Original Condition vs. Working Order?

[fluff191]

So I just bought a 92 Rev. E Recto from Elpelotero, and the first thing I told him was how I would like to get all the pots replaced (they are scratchy and worn), get the tube sockets replaced (pretty loose fitting), a new headshell (pretty beat up), and new power cord (damaged and frayed) and so on and so forth. Keep in mind I have never owned an older tube amp before, only new ones.

He then suggested I keep it totally original for value's sake, which is something I had given no thought to and thought it was a very good point.

So my question to everyone is this:

Where do you draw the line between functional and valuable? I dont ever plan on getting rid of this amp ever and have never really cared about "value" although I realize I have never really owned anything considered "valuable" before. The amp sounds amazing, but definitely needs to be gone through. What do you guys do with older amps? Do you not touch them? Do you only fix what is totally broken?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

[mikey383]

It comes down to what is going to be more practical. Originality means nothing if it doesn't work.

Scratchy pots can often be taken care of with some contact cleaner (deox-it or similar). The tube sockets can be re-tensioned. I used the probe from my multimeter, stuck it in the little slot in the pin socket, and tightened the contacts up. If they won't tighten up, then they will need to be replaced.

The headshell and cord, however, I would replace. Maybe not so much the shell, but definitely the power cord. If it's damaged, it's a hazard. An orginal type power cord shouldn't be too hard to find. The headshell is probably going to be a little more tricky. I think the '92s used a different covering than the newer heads, and if you get one from Mesa, it's going to have the larger logo on it, instead of the small logo. Recover it maybe?

 

[fluff191]

I re-tensioned the sockets and that seems to be ok for now. While doing that I noticed the retainer clips werent even touching the tubes, so that helped alot.

And Im going to get some cleaner for the pots, although I dont like how "wobbly" they are.

As for the headshell, I dont know yet. I figured I would eventually just send it to Mesa and tell them to just go through it and see how much money I have leftover haha. If they even do that I don't know.

 

[clutch71]

If the pots are wobbly as you put it, seems like you should be able to tighten them.

I think that era was covered in leather and not the later black taursus. I could be wrong. I agree with Mikey on the power chord though, that could pose a hazard. I'd love to have a DR of that vintage but little use if it burns down the house, electrocutes the cat, or worse you.

Would make for an interesting obituary though...

 

[Elpelotero]

The pots can be tightened from inside the chassis. I've done it several times to my Rev D. Just don't overtighten them. A snug fit is all you need. A can of deoxit from Guitar center's electronic dept will work as well to clean up any dirt that may be inside. Make sure to wipe off any excess because it doesn't evaporate very well. I remember the power cord came with some black tape on it but I never bothered to remove it. What's underneath the tape?

 

[fluff191]

What's underneath the tape?

It's bare wire that underneath. And I didn't know you could tighten the sockets from the inside of the chasis! Thanks!

 

[Silverwulf]

My vote goes to cleaning the pots, tightening up everything, replacing the power cord if it's a hazard, and leaving the headshell as-is. I'd thought about recovering shells before, but it's just a cosmetic thing. Nothing wrong with a little bit of character in the amp. Like I keep saying, I'm a player, not a collector worried about a showroom piece.

One of my old Rectos, I used to joke about where it's various battle scars came from..."That white paint was from bumping it on the wall at Jaxx"..."That rip was when we were in DC at the Rock N' Roll Hotel and..." :lol:

 

[fluff191]

I'd thought about recovering shells before, but it's just a cosmetic thing. Nothing wrong with a little bit of character in the amp. Like I keep saying, I'm a player, not a collector worried about a showroom piece.

I am a player, not a collector as well. And I think you are right about the shell. Looks don't get it down the road so to speak.