Price check on beat up '74 1959?

[Salos]

Yup that's a good price if it works properly. Did you fire it up before buying? Or power it up while still on standby? Just to make sure it powers on. Not sure what that gunk is, maybe leakage from the filter cap? Google that and see what you find...maybe it needs to go to a tech pronto before even firing it up. But those tubes look to be vintage and if they have life left that's a score in itself. Anyway hopefully not too much extra needs to go into it now, cosmetic stuff can wait so just get the circuit safe and running well for now. Not sure what preamp tube that is, compare the insides to the mullards and it might be another of the same. Chances are its a vintage tube along with the rest..congrats man!

I didn't get to test it out there unfortunately, he lived in an apartment and didn't have any cab. But I trust the guy, I have his phone number, address, etc.. - we talked for a while about gear, he said the thing rips and it works perfectly.

I wasn't sure if it was in dire need of a trip to the amp doctor before a quick test run, but you're probably right.

Yeah I tried some Googling with the white gunk, the best I could find was that humidifiers produce white dust.

And yeah I was really psyched when I got a look at the tubes, hoping there's life left in most of them.

Thanks JimB, when I get it all in order I'll post some clips through a couple different 4x12's, one with V30s, one with H30s, and a JCM 800 cab with vintage 75's.

 

[Salos]

Couldn't resist, fired it up tonight just to see real quick after cleaning it a bit.

So, that knob near the Power switch does indeed appear to be some sort of MV which is still in the circuit even though the guy said it doesn't do anything.

So it does turn on, but something doesn't sound quite right. It won't really distort that much, even with everything dimed and the channels bridged. And it definitely doesn't get Super Lead loud, even with the "MV" maxed the volume is fairly reasonable. Dying tubes? Bad filter caps? Maybe it's the mod? I noticed a faint burning smell when I went to turn it off, thinking the power tubes are done? Hoping it's not the trannies. Either way, I'm scheduled to bring it to the tech next weekend.

I did manage to get some under the hood shots though:
http://s10.postimg.org/53kv550rt/20150812_185800.jpg
http://s23.postimg.org/q3hyt8owr/20150812_185806.jpg
http://s18.postimg.org/ucdqdow55/20150812_185826.jpg

 

[gtrwun]

Personally i'd get those tubes out of there pronto if you smell something funny or the amp is working properly. Those tubes have value regardless of how used they are. If something goes haywire and you redplate those power tubes they will be damaged. I would get the amp to someone who knows what they are doing asap. A good tech can get that mod out of there if you want and get that thing sounding as it should. And yeah, if your cranking that thing and it isn't a fire breathing monster than something is wrong. I just looked at your pics.....is that really speaker wire on that pot? Thats a first for me. Never seen that. Thats a red flag for sure. The board looks pretty much unmolested on the preamp side anyway.

 

[LP Freak]

What is the pot with the (yikes) speaker wire tied to?

 

[Salos]

That pot I believe is where the MV is on the front panel. And yeah I'm eager to get it to lie tech. Earliest he could take it was 8/22 unfortunately.

Ah, is there likely permanent damage due to the use of the speaker wire?

 

[LP Freak]

That pot I believe is where the MV is on the front panel. And yeah I'm eager to get it to lie tech. Earliest he could take it was 8/22 unfortunately.

Ah, is there likely permanent damage due to the use of the speaker wire?

I wanted to see where the wires are tied to on the board. And no, you don't normally use speaker wire.

 

[Salos]

That pot I believe is where the MV is on the front panel. And yeah I'm eager to get it to lie tech. Earliest he could take it was 8/22 unfortunately.

Ah, is there likely permanent damage due to the use of the speaker wire?

I wanted to see where the wires are tied to on the board. And no, you don't normally use speaker wire.

here's where it's going on the board:
http://postimg.org/image/m12nq1ee3/

 

[PatF]

The pot just looks like an 800 style MV. It just bad to use that thick of wire because it can pick up extra noise especially when draped across the power switch. The inside looks clean and stock except for that.

 

[PatF]

FWIW my '75 has original transformers I'm pretty sure and there are no markings. There is a spot where it looks like a small sticker had fallen off on both of them. My '67's transformers have black printing on them.

 

[Salos]

Yeah the transformers I'm pretty sure are original in this head. Now I'm just worried they're damaged (or something else), because as another poster said above, this thing should be a "fire breathing monster." But it sounded more like a tamed circus cat. Oh well, hoping its something simple like tubes, filter caps, etc., but we'll find out on the 22nd.

 

[Racerxrated]

I was told by a pretty reputable amp tech that as long as it powers up and has output its all downhill as far as repair/service costs...meaning it should be pretty reasonable. That crap next to the filter caps could very well be leakage, and that could obviously affect your output. Power and pre tubes as well. But like the previous poster said pull those vintage tubes out and grab some others that you can risk losing before you fire it up again. I would just leave it be until the tech can look at it....I still think its a decent deal even if you gotta put some coin into it.....

 

[Salos]

I was told by a pretty reputable amp tech that as long as it powers up and has output its all downhill as far as repair/service costs...meaning it should be pretty reasonable. That crap next to the filter caps could very well be leakage, and that could obviously affect your output. Power and pre tubes as well. But like the previous poster said pull those vintage tubes out and grab some others that you can risk losing before you fire it up again. I would just leave it be until the tech can look at it....I still think its a decent deal even if you gotta put some coin into it.....

The white stuff turned out just to be some polyester or whatever is put in pillows it looked like, it blew right off the chassis when I was using some compressed air to clean out the dust. Did not appear to be leakage, unless the leakage dries in a very weird fluffy-white state.

I don't think I'll try to fire it up again before it goes to the tech, but I am suspecting it's the tubes, hopefully the power tubes. The symptoms the head is having (loss of volume, lifeless tone, etc.) seem to all be symptoms of dying/dead tubes, from the research I did last night at least.

 

[glip22]

Probably preamp tubes. Those Teslas are hard to kill.

 

[Salos]

Probably preamp tubes. Those Teslas are hard to kill.

Yeah I did read that the Tesla E34Ls were particularly robust, moreso than their EL34 counterparts. Darn, I was hoping the Mullards were good, oh well, NOS isn't too expensive if I want to go that route. Maybe at least the one in V2 has some life left.