It is mostly a matter of whether I want to spend hours cleaning it to the point that I decide to bail. For sure the filters are shot. No tubes. No cab (not really an issue since I could make it a head). So that's a couple hundred bucks to see if it even makes noise.
Most of the rest looks OK. I did swab some of the couplers with alcohol and they cleaned-up pretty well. Also, a bunch of the signal wires are gooked together in front with what looks like the same mastic that the heater wires are glued to the chassis. Never seen that before. There is no sign of heat damage inside. V-series amps have the reverb circuit directly over the power tubes and they can get a toasty tan over time. Nothing leaking out of the transformers. I'll disconnect those and test them early-on in the process.
One of my all-time favorite amps was a Gemini I that I restored -- including a scratch cab (before shower curtain tolex was 35 bucks a yard). I put two Weber 10's in there just because I didn't have a 2X10. Sold it to a friend who plays Keith in a tribute band because he needed a smaller Ampeg for club gigs. I'll probably dumb this one down a bit with a cathode bias switch and play it over a 12" SRO.
True. I just finished a #40 2nd generation Dumble hybrid except for tolexing the cab and have been putting together the heavy parts for a low/high plate 100-watter. Those and several guitars that are half done will take another 8 months -- even if I show more motivation than I have lately.
I've never had a Gemini II. Had the I and a VI briefly. If I do make a counterfeit cab, I'm wondering how a Kappalite would sound. sh
I've decided to restore the brute to original (sort of). I've sketched out the layout and measured the components that I could. A lot of them are way out of spec and some look like they may have gotten a little warm over the years. Long story short, I'm going to just tear out the board and put in a new phenolic version with all new components (except for some of the ceramic power resistors).
The next question is; what couplers and resistors would approximate these units? In the absence of any other opinions, I'll probably use Dijons or 150's for the signal caps and Vishay CCF60's for the downstream resistors. Metal oxides for the power supply.
If you know anyone that has a chlorothane vapor parts cleaner, it would remove the gunk out of your chassis in a minute or two.
Some auto repair shops use them. Most of the Electronic manufacturing places I have worked over the years, had them to clean boards post wave-line. You have to relube any open pots afterwards if you want to keep them... it will remove everything including grease that is desirable.
