# AER amplifier - repair



## Towzer (Feb 14, 2009)

FOlks any one know of a repair person in Toronto that has experience with these German made AER acoustic amps
Im needing someone to look at my pots
Getting some hiss from a couple

Thanks in advance


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## Wild Bill (May 3, 2006)

Towzer said:


> FOlks any one know of a repair person in Toronto that has experience with these German made AER acoustic amps
> Im needing someone to look at my pots
> Getting some hiss from a couple
> 
> Thanks in advance


With the more rare brands of amps it may be impossible to find someone who has worked on one before. That being said, if he's a "real" tech it shouldn't matter!

If he understands his electronics theory well he should be fine. If he's just someone who has picked up a few tricks but doesn't really UNDERSTAND how things work then it will be a different story.

If he tells you "I can't get a schematic so I can't work on it at all!" then he's not a "real" tech.

Worse yet, if he can't read a schematic AT ALL then run away!

WB


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## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

Wild Bill said:


> With the more rare brands of amps it may be impossible to find someone who has worked on one before. That being said, if he's a "real" tech it shouldn't matter!
> 
> If he understands his electronics theory well he should be fine. If he's just someone who has picked up a few tricks but doesn't really UNDERSTAND how things work then it will be a different story.
> 
> ...


That may be true Bill but tech or no tech, if it's an SMT amp it's all for not if you don't have the equipment and schematics to deal with the repair properly.


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## Wild Bill (May 3, 2006)

nonreverb said:


> That may be true Bill but tech or no tech, if it's an SMT amp it's all for not if you don't have the equipment and schematics to deal with the repair properly.


I agree, NR. A good soldering/desoldering station for SMT work is about $600. It takes a lot of repair hours to pay for itself.

Still, low sales volume "boutique" amps tend not to be SMT based. You need high manufacturing volumes to justify the automated assembly that goes with SMT stuff. We're talking production runs of at least hundreds, if not thousands, at a time.

Also, tube amps tend not to suit SMT designs. Resistors are 1/8 and 1/4 watt in the SMT world. 1/2 watt is getting rare and power resistors are in the realm of mystery. SMT doesn't fit comfortably with higher currents/wattages and close pin spacings lead to voltage arcing.

SS amps and SS bass amps are moving quickly towards SMT designs. It's not as hard as these amps for manufacturing purposes are really not much different from consumer hifi products. Unfortunately for their owners, this can put them in the same category as a home stereo receiver - not worth fixing compared to the cost of a second hand replacement. Hifi stuff is so crammed together and hard to work on that few find it worth the effort anymore. You put in a lot of labour and the repair bill exceeds the cost of replacement.

If you find yourself cursing about SMT parts on Traynor/Yorkville Sound stuff that you get for repair, you can blame me for much of it! Before I left the industry I spent a lot of time with their engineering helping them with components for SMT designs.

They have EXCELLENT engineers, by the way!

WB


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## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

Wild Bill said:


> I agree, NR. A good soldering/desoldering station for SMT work is about $600. It takes a lot of repair hours to pay for itself.
> 
> Still, low sales volume "boutique" amps tend not to be SMT based. You need high manufacturing volumes to justify the automated assembly that goes with SMT stuff. We're talking production runs of at least hundreds, if not thousands, at a time.
> 
> ...


True enough Bill, however, it's surprising just how many tube amps and higher end stuff are now integrating SMT into their designs. Anything with any kind of digital effects now are all SMT based circuits. I have even seen it on a Randall amp if memory serves. I suppose it's the wave of the future for most factory produced stuff. Too bad it's a nightmare to work on.


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