Just recapped my mk IIC+.

[Shep]

Wow. Everything is so much better. It took about 45mins to do the job.i only just did the main power cap's as the bais and Eq caps haven't arrived yet! but i also just replaced the pre amp tubes with a JAN NOS 12ax7 In V1 and 4 TUNG SOL Gold Pin's and the str 415s that where in there before.


The tone is amazing. It's Lead tones are complex and very rich and sweet.So the bottom end is tighter and bigger. the lead tone is more smooth and all round nicer.


I still have a package coming with a heap of bit's to do the mod's. I am going to try changing the the tone stack with a 100k resistor from the V1 pot + one of the of the brightness mod's.I am thinking i will try a bypass cap 10uf to here how it would sound. maybe try it.

Anyway i Strongly recommend doing a cap job to your older amp's.The sound is a huge improvement.

 

[MusicManJP6]

I have a '97 DC-3 head... think I would benefit from a cap change?

Also, your new smooth tone is prob mostly due to the TungSol gold pin tubes. TungSol pres are dark by nature and the gold pin would be a smoother, darker version. Not saying the cap job didn't have an effect, but your new preamp tubes sure sound like they'd result in a tone similar to what you described!

 

[Shep]

yeah. I had a some good tubes in it before. a Jan 5881 in V1 and a mix of tungstrum's and JJ's. That sounded really flat and flabby on the bottom end. i went over the old caps and alot of them tested wrong values. I still think the recap has done alot of good thing's.as for your amp i think you still have a few years to go. i have read that 6 to 10 years is the time frame. but i think that seems alittle short.

 

[ryjan]

Swweeet! Nothing better than a fresh tuneup. Too bad you dont have some before and after clips.

 

[kmanick]

cool!
I'd love to be able to do this kind of stuff.
My mark IV is an "A" version so I'm guessing it was born between 90-92
so it's close to 20 years old. New caps may make it sound better :?:
but it sounds so good as is

 

[Aart]

I sent my old '92 Mark IVA rackmount head (#5221) in for a cap change a couple years back and the tech called me a couple days later: "the original Mesa caps test better than the new ones I've got (sprague and mullard I believe), wait a year or 5 before thinking about it again."

Sold it a couple years back because i quit my rack and bought a new 2005 medium head, so I won't have to worry about it the next 10 to 15 years or so :lol: But the old ones are tough

 

[Shep]

yeah i don't think it needs to happen unless you know/ think something sounds wrong. for me this was the case with my C+. It was sounding really average. Now it sounds unbeleivable.

Tom

 

[Philhouse]

Nice work.

 

[stokes]

I sent my old '92 Mark IVA rackmount head (#5221) in for a cap change a couple years back and the tech called me a couple days later: "the original Mesa caps test better than the new ones I've got (sprague and mullard I believe), wait a year or 5 before thinking about it again."

Sold it a couple years back because i quit my rack and bought a new 2005 medium head, so I won't have to worry about it the next 10 to 15 years or so :lol: But the old ones are tough

What test was that? The only test you can trust with caps over ten years old is to replace them and let your ears tell you they needed to be changed.When I get an amp in for anything,if the caps are ten years or more old,I recommend changing them,with the guarantee that if you dont hear an improvement,I put the old ones back no charge.I have never had to put the old ones back.Caps,just like tubes,have a life span and need to be changed.Ten years seems to be the number.And that goes for the higher quality Sprague and F&T's only.I've been getting a lot of newer amps with IC and Xicons that are crapping out at in as little as one year.

 

[Shep]

I only use good Cap's. It's Just silly replacing them with crappy brands. It would be like put a $60 tire on a AMG "the black "merc. Not only will you crash it easier but it just won't work right.

 

[stokes]

I only use good Cap's. It's Just silly replacing them with crappy brands. It would be like put a $60 tire on a AMG "the black "merc. Not only will you crash it easier but it just won't work right.

Absolutely!!!

 

[Boogiebabies]

I've had more trouble with F&T's for some reason than IC's. For Boogie's, I'm Sprague or BMI.

 

[stokes]

Surprised and a little concerned to hear about the F&T's B.B. I've been using a lot of them of late since the Spragues have gone up in price.I used to only use them for the 220's in the main and screen taps,but have started using the 22uf and 30uf,hope they dont come back and bite me.What problems have you been finding? I refuse to use IC or any of those asian caps.I just had a guy bring me a Blues Jr that is about 6 months old and all the caps were about to explode,every one of them was bulging and the mains were already leaking.A good friend of mine bought me his brand new Hot Rod Deluxe just for advice on any improvements I could offer.We replaced all his caps with F&T's and he was amazed at the improvement.I know I've been preaching the cap thing a long time,but I really think the situation with this asian crap is getting worse lately.A friend of mine does a lot of computer repair/building and he says he is finding the same problem with the low voltage caps in that arena as well.I always thought the low voltage caps were less of an issue,but apparently not anymore.

 

[Boogiebabies]

A lot of leaking on the 22uf especially. I still believe they are the best cap you can buy. I just may have had a bad run.

 

[stokes]

Hope that is all it is,a bad run.It happens.I hear a lot of rumblings about Spragues quality,but so far havent had any problems with them myself,except the price,of course.

 

[mr_fender]

Yeah, my MKIV will 18 years old in September, so I know a cap job is going to be in my near future. I haven't seen any bulging yet, but I haven't checked the PCBs in a month or so. I'll probably just send it to Boogie for a full refurb job. The short head MKIV's are packed pretty full of goodies and it looks like pulling the boards would be quite a chore. I've got a broken pot shaft that needs replacing too.

 

[stokes]

They dont have to bulge to need replacing.After 18 years you will surely notice a big improvement with fresh power supply caps,even if you think the amp still sounds great,I see it all the time,someone will insist it doesnt need to be done until they hear it with new caps and they are astonished.Do it,you wont be sorry.

 

[stokes]

You can check the capacitance value which tells you nothing,really.You can also check for "leakage",by leakage I mean current,which is a little better,but still can mean nothing,I have seen caps oozing electrolyte check fine in both regards,yet one such cap was still causing severe oscillation in the amp,that one wasnt oozing,and otherwise looked and "tested" fine.The leakage check is okay if you see large amounts of current leaking,you know the cap is bad,but if it doesnt show any excess leakage you would assume the cap should be good,but not always.I have yet to change caps in an amp 8-10 yrs old and not seen an improvement,so I dont see any need to perform these tests except when I buy new caps,I always put them on the leakage tester,occasionally you will get a bad one from the manufacturer.

 

[frets70]

stokes, you got me thinking I need to recap my Mark III Green Stripe (sounds killer already, but what if I recapped it?)
What's the average price on this type of work?

 

[stokes]

stokes, you got me thinking I need to recap my Mark III Green Stripe (sounds killer already, but what if I recapped it?)
What's the average price on this type of work?

Filter caps main job is to smooth out the dc ripple that happens to ac voltage after it is rectified,and store and deliver the power your amp needs.Old caps can read "okay" in all regards but when they stop effectively smoothing this ripple they just dont deliver the power quick and strong enough when your amp needs it.You dont notice this degredation since it happens little by little and you just become accustomed to the amps sound and response as it is at the moment,when you give your amp fresh caps you will then notice how it didnt sound as good as it can.But this is only the case if you replace them with top quality caps.IC,xicon and the rest of the taiwanese makes just dont cut it.I often replace the asian made caps in brand new Fenders for people and they are amazed at the difference.As I've said before,I only use or recommend Sprague or F&T's,you wont get the same results with any others that I know of.As for what people charge,I can only say what I charge,which I think is less than most shops,since I work out of my basement my overhead is less,I charge a one hour rate plus whatever I pay for the parts,I dont mark up the price for the parts.If you want a quote,send me an email,but I dont deal with shipping,so if you arent in the NYC vicinity and cant bring the amp to me or arrange for me to pick it,which I do in some cases,I cant help you.