Great Video!!! Thank goodness your customer has brought this amp to you, it could have been disasterous if he had plugged it in. The state of the new soldering is so poor to say the least and the insulation on so many wires terrible. Early sixties AC30s are excellent amps ( I have a 1960/61 AC30-6 transition model myself ) but are complex circuitries and need great care when selecting replacement components. The biggest problem is that they suffered with terrible over heating caused mainly by the lack of decent ventilation. The wax in the transformers had a tendancy to melt and drip out of the coils onto the base board. This in turn would give off an oily mist which would deposit itself on the whole circuit and is the reason so many people have problems soldering. The only way is to properly clean everything and then if necessary use a flux pen to ensure good flow. As you stated a major problem is the very weak terminal tags on the circuit boards which have the habit of snapping off for a passtime. It is worth taking your time and sucking off all the solder before trying to remove any of the components. I have tried different types of resistor but still prefer the sound of Carbon Comps in the preamp circuit. If you can get through all of that you will have a beautiful sounding amp. I constantly search for NOS components and can still find good Wima Poly caps which I still think are the best and preserve the original looks. I look forward to you getting the job and hearing it when you have completed it. It's good to know that there are still techs who go the extra mile. Great job !!!
Hi Brad ! That is a AC30 BASS amp (I use to have one them), if your client plan to use it for guitar (?) I would recommend to change the 150nF caps in the faseinventor to 47nF get to booming when play to cruchet . When it come to screenresistors so did me and some other tecs some test on that test on that on 6L6 tubes many many years back. We hade the screen on a switch with 470 ohm as refresh and 1-2,2K u can't hear any different but at 4,7 K u can ;)
Ermagherd. So sad when you tested the OT, and it went downhill from there. I remember seeing these things (very rarely) in the mid 1980s at gigs. They were rough as guts back then, and there was usually a big fan blowing in the back in hope it wouldn't catch fire. Good luck.
Man we hardly ever see old voxes like this here in the states. I can tell you're pretty used to seeing them over there so its not quite the novelty it would be for us. That thing would fetch a mint here in even in its current condition.
Same in Australia mate. Use to see them around in the early 80’s but even then they were few and far between in reliable condition. Even the Korg Marshall era versions are getting 3k plus. There is a reason Brad sees them more often than most.
It's not just soot, it's Mojo-soot. TIG welding aluminum is so much fun. Is it getting hot yet? Well, now it's not even there anymore at all, so it must be hot now. There are some great solder joints in there too, or non-joints. My LCRs need calibration and no one wants to touch them, so I dropped about $10,500 USD on used standards and I am doing it myself. I am getting paid to calibrate other LCRs too. The calibration work pays better than the amp repairs. 15 more units and those standards have sort of paid for themselves. 12 more units, now.
I keep missing your posts Brad! My mates uncle gave him a 63 Vox (in 1978) we laughed at it!! Show's what we knew in 78, it was just an old amp... Til he played thru it!!
For tape adhesive tape that's still relatively soft your "shellite" solvent or anything similar to naphtha (GooGone perhaps) usually works well, but when the adhesive is that old and dry you might be better off putting some salad oil on it and letting it sit for a couple of weeks, perhaps hitting it with some hot air from a heatgun. I've never tried using WD40 to remove stickers that are that old but it's another possibility. Vegetable-based salad oil is the gentlest adhesive remover I know of.
Sad to see how even just the march of time can make an amplifier borderline for repair. It might cost a fair bit, but I hope the customer goes for the rebuild.
Those input jacks are nothing like the originals which can be easily dismantled and cleaned. I have 6 very tidy examples here (in NZ) if you need them. Alan.( F/B Anvil Amplifiers)
I've been playing 2 Vox amps that I bought brand new in 2010.... and they both still sound killer and have given me virtually zero trouble. I've had to replace a blown transformer in one of them ($200) but that amp had literally been pummelled with hundreds of rehearsals & gigs. I've thought about buying a vintage AC30, but its just a money pit. the modern ones sound the same.... and I'd rather crack on with playing, recording and mixing. money goes into that.
The thing is, lads; once restored, they last a bloody long time. But you have to remember how old these things are. It's more than a bit unreasonable to expect them to work forever. And the market price makes them worth restoration if complete. This one was borderline, as there was no cabinet, but the customer's father built him one. So now the amplifier has a sentimental connection to the owner for that reason. All of these things matter.
I’ve been playing Vox amps for maaaaany years and was always a big fan of the C2 series, then I got a ‘64 Top Boost AC30 and thought “how much different can they actually be” and the answer is very. Far from saying anything bad about the reissues, they sound great, I played an AC30 and an AC15 for many years and had absolutely zero problems with them, but the old JMI ones are very different beasts and I don’t think anyone in a room with both would say they sound the same. I took it to my tech to get it gig ready when I got it and it’s been incredibly reliable since. I abuse it, gig it all the time, take it everyday and I absolutely don’t baby it. I think the reissue ones and the original ones are great for different reasons and for different applications, but my old AC30 is by quite a lot my favourite amp I’ve ever played and it’s the last bit of gear I’ll ever sell.
@@coldacre ive had all the different voxs over the years and the modern ones sound nothing like the early 60s ones..ive restored a good few of these amps..i never used old resistors or caps just purely for looks..good new quality parts..my opinion why people say there not reliable is people putting old parts in just for the looks when repairing which is stupid and of course the venting on these amps is stupid
Soooooo, you'd build a new amp from scratch? It looks like this one is going ahead, so stay posted for the updates, mate. Thanks as always for following!
I didn't hear you complain about one thing in that entire amp. That wasn't absolutely true and absolutely in need of repair. Everything you complained about was totally f***** so anybody that has a problem with that. Maybe they shouldn't be watching amp repair videos
Those tube sockets they're completely f***** every one of them I would get rid of them and put new ones in high quality ones because if not you're only going to have problems out of them. I guarantee you...
Great Video!!! Thank goodness your customer has brought this amp to you, it could have been disasterous if he had plugged it in. The state of the new soldering is so poor to say the least and the insulation on so many wires terrible.
Early sixties AC30s are excellent amps ( I have a 1960/61 AC30-6 transition model myself ) but are complex circuitries and need great care when selecting replacement components. The biggest problem is that they suffered with terrible over heating caused mainly by the lack of decent ventilation. The wax in the transformers had a tendancy to melt and drip out of the coils onto the base board. This in turn would give off an oily mist which would deposit itself on the whole circuit and is the reason so many people have problems soldering. The only way is to properly clean everything and then if necessary use a flux pen to ensure good flow. As you stated a major problem is the very weak terminal tags on the circuit boards which have the habit of snapping off for a passtime. It is worth taking your time and sucking off all the solder before trying to remove any of the components. I have tried different types of resistor but still prefer the sound of Carbon Comps in the preamp circuit.
If you can get through all of that you will have a beautiful sounding amp. I constantly search for NOS components and can still find good Wima Poly caps which I still think are the best and preserve the original looks. I look forward to you getting the job and hearing it when you have completed it. It's good to know that there are still techs who go the extra mile. Great job !!!
I’ve been threatening to build an Ac30 for years. I’ll get to it eventually.
“Burn that bridge when we come to it” is my catchphrase. You are my people.
Hi Brad ! That is a AC30 BASS amp (I use to have one them), if your client plan to use it for guitar (?) I would recommend to change the 150nF caps in the faseinventor to 47nF get to booming when play to cruchet . When it come to screenresistors so did me and some other tecs some test on that test on that on 6L6 tubes many many years back. We hade the screen on a switch with 470 ohm as refresh and 1-2,2K u can't hear any different but at 4,7 K u can ;)
Another full works burger in the offing. Hoping the owner goes for the resto. 🎸🤘🏻❤️
Yes he did, unfortunately. 🤣
You bloody champion! Greetings from the UK. 🤘🏼
Ermagherd. So sad when you tested the OT, and it went downhill from there. I remember seeing these things (very rarely) in the mid 1980s at gigs. They were rough as guts back then, and there was usually a big fan blowing in the back in hope it wouldn't catch fire. Good luck.
Man we hardly ever see old voxes like this here in the states. I can tell you're pretty used to seeing them over there so its not quite the novelty it would be for us. That thing would fetch a mint here in even in its current condition.
Same in Australia mate. Use to see them around in the early 80’s but even then they were few and far between in reliable condition. Even the Korg Marshall era versions are getting 3k plus. There is a reason Brad sees them more often than most.
nitpicky is the best kind of nits when it comes to a 63 Vox!
This is like a police lineup where there's 20 suspects all dressed like Santa Claus and the eyewitness is nearsighted as hell.
Before giving up on the Woden, I would measure again, closer to the OT. The insulation of those wires looks suspect. Just a thought. Great video
We haven't given up on it, it will get re-wound in the future.
It's proper dead, all the way up to the lead insertions.
It's not just soot, it's Mojo-soot. TIG welding aluminum is so much fun. Is it getting hot yet? Well, now it's not even there anymore at all, so it must be hot now. There are some great solder joints in there too, or non-joints. My LCRs need calibration and no one wants to touch them, so I dropped about $10,500 USD on used standards and I am doing it myself. I am getting paid to calibrate other LCRs too. The calibration work pays better than the amp repairs. 15 more units and those standards have sort of paid for themselves. 12 more units, now.
11 more. Wow! I am on a referral list now.
I keep missing your posts Brad!
My mates uncle gave him a 63 Vox (in 1978) we laughed at it!!
Show's what we knew in 78, it was just an old amp...
Til he played thru it!!
Are those Wima caps known to last like mustards?
63 I got my first soldering Iron
You're lucky the wires are only wrap round once I remember point to point tv Wrapped around two or three times😊
Good one, Brado. Aloha 🤙
For tape adhesive tape that's still relatively soft your "shellite" solvent or anything similar to naphtha (GooGone perhaps) usually works well, but when the adhesive is that old and dry you might be better off putting some salad oil on it and letting it sit for a couple of weeks, perhaps hitting it with some hot air from a heatgun. I've never tried using WD40 to remove stickers that are that old but it's another possibility. Vegetable-based salad oil is the gentlest adhesive remover I know of.
sooty shazzy!
Sad to see how even just the march of time can make an amplifier borderline for repair. It might cost a fair bit, but I hope the customer goes for the rebuild.
What do you think about the B52 amp?
Nothing.
Rock Lobster.
Never heard one of these in person. So what channel are they mostly renowned for?
yummy. give it the love it needs mate! I'm sure you will
I was 6.😊😊
Wow thats old!! It'd be great if you could salvage it, money willing!.
I was in 3rd grade in 1963..
That construction lol. It says, though the Vox engineers wanted to see how easily they could cause electrocution.
Those input jacks are nothing like the originals which can be easily dismantled and cleaned. I have 6 very tidy examples here (in NZ) if you need them. Alan.( F/B Anvil Amplifiers)
I was in second grade in 1963.
I was 2 in 1963....
My desire to own a 60s Vox has diminished. Thank you for the reality check.
I've been playing 2 Vox amps that I bought brand new in 2010.... and they both still sound killer and have given me virtually zero trouble. I've had to replace a blown transformer in one of them ($200) but that amp had literally been pummelled with hundreds of rehearsals & gigs. I've thought about buying a vintage AC30, but its just a money pit. the modern ones sound the same.... and I'd rather crack on with playing, recording and mixing. money goes into that.
The thing is, lads; once restored, they last a bloody long time.
But you have to remember how old these things are.
It's more than a bit unreasonable to expect them to work forever.
And the market price makes them worth restoration if complete.
This one was borderline, as there was no cabinet, but the customer's father built him one.
So now the amplifier has a sentimental connection to the owner for that reason.
All of these things matter.
I’ve been playing Vox amps for maaaaany years and was always a big fan of the C2 series, then I got a ‘64 Top Boost AC30 and thought “how much different can they actually be” and the answer is very. Far from saying anything bad about the reissues, they sound great, I played an AC30 and an AC15 for many years and had absolutely zero problems with them, but the old JMI ones are very different beasts and I don’t think anyone in a room with both would say they sound the same. I took it to my tech to get it gig ready when I got it and it’s been incredibly reliable since. I abuse it, gig it all the time, take it everyday and I absolutely don’t baby it.
I think the reissue ones and the original ones are great for different reasons and for different applications, but my old AC30 is by quite a lot my favourite amp I’ve ever played and it’s the last bit of gear I’ll ever sell.
@@coldacre ive had all the different voxs over the years and the modern ones sound nothing like the early 60s ones..ive restored a good few of these amps..i never used old resistors or caps just purely for looks..good new quality parts..my opinion why people say there not reliable is people putting old parts in just for the looks when repairing which is stupid and of course the venting on these amps is stupid
Good technicians actually kind of are janitors with soldering irons because you have to go around cleaning up the messes left by somebody else.
In '63 I was doing baby stuff I assume 😅
You're assuming facts not in evidence, that your dad even "thought about" having you! (BOOM !💥 😁 )
Your Dad might have some tucked away?
And am from Sweden so my spelling my not be so good ,,sorry
oof she's in rough shape.
my advice to the customer, throw it in the bin and buy a Laney.
Lionheart?
I love my old Laney VH100R but Laneys are in general not built that well. Good enough but not insane.
@@lordgraga That's what Brad's for...
Bulletproofing and modding amps built to a cost, not reliability mate!
Is the power transformer ok? Maybe check on Woden's day. (yawn).
Yes, I checked that but forgot to film it.
If it was my amp, I'd do a complete teardown/strip of the chassis, make a brand-new chassis, and do a complete overhaul of the amp.
Soooooo, you'd build a new amp from scratch?
It looks like this one is going ahead, so stay posted for the updates, mate.
Thanks as always for following!
I didn't hear you complain about one thing in that entire amp. That wasn't absolutely true and absolutely in need of repair. Everything you complained about was totally f***** so anybody that has a problem with that. Maybe they shouldn't be watching amp repair videos
Those tube sockets they're completely f***** every one of them I would get rid of them and put new ones in high quality ones because if not you're only going to have problems out of them. I guarantee you...