Is recapping vintage amplifiers really nesessary ?

Well well well !

Thanks all for your opinions. I see that this thread could last for years ( I guess there are other ones going with same topic ). My unit absolutely needs some repair. On one side, I can't adjust bias correctly. I think I have one bad driver ( there are 2 in parallel at O/P ). I will then replace the drivers if I can find them...ANYONE HAS SOME 2SB545A COLLECTING DUST SOMEWHERE I think I will also replace some caps. Probably the A/C ones and maybe the others on the driver section. Should I go for expensive caps or just availables ones at the electronic shop at the corner ? Any brands I should look for ? Avoid ? Thanks again everybody !
 
eardrummer said:
What is a reasonable amount for a recap?
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$250 is pretty reasonable for a pro doing the work. Figure $50-90 in caps and 4-5 hours at $40/hr (minimum) and you've got $250, give-or-take. Never want to pay too much, but folks who want something for nothing from other folks are amazing.
 
And that's just for the recap. If it's a receiver and it needs alignment, that's more. Plus cleaning the controls, and often you have to take the front panel off and completely remove each board to replace the caps. Often the boards have wires that must be disconnected to remove the board. I usually figure 1 hour labor per board. This is one reason why I don't do recaps unless someone asks for it. It adds up to alot of labor and parts. If I told someone they needed that, and the amp was working fine or had a minor problem, they would think I was a charlatan. But if a customer requests a recap, they are usually prepared to pay for a total overhaul.
 
eardrummer said:
What is a reasonable amount for a recap?
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It also depends on how large and/or complex the unit is, and what, if any other repairs may be necessary. I'd say I could do some small Pioneers for $150 (maybe less), while a large Sansui might be $300+.
 
I would like to replace them myself. Should I order caps from Digikey ? What brand do you usualy use Tarior ? Around here, all I find as shops are selling old stuff all brand mixed up... If I replace the caps, I would like to put good quality for audio.
 
Yamaha B-2 said:
4-5 hours at $40/hr (minimum)
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Now I don't know this particular Sansui, but 4-5 hours? I don't think I've spent that much time on a Yamaha, let alone any of the Sansuis I have done. And $40/hr? Are you kidding me? I barely make that much at my regular job. But on a recap? Maybe I should give up my day job.

I guess that's why so much goes to the junk pile.
 
Damage said:
Now I don't know this particular Sansui, but 4-5 hours? I don't think I've spent that much time on a Yamaha, let alone any of the Sansuis I have done. And $40/hr? Are you kidding me? I barely make that much at my regular job. But on a recap? Maybe I should give up my day job.

I guess that's why so much goes to the junk pile.
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I can tell you one thing, I didn't go to school for two years and then spend another couple years picking brains, studying books, fixing mistakes and such to do it for $10 an hour.
 
No offense, but you didn't need that education for just a recap. You need it for much more and I would expect you to charge appropriately. You find someone to pay $10/hr to to do that kinda stuff for you. But then I live in a tech town, so I guess my view is skewed.
 
Replacing caps is easy, but it is also easy to screw up and make a big mess out of if you're not careful.
In my town (in fact within about 35 miles in any direction), there are two places to get gear fixed; mine and a local tv repair shop. I know and like the guy who owns the place, and while he is a smart and experienced tech, his priority is to bang the stuff out as quickly as possible, and as such just isn't able take the time to do a job that looks like it was done by the factory, or research the best parts and chemicals to do a job. IMO, there is a lot more to re-capping a piece of gear than swapping a few parts, the unit needs to be tested for other problems, plus be adjusted and aligned back to factory operational parameters.
Even if a guy were to pay someone to do simple stuff like that, which can be risky to ones reputation, he would still have to charge bench rate just for the sake of insurance, L&I, and general overhead.
Relative to a the "old timer" techs on this board, I'm a noob, but I think they would agree that whether you're polishing knobs or troubleshooting a power supply, shop time is shop time and you have to charge for it accordingly.
 
Chap said:
I would like to replace them myself. Should I order caps from Digikey ? What brand do you usualy use Tarior ? Around here, all I find as shops are selling old stuff all brand mixed up... If I replace the caps, I would like to put good quality for audio.
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I recommend Panasonic FC caps from digikey. They are the best bang-for-the-buck in my opinion. I have recapped most if not all of the units in my signature using them and have not been disappointed. In the TU-919, however, BlackGates were used. If I had the money to burn I would use BlackGates in the signal path, but the amount of extra money you spend may not be discernable to your ears. Plus, DigiKey doesnt carry BlackGates.

Best of luck with whatever you decide to use. Its a fun and fulfilling endeavor.
 
I use Panasonic caps. I haven't noted a difference in sound quality or performance between the FM and FC caps, but the price difference is minimal and some customers request the FC caps so I have started stocking those. The FC caps are low impedance.
 
Keeping in mind, for some people it >is< a regular job, and a specialized one at that. Props to the techs in the audience.
 
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