to the switch then I would have gone to the fuse holder, in doing so in the eventual need to change the fuse I would have had no voltage in the fuse holder, obviously it is my consideration since it works in both ways to work. One could also say that pulling the plug solves the "problem" anyway but that would be my preference as a connection.
Everything else is fantastic, excellent professionalism and, as in the other videos, impeccable knowledge of the job.
Note: The amp is wonderful!!! Beautiful!!!
Also great as a guitarist 🙂
It’s just great to see that you utilize the old while installing the new … just fantastic!
All the best as always from the Great White North! 🇨🇦
Love to see someone with knowledge and skill ... . THAT is a sweet amp...
How about a round of applause for the camera man too! Nice job by both of you.
Wouldn't it be better/safer to attach the ground wire to the chassis with a bolt/washer/nut set? I know you did a nice job there, but somehow I think the other way is safer.
Doing a major rebuild on a '65 Vibrolux Reverb on my channel right now! Love watching this kind of stuff, been about a 2 week project on the Vibrolux so far, lots of care going into it. I was even rocking my Fazio shirt in one of them 😆
It's a Time Machine, Colleen! [wolf whistle] indeed!
You playing at the end was a real treat!
Wow literal time machine. So rad
These old amps pre-date safety for sure, but they were made to be worked on. What an incredible example.
Holy crap!!!! That thing is in amazing shape!!! Thanks for sharing this
Good choice on the F&Ts and that SG was a perfect pairing for this amp! Nice work!
Youre not lying! Amazing amp.
It has been many decades since I saw Astron caps in equipment. The old tubular ceramics of that style I have not seen except in post WW2 TV sets or military equip. Nice job on the repair.
Fitting song to a great repair!
So good to see you back!
Definitely one of the less spaghetti innards Gibsons! Nice work as always!
Wow! Looks mint...unbelievable!
You make it look so easy. A true professional 🎉
Brown varnished cloth insulation (time mark 22'30"): Back in the 1960s, I knew the 'Brown varnished cloth insulation as "Systoflex". This was extensively used right up to the 1970s, and possibly later.
The 1958 Gibson amp looks as if it had just left the factory; fantastic condition!
I notice you don't measure the output tube (Valve (in the UK)) bias (Plate Dissipation). If you do, could you include this in future videos please.
Finally: Thank you for yet another excellent video!
I love the gibson ga 20 ga40 rvt19 and falcon.great amps
Aww what a supportive dog ❤
Hi Colleen, it's a pleasure to watch you work. So confident, thorough, and calm. Thanks for the video.
That's as clean as it gets. Makes me want to build that circuit.
Love my 63 GA19rvt. Its been my go to amp....though, I just bought a 64 Tremolux.
I watched Brad the guitologist working on a mint 50s champ and he replaced the filter caps by stuffing new ones in the vintage cap cases to retain the originality of the look of the circuit.
OMG! That amp is as old as I am! (Not sure how I feel about that) 😄
Really do love watching and listening to you work your way through these wonderful old amps. Thanks for sharing your talent and knowledge with us. Also love to see the smile at the end, tells us you know the job was well done and you are happy with the result.
Fantastic so far this might be my favorite video it's a beautiful amp and it is pristine pretty inside
My 1960 GA-79 still has most of its original Gibson branded tubes
This Chanel is my favourite ❤️ as a musician and amp enthusiast I can’t thankyou enough for your videos and wealth of knowledge not to mention your soothing voice and electronic skills 😊
Have you seen the heat shrink that has saulder inside? Your comment just reminded me of that product
Graceful! Move over, Uncle Doug
That's amazing. That thing looks like it just came from the music store. Wow!!!
Nice.. I once had a 60s Deluxe Reverb that I have the Power Caps replaced. Change the character so much I put the original caps back it.
Your wire cutting tool is perfectly fine for stripping and there is actually a spot ON the blades if you look. that preference is the one I use becaase like you I was shown using
those diags by very seasoned tube equipment repairmen. You go right ahead and ignore silly crap like that, especially if you are more comfy with it. Great job as always on
the amp as usual.
Thanks for this. Great work on a wonderful amp.
Head skritches to Hank...
She’s back!
Just finished restoring a ‘57 Gibsonette, great amp but definitely not a closet amp like that one! And yes Gibson nameplate is long gone
Fantastic amp!! Colleen Fazio is a super star
Cool to watch that Amp being repaired.