Carmella Tone Works
 
Need your guitar and amp to truly represent your style and personal talent?
 
Carmella Tone Works  can do the job!
 
Carmella Tone Works
Electric & Acoustic Guitar Repair
Specializing in Vintage Tube Amp Repair & Restoration
301-340-2611

j.carmella@comcast.net 
www.jeffcarmella.com
 
 

 
Jeff’s a seasoned professional guitar player known for his rich and clear tone. His musicality and technical experience inform the repair and setup work that he provides to his customers.
 
He’s not just a technician fixing equipment for over 20+ years. He carefully listens and thoroughly plays through each piece of gear before it leaves his shop. This attention to every detail is key to finding the ultimate tone from your gear.
                                                                                     
Let him assist you in your quest for the very best tone and playability from your amp and guitar.

 
 Jeff says.....” When you have your best amp tone and smooth playability from your guitar it inspires your musical potential! “

 
 

Shop Labor Rate: $75/hour.
 
Please use the contact page, email or call for more details.

Located in North Potomac, Maryland.

 
 
Electric and Acoustic Guitar Repair Services:
 
Setup/Repair/Replace: Nuts, Saddles, Bridges, Frets, Necks, Level/Crown Frets, Etc.
 
Repair/Replace/Upgrade Electronics: Pickups, Switches, Potentiometers, Capacitors, Wiring, Etc.

 

 
SETUPS - Approx. 1.5 Hours
Setup includes: tighten all hardware, lubricate tuners, check nut and string height, clean fret board, remove tarnish from frets, adjust truss rod, set bridge/saddle height and radius, clean electronics, restring, tune, set intonation, test, and polish.



 
Here’s what some of Carmella Tone Works customers are saying: 

Jeff,

      I've been thrilled with the work you've done repairing amps for both my son and I. I was even happier with the hot rod modding of the "Mo Terror" kit on my Orange Tiny Terror. Now you've outdone your already high standards. The rewiring of my PRS Tremonti SE Custom is off the hook! The rotary pot instead of the 3 way switch is brilliant! With the coil taps you added, this has become my go-to guitar, capable of whatever sounds I need. Now what can I think of next..................Paul P.

 
Jeff is so great to work with and he's a highly skilled amp tech. He took what was a very tired old Fender Deluxe Reverb and turned it back into my very favorite amp for blues and rock. Jeff re-tubed and biased it, checked all of the vital organs, the connections, the speaker, the pots and all of the other important parts.  He explained very carefully to me what he thought needed to be done and then he did it with great skill, in a timely manner and at a reasonable price. Jeff is also an excellent guitar player and understands how to match a player's tone preferences to an amp.  Now, that Deluxe is a tone monster and is my go-to amp. I will always turn to Jeff for any amp or guitar related tech issues.  Thanks! ........Rob D.
 

Jeff Carmella at Carmella Tone Works is the "go to expert" for both my son and me whenever we need maintenance and repair of electric basses, acoustic guitars,  pedals, etc.  He covers "all the bases with my basses" from A to Z. Nothing escapes his expert care and attention. Jeff is not merely a technician and a repair guy. He is also a talented professional musician, and therefore understands the needs and problems we face regularly in dealing with our instruments.  He understands us when we say we want that special feel, timbre or sound from our instrument system. Further, as a scientist myself, I appreciate that Jeff is well-versed in the electronics and physics of both acoustic and electric instruments and their related equipment. In my opinion, his success at Tone Works is due in part to the fact that he can combine the accuracy, precision, and knowledge of a scientist with the artistic mindset of a musician as he performs his craft. I highly recommend Jeff's work.
Phil C.

 


 

 

Tube Amp Services:
 
Note: All listed pricing is approx. for parts/labor.

 

Amp and Effects Repair Services:
De-mods
Custom Work
Cabinet Repair
Complete Restoration
Speaker and Transformer Replacement/Upgrades
Effects Repair (Repair/Replace Switches, Pots, Etc. on vintage style effects...OD,Fuzz,Wah,etc)

 
 
Minimum (1) Hour Labor Bench Fee for diagnostic assessment of any tube amps.
 
Note: Any modern production tube amp with printed circuit board construction is typically a 2 Hour minimum due to the labor intensive task of removing the entire PCB to get to the solder side of the components.


 
Overall Maintenance Service -1.5 Hours  
 
Note: All tube amps tone and performance can greatly benefit from a detailed circuit optimization procedure described below.
 
            Clean and Tighten all Tube Pins and Sockets.
            Clean and Tighten all Jacks and Grounds.
            Clean and Lubrication of all Potentiometers.
            Clean dust and debris from inside of chassis.
            Check and Test Tubes for Micro phonics with amp in play mode.
            Check and Set Bias.
            Check Plate Voltages.
            Play through amp extensively after tune up to field test the results.

 
 Install New 3-Prong AC Power Cord Replacement – 1 Hour + Parts
 
Install New Power Tubes and Set Bias – 1 Hour + Parts

 
Power Supply Electrolytic Capacitor Replacement:
 
Fender Amps (Tweeds, Blackface, Silverface, & Brownface) – 1.5 Hours + Parts
 
Marshall Amps – 3 Hours + Parts

 
Cathode Bypass Electrolytic Capacitor Replacement:
 
Fender Amps (Tweeds, Blackface, Silverface, & Brownface) – 1.5 Hours + Parts
 
Marshall Amps – 1.5 Hours + Parts
 
 
Vintage Effects Pedal/Wah Pedal True Bypass  Switch Modification:
 
Note: Vintage effects and wah pedals have a tendency to suck tone from the guitar signal when the effect is not engaged.  Tone and performance can greatly benefit from a true bypass switch mod when the effect is off.
 
Pedals must have flying lead construction to the DPDT switch for this modification to be performed - .5 Hours + Parts
 
 
 
Qualifications
 
Over 20 years of experience specializing in setups, servicing, troubleshooting/repairs, de-mods/mods, custom building, and restorations for vintage vacuum  tube amplifiers and guitars.
 
Professional musician for over 30 years.
 
Tone consultant and professional sound/ recording engineer.
 
Associate Degree in Electronics and Computer Technology:  Washington Institute of Technology
 
Electro-Harmonix, New Sensor, Sovtek, and Weber Speaker reseller.
 
 
 
 
Examples of previous Carmella Tone Works amp projects
 
Fender Amps: 1950’s-1980’s Tweed, Blonde, Blackface, Silverface, Rivera Era, and current production tube amps.
 
Marshall Amps: 1960’s-1980’s Plexi, JMP, Metal panel and some current production tube amps.
 
Gibson Amps: 1940’s-1960’s Tweed and Brown Tolex tube amps.
 
Vox Amps: 1960’s tube amps - current production tube amps
 
Ampeg Amps: 1960’s-1970’s tube amps.
 
Magnatone Amps: 1960’s tube amps.
 
Traynor Amps: 1960’s-1970’s tube amps.
 
Mesa Boogie Amps: 1970’s-current production.
 
Musicman Amps: 1970’s tube amps.
 
Silvertone Amps: 1950’s-1970’s tube amps.
 
Danelectro Amps: 1950’s-1970’s tube amps.
 
Estey Amps: 1960’s-1970’s tube amps.

 
Repairs for assorted effects and vintage foot pedal/stomp boxes: 1960’s- current.