'56 Fender Harvard | Part 2 : Mostly Done (?)

Won't know for sure until the new electrolytics are installed, but the rest of what I knew needed to be done has been done.

[@Dejayel2024]

Sir, between you and Uncle Doug I am really getting an education about building and repairing tube guitar amps. Thank you.

[@stringlocker]

I could have learned this stuff if I wasn't such a knucklehead. My father was a TV repair guy from the 50s. And built his own ham radios. I wish I learned. But I was too busy sticking screwdrivers into wall sockets.

[@kansasblues]

instead of vinegear I use, Ferric Chloride Copper Etchant Solution, to age nickel. Thin it down with water and wipe it on with rag, q-tip or whatever works and wipe it off with clean water and instanly ages nickel parts. Doesnt effect any plastics

[@SirLoinMagroin]

Looking forward to part 3. Like the fact that you are aging the switch for the authenticity factor too.

[@jerryking2418]

Very nice work. Patience is a virtue that you seem to have an abundance of.

[@glenndavis6793]

I love to watch you work

[@fiddlix]

A great job as always. Preserving the amps history and at the same time satisfying the clients whims for Red Jupiter coupling caps. Sometimes being an amp tech is as much a job in psychology as it is and knowing your electronic theory.

[@matthewf1979]

I love that Jupiter nailed the look of the old red Astrons. I have trouble telling them apart 5 feet away, especially when you have the labels with the values out like this. I’d pay the same for an accurate yellow Astron for the later Tweed and Brown amps. I know they don’t have any mojo inside, but the look is important to me inside of a valuable amp. Great work as always, Lyle!

[@soapboxearth2]

I have a great way of aging nickel . Takes 30 seconds. Only useful for hardware because you have to submerge it. Salt, peroxide and vinegar mix ( acid, so use a respiratoror have lots of ventilation.) Clean parts well of any finger prints ( they'll burn into finish) I washed with soap and used latex gloves . Scuff with scotch Brite and drop in solution for 30s and immediately into water to stop reaction ( different branded parts took slightly different times). Repeat if nessasary. I aged a bunch of les paul hardware this way. Looks perfect! You could probably wipe it on and off of switches and save a ton of time and protect the insides..something to pay with anyway... also great for new washers , screws etc... Cheers

[@soapboxearth2]

I forget the ratios so I'd try 5 or 10 second intervals until you're happy. I think it was equal parts vinegar and peroxide with a teaspoon of salt in a 2 or 3 cup container. It seemed to have an oily colored film when I took it out but after I lightly buffed it , it looked perfect. I used to use a vinegar fume bath but as you know it takes ages.. Hope you have some luck with it

[@Meatbasket2]

"Sadly for me, those 18 hours are not billable." LOL. I hope you billed for the actual vinegar though.

[@luthiervandros]

Once you get the majority of the funk off of those old cloth, cover wires, even the bundles, you can hit them lightly with a heat gun and it will reflow the wax coating and bring out the brighter colors.

[@a.l.rockliffe]

Superb channel (not celan/lead). Many thanks. Question (long winded): Having been interested in audio for many years, I would be interested to hear your take on whether capacitors "sound" different. Not only between cearamics/polyesters/polystyrene etc., but also between different qualities (especially electrolytics). I sense you can cut through the bull.

[@a.l.rockliffe]

P.S. smt/through hole?

[@jpalberthoward9]

Lilly made my Princeton. August '56. The masking tape is still there.

[@michaelfuller34]

Thanks so much for sharing. Isn’t this amp associated with Steve Cropper?

[@PsionicAudio]

Absolutely. Main amp on all those old Stax records. More on that to come.

[@jaronensley]

Also, this amp and a few pedals is what Randy Rhoades used to audition for Ozzy.

[@danielmargolis3210]

Is there any way to clean the chrome panel of an old Fender like this without removing the silkscreen? Maybe WD40?

[@williamgombert7710]

Hello Lyle, What type of Vishays would you use for the smaller electrolytics?

[@doggwoggle]

Sorry if you replied to this, but do you never take apart parts, e.g. the power switch, and clean them? Seems worthwhile on an amp like this.

[@doggwoggle]

oh cool you do the opposite

[@critterlover520]

Love the videos! Are those power cable repairs something done well enough by an less experienced tech or is that better left for more experienced techs? Asking cause my friends dad has the issue on his old silverface and I'm a relatively new tech(been at it for about a year so far)

[@retread1083]

Do you have good soldering skills? Do you make 270 wraps on your connections? Can you select a proper strain relief? Are you aware of which of the three wires from the line cord needs to have more slack than the other two? Are you aware of the inherent problems with Fender primary wiring (including but not limited to the "death" cap) and know how to correct it? If the answer to ANY of those questions is no, you definitely should not be the one to upgrade his power cable. This isn't hard to learn but it is a safety issue and must be done properly.

[@DrRussPhd]

Amp archaeology 101

[@socallars3748]

I'm looking forward to hearing it as well! Lyle, what diode to you prefer for replacing these old rectifiers?

[@PsionicAudio]

1N4007 is more than fine.

[@oozede9035]

Hello Lyle, I'm a bit surprised about the way that you connected the safety earth. Did you just solder it to the chassis? No screw connection? That seems a bit odd for a guy as professional as you are.

[@PsionicAudio]

This is perfectly safe with a steel chassis.

[@tomk1tl39]

Nice job on this 'ancient' piece of Fender equipment......where did you get the Jupiter caps ?......just curious as I may eventurally look into using them !

[@PsionicAudio]

CE and Amp Parts Direct

[@williamgombert7710]

Vishay 119AHT-DIN?

[@ditchgator1]

😎👍

[@NotAPacifist825]

Lyle are you originally from the Midwest? The only place I have heard the word "grody" was when I lived in Minneapolis.

[@PsionicAudio]

Memphis, sorry. But it was everywhere in the ‘80s. To the max.

[@NotAPacifist825]

@@PsionicAudio lol 👍

[@ferdberfle5069]

I was under the impression that those old selenium diodes are toxic and should be removed. Is this not the case?

[@markheefner8245]

I think they give off a toxic gas when they fry. He left it in place for cosmetics only, it's no longer hooked up.

[@goodun2974]

They're pretty well encapsulated, as long as you don't burn them up and let the magic smoke out. Better to have it sitting there inside the amp united than to end up in a landfill!

[@Amp497]

You have been calling silicon diodes "silicone". What's up with that?

[@PsionicAudio]

I also said "treble" instead of "trouble" in a video yesterday. It's called mis-speaking. I don't do these with a script or edit out simple things like that.

[@Amp497]

@@PsionicAudio Right. I very much enjoy your videos. Thank you for your efforts.

[@goodun2974]

@@PsionicAudio , I tend to like music with the subtle mistakes and goofs left in, like the end of "Happy Jack" where Townshend yells at Keith Moon, "Oy saw ya!". And then there's this from the Woodstock LP liner notes: "consider the flaws in this recording like the scars found in fine leather, proof of its' authenticity". (Okay, now somebody can cue up a Ricardo Montalban joke if they like; fwiw, there's no such thing as "Corinthian leather", Ricardo actually made that up himself!).

[@AROSFC]

wanna dull a chrome plate surface, sir? WD40 and the green surface of yr kitchen spounge.....rub it gently...instant result