New C+ Owner... Gut Shot Opinions?

[Freefall]

Hey all,

Newbie C+ owner here! Acquired this HG combo via ebay, so I don't know anything about the amp's history. From what I've read, the OT and PT look stock. I don't have the experience to tell if anything's been modded in the internals, so opinions would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[av8or3]

Man, it is really cool to look in the back of an old amp and see big fat original bottles in there! :mrgreen:

It's got the 105 PT, and I didn't see anything burned or leaking. Looks like you did good. It would be a good idea to have a cap job done along with a good cleaning. At Mesa that would cost about $200. Considering what you've got in the amp so far you could spend that and still be in the black (by a long shot). It would be money well spent and the amp will sound better as well.

Great score!
Jim

 

[Boogiebabies]

100% Factory Stock. It should date from late May to June, 1984.

 

[Scary]

Old and crusty, but SCORE!!

 

[Boogiebabies]

It's not crusty. It's from a SUS mount combo. The fan forces all the air and dust up into everything and the electrical field
makes it stick to everything. A little TLC and a vacuum and it will be as good as new. There is no such thing as a mint
60/100/Simul chassis. Eventually the assemblers finger prints would etch into the chassis. The 60W Zinc chassis can look
like they were built yesterday. Go figure !

 

[Freefall]

Thanks guys... I really appreciate your input... Glad to know everything looks good!

I can see how Boogiebabies is exactly right about the cooling fan blowing the dust around. It does need a good cleaning, but the pics make it look a bit worse than it is. Amp seems to be working well, except for a particularly scratchy Mid pot. Also, I'm not sure if the rhythm channel's available gain is lower than it should be (a topic for another thread).

I'm planning on taking av8or's advice and having the amp serviced as Mesa, just to be sure everything's as it should be.

 

[Boogiebabies]

The dust can get into the pots and cause dead spots as well. A good spraying and lube will work wonders.
The rhythm channel is pretty clean up to about 8 on the Vol. 1. Even 10 is a slight crunch on some of these amps, or a growl on others.
As far as sending it to Mesa, it really depends on how close you are. UPS and FED-EX have graced us with enough bent chassis, hanging transformers and
cracked shells. If your on the East Coast, you can contact Stokes for a cap job and tune up. Monsta-Tone is also a good choice for West Coast and in between.
They are just as good as Mesa with faster service, more thorough and not as heavy on the wallet.