Warranty & care

The workshop's backing

Nothing leaves the workshop without being thoroughly tested. On the bench we measure with an audio generator, oscilloscope and load; then the unit moves to the showroom, guitar plugged in at a serious volume, for as long as it takes to draw conclusions. You only really understand an amp by playing it.

No fine print: if something in our work isn't right, the unit comes back to the bench and gets sorted.

GT AMPS builds are made with point-to-point wiring and hand-selected components, meant to last for decades — like the golden-era gear that inspires us. The specific terms of each job are always discussed directly, as they should be.

Caring for your tube amp

A well cared-for tube amp lasts a lifetime — many of the units that come through the workshop are 60 or 70 years old. These are the golden rules:

• Let it warm up. Turn the amp on and give it a minute before playing (if it has standby, use it). Tubes perform and last longer when they come up to temperature gradually.
• Never turn it on without a speaker connected. A tube amp with no load can damage the output transformer. Always use a speaker cable, not an instrument cable, and respect the rated impedance.
• Let it cool down before moving it. Hot tubes are fragile. Waiting five minutes after switching off prevents micro-damage that shortens their life.
• Air around it. Don't block the vents or cram it against a wall. Heat is the silent enemy of everything electronic.
• Don't let your amp sleep somewhere you wouldn't. No damp basements, freezing garages or balcony sun. If the gear comes in from the cold, let it acclimatize before powering up.
• New noises = tell us. Crackles, hum or a drop in volume are usually a tube wearing out or a dirty contact. Caught in time it's a minor service; ignored, it can take something more expensive with it.
• Preventive service. Every few years it's worth a check-up: measuring tubes, voltages and filter caps. Like a car service, but cheaper and with better sound.