Powerage Tube Amp & Electronic

I’ve been playing in bands for more than half my life. Craig is easily the best amp tech I’ve had the pleasure to work with. His knowledge is deep, whether you’re bringing in some juggernaut rig of doom or more manageably sized tube-​twang combos. He’ll tell you what he’s going to do, why he’s going to do it, and how much it’s going to cost you. But more importantly, he makes your amps sound better. So by proxy, he’s making you sound better. And I’m a horrible guitarist. Seriously, any licensed psychiatrist will tell you that my obsession with hoarding weird little tube amps is base overcompensation for not being able to play that well. Since I can’t play well, I want my tone to sound as good as I can. Imagine a jedi who wields a soldering iron instead of a light saber and you’ve got Powerage Tube Amp & Electronic. It should also be mentioned that Craig’s a nice guy. Like one of the coolest, nicest guys in a realm riddled with grumpy old geezers.

I found Craig on Unilocal when my amp started blowing fuses and I’m really glad I decided to contact him. He got my amp up and running in just a few days and made sure it was in tip top shape when he gave it back to me. He did a very professional and thorough job in a timely manner and for a very reasonable fee. He is also very good at replying to email and phone calls. I will definitely use his services again and I highly recommend him!

All the other reviews are right. Craig is awesome. Wonderful to find a deeply personable craftsmen who also delivers great customer service. Pretty killer combo. My only reticence in posting is hoping he doesn’t get too busy to help me next time I need it!

Craig fixed my SVT Pro ll quickly and professionally.

Brought my amp to Craig after researching the area for a decent tech that was honest and fair. After emailing him and hearing how reasonable his rates were, i decided to take my amp down to him. Though my amp couldn’t be fixed (factory defect), Craig didn’t charge me a dime for troubleshooting the problem. I know many shops that would charge me the man hours for just looking at a amp, so this was a surprise to me. This will effeminately be my first point of contact for any of my amp repair needs.

Took a few heads to Craig for check-​ups a couple of years ago, and I can’t say enough about his work and service. If you’re in the East Bay (or anywhere else nearby), don’t hesitate to bring him your amp (s).

I’m a bass player and I love tube amps (specifically of the Mesa Boogie variety). I stumbled upon Craig about a year ago to service an older amp I had back then. Since then, I’ve brought him 3 big bass amps with a variety of different issues and have been extremely pleased with all of the work he’s done for me thus far. Craig is easy to get in touch with (you can call him anytime during store hours and he’ll almost always pick up), reliable, and most important, a great technician. His prices are incredibly far as well, which is really icing on the cake.
If you like tube amps and live in the Bay Area, there’s no reason to bring your gear anywhere but Powerage.

I am extremely pleased with the work and service I received. My amp is very rare and had a series of problems and he was able to fix everything at a price that can’t be beat. Fast turn around even included a custom wired foot switch. I’ve never heard my amp sound so good. Would I recommend Powerage to a friend? I already have!

When my dad passed away in November, he left behind a large collection of random musical /​guitar equipment, including nearly a dozen different amplifiers of various types and vintages. Despite being a novice guitar player myself, I methodically tested each of the amps, and found that some worked fine (the newer ones), some had issues, and some barely worked at all. After reading other Unilocal reviews, I sent a complete list of amps to Craig at Powerage via email, and he let me know that the «jewels» of the amp collection were a pair of mid-1960’s Ampeg Gemini 1’s. I brought both amps to him for cleanup and refurbishing, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. Both amps look better than when I left them, received complete electronic /​mechanical overhauls, sound fantastic, and the total cost was well under Craig’s initial estimate. When people wax poetic about «lost values» like craftsmanship, product knowledge and customer service, they could easily be describing Craig and Powerage — a great guy running a great, easily-​overlooked business. If Unilocal ever hands out gold stars, Craig should be the first to receive one.

Awesome. Rapid turnaround, very reasonably prices. My Vox AC15 was rattle and hum, now rages cleanly. Like a brand new amp, but better.

I brought my non working Sunn amp to Craig. He was very friendly and professional, gave me an honest idea about price, when I left his shop I felt really good about my decision to get my amp repaired there.
When he finished his repairs, the costs were well under what I expected to pay AND less than what he initially quoted me.
My experience with Powerage was professional, trustworthy, and all around extremely positive. I would not hesitate for a second returning my business to him or recommending his shop to anyone who should need it.

Craig has fixed pretty much every amp in our practice spot… something to the tune of 10 – 14 amps. Every one comes back better than before. He doesn’t waste time, nor does he waste your money, as his rates are reasonable and he does a LOT of quality work in the time he charges you for. I simply will not take my amps anywhere else.

Craig fixed 2 tube amps for me, quickly, competently (this includes clear and straightforward communication, and a choice of repair options when it makes sense), on schedule, and for what I felt was a very reasonable price.
He’s also generous with his knowledge and does not hesitate telling you when not to go for additional costly mods which «return on investment» may disappoint …
I will continue to use him exclusively for amp repairs, trust him and find him to be a gem in the often shady business of music gear. Thank you Craig for keeping it real.

Really Glad i found Powerage, Craig is the real deal. My Framus Ruby Riot is back to sounding its best. Price was fair and work was completed quickly. thanx !

I’ve taken two amps to Powerage now. The first time my Fender Deville started smoking and then a while later, my Vox decided that it didn’t want to work anymore.
There’s not much I can say that is different from the other 5 star reviews. Craig works fast, provides reasonable rates, does good work, and is good about communicating. Cant ask for much more. When he tells you what’s going on, he is honest and up front about what he thinks.
The shop is kind of hard to find the first time since it’s kind of in a weird location so make sure you look up the directions carefully beforehand.
Definitely coming back here next time my amp breaks!

Craig at Powerage fixed a mysterious and intermittent problem with my 1973-​ish «Black-​LIne» SVT Bass Amp quickly and at a more than reasonable price. I recommend him enthusiatically.
I had previously taken this amp to Hal at Guitronics, who charged me almost twice as much and didn’t resolve it. Hal has done great work for me on a Fender amp in the past, but from now on, I’m going to Craig!

Thanks for fixing my two amps!
Both my Mesa combo and Univox combo amps had various mechanical problems; broken switches, fuse holder, etc.
Both Amps were brought back to life quickly and cheaply with no surprises or shortcuts.
This is the spot if you want your gear working again.

Powerage is easily the best, most reliable and most reasonably priced tube amplifier repair shop in the Bay. If this were a restaurant, it would have three Michelin Stars. Craig’s knowledge is legion and he stands behind his work 100%. If he can’t stand behind his work, he won’t repair the amp. Simple as that. He’s also a Mesa certified tech. If you own and care about your tube amp, don’t waste your time and money; Powerage is the only place to go for repairs and mods, period.

Craig at Powerage Tube Amp repair is the best amp repair guy I have ever worked with. Versatile, he can diagnose and fix Mesas, Marshalls you name it. A very straightforward guy, he can explain a problem in clear terms, which tells me that he really knows his stuff.
I give Powerage Amp repair an A++++ rating.

Craig from Powerage is a boss. He converted my Redbear’s soviet tube sockets to accept 6L6GC’s, recapped and lead dressed the whole thing ALL at a great price! Now my bear sounds like the beast it should be.
I would totally recommend this guy. He’s also Mesa certified, so yeah.