Pulled Coupling Caps

[J M Fahey]

We could possibly all help him if he would let us.

Sure enough.

The key lies in "let".

The curse in this amp is that it was played by "you know who" (who must certainly have pulled incredible sound out of it) but we are dealing in Mojo and Fairy Dust here, nothing any Human being can do will restore that.

I suggest rereading the full story from the beginning.

It's not something that can be solved by pure Tech means, and in fact it needs a Healer more than any Tech or Engineer.

[big_teee]

I read it all.
Where can I buy some of that Pixie, or Fairy Dust, or Mojo?
I need all the help I can get!
T

[The Dude]

Well, even a badly butchered Bandmaster isn't that complicated to restore.

Especially for the amount of $ the OP has spent on this thing. Not so long ago, a customer brought in an old Quad Reverb that had so many mods it was unrecognizable- most of them very poorly done. He wanted it put back to factory specs. It was so bad that I had to find another one and start on one side of the turret board and check/move/change every part, check wiring, etc. Even after all this it didn't cost the customer as much as the OP spent on this thread. Maybe I'm working too cheap?

[Chuck H]

Apparently he was relabeling Creedence speakers.

Yup. Thanks. I'll check that out. I read the article.

[dumbassbob]

Where is he located, has this been determined?
We could possibly all help him if he would let us.
"Don't throw good Money after Bad"
Don't pay anymore money to GW.
T

I live in South Orange county...I have owned this amp since 1970 If someone wants to email me or phone, let me know..Thanks Bob

[Bruce / Mission Amps]

I live in South Orange county...I have owned this amp since 1970 If someone wants to email me or phone, let me know..Thanks Bob

My son works for the BIG airlines... he flies free to all the major cities... you meet him at the big airport with the chassis in a box he can easily get through the TSA with and he'll bring it to me.
I bet it can be restored to it's former glory for $150.

[dumbassbob]

My son works for the BIG airlines... he flies free to all the major cities... you meet him at the big airport with the chassis in a box he can easily get through the TSA with and he'll bring it to me.
I bet it can be restored to it's former glory for $150.

Thanks Bruce,I will call Kendricks on Monday,and tell him to send it home,He's only had it for 11 months this time,I am sure he will charge a huge service fee to get it back..

[dumbassbob]

I just got the Fender Bandmaster back from GeraldWeber @Kendricks amp...I sure hope he put the (5).1 caps back in because there NOT in the bag with the grid Resistors and a 250 pf cap there is a .047@600V (death cap) and another .047 cap..I just tried to call him. No answer.The amp is so Bassy even on zero,the treble is very bassy and the volume is weak.. you need to turn it up to 6 to make it sound like it use to on 2...Man 3 years and over $1,100 for this...When I asked him to make sure to put all the parts back in the bag with my name and the amp,He said "We don't keep or send the old parts back cause they an't no good"Sorry I have been crying to you guys over this for so long,but I didn't think someone like GW would screw me so bad..And a Amp that had the History that this one does...I need the old caps...Maybe tomorrow he will answer his phone

[JoeM]

You don't need the old caps back. You need someone qualified to repair it right.

[Chuck H]

There's not as much mojo in the caps as they get credit for. Even with variance in value it won't matter much because a .1 cap is huge for most guitar amp circuits. Unless you can hear something like a 1dB difference at 10Hz!?!

If the amp has been put back to stock it may sound bassy. BF's tend to be that way sometimes and nudging the bass knob above two or three with a fat sounding guitar just doesn't work. But only if the bass control is being used above zero. Since you mentioned that you have it at zero and the treble control sounds bassy I'm at a loss. Unless a larger than stock treble cap value is in there this shouldn't be the case. Could this have something to do with the "secret cap" mod you were talking about? Did you ask Gerald to put something like that in there? Otherwise there is a botch in the circuit. Way too many variables and possibilities to speak definitively about it at this time.

There's nothing wrong with a properly working BF amp!!! Sometimes you need to ignore aesthetics for knob settings and just turn them to where it sounds good no matter what numbers are on the dial. But they're very full range to no range kind of amps. They can be set up for either when working properly. If the bass sounds best on one then one it is! If the treble sounds best on nine then nine it is. Just make certain the amp is operating properly. I think a tech other than GW would be a good way to go for this.

I still think there are details to this drama that have not been revealed. Like specific requests or desired tweaks that GW might have been chasing for Bob. There are parts to this story that we don't know about. No one is such a dumbass as to repeatedly send an amp back to the guy that's only making it worse half a dozen times for an expense equal to the amps value. Anyone that would do that (as it's been described here) is lucky if they don't forget to breath!

[J M Fahey]

And a Amp that had the History that this one does...

Will you please tell us ***WHO*** played this amp who makes it so special?

[Jazz P Bass]

Kendrick Amp guy electrocutes himself in demo video - YouTubeYou should watch this over and over, it will make you feel better while you are suing his "hyperactive cheerleader moonlighting as a tv repairman" ass. Not my quote, gotta thank tone lizard for his insight there.

"O/k kids. Do not do this at home."
Bzzzttt.
Whooeee!
What a dufus.

[Leo_Gnardo]

Will you please tell us ***WHO*** played this amp who makes it so special?

Eric Ray Hendrix John Paul George N. Ringo. Or maybe McShuggah, it was in their crib.

The MAGIC as smart correspondents here and other websites agree, is in the brain-to-fingers nerve connexions NOT the gear. Oh it's Juan... you knew that!

[trem]

Not that this giant beat to death thread needs my pinion, but.....my experience with caps...including the precious Blue Molded in a BF Fender... is that any difference can be accounted for with the tone knob and playing skill.
If there is a HUGE difference after the old caps come out...those caps were way out of spec and/or bad. The new caps are how the amp sounded when the amp itself was new.
good luck

[olddawg]

I just got the Fender Bandmaster back from GeraldWeber @Kendricks amp...I sure hope he put the (5).1 caps back in because there NOT in the bag with the grid Resistors and a 250 pf cap there is a .047@600V (death cap) and another .047 cap..I just tried to call him. No answer.The amp is so Bassy even on zero,the treble is very bassy and the volume is weak.. you need to turn it up to 6 to make it sound like it use to on 2...Man 3 years and over $1,100 for this...When I asked him to make sure to put all the parts back in the bag with my name and the amp,He said "We don't keep or send the old parts back cause they an't no good"Sorry I have been crying to you guys over this for so long,but I didn't think someone like GW would screw me so bad..And a Amp that had the History that this one does...I need the old caps...Maybe tomorrow he will answer his phone

It is against the law (not to mention unethical) not to return the old parts in CA. But it gets ignored a lot. There is so much bs around nowadays about vintage cap mojo. Some unscrupulous people will recap an amp for a customer then sell the old ones on eBay. Same thing for guitar tone control caps.