Cap's Bad?

[MesieBooga]

How would I know if the Cap's are Bad in my amp? Doe's it have a sound characteristic?

 

[Boogiebabies]

No bottom end, extra hum, no sustain at crazy gain settings. I check the voltage on them as well. If you are really interesed, desolder them and test them with a capacitance meter and inspect them. It sound like you have the willie's. If they are not leaking or bulging I bet they are just fine.
I have seen countless Boogies go back to mesa and 95% do not get a cap job on 20 year old caps.

 

[MesieBooga]

I have one IIC+ that is so different than the rest. It lacks gain, the volume seems lower (3 is equal to 2 on the other 6 I've played) and it just doesn't compoare. Something seems wrong...

 

[RussB]

New caps can revitalize an amp...but only if the caps are leaky (either visually or electrically)

I mostly work on old Fenders, and it's amazing what a cap job does to these Ol' Dogs!

My MKIII responded well to a cap job, bass was bigger and tighter, and highs were clearer. My amp was in excellent shape, so I'm guessing that it wasn't played much.

 

[LHanson]

Sometimes bad caps will give a out-of-tune subharmonic on notes. Kinda like a subtle ring modulator.

My BF Bandmaster came alive after being recapped.

 

[Boogiebabies]

Sometimes bad caps will give a out-of-tune subharmonic on notes. Kinda like a subtle ring modulator.

My BF Bandmaster came alive after being recapped.

Ah yes, the dreaded ghost note.

Good point.

 

[snowman3000]

Sometimes bad caps will give a out-of-tune subharmonic on notes. Kinda like a subtle ring modulator.

My BF Bandmaster came alive after being recapped.

That's exactly what happened to a JMP modded by Diezel of a friend of mine...!! The head sounded still punchy and with a lot of tightness but, especially on the high notes, we noticed some wierd subharmonics that sounded like a tiny ring modulator! After the recap we got rid of the prob.. :wink:


p.s. Never heard a Marshall like that one.... It's awesome! From THE brown sound to Slash to Vai......

 

[Dasein]

Holy crap --- That's it! I've been detecting ghost notes (sub-harmonics) in my amp too. I took it to the local Boogie servoce tech and they thought I was crazy -- I vowed never to have anyone local work on my amp again until I found a guru. Now I know I should have just sent it to MB at Boogie -- The original Guru!

I'm saving my pennies now, cause my amp's going south for an overhall!