Excellent video. I just had this done to my '72 Twin and it's made a huge improvement. I've been repairing simple guitar electronics for years now but am always afraid to touch amps like this. I like how you stress safety, I've been bitten by a tube pre amp once... Once! That's why I let guys like you who know what they are doing fix them :)
rediryou Thanks! Glad your Twin turned out good. Yeah, safety when dealing with these things is an absolute must. Being bitten once is enough to heighten your respect for them real quick...lol. It's something you'll never forget especially if you live through it. I know my bites all come to the front of my mind when I start working on something and all of them were of my own doing. Take care, G.
Thanks for this video! Of all the filter cap replacement videos I see on TH-cam, this is the first one that actually showed replacing the caps. The rest just show before and after which helps in no way. Thanks again for walking us through!
No problem! I'm glad it was helpful. I'd not watched any others, but yeah- if it's not shown- that's not much help. Especially if soldering isn't an already known skill. Good luck, G.
Great vid! I just finished blackfacing and replacing signal, filter, and cathode bypass caps in my 1975 Super Six Reverb. I have come to love the view of an old Fender open chassis. Now I need to find another Fender amp to open up and overhaul.
Excellent video! have watched many and this was by far the most informative and instructional. I happen to have a '71 Twin I bought in '75 so this has inspired me to finally replace all the original caps still in there. I didn't realize until many years later the value of the 60's VOX silverbells the former owner installed but like the idea of removing 2 power tubes as I also don't play out anymore and haven't used it as agree it is just too loud. Also agree on selling off my expensive guitars and just keeping those I don't have to worry about. thanks again for posting this.
Thanks David! Yeah, I would do a cap kit to preserve it. They will cut through anything for sure. It's almost scary how loud they are...lol. Take care, G.
I became aware of your channel because of your videos on holster making, which I also make. Then I see your a big Harbor Frieght guy, like me. Now guitars and amps! Your like a Brother from another Mother! Keep the videos comming!
This video was helpful to me. Thanks for posting it. Bought a solder sucker for a few bucks on Amazon and it helped lots. Never would’ve thought of that. Thanks so much.
Well done! Your presentation and comments were dead on. Can't argue a single point of what I saw and heard. Being able to solder was the skill set that started my career with Ma Bell in 1963.
I just found your channel. I am just starting out, thank you fro sharing. I am a visual leaner, so thank you for any close ups and details. Thanks again!!!
just going to to replace caps and capacitors in my 1972 fender pro reverb all original as well.Absolutely a great learning video ,A great job well done and thanks a whole bunch!!
Don't forget to clean the jacks, pots, and all-tube socket pins while you're in there. Those things will keep your amp playing quietly and reliably. Also, a good idea to change your grid resistors on the output tubes. They take a LOT of heat over their lifetimes and because they are carbon composition will tend to drift higher in value upsetting the circuit balance. We replace them with 2-watt metal film resistors for their heat tolerance. Also, remember that old amps have had many tube sets going in and out, and that can cause the individual tube female socket pins to spread, so check to make sure they grasp the tube's male pin tightly. [Sounds sexual I know, but don't know how else to express it]. AND speaking of heat wearing out components, Top Loaded control amps like Fenders are some of the worst. The way the chassis in oriented within the cabinet allows the tube heat to rise right into the chassis itself and build up in there. It is not uncommon to get temp readings of 180 F inside the chassis while playing. Marshalls and others with bottom-loaded controls do not suffer from heat loses of components nearly as often. Just sayin'. Thanks for your video.
Great video. I went back to 6:28 where you first played then ahead to 28:58 to after the new caps were put in and there is definitely a difference. Nice job...
Thanks Joe! It does sound better after the job for sure. It's a shame the camera really didn't do it justice- or it could be my playing..lol. Thanks, G.
ghostses ...My 1972 Twin Reverb has been powering my Strat and pedal steel for a number of years. However, it's gotten a bit too heavy for me to lug around from gig to gig and I have been using my much lighter Peavey Nashville 400 instead. I still want to get this old girl in tip-top shape even if I just use it at home or for recording.
Be sure to retrieve any scraps that fly off from when you clip off the leads. Make sure they are ALL accounted for before you power up the amp. Diagonal wire cutters tend to make the scraps fly all over the place. My grandfather used to sit and watch TV and trim his toenails with diagonal cutters, one flew off and almost took out my eye. Retrieve your wire remnants to make sure you don't cause any bridged leads.
Very nice video, thanks for posting that. I have a '96 Hot Rod Deville 4x10 and I'm working up to a cap replacement job. Your vid helped a lot. You underestimate your teaching ability. You're good at explaining this stuff. thanks
Thanks Brad! I'm glad you liked it and thanks for the compliment. I looked up your amp and it has a printed circuit board where the caps are located. The soldering principles are still the same, but use caution when de-soldering and soldering on printed boards. You can damage the traces on the board especially if too much heat, or too long of heat is used. If you're new to soldering, you might watch some videos on replacing caps on printed boards to get an idea. If when watching other videos, if you see the person struggling to do it- find another video to watch...lol. Other than that, it looks like it would be a fairly straight forward recap. Good luck with your amp! G.
Good you grounded the caps. When you went in and checked voltages, the battery in your meter will put a small charge on the caps. Its good practice to discharge them and then ground the circuit while working on it. Good video.
Dave Bogusky - Not really, on the voltage function. It's tough to measure voltage if you're applying voltage. It'll charge it a bit on the resistance or capacitance function, though.
Hi G!! Thanks for that! You did an awesome job...restoring AND your playing. May I add something? :-) Solder wick also works well on the ring lugs. I have a solder sucker and I use it on through hole components on circuit boards. Solder wick is great for surface mount and the ring lugs. I would also put a dab of hot glue under the cap to further anchor it. I am not trying to undermine! :-) Just hope this is helpful. You did an awesome job and those Fender amps are the best. AND your camera did do justice. Keep up the good work.
Thanks man! I do have wick but didn't think to use it for lugs. I can see where it would come in handy for places the sucker wont fit into. Hot glue is another good idea for securing the caps. No undermining, I like to hear good tips and other ideas. Thanks for the post, G.
Caps should have an RTV Silicon sealant to adhere them to the board to prevent premature lead failure and joint failure. We also Silicon the parallel laying caps together to give them extra support.
Well thanks Lee! I'm glad you liked the video. I'm really not that great at repairing amps, and just know enough to service mine. Others might blow theirs up if I was the instructor...lol. Good luck and take care, G.
Thanks, always worthwhile getting other viewpoints. Lots of good stuff but personally I feel going OCD completely removing boards with their brittle old cloth wire for instance makes unnecessary wear and potential damage. A bit of lead left over that can be joined to new lead with that extra surface area is secure and doesn't look bad at all once coated in solder. Sure I'd love to keep my '63 AC30 look all untouched but I don't think any player/collector will care and can always be re-done by the next owner. Damage however might be problematic. But again, thanks.
Thanks. I didn't remove any boards and this amp didn't have any cloth wiring. This was a 1971 Fender Twin Reverb- and not a 63 VOX like yours. A Fender is not a VOX so procedures may vary. Take care, G.
Very clean work G, and great tips on how to do it right! One thing you haven't mentioned is what kind of solder you use. I've used Multicore for years mainly because of the quality of flux. The new unleaded is OK but not as good as the old stuff, however it's obviously good for health and the planet. Love the early Silverface and your nice licks. Always amazed...Thanks for sharing. PJ
Thanks Pj. I did fail to mention the solder. I'm using plain old 60/40 .032 rosin core from Radio Shack. I've never tried multicore- nor any lead free. I believe the lead free has a higher melting point and is more difficult to work with- but I'm not sure. Thanks, G.
That's cool Michael! I think I've owned this one for about 20yrs. I still have the original speakers, but the Celestion's sound much better in my opinion. Take care, G.
I can really hear the difference between the sound before and after. The before sounds slack and colorless. The after sounds fuller, more complex and shiny to my ears. I have a similar amp, early seventies, no master volume, Silverface Twin. It needs work at the moment, but when I got it, it had that open, transparent, glassy sound that people associate with Fender amps of that era. Nice job.
It would've been nice if the video did better justice on the before and after- but glad it came though. Yeah, it was dead for sure. Hope you can get yours back to good. Take care, G.
Nice job on the video, you and I have much of the same neat work ethics. I’ve always said, If your going to do it, do it right. Not trying to find fault with anything you did but I saw how you removed the power tubes and I thought I’d mention this. It’s best to pull power tubes from the base and not from the glass bottle especially on older vintage tubes, they are to expensive. The glue that holds the base to the glass can break free. When you have those tube retainer clips it takes both hands and a little finesse when pulling from the base of the tube while trying to keep the clip spread, it can be a little tight but it’s doable. One other thing, some of the resistor and cap leads are rather short, I use alligator clips as heat sinks to prevent overheating and damaging components. You would be surprised how much heat they quickly absorb even if your quick with the iron and I haven’t had any issues yet so it works really well. Thanks for sharing.
This the first time I've seen someone on TH-cam keep a short on the filter caps while working in the amp. In the UK we'd call this a 'belt and braces' approach, in the US I guess this would be ' belt and suspenders', i.e. making certain that your trousers (pants) don't fall down.
I have a 1970 no master twin reverb that I am attempting to get caps for and having a difficult time doing so. Could you please share with me what those caps are, so I can look them up? Thank you, great video!
Thanks, I cant tell you the values of the caps I've replaced as it was years ago, but each cap you're trying to replace should have the value in microfareds and voltage listed on them. Just go one for one. If you're meaning something else, elaborate. Good luck, G.
Really good work G. I think you did an excellent job here. An eye for detail is a must in both safety and workmanship and you stressed both on this one. Again, great job and great licks on the Tele too. How well does that Bigsby work for you?
Thanks Bain! That means a lot based on your background. I'm glad I did some justice to the subject. I'm rusty for sure, but thanks! I like the Bigsby and it holds tune fairly well. It feels nothing like a Strat trem for sure. It's more spongy and less responsive. Thanks, G.
I know what you mean. I've got a Gibson ES 335 with a Bigsby. The funny thing is I love it on that guitar with which I play jazz and some clean blues but I've not gotten use to the way they feel on any other guitar with the exception of a Gretsch or another similar hollow body. Just what you get use to I guess. Again, great tutorial and nice pickin.
bain5872 I always wanted a ES 335 or a Gretsh with a Bigsby- but never found a good a good deal. This was before I had the internet. I did have a 76 Gibson ES 175D but no Bigsby on it. It was a beautiful tobacco burst specimen that was almost flawless. So much so I was scared to play it unless I was wrapped in bubble wrap...lol. Same went for the 57 reissue Strat I had. I think it was about a 97 model. After my liquidation of all things musical- the only things I kept were my mutt Tele, the Twin, and a Sigma Martin that was my Grand fathers. But yes, it's just what you bet used to! Take care, G.
Thanks Larry, glad you liked it. I'm using an old Ungar 35 watt iron. I can't make out the model number though. I think Ungar was bought out by Weller at some point- so I would look their way. Good luck, G.
I agree with Brad and all the others that this is a very nice video. I am replacing the caps on my 1966 Fender Super Reverb. The circuit is basically like mine. I have to ask, how did you keep the wires coming to the eyelets from underneath both boards from coming out when you soldered the eyelets?
Well thanks Gerald! If my memory serves me correctly, the eyelets are in one board, then there is a solid board beneath it. The wires should be sandwiched in-between the two boards so they really can't get out. At least with the work I did here, all other wires stayed in place. I would take detailed pictures and just do one joint at a time to make sure all goes well. I hope this helps! Good luck with the cap job on your 66! Take care, G.
Great presentation, why you change capacitirs on one of the best worlds amplifier?....one group somewhere in Europe at 65 we use Twin, Bassman and Bandmaster, all original blackface.
Hello, very nice video. I would like to ask a question once I'm new in recapping... What if i cut the old lead and solder a capacitor's end on the lead's cut side, as a straight line. Is that acceptable or stable enough? I find it more easy that way and that's why I ask.
Personally, I would remove the old leads and install the new ones. That is the best way, even though it takes a little more work. If you try to solder the ends together, it will probably break loose. If you are going to leave the old leads in, leave enough length to solder the new lead beside the old one. Again, not the way it should be done though. Good luck, G.
Loud. Yes. I have a '76 that supposedly has been "blackfaced." You have to get it to 5-6 before it starts to sound good, at 85 watts. You DEF need an attenuator.
Is it safe to lift the cap bin if ur not touching the caps? I just wanted to take a look don't have the gear to discharge have had the amp unplugged for 12+ hours
I'm no pro by any stretch, but I think it would be OK. I would turn on the power switch first, with it unplugged or course. Then take out the screws, sit on one hand, and use the other hand to lift the cover straight up. Good luck, G.
i have an old traynor with mullard mustard caps. am i correct in assuming the filter and electrolytics should go and the mustard caps should be fine to remain? thanks for any insight!
Thanks Dennis! I wish the camera would've done better justice with it's true sound, but glad it came though somewhat. Well worth the cost, time, and effort to preserve the amp. Take care, G.
No, this is the only amp I have- so no more videos to come on restorations. You might look for "Uncle Doug" (I think) on TH-cam. He does many repairs/restorations and is quite knowledgeable. Take care, G.
I got bit once with 230 volt 400 cycle in the military. Suffice to say it was non habit forming. Since then, when I'm working on anything electrical - especially tube gear - I'm respectful and carefull like a dentist giving an alligator a root canal.
I don't see a link, but have watched some of his stuff before. He's a master with tube gear in my opinion and does great work. I was rebuilding some amps for my dads juke boxes and saw some of UD's stuff back then. G.
ghostses His latest combines home built Amp, cold rolled steel, vintage muscle cars, and legs. You might like it. ;) BTW the pistol grip for the camera kicks ass! Thanks! FW.
Goodevening....i have question.....i have a Fender Quad Reverb My Capacitor Mallory 25uf 25v has been damage what capacitor and what value of UF and value of Volts of the capacitor replace to the orginal capacitor( Mallory 25uf 25v)... Thank you Very much...
Hi G, I have a Weller 40w iron and I've found that the amount that I insert the tip into the iron greatly effects the temperature. In other words, when I bottomed out the tip in the ion, it reached it's maximum temp. I leave mine out near the end where the tightening screw is. I was wondering what kind of solder you were using? Thanks, there's a lot of great information here
Good info Darryl. That will be helpful for those that have tips and irons like yours. The tip on mine screws on so I can't make adjustments like on yours. I was using 60/40 .032 diameter rosin core that I picked up at Radio Shack some time in the past. I could have used a larger diameter for this project, but didn't want to buy any. It was just a matter of having to feed more into the joints. I find this diameter suitable for most of anything I do. Hope this helps, G.
Darryl Landry Pretty much so Darryl. If you're doing a repair on a printed circuit board for example, you certainly don't want to use a solder that has a large diameter. You could end up flooding the component and possibly connecting adjacent contact points. For soldering a larger connection, like the ones shown in the video, you wouldn't want to use a hair thin solder. If so, you have to keep the joint hot longer while you feed enough into the joint- possibly damaging components- plus it takes more time. It is about control for sure, but also heating the joint and applying enough solder in a short amount of time. Thanks again, G.
Darryl, I do believe that G was using 60/40 tin/lead solder which is a dream to use but it is getting abusive with it's price. The "new" tin solder is very hard to use especially in this application. It requires welding cleanliness and is not worth the cost unless used for it's intended purpose as on PC boards with a very hot iron and lots added of flux.
Fender telecasters do not have lipstick pickups. They are a whole different animal. Lipstick pickups are cheaply manufactured with a coil of wire around a stick magnet, no bobbin involved like a Fender Telecaster. Lipstick pickups are on Dan Electro guitars like Jimmy Page used.
I know very little about tube amps Willy, but it sounds like you might be having a problem with the heater circuit. Try to find some tube amp forums to see if the better skilled can help. Good luck, G.
Very true Jim! It is a pain to get off. When replacing caps on a pcb that has it on there, I've found an exacto knife to be my weapon of choice. Take care, G.
/Whats up with the bias adjustment in that amp!,i'm working on a 68 Super reverb and i had and extra pot connected to the bias balance pot that was originally in the amp, and rewired the amp to blackface spec,and replace all the filter caps,electrolytics the orange drops and some 100k resistors,pulled the suppression caps of the tubes.. i got the amo sounding better than it did,but now its red plating!Do i need to have two bias pots in a silverface amps to have adjustable bias???
+Jonathan Kosyjana I'm not sure on your amp Jonathan- especially since you're blackfacing it.. This amp was running the tubes way hot 20yrs ago. A friend of mine and I did a mod and installed a pot next to the bias balance. He was the pro, not me...lol. It Sounds very similar to what you had in my opinion. If you pause the video at 10.05 you can just barely see the new pot to the left of the the bias balance pot. Recalling from my tired memory, we set the bias balance so the tubes were in balance with each other voltage wise, but there was no way to adjust the voltage they were running at (and they were running hot)- so the other pot was added so we could turn down the voltage so they weren't red plating. I don't recall the exact changes we made, but hope this points you into a possible direction. Again, from a 20yr old tired memory so take it with a huge grain of salt. Perhaps look around for silver face bias mods. Good luck, G.
+ghostses It indeed looks as though it was modded to have both the bias balance (factory), and the raw bias adjustment too. That works pretty well. To set raw bias otherwise requires calculating the new resistance required via Ohm's law, and then removing the resistor on the back of the balance pot and soldering a new one in. That's required every time you change tubes, and ideally to correct the bias drift after the new power tubes are broken in (why I put in the raw pot...).
+Jonathan Kosyjana NO. You do need a raw bias adjustment, though, and yours only has a bias balance. The resistor on the back of the bias pot must be changed... lots of video here on how to do that. Be careful with the big caps....
The reason the cap has the positive lead to ground is because the bias voltage is negative with respect to ground, therefore ground is more positive so the positive lead goes to ground.
Phil, I do have an aluminum heat sink that pretty much looks like a clothes pin. Obviously I didn't use any sort of sink in this video. It could be done- but personally I don't find it necessary for something like I've shown here. The components I was working with were somewhat "large" and I don't stay too long with the iron so a sink wasn't needed IMO. But, and with that said, It's certainly never a bad idea to use one. Take care, G.
@@ghostses Yeah as always as well its a personal thing, all we do is up to us and generally our opinion thats all , there is no definite way to do anything. Its nice you took the time to make a decent video. Thanks.
You have to change the transformers to truly blackface. That was the issue with them. When CBS Fender increased the power and voltage(80 to 100W), the tubes/components started giving out, making them unreliable.
Always wonder why some people like to keep these old faulty caps in their amp to keep it original or 'vintage' when these caps have the potential to destroy other components when they fail, not to mention they can ruin the sound completely.
Dacke I agree! I would rather run good caps over frying out a transformer any day. They may change the tone a bit, but it's better than not having a working amp in my opinion...lol. Take care, G.
+Dacke Yes, crazy. Imagine this statement... "I only run the original tires on my 1968 Mustang"; No one in their right mind would do that, but will do the same thing with their electronics... Nuts.
Have had a lot of 65-75 fender amps come into my orbit- there is nothing wrong with those brown turd caps- maybe the biggest mistake people make with early silverfaces is removing them- i believe they were made by the pakiton company for fender, just as the molded blues were made by the mysterious “ajax” company. I have a/b , switched back and forth etc etc the brown turds and the blue molded ones hearing zero discernible difference
@@ghostses 67-72 fenders are the best deals in the world and with the smaller models- right on up till 80- all my keepers have been drip edge fenders which are just blackface models with snazzier looks ( which i actually prefer)
Excellent video. I just had this done to my '72 Twin and it's made a huge improvement. I've been repairing simple guitar electronics for years now but am always afraid to touch amps like this. I like how you stress safety, I've been bitten by a tube pre amp once... Once! That's why I let guys like you who know what they are doing fix them :)
rediryou Thanks! Glad your Twin turned out good. Yeah, safety when dealing with these things is an absolute must. Being bitten once is enough to heighten your respect for them real quick...lol. It's something you'll never forget especially if you live through it. I know my bites all come to the front of my mind when I start working on something and all of them were of my own doing. Take care, G.
Thanks for this video! Of all the filter cap replacement videos I see on TH-cam, this is the first one that actually showed replacing the caps. The rest just show before and after which helps in no way. Thanks again for walking us through!
No problem! I'm glad it was helpful. I'd not watched any others, but yeah- if it's not shown- that's not much help. Especially if soldering isn't an already known skill. Good luck, G.
Great vid! I just finished blackfacing and replacing signal, filter, and cathode bypass caps in my 1975 Super Six Reverb. I have come to love the view of an old Fender open chassis. Now I need to find another Fender amp to open up and overhaul.
Thanks Alan! I sounds like you mod turnd out great. They are cool looking chassis for sure. Good luck on your hunt. G.
Excellent video! have watched many and this was by far the most informative and instructional. I happen to have a '71 Twin I bought in '75 so this has inspired me to finally replace all the original caps still in there. I didn't realize until many years later the value of the 60's VOX silverbells the former owner installed but like the idea of removing 2 power tubes as I also don't play out anymore and haven't used it as agree it is just too loud. Also agree on selling off my expensive guitars and just keeping those I don't have to worry about. thanks again for posting this.
Thanks David! Yeah, I would do a cap kit to preserve it. They will cut through anything for sure. It's almost scary how loud they are...lol. Take care, G.
I became aware of your channel because of your videos on holster making, which I also make. Then I see your a big Harbor Frieght guy, like me. Now guitars and amps! Your like a Brother from another Mother! Keep the videos comming!
Good deal! Funny you mention BFAM...lol. I have a couple more I met through my channel. Welcome to the family!!! G.
This video was helpful to me. Thanks for posting it. Bought a solder sucker for a few bucks on Amazon and it helped lots. Never would’ve thought of that. Thanks so much.
Glad it was helpful Thomas. The suckers work extremely well for something like this. Take care, G.
Well done! Your presentation and comments were dead on. Can't argue a single point of what I saw and heard. Being able to solder was the skill set that started my career with Ma Bell in 1963.
Well thanks Hank! I'm glad I did the subject justice. Since you have so much experience on it, that makes it all the better! Good luck, G.
I just found your channel. I am just starting out, thank you fro sharing. I am a visual leaner, so thank you for any close ups and details. Thanks again!!!
That's cool! Glad you liked it. Good luck, G.
Fantastic video and extremely helpful with great detail and camera work. Thanks for all the tips throughout.
Thanks! Glad you liked it. Take care, G.
just going to to replace caps and capacitors in my 1972 fender pro reverb all original as well.Absolutely a great learning video ,A great job well done and thanks a whole bunch!!
Thanks! Good luck with your project. G.
Don't forget to clean the jacks, pots, and all-tube socket pins while you're in there. Those things will keep your amp playing quietly and reliably. Also, a good idea to change your grid resistors on the output tubes. They take a LOT of heat over their lifetimes and because they are carbon composition will tend to drift higher in value upsetting the circuit balance. We replace them with 2-watt metal film resistors for their heat tolerance. Also, remember that old amps have had many tube sets going in and out, and that can cause the individual tube female socket pins to spread, so check to make sure they grasp the tube's male pin tightly. [Sounds sexual I know, but don't know how else to express it].
AND speaking of heat wearing out components, Top Loaded control amps like Fenders are some of the worst. The way the chassis in oriented within the cabinet allows the tube heat to rise right into the chassis itself and build up in there. It is not uncommon to get temp readings of 180 F inside the chassis while playing. Marshalls and others with bottom-loaded controls do not suffer from heat loses of components nearly as often. Just sayin'. Thanks for your video.
Wondered what the previous solder vids were leading up to? Very nice instructional video. That is a great amp. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Mac. That's correct! I was needing to replace my tip, and wanted to try the new sucker on this project. It worked great! Take care, G.
Great video. I went back to 6:28 where you first played then ahead to 28:58 to after the new caps were put in and there is definitely a difference. Nice job...
Thanks Joe! It does sound better after the job for sure. It's a shame the camera really didn't do it justice- or it could be my playing..lol. Thanks, G.
The Twin is my favorite tube amp of all time. Mine is probably due for new capacitors.
Great video!
Thanks! I agree. Good luck with yours, G.
ghostses ...My 1972 Twin Reverb has been powering my Strat and pedal steel for a number of years. However, it's gotten a bit too heavy for me to lug around from gig to gig and I have been using my much lighter Peavey Nashville 400 instead. I still want to get this old girl in tip-top shape even if I just use it at home or for recording.
I must say I'm glad I don't drag mine around anymore...lol. I would do what ever it takes to preserve it. Take care, G.
Be sure to retrieve any scraps that fly off from when you clip off the leads. Make sure they are ALL accounted for before you power up the amp. Diagonal wire cutters tend to make the scraps fly all over the place. My grandfather used to sit and watch TV and trim his toenails with diagonal cutters, one flew off and almost took out my eye. Retrieve your wire remnants to make sure you don't cause any bridged leads.
Very true! Take care, G.
Very nice video, thanks for posting that. I have a '96 Hot Rod Deville 4x10 and I'm working up to a cap replacement job. Your vid helped a lot. You underestimate your teaching ability. You're good at explaining this stuff. thanks
Thanks Brad! I'm glad you liked it and thanks for the compliment. I looked up your amp and it has a printed circuit board where the caps are located. The soldering principles are still the same, but use caution when de-soldering and soldering on printed boards. You can damage the traces on the board especially if too much heat, or too long of heat is used. If you're new to soldering, you might watch some videos on replacing caps on printed boards to get an idea. If when watching other videos, if you see the person struggling to do it- find another video to watch...lol. Other than that, it looks like it would be a fairly straight forward recap. Good luck with your amp! G.
Great job on that. If the filter caps good bad sometimes you get the 60 cycle hum. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Roland and good tip! G.
Your very welcome.
Good you grounded the caps. When you went in and checked voltages, the battery in your meter will put a small charge on the caps. Its good practice to discharge them and then ground the circuit while working on it. Good video.
Thanks Dave, and good tips! Good luck, G.
Dave Bogusky - Not really, on the voltage function. It's tough to measure voltage if you're applying voltage. It'll charge it a bit on the resistance or capacitance function, though.
Hi G!! Thanks for that! You did an awesome job...restoring AND your playing. May I add something? :-) Solder wick also works well on the ring lugs. I have a solder sucker and I use it on through hole components on circuit boards. Solder wick is great for surface mount and the ring lugs. I would also put a dab of hot glue under the cap to further anchor it. I am not trying to undermine! :-) Just hope this is helpful. You did an awesome job and those Fender amps are the best. AND your camera did do justice. Keep up the good work.
Thanks man! I do have wick but didn't think to use it for lugs. I can see where it would come in handy for places the sucker wont fit into. Hot glue is another good idea for securing the caps. No undermining, I like to hear good tips and other ideas. Thanks for the post, G.
Caps should have an RTV Silicon sealant to adhere them to the board to prevent premature lead failure and joint failure. We also Silicon the parallel laying caps together to give them extra support.
You are very good at teaching this wiring stuff. It would be interesting to see you make money doing videos on guitar amp repair.
Well thanks Lee! I'm glad you liked the video. I'm really not that great at repairing amps, and just know enough to service mine. Others might blow theirs up if I was the instructor...lol. Good luck and take care, G.
Thanks, always worthwhile getting other viewpoints. Lots of good stuff but personally I feel going OCD completely removing boards with their brittle old cloth wire for instance makes unnecessary wear and potential damage. A bit of lead left over that can be joined to new lead with that extra surface area is secure and doesn't look bad at all once coated in solder. Sure I'd love to keep my '63 AC30 look all untouched but I don't think any player/collector will care and can always be re-done by the next owner. Damage however might be problematic. But again, thanks.
Thanks. I didn't remove any boards and this amp didn't have any cloth wiring. This was a 1971 Fender Twin Reverb- and not a 63 VOX like yours. A Fender is not a VOX so procedures may vary. Take care, G.
Very clean work G, and great tips on how to do it right! One thing you haven't mentioned is what kind of solder you use. I've used Multicore for years mainly because of the quality of flux. The new unleaded is OK but not as good as the old stuff, however it's obviously good for health and the planet. Love the early Silverface and your nice licks. Always amazed...Thanks for sharing. PJ
Thanks Pj. I did fail to mention the solder. I'm using plain old 60/40 .032 rosin core from Radio Shack. I've never tried multicore- nor any lead free. I believe the lead free has a higher melting point and is more difficult to work with- but I'm not sure. Thanks, G.
I had one just like this, same speakers (replaced the originals) fantastic amps.
That's cool Michael! I think I've owned this one for about 20yrs. I still have the original speakers, but the Celestion's sound much better in my opinion. Take care, G.
Thankx...very informative. Great heads up and instruction ! Chico
Thanks Chico! Glad you liked it. Good luck, G.
I can really hear the difference between the sound before and after. The before sounds slack and colorless. The after sounds fuller, more complex and shiny to my ears. I have a similar amp, early seventies, no master volume, Silverface Twin. It needs work at the moment, but when I got it, it had that open, transparent, glassy sound that people associate with Fender amps of that era. Nice job.
It would've been nice if the video did better justice on the before and after- but glad it came though. Yeah, it was dead for sure. Hope you can get yours back to good. Take care, G.
Nice job on the video, you and I have much of the same neat work ethics. I’ve always said, If your going to do it, do it right. Not trying to find fault with anything you did but I saw how you removed the power tubes and I thought I’d mention this. It’s best to pull power tubes from the base and not from the glass bottle especially on older vintage tubes, they are to expensive. The glue that holds the base to the glass can break free. When you have those tube retainer clips it takes both hands and a little finesse when pulling from the base of the tube while trying to keep the clip spread, it can be a little tight but it’s doable. One other thing, some of the resistor and cap leads are rather short, I use alligator clips as heat sinks to prevent overheating and damaging components.
You would be surprised how much heat they quickly absorb even if your quick with the iron and I haven’t had any issues yet so it works really well. Thanks for sharing.
That's my attitude as well. Good tips on the rest. I'm sure it will help others out- me included. Take care, G.
Man, I LOVE that Telecaster!!
Thanks! I do too. Take care, G.
Thanks for the thoughtful and helpful post!
jrcenina85 No problem! Glad you liked it. Take care, G.
I would trust you working on my amps! Thanks for the video.
Thanks Jackie! Take care, G.
A non master volume '71 is a good amp. I just acquired one recently and did about what you've done here.
I agree Robert! I believe they're right between the black face and the master. Good luck, G.
This the first time I've seen someone on TH-cam keep a short on the filter caps while working in the amp. In the UK we'd call this a 'belt and braces' approach, in the US I guess this would be ' belt and suspenders', i.e. making certain that your trousers (pants) don't fall down.
+Silas Fatchett
Not really required, but it makes me feel better. Good luck, G.
Great video, by the way. Well done!
Thanks! G.
I have a 1970 no master twin reverb that I am attempting to get caps for and having a difficult time doing so. Could you please share with me what those caps are, so I can look them up? Thank you, great video!
Thanks, I cant tell you the values of the caps I've replaced as it was years ago, but each cap you're trying to replace should have the value in microfareds and voltage listed on them. Just go one for one. If you're meaning something else, elaborate. Good luck, G.
Really good work G. I think you did an excellent job here. An eye for detail is a must in both safety and workmanship and you stressed both on this one. Again, great job and great licks on the Tele too. How well does that Bigsby work for you?
Thanks Bain! That means a lot based on your background. I'm glad I did some justice to the subject. I'm rusty for sure, but thanks! I like the Bigsby and it holds tune fairly well. It feels nothing like a Strat trem for sure. It's more spongy and less responsive. Thanks, G.
I know what you mean. I've got a Gibson ES 335 with a Bigsby. The funny thing is I love it on that guitar with which I play jazz and some clean blues but I've not gotten use to the way they feel on any other guitar with the exception of a Gretsch or another similar hollow body. Just what you get use to I guess. Again, great tutorial and nice pickin.
bain5872
I always wanted a ES 335 or a Gretsh with a Bigsby- but never found a good a good deal. This was before I had the internet. I did have a 76 Gibson ES 175D but no Bigsby on it. It was a beautiful tobacco burst specimen that was almost flawless. So much so I was scared to play it unless I was wrapped in bubble wrap...lol. Same went for the 57 reissue Strat I had. I think it was about a 97 model. After my liquidation of all things musical- the only things I kept were my mutt Tele, the Twin, and a Sigma Martin that was my Grand fathers. But yes, it's just what you bet used to! Take care, G.
i might try it on my blues junior, good advice thanks
+Robbie Speirs
That's cool Robbie! Good luck with it if you do. G.
Hi i did it now its amazing with as cannabis rex in it im very happy, best regards.
Robbie Speirs
Thanks for the update Robbie! Glad it went well and all is good. Take care, G.
Excellent information and video! Question: what size soldering iron are you using for this type of repair? I have to replace a worn out iron. Thanks.
Thanks Larry, glad you liked it. I'm using an old Ungar 35 watt iron. I can't make out the model number though. I think Ungar was bought out by Weller at some point- so I would look their way. Good luck, G.
Thank you.
Glad it was helpful. Take care, G.
Thanks for sharing! This is a great vid!
No problem and thanks! I'm glad you liked it. Good luck, G.
Thanks for the vid! Nice job, neat work.
Thanks Michael! Glad you liked it. Take care, G.
I agree with Brad and all the others that this is a very nice video. I am replacing the caps on my 1966 Fender Super Reverb. The circuit is basically like mine. I have to ask, how did you keep the wires coming to the eyelets from underneath both boards from coming out when you soldered the eyelets?
Well thanks Gerald! If my memory serves me correctly, the eyelets are in one board, then there is a solid board beneath it. The wires should be sandwiched in-between the two boards so they really can't get out. At least with the work I did here, all other wires stayed in place. I would take detailed pictures and just do one joint at a time to make sure all goes well. I hope this helps! Good luck with the cap job on your 66! Take care, G.
Amazing stuff !
Thanks! Take care, G.
Awesome! Thank you!
No problem! Take care, G.
Great presentation, why you change capacitirs on one of the best worlds amplifier?....one group somewhere in Europe at 65 we use Twin, Bassman and Bandmaster, all original blackface.
Because they are decades old and dried out. If they shorted out, it would take out the power transformer, etc. That's why.
Hello, very nice video. I would like to ask a question once I'm new in recapping... What if i cut the old lead and solder a capacitor's end on the lead's cut side, as a straight line. Is that acceptable or stable enough? I find it more easy that way and that's why I ask.
Personally, I would remove the old leads and install the new ones. That is the best way, even though it takes a little more work. If you try to solder the ends together, it will probably break loose. If you are going to leave the old leads in, leave enough length to solder the new lead beside the old one. Again, not the way it should be done though. Good luck, G.
Hi, ghostses, very good video and a good explanation also ! May I ask you what type of iron did you use please ? Wattage ?
Thanks! I have an old Ungar 33 watt iron that I used for this project. I would look for a Weller with close wattage. Hope his helps, G.
@@ghostses Thanks a lot for your quickly response and information ! M
@@mila8400 No problem. Good luck, G.
Loud. Yes. I have a '76 that supposedly has been "blackfaced." You have to get it to 5-6 before it starts to sound good, at 85 watts. You DEF need an attenuator.
Agreed 100%. Take care, G.
had to ask, was the mic placement near the same position as before tear down?
It was. Good luck, G.
Is it safe to lift the cap bin if ur not touching the caps? I just wanted to take a look don't have the gear to discharge have had the amp unplugged for 12+ hours
I'm no pro by any stretch, but I think it would be OK. I would turn on the power switch first, with it unplugged or course. Then take out the screws, sit on one hand, and use the other hand to lift the cover straight up. Good luck, G.
i have an old traynor with mullard mustard caps. am i correct in assuming the filter and electrolytics should go and the mustard caps should be fine to remain? thanks for any insight!
I believe you are correct. But with that said, and me being no where near a pro, do your homework. Good luck, G.
Mellow came to mind first, then the volume seemed higher, then the highs. Sounds new.
Thanks Dennis! I wish the camera would've done better justice with it's true sound, but glad it came though somewhat. Well worth the cost, time, and effort to preserve the amp. Take care, G.
Well you be doing any more tube amp restoration videos? Thank you.
No, this is the only amp I have- so no more videos to come on restorations. You might look for "Uncle Doug" (I think) on TH-cam. He does many repairs/restorations and is quite knowledgeable. Take care, G.
Nice work!
Thanks! Take care, G.
They have 2-12" speakers not 10's.
fyrcrack1 That is correct! G.
I got bit once with 230 volt 400 cycle in the military. Suffice to say it was non habit forming. Since then, when I'm working on anything electrical - especially tube gear - I'm respectful and carefull like a dentist giving an alligator a root canal.
I agree! Been hit myself once, ONCE! It gives you an immediate respect. Good luck, G.
ghostses Hey, here is a cool video you might like. Uncle Doug - his latest video just went out this morning.
I don't see a link, but have watched some of his stuff before. He's a master with tube gear in my opinion and does great work. I was rebuilding some amps for my dads juke boxes and saw some of UD's stuff back then. G.
ghostses His latest combines home built Amp, cold rolled steel, vintage muscle cars, and legs. You might like it. ;) BTW the pistol grip for the camera kicks ass! Thanks! FW.
I checked it out earlier today. That amp is going to be really nice when he's finished! G.
Goodevening....i have question.....i have a Fender Quad Reverb My Capacitor Mallory 25uf 25v has been damage what capacitor and what value of UF and value of Volts of the capacitor replace to the orginal capacitor( Mallory 25uf 25v)... Thank you Very much...
Stay with the uf rating on the cap. You can go up in voltage, but keep the uf of the cap the same. Hope this helps, G.
Hi G, I have a Weller 40w iron and I've found that the amount that I insert the tip into the iron greatly effects the temperature. In other words, when I bottomed out the tip in the ion, it reached it's maximum temp. I leave mine out near the end where the tightening screw is. I was wondering what kind of solder you were using? Thanks, there's a lot of great information here
Good info Darryl. That will be helpful for those that have tips and irons like yours. The tip on mine screws on so I can't make adjustments like on yours. I was using 60/40 .032 diameter rosin core that I picked up at Radio Shack some time in the past. I could have used a larger diameter for this project, but didn't want to buy any. It was just a matter of having to feed more into the joints. I find this diameter suitable for most of anything I do. Hope this helps, G.
Okay, thanks. The thinner the solder, the more control you have.
Darryl Landry Pretty much so Darryl. If you're doing a repair on a printed circuit board for example, you certainly don't want to use a solder that has a large diameter. You could end up flooding the component and possibly connecting adjacent contact points. For soldering a larger connection, like the ones shown in the video, you wouldn't want to use a hair thin solder. If so, you have to keep the joint hot longer while you feed enough into the joint- possibly damaging components- plus it takes more time. It is about control for sure, but also heating the joint and applying enough solder in a short amount of time. Thanks again, G.
Darryl, I do believe that G was using 60/40 tin/lead solder which is a dream to use but it is getting abusive with it's price. The "new" tin solder is very hard to use especially in this application. It requires welding cleanliness and is not worth the cost unless used for it's intended purpose as on PC boards with a very hot iron and lots added of flux.
+bain5872 You're lucky. In the UK, Nanny won't let us use proper solder, only the lead-free muck!
thanks!
No problem! Take care, G.
Fender telecasters do not have lipstick pickups. They are a whole different animal. Lipstick pickups are cheaply manufactured with a coil of wire around a stick magnet, no bobbin involved like a Fender Telecaster. Lipstick pickups are on Dan Electro guitars like Jimmy Page used.
That's correct Nick! I did not know that. Thanks for the education. Take care, G.
Can you tell me why the left two big 6LG tube not working and the tube is good just no light and not hot when turn on
I know very little about tube amps Willy, but it sounds like you might be having a problem with the heater circuit. Try to find some tube amp forums to see if the better skilled can help. Good luck, G.
I have seen a lot of repairs where hot glue or silicone is used to stop vibration on these caps. Is that absolutely necessary or not?
Not necessary Jim, but not a bad idea either. It's not uncommon to see something like that on newer electronics. Good luck, G.
I had a Behringer DDx3216 and everything was silliconed down. It was a pain to get it off.
Very true Jim! It is a pain to get off. When replacing caps on a pcb that has it on there, I've found an exacto knife to be my weapon of choice. Take care, G.
Excellent video. What's this strange concept of taking personal responsibility for what happens to you? You are going to shock the World!
Thanks Brendan. Yeah...lol. Perhaps the world could use some help on this subject! G.
/Whats up with the bias adjustment in that amp!,i'm working on a 68 Super reverb and i had and extra pot connected to the bias balance pot that was originally in the amp, and rewired the amp to blackface spec,and replace all the filter caps,electrolytics the orange drops and some 100k resistors,pulled the suppression caps of the tubes.. i got the amo sounding better than it did,but now its red plating!Do i need to have two bias pots in a silverface amps to have adjustable bias???
+Jonathan Kosyjana I'm not sure on your amp Jonathan- especially since you're blackfacing it.. This amp was running the tubes way hot 20yrs ago. A friend of mine and I did a mod and installed a pot next to the bias balance. He was the pro, not me...lol. It Sounds very similar to what you had in my opinion. If you pause the video at 10.05 you can just barely see the new pot to the left of the the bias balance pot. Recalling from my tired memory, we set the bias balance so the tubes were in balance with each other voltage wise, but there was no way to adjust the voltage they were running at (and they were running hot)- so the other pot was added so we could turn down the voltage so they weren't red plating. I don't recall the exact changes we made, but hope this points you into a possible direction. Again, from a 20yr old tired memory so take it with a huge grain of salt.
Perhaps look around for silver face bias mods. Good luck, G.
***** Sounds like a plan,thanks alot!
Jonathan Kosyjana
Not much help, but good luck to you! G.
+ghostses It indeed looks as though it was modded to have both the bias balance (factory), and the raw bias adjustment too. That works pretty well. To set raw bias otherwise requires calculating the new resistance required via Ohm's law, and then removing the resistor on the back of the balance pot and soldering a new one in. That's required every time you change tubes, and ideally to correct the bias drift after the new power tubes are broken in (why I put in the raw pot...).
+Jonathan Kosyjana NO. You do need a raw bias adjustment, though, and yours only has a bias balance. The resistor on the back of the bias pot must be changed... lots of video here on how to do that. Be careful with the big caps....
What kind of solder you use for this kind of thing?
60/40 rosin core. Good luck, G.
Amp has a good sounding reverb
Thanks Wade! Take care, G.
sounds like a CCR bootleg! nice goin
Thanks Malcolm! take care, G.
The reason the cap has the positive lead to ground is because the bias voltage is negative with respect to ground, therefore ground is more positive so the positive lead goes to ground.
Thanks for the info, G.
***** U R Most welcome :-D
Is there any reason you don't use a soldering heat sink.?
Phil, I do have an aluminum heat sink that pretty much looks like a clothes pin. Obviously I didn't use any sort of sink in this video. It could be done- but personally I don't find it necessary for something like I've shown here. The components I was working with were somewhat "large" and I don't stay too long with the iron so a sink wasn't needed IMO. But, and with that said, It's certainly never a bad idea to use one. Take care, G.
@@ghostses Yeah as always as well its a personal thing, all we do is up to us and generally our opinion thats all , there is no definite way to do anything. Its nice you took the time to make a decent video. Thanks.
Well said Phil- and thanks! G.
The Twin is two twelves, unless yours has been changed.
+Jr Delves That's correct Jr, they to have two 12's. Good catch, I didn't even realize I made the mistake...lol. Take care, G.
Wait, (2) 10" speakers? I thought they were 12"s????
Yeah, I misspoke in the video- they're 12's! Take care, G.
You have to change the transformers to truly blackface. That was the issue with them. When CBS Fender increased the power and voltage(80 to 100W), the tubes/components started giving out, making them unreliable.
This was not a conversion but thanks for the post, G.
Take your 2 inner power tubes out,that will give you Fifty watts.But you probably knew that.
I did Bob, but not everyone else might- so thanks for the comment. Good luck, G.
Always wonder why some people like to keep these old faulty caps in their amp to keep it original or 'vintage' when these caps have the potential to destroy other components when they fail, not to mention they can ruin the sound completely.
Dacke I agree! I would rather run good caps over frying out a transformer any day. They may change the tone a bit, but it's better than not having a working amp in my opinion...lol. Take care, G.
+Dacke Yes, crazy. Imagine this statement... "I only run the original tires on my 1968 Mustang"; No one in their right mind would do that, but will do the same thing with their electronics... Nuts.
+Ben “Slick51” Holbrook
LOL!!! Good analogy Ben!
He says " lm not a good player" yer right 🤔
LOL! Thanks Robert. G.
Have had a lot of 65-75 fender amps come into my orbit- there is nothing wrong with those brown turd caps- maybe the biggest mistake people make with early silverfaces is removing them- i believe they were made by the pakiton company for fender, just as the molded blues were made by the mysterious “ajax” company. I have a/b , switched back and forth etc etc the brown turds and the blue molded ones hearing zero discernible difference
Good tips! Take care, G.
@@ghostses 67-72 fenders are the best deals in the world and with the smaller models- right on up till 80- all my keepers have been drip edge fenders which are just blackface models with snazzier looks ( which i actually prefer)
@@vintaxis3833 Good deal! G.
get rid of the 70 watt the worst speaker ever made..I bet you got them cheap
They work well enough for me. They were in an old Ampeg cabinet I did some swapping around for probably 20 or so yrs ago. Take care Bob, G.