A warm hello to all of you who, for one reason or another, have ended up here!

My passion for electronics began in my early childhood, thanks to a documentary I watched on RAI (back when they still broadcast interesting content). Since I was little, my greatest fun was dismantling any object that contained electrical or electronic circuits, even though this often drove my mother crazy because I destroyed her things. I was so passionate about this activity that one day, instead of giving me the usual toy for a 10-year-old, my grandfather decided to visit the local TV repairman and brought home a big box full of odds and ends, scraps, TV boards, broken tape players, and so on. That time I had a lot of fun, and it didn’t cost my grandfather a thing.

Later, in the early ’90s, while I was still in middle school, I happened to buy my first electronics magazine…

After the first magazine, many more followed, and I devoured them eagerly. I was fascinated by reading about how the circuits described in those periodicals worked. It’s really a shame that such magazines no longer exist today. If you go to a newsstand and ask for an “electronics magazine,” you’ll get a publication full of reviews about LED TVs, computers, cell phones, and smartphones… It’s as if marketing has replaced culture.

During those years, I used to go to the local dump, where they let me take boards from discarded TVs. From there I salvaged transistors, resistors, and capacitors to try building my first circuits. It was right there that I first came across vacuum tubes. Occasionally I would find an abandoned tube TV. However, since they were very hard to take apart barehanded or with just a screwdriver, I would simply remove the tubes and slip them into my pocket. I found them fascinating and mysterious because, in the magazines of the time, most articles talked about transistors and integrated circuits, while tubes were only briefly mentioned. So, in that period, I just collected them.

As I grew older, I developed a passion for computers. I went from being the kid who fixed neighbors’ PCs to working as an employee repairing computers and industrial electronics. However, due to (or perhaps thanks to) the economic crisis, I decided to leave that consumerist world behind. I was no longer passionate about it.

My adventure took shape around 2007/2008, when I started restoring vintage radios as a hobby. The more I published my work on this blog, the more I attracted the attention of other enthusiasts. I began building my first tube amplifiers and got to know some experts in the field. The amplifiers I created were appreciated by everyone who had the chance to listen to them.

Are you ready to discover a place where the magic of electronics comes to life? In 2015, I founded SB-Lab, the workshop specialized in repairing everything tube-related. My passion for vintage electronics and attention to detail drove me to create a space dedicated to restoring and recovering true gems from the past.

From vintage radios to Hi-Fi amplifiers, car radios, and unusual objects that might seem out of the ordinary, here at SB-Lab we welcome every challenge. No matter how old, unusual, or complex the item you bring us may seem, we are ready to tackle the problem and bring it back to life.

But we don’t stop at repair alone. At SB-Lab, we also create one-of-a-kind tube amplifiers. I put my experience and creativity into the design and construction of these amplifiers, taking care of every detail to ensure outstanding performance and an engaging sound. Each amplifier is a true work of art, the result of my passion and commitment to creating superior sound quality.

Our experience and expertise in the field of vacuum tubes allow us to design and build custom tube amplifiers based on the needs and preferences of our clients. Whether you are a music lover, an audiophile, or a professional musician, we can create an amplifier that meets your expectations and brings to life the sound you’ve always desired.

But SB-Lab is not just a workshop for repairing and building tube amplifiers—it is a place where vintage electronics enthusiasts can share their passion. So, if you have an antique radio you’d like to revive, an amplifier that deserves to shine again, or if you are looking for a unique and customized tube amplifier, SB-Lab is here for you. Entrust us with your treasure and you’ll see the difference we can make. Come visit us and dive into the fascinating world of vintage electronics. SB-Lab: where past and present meet to create the perfect sound.

And so, today, I have turned this passion of mine into a real job.