Beginner workbench

[Gibsonman63]

Very nice, unmolested amp. The cardboard covered electrolytics need to go. There are more on the other side of the chassis under the doghouse.

[Gus Bus]

Very nice, unmolested amp. The cardboard covered electrolytics need to go. There are more on the other side of the chassis under the doghouse.

I can do that. What type are preferred?

[cbass]

Very nice amp.I think those cardboard caps would be a good candidate for stuffing to keep it looking all original.
Please dont mod it

[cbass]

Here are some photos. The power chord has already been switched over to three legs. The inside looks pretty well taken care of as apposed to the outside. What kinda of corrosion am I looking for. On the grounding plate there is some orangish/brown color at the solder joints.. flux maybe? The caps look good too right? What I've noticed from playing it is that the pots are very scratchy. The reverb is washy where is seems to oscillate noise indefinately, and there is a non-musical noise that I attribute to the tubes going.

Check for DC voltage on the pots could be bad tube or a bad coupling capacitor those blue molded caps are uasually good.
If no DC at the pots try cleaning again.Dont get to aggresive with the cleaning a little shot then spin em back anf forth a bout 8 times.

The reverb very well could be a bad tube.Easy enough to try swapping good ones in

[ToneMerc]

Very nice amp.I think those cardboard caps would be a good candidate for stuffing to keep it looking all original.
Please dont mod it

It's not exactly 100% original. This is a fine candidate for a players amp. If one wants a closet queen to flip, then find a true unmloested clean original, don't do anything to it and pimp it on eBay.
I say, change all the lytics, bias/HV diodes and enjoy, unless one's the type to to sit around drooling at amp chassis guts waiting for an erection from staring at Astron and Mallory cardboard cap tubes...lol

TM

[rp]

Regarding things not to replace: Definitely do not replace any of the original coupling caps unless they are leaking DC. Obviously, don't change transformers.

This should be restated. Newbies love to upgrade, I know I was one - don't do it - think like a doctor - "first do no harm". If you find one that leaks replace w/ whatever (mallory 150/ OD 225 or 6PS is good) but then go on ebay and find an on spec CDE Black Cat or Greenie or Sprague Black 160 (not the oil ones) and eventually put that in there. Don't change any of the carbon comp resistors either unless they are broken, burnt, or way bad. If you find some resistors off but the amp sounds like voice of God, then they drifted to a good place. Resitors you could change, again saving the old ones are the ones in the power string and the bias supply to metal-oxide flame proofs. If you screw up somewhere you won't leave ugly sorched areas.

Really worn out pre amp tubes can squeal, you can leave out the vibrato and roll them around and that find the squealer if you're bored, but before you can be sure replace the filter caps, the bias cap and the 25/25s as already mentioned. Soon (already?) all original untouched is going to out price fixed up, just like cars and furniture. So work clean and easy and keep the old parts, old e-caps too, and the orig power cord. Bet in 10 years you'll get more with the old bad parts and unplayable then restored.

Use F&T or JJ caps. The Spragues e-caps have market appeal as they are chunky like the originals and look right, but it's just looks. If you turn it around the big blue spragues will make people think it was serviced by a pricey pro.

If good keep the old speakers, don't waste your money trying to better. All new tens are just too loud and mess the sweet spot, and are not as sweet sounding. If you want a different sound (like Celestion G10 Greenbacks) or you need it louder, then that's an other matter, but keep the old ones. Nothing worse, asthetically anyway, as seeing a perfect BF with some brand new Emminces in there. Have Weber recone your old ones if shot, won't sound exactly the same but at least it'll look right.

Your old tubes at 70% are better than new tubes at 100%.

Many places for parts start with Tubesandmore and mojotone.

[cbass]

Very nice amp.I think those cardboard caps would be a good candidate for stuffing to keep it looking all original.
Please dont mod it

It's not exactly 100% original. This is a fine candidate for a players amp. If one wants a closet queen to flip, then find a true unmloested clean original, don't do anything to it and pimp it on eBay.
I say, change all the lytics, bias/HV diodes and enjoy, unless one's the type to to sit around drooling at amp chassis guts waiting for an erection from staring at Astron and Mallory cardboard cap tubes...lol

TM

Astrons make me hard so what.
I wasnt suggesting to not replace them but stuff them with newer smaller caps.
I just like things to look original.
You should see how anry I get when I see a classic car with 22" rims and been all chopped up

[rp]

and don't mess w/ those disk caps, trust me w/ that, and they break easy, so unless there's a problem in that stage and you are pretty sure it's a disk, leave them alone, BF are bright all these crappy old parts keep it sweet. Loose the old parts and all you got is bright.

[ToneMerc]

Here's an 1965 AA165 I tuned up. Installed Sprague TE series cathode and bias caps, new diodes and all F&T's under the doghouse. The dual 25/25uf, cathode cap, one side was actually 310uF.

TM

[Gus Bus]

Thanks everyone. This will be a players amp. I will never sell it. All I want to do now is retube the thing and learn to bias it. Maybe that will fix the reverb issue. any specific cleaner I should be using on these pots? Also those caps you are mentioning .. . I won't find them at a local electronic supply store right? Have to order them online? What schematic should I reference? The bassman Aa864 wouldnt quite be complete without the reverb and vibrato.

[rp]

God I miss the days when I could find a clean BF Tremolux head for $250. I haven't seen the inside of an old Fender in years, brings tears to my eyes. Thank you all.

and to the OP, I really doubt that amp needs anything more than a tune up as suggested here. You will be thrilled at how it comes to life after a recap of the filters and the 25/25s. Let the new parts burn in for a few hours/few days too if you find it 2D and 'congested' and are a bit freaked.

[rp]

http://www.tubesandmore.com/

http://www.mojotone.com/

http://el34world.com/charts/Schematics1.php

the days are long gone when you can find high voltage parts down the street.

[cbass]

I use just regular deoxit You dont want the gold
Lots of places to order stuff online tubes and more, tube depot ,hoffmans

You may find the caps you need locally a lot of places dont carry the high voltage ones anymore.
I like f&t electrolytics

[ToneMerc]

Also those caps you are mentioning .. . I won't find them at a local electronic supply store right? Have to order them online? .

Eveybody has brands they like, here's the small lytics that I favor. My third choice is usually a hi-temp Nichicon.


TE Series: I use the 50uF/75V bias, 25uf/50V cathodes

http://www.mouser.com/catalog/catalogusd/646/956.pdf


Mallory-Vishay:47uF /63 or 100V, 18mm for bias
22uF/63V cathodes

http://www.mouser.com/catalog/catalogusd/646/954.pdf

Big Lytics:

http://www.tubesandmore.com/products/C-ET22-500-FT

http://www.tubesandmore.com/products/C-ET80-450-FT

http://www.tubesandmore.com/products/C-ET16-475-FT



TM

[Phil_S]

... All I want to do now is retube the thing and learn to bias it. Maybe that will fix the reverb issue.

I don't think you are listening. It is quite possible the tubes are fine and the reverb problem is unrelated to the tubes. I'll say it again. You won't find tubes like the ones it came with, so don't dispose of them until you know for a fact they are used up. Also, I'd like to get behind all the others here who are telling you this amp should not be modified. If it doesn't float your boat, sell it and get something else. It will fetch a good price unmolested. Once you go down the road of modifying it, the value will sink pretty quickly, and moreso if done by someone who is inexperienced, so what's the point of modifying it?