Every now and then, a bona fide classic amp will be plucked from a cupboard, attic or garage and shown the light of day after spending years in the dark. Many of these amps didn’t retire from service in the best shape, having been heavily worked, modded and repaired over the decades, before being cast aside into the twilight confines of storage. Years later, they blearily tumble back into the world without purpose, their owners keen to make some room and maybe a few quid to boot. For some people, such amps are nothing but an expensive burden, although as the saying goes: one person’s trash is another’s treasure. But who do you turn to when such pieces of historic hardware need expert attention? After all, this kind of project isn’t standard fare for your garden-variety electronics engineer. Indeed, restoring a vintage amp properly often takes years’ worth of specialist knowledge and experience.
Enter Fabio Cutolo. With nearly 20 years of expertise under his belt, Fabio first began learning about amplifier electronics as a teen on the job at a workshop in his native Rome, before honing his craft on Denmark Street. At his Tin Pan Alley workshop, Fabio soon had his hands full of electronics repairs, with around 1,000 customers a year looking to salvage anything from a pedal to a PA. He has since relocated to North Acton in West London where he continues to focus on vintage amp restoration under the name FM Amps.
“The principle of my business is to get amps back to original factory spec as closely as possible,” he tells us. “I’m old-school. I don’t have a website. If I had to spend time online, I’d never have my hands free to work on the amps!
Denne historien er fra June 2021-utgaven av Guitarist.
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Denne historien er fra June 2021-utgaven av Guitarist.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
BASIC INSTINCTS
The sophisticated range of Swedish-designed guitars made by .strandberg* has lured thousands of players over to the headless side. But the company's new stripped-back Boden Essential model is its strongest play yet for the hearts and minds of mainstream players
Second String
As PRS's more affordable USA-made S2 line moves into its second decade, the series gets a revamp with - at last - USA-made pickups and electronics. What took so long?
PABLO VAN DE POEL
When a band from The Netherlands describes themselves as 'raw, psychedelic Southern rock', it may take a little cognitive processing to work out what that might mean. One listen to DeWolff, however, and you will be duly transported to the 60s for some fuzzed-out rock 'n' roll
THE BERNIE MARSDEN COLLECTION
With a fabulous collection of the late Bernie Marsden's guitars, amps and other highly collectable music gear going under the auctioneer's hammer on 11 June, we were thrilled to have the chance of a sneak preview
LENNY KRAVITZ
Some 35 years since the release of his debut LP, for his 12th record, Blue Electric Light, Lenny Kravitz is back again with equal doses of vigour and vibes, using vintage guitars and the purest valve amps
GEORGE VJESTICA
You may not know him at first glance, but the work of Stoke-on-Trent native George Vjestica has probably impacted some of your favourite albums and movies
DICKEY BETTS
Emerging from the shadow of Duane to write signature hit Ramblin' Man, the Allman Brothers guitarist was a hard-living pioneer of Southern rock
NICK GUPPY
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of our highly valued amplifier guru, who died suddenly in April
Lucky Break
Alex Bishop blends old wood with new in an attempt to fix a severely damaged guitar headstock
Tones Behind The Tracks
Cedric Burnside learnt at the knee of his fabled grandfather, but his latest album is a hill country blues masterclass on his own terms