The Electra Forums

I've been told/warned/forewarned whatever you want to call it, that my tube amp should be "re-capped", that is replacing all the large electrolitic capacitors.

I'm an electronics goob, so I don't nuthin' 'bout working on amps.

The amp is a Peavey Encore 65 1986 model, so it's over 25 years old.

I'm getting conflicting advice though, one person says that capacitors of those vintage last much longer, and I shouldn't run into a problem. The other advice is change them now before the amp cooks itself.

What say you??

If it ain't broke don't fix it. The old peavey stuff is tough as a tank. It may need it eventually but it all depends on how you use it. At max output power for long periods of time then I would consider it but for just at home jammin I would leave as is.

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Always give thanks for everyday, It may be your last so Rock On Semper Fi!!

If they're over 10 years old and especially if they haven't been used much in along period of time - change them. They may look fine but over time they can leak - which you would probably see - and dry out - which you won't see. It's possible to reform the caps by a slow start up with a variac, but in the end, electrolytics need changing.

that's mt 2 cents.

Sooner or later the electrolytics will need to be replaced - and that is the most common problem I encounter with old tube amps -- I'm not a tech, but do have some skill with repairs of this nature. It's possible they may last a LONG time (I have a 1952 RCA pa head that sounds great and still has the original caps) -- but if you choose not to replace them, be prepared to shut the amp off at any sign of a problem - and then DON'T turn it back on until it's fixed !! I cooked a transformer once by not following my own advice !! Jead is quite right, if the amp has been used regularly, less chance of a problem -- if it's been sitting for years, well..........( and Mortarman has a point, too - Peavey stuff is darn near mil-spec - and Arthur would know !!)

The amp was gigged for a few years at first, then used by me occasionally at home for about 4 years, sat for another 4, gigged for about 6 months, then sat for about 12 years used only a couple times a year, and now I'm using it nearly every day for practice, with about two gigs a month.

I like the amp a lot, I just don't want it to fail during a gig, and I don't want to cook it either.

Thanks for the advice, keep those cards and letters comin'