An oldie but goodie (help choosing caps)

[selloutrr]

I was pleasantly surprised this week with a '53 Tweed Fender Champ 600 showing up on my bench. It's seen better days but far from a door stop! All original Pre-Can Cap. (2) 8mf -450v / (2) 25mf -25v minimite and (2) .02 400v Yellow Aston's. The usual rust and crud for it's age. It's currently stripped down and I'm in the process of removing the chassis rust for a full restoration. I haven't had a chance to test the caps in the circuit, but due to age they'll need to be replaced. I'm thinking Sprague atoms for the elect's and I'm open to suggestions for the yellow Aston's replacements. I've been reading up that the Jupiters are a current issue replacement for the Aston. I've had good luck with the mojo paper in oil for other fenders. I'm not sure it's cost effective to track down NOS (that work) as that's more of a museum piece and this will be a player.

if anyones interested i'll post pics i've been documenting it mostly for the client, it's nice to have a visual road map.

[sliberty]

I don't have the specific experience to make recommendations on the caps. But I did want to chime in and say "Hell yea I'd like to see the photos!"

Thanks (in advance) for posting them.

Steve

[Wayne]

I don't have the specific experience to make recommendations on the caps. But I did want to chime in and say "Hell yea I'd like to see the photos!"

Thanks (in advance) for posting them.

Steve

Yeah! What he said!

W

[Cygnus X1]

I like Mallory 150's for the tone/coupling caps.
Don't replace the Astrons if you don't need to though.

My experience is go ahead a replace all of the electrolytics and try the amp with the original tone and coupling caps.
If it is too noisy, then I'll chase those down afterwards.

Yup, that can cap has to go.
I usually leave it in place disconnected and plug a couple of axial electrolytics wherever room will allow inside the chassis.

Weber sells some good-enough electro's (ELON brand) that are really small. Especially the 10uf/450's.
I've been using them for a while and none have failed yet.

[Blind Lemon]

+1 on the Astrons leave them in unless they prove bad.

Cygnus X1....it's Pre cap can....

[Cygnus X1]

+1 on the Astrons leave them in unless they prove bad.

Cygnus X1....it's Pre cap can....

Oops.

[Richie]

what some people do for old fender amp fliter caps is to carefully gut the old cap. Most newer caps are smaller,and slide those inside the shell of the old filter cap. Then it "Looks" like the orignial.. You can find NOS Astrons on ebay from time to time. "If" they need replacing,which alot of time they will.

[billyz]

I vote you replace the old Astrons and send them to me, I'll even pay the postage.

[selloutrr]

here are some pics.

C-04446 is the chassis stamp

I just finished removing the rust from the the chassis.

I'll tackle the circuit board tomorrow.

[selloutrr]

thought i'd show the crud too.

[selloutrr]

I cut the paper housing off the 25 / 25 caps and put a 25 / 50 Sprague inside the cover and filled it with wax. It looks great functions great my only concern is heat and melting.

Should I cap the ends in a hot glue / silicone / epoxy / or leave it?

[LOUDthud]

Isn't there a cap missing from the PT end of the eyelet board? What's that wire coming out of the PT that's cut off? A 5V CT?

[selloutrr]

yes it's a hack job = rebuild showed up as sort of a cross between the 5e1 and 5f1 circuit.

It should be a 5f1 ciircuit it's missing the 16mf/450 cap and the far 25/ 25 cap is cut.

The cut wire is a lead from the power cord to the 1 meg pot's on/off switch

[selloutrr]

all back up and running fully restored to the 5F1 circuit. With the addition of a grounded power cord and no death cap. I went with mojo oil caps and TAD/Atom elec. caps inside of the original housing. The tubes; 12ax7 groove tube 6V6GT RCA mid 50's black glass and matching era RCA rectifier tube. Weber 6.5" sig speaker. and a new handle. Everything else was cleaned scrubbed tested and reused. Still awaiting a custom back panel to arrive with period correct tolex. The champ has a very smooth tone not huge on volume but on 10 what it does put out is very creamy a blues players dream! here are some completed pics thanks for looking.

[selloutrr]

I wanted to use the original cardboard covers from the mites to keep the visual but add the relaibility of a modern electrylic capacitor.

the modern caps are small enough to fit inside the larger vintage shell

removing the vintage cap from it's shell

fitting the new cap into the shell making a blocker and preping to fill in the gaps with wax. after it dried i used a utility knife to cut away a notch and filled the ends with epoxy to prevent wax leaking if it encounters heat.