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Replacing Parts On Vintage Amplifiers
January 3, 2013

By pennalizer

There seems to be two schools of thought on
replacing parts on vintage amplifiers. One is to leave the amp all 100% stock
original. The other is to replace what is needed to make the amp more reliable
and sound it’s best even if the original parts are still working. I am actually
dealing with this situation right now with the above 1966 Fender Deluxe Reverb
amp. The electronics are all 100% original but it does not sound very good. Also
the cosmetic condition is about a 6-7 out of 10 which probably not appeal to a
collector. In the end it is up to the owner to decide which way to go. Let’s
look at both views.

Keeping your vintage amp 100% all original is
certainly good for collector and resale value. The collectors I’ve dealt with in
the past like to find amp as close to 100% original as possible and in good
cosmetic condition. If you have an amp that is 100% original and looking good it
may be best to leave it this way for the obvious reasons. This is the type of
amp that gets played at home on occasion. As a side note it is actually good to
play the amp every so often to preserve the electronic components.

On the other hand by replacing key components such
as electrolytic filter capacitors the sound and feel improves while reliability
increases. As time goes by the amp ages and the oily paste inside the
electrolytic capacitors dries out. This leaves you with a capacitor that is not
performing to 100% of it’s potential. The sound and feel of the amp suffers. The
tone can be muddy and blurred particularly with lower bass notes. The amp can
feel sort of dead and sluggish like you have to work harder to get your notes to
sing. Another important factor is the reliability. I have been seeing more
shorted electrolytic filter capacitors lately. By replacing these capacitors
with new ones you will restore good tone and feel as well as dramatically
increasing the reliability of your amp. I always save any original components
that have been replaced with new ones for the owner. I doubt they will ever be
used again but sometimes this helps with resale value.

Another component that I highly recommend replacing
on a vintage amp is the old style 2-prong AC cord. The modern 3-prong AC cords
have a third conductor for grounding. The old style 2-prong cords rely on a
capacitor tied to a switch that is connected to each of the two conductors with
one of the switch terminals connectedd to the chassis ground. If this capacitor
shorts the chassis can become “hot”, meaning that one of the AC legs will be
connected to the chassis through the shorted capacitor. This capacitor is
nicknamed the “death cap” for obvious reasons.

Speakers are another component that should probably
be replaced if the amp will be used for frequent gigs and sessions. There are
many excellent choices for replacement speakers. Eminence
alone has over eighteen 12″ models to choose from in just their Patriot line. I
recommend to vintage amp owners that use their amp for steady gigs and sessions
to remove the original speakers, put them in a box and replace them so the
originals do not get blown. A speaker with an original working cone is obviously
worth more than one that is blown or re-coned.

So in the end you have basically two choices on
whether to replace parts on a vintage amp. 1- If you are a collector and do not
plan on playing your vintage amp very often it’s probably a good idea to leave
the amp 100% original. This will preserve the value of the amp for a possible
future sale. 2- If you plan on playing your amp for gigs and sessions it is best
to have the amp serviced and have the electrolytic capacitors replaced along
with any other components such as the 2-prong AC cord and speakers to ensure
reliability and good tone. I always like to leave a vintage amp as close to
original as possible but each amp and player has different needs for their
situation. It’s probably best to assess your playing situation and make your
decision based on whether you are more of a collector or player.

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