FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is Soundgas and what do you do?
Soundgas is a UK based specialist in sourcing, restoring and supplying vintage and exotic electronic instruments and studio gear, from classic tape echoes and synths to boutique and new hardware. We also manufacture our own in-house products like the Soundgas Type 636 series and collaborate with new boutique manufacturers like Fieldtone, supporting releases such as the Weaver and Box of Uncertainty.
We offer serviced, warrantied gear along with unserviced options. This choice allows us to keep prices competitive and accommodate customers with their own technicians or restoration preferences.

2. What is your servicing and warranty policy?
Customers can choose fully serviced units (with appropriate warranty: 3 months for most gear, 12 months for Roland/Binson echoes) or on occasion opt for unserviced items at a reduced cost. In these cases, at checkout you can add servicing, or select the unserviced option, ideal if you know a good tech or don’t mind a few vintage flaws and foibles.
All gear intended for standard use carries a 14 day return period unless otherwise noted.

3. What services beyond selling gear do you provide?

  • Client Equipment Sales : We manage the entire sales process, from valuation and collection to listing, technical prep, packing, shipping and final payment, on behalf of individuals or studios. Due to high demand, we can only accept limited amounts of equipment on this basis.
  • Training and Technical Team: We recruit and train our own technicians, supporting everything in-house, from servicing vintage gear to building our preamps and modified tape echoes.
  • OEM and Boutique Manufacturing: Soundgas helps new manufacturers bring products to market. Examples include Fieldtone Instruments (The Weaver and Box Of Uncertainty samplers) and Audio Computer’s Beatfriend drum machine, launched exclusively by Soundgas. Get in touch if you have an exciting new product that fits with our range.

4. What is the Soundgas 636?
The Soundgas Type 636 is our modern reimagining of the original Grampian Type 636, the legendary British spring reverb famously used by Pete Townshend of The Who for guitar distortion/overdrive and Lee “Scratch” Perry whose 636 helped to define the sound of dub. Revered for its immense-sounding, saturated drive and epic reverb, original Grampian’s are hard to find and can lack the low end response expected by today’s producers so we redesigned it from the ground up. The preamp drive is wondrous to behold so expanded the range to include a guitar-friendly pedal and twin channel studio rack.
Our 636 range retains the unique sonic character of the original, but with improved performance, reliability and flexibility for modern recording environments. All models are built in the UK at Soundgas by our techs using high-spec components and are fully serviceable.

Models in the 636 range:

  • Soundgas Type 636 Spring Reverb - (Discontinued) a faithful recreation of the original circuit with key enhancements. Includes preamp and spring reverb, housed in a robust studio-friendly chassis.
  • Soundgas Type 636P - Preamp-only version for those who want the unique drive and tone of the Grampian preamp in convenient pedal format.
  • Soundgas Type 636P2 - Our flagship unit: a dual-channel Carnhill transformer balanced mic preamp. Designed for stereo use or dual mono processing, it brings the original Grampian sound into today’s studios and is already a firm favourite with recording and mix engineers and musicians across the planet.
  • Soundgas Type 636P-500 - A 500-series format preamp based on the 636P circuit. Perfect for modular or portable studio rigs where space is at a premium but tone is non-negotiable.

All 636 models are ideal for adding attitude to vocals, drums, synths, guitars and more. Used in studios around the world for everything from subtle saturation to full-blown sonic annihilation.

5. What educational resources do you provide for gear lovers and professionals?
We maintain a deep archive of blog posts, technical resources and design manuals covering topics such as vintage gear maintenance, tape echo mods, direct-out modification for mixers and usage of our Type 636 preamps and other Soundgas products.
These resources are for anyone interested in learning about vintage hardware, modifications and general vintage gear tips and recording techniques.

6. Can I hire or rent your gear and do you offer hire packages?
Yes. We currently offer rental of selected vintage and Soundgas-branded equipment on a limited basis. This service is available to UK-based professional studios only, with a focus on trusted clients and high-profile recording environments.

  • Rental is currently offered in weekly packages only
  • Equipment is fully serviced before each hire and supported by our technical team
  • Available items include vintage synths, preamps and effects, Stereo Roland Space Echoes, our Type 636 preamps, and selected vintage amps and boutique gear
  • Bespoke hire quotes and support options are available on request


Interested studios should get in touch directly to discuss current availability and pricing. This service is expanding. Join our mailing list for updates.

7. How do you handle shipping, VAT and international sales?

  • UK sales include 20 percent VAT
  • International customers may incur import VAT, which may be reclaimable via VAT registration
  • Shipping is calculated automatically, and you only pay for the item with the highest shipping cost when buying multiple items


8. What are your return and refund policies?
You can return any item within 14 days for any reason for a full refund (excluding shipping), provided it is in the same condition as delivered.
If an item arrives damaged, even after our legendary packing, we offer full repair/replacement coverage where possible, or reimbursement/refund (this is a rare occurrence). See the Returns and Refunds page.

9. Can I get my gear serviced even if bought elsewhere?
Currently, we prioritise items sold by Soundgas for warranty and support so we can maintain our customer offer of lifetime service support.
We may offer a limited number of servicing slots for Roland echoes or synths via our mailing list. Sign up to be notified if and when new slots open.

10. Do you accept studio visits or host clients at your facility?
Visits are available by appointment only. We are not a public showroom, so please coordinate ahead if you would like to see specific gear or discuss a commission, service or hire package. We are considering running workshops and visitor experience days in the future.

11. How can I subscribe or stay updated?
Subscribe to our mailing list to receive alerts on new vintage arrivals, exclusive new gear releases, hire service launches and general updates.
We also post regularly on our blog and social media channels, including product launches, technical content and behind the scenes updates.
You can also contact us directly at +44 1773 856 475 or via our online contact form.

12. Can I rent your gear?

Yes. See question 6 above.

13. What is Gasaways?

Gasaways is our monthly competition platform where supporters can win rare studio gear while receiving something of real value in return.

Each month:

  • You can enter for a chance to win a premium piece of vintage or boutique equipment

 

  • Every entry includes an exclusive, limited-edition Soundgas sample pack created using vintage and rare studio gear from our collection

 

  • A portion of proceeds goes toward training the next generation of Soundgas techs and preserving access to rare recording equipment

 

  • 10 percent of net proceeds are donated to music-related charities


Gasaways is our way of building a more sustainable and community-focused model for musicians and studios. You can learn more or enter the current draw at soundgas.com/gasaways

14. I’m new to vintage gear and need some help please?
If you are unfamiliar with analogue equipment or wondering how vintage gear fits into a modern studio, start here - we have created a Beginner’s Guide to Vintage Gear just for you.

It covers:

  • What different types of vintage gear actually do
  • How to integrate hardware into a digital setup
  • Serviced vs. unserviced buying options
  • Tips for getting started with classic synths, tape echoes and preamps
  • Links to our most useful blog resources


→ Read the Beginner’s Guide