On Wed, 22 Sep 2010 17:39:27 +0100, N_Cook wrote:

Meat Plow wrote in message
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On Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:23:05 +0100, N_Cook wrote:

Known history with this , from its purchase in Germany onwards,
including its original set of valves (not in there and used now, but
will test out of curiosity). What are the main potential
safety/reliability issues with an amp of this age? All the cotton
covered wiring looks good but is there some test/procedure more
convincing as to insualting value? Bakelite brittleness in the valve
bases? metallurgical failure of springiness of valve contacts?
Someone modified to 3 core mains cable and made an earth point, for
240V land, at some point in its history. Numerous caps replaced in
1991 and 1997 and some carbon R replaced with MO at some point. I've
not checked the main caps yet.

No known safety issues other than mains wiring. These were pretty
reliable amps. I own a 1970 Showman USA model. Someone tried to turn it
into a 100 watt model by replacing the iron and adding two octals to
the already blanked out chassis. I ripped all that stuff out and put
new output iron in it. It's not worth much but it does sound sweet.



--
Live Fast, Die Young and Leave a Pretty Corpse



Closer look and the cotton covering to the wiring between the output
heaters is "perished", crumbling to dust, and needs replacing. Strange
having a load of Mullard, Brimar and Z&I Aero valves to test

Since the heater wiring is twisted it would be a good idea to replace if
it is that poor of a state. I don't recall ever seeing the LV wiring in
any Fender of that era in that state and the state of all the wiring is
what I usually inspect first on any P2P wired vintage amp.




--
Live Fast, Die Young and Leave a Pretty Corpse