My new (sort of) Mesa amp...WOW

[stokes]

"Really though, what idiot takes an old dusty amp out of the closet after 20 years plugs it in and cranks it?" Russ,you would be surprised how many people do just that.They buy what appears to be a "mint" vintage amp,are told when they get it that the amp hasnt been plugged in in 20 yrs,its as close to brand new as can be.These are the amps that belie the "legend" of the great tones vintage amps have,they are usually the worst sounding amps.If the caps dont explode when they are first fired up,they are sure to sound like crap until the amp is properly serviced.The best sounding vintage amps are usually the ones that have been used often and look their age.Most players dont know,and dont even want to know what goes on in the amp.They pay a lot of $$$ and think it should last forever,and dont even think about servicing them.That is why when we buy a used amp we should have it serviced by a qualified tech before we start blaming tubes and such as the source of noises like the crackling James describes,it is most likely caused by dirty or loose sockets.And that is a simple procedure to clean the sockets most of us can,and should do ourselves.