That's what I would do.
Nope. My bad. I was really trying everything I could first to avoid replacing the original components. But I did say the new transistors arrived Monday. Understand that could've been misleading as I didn't put them in and finish driving myself insane with troubleshooting until tonight.
Like Manfred Mann would say.. "But mama, that's where the fun is". When I get a piece that was sold for parts but actually works after some cleaning part of me feels let down.
Getting one for myself! Tired of solder wicks. Thank you for the link!
Awesome. Just keep that tip orifice cleaned out with the rigid cleaning wire. I run the wire through it every 10-15 components that I remove. If it gets clogged, the motor will make a higher pitched sound and you will lose your suction.
One suggestion I read around here is to actually unsolder the post itself leaving the wrapped wire untouched for that very reason - after you unwrap, it becomes brittle and not suitable for wrapping again. You can always get wire and the tool but the cost is somewhat high.
UGH. Wire breaking inside the insulation would have driven me off the edge. I'd never have found the issue. I thought about just splicing in a few inches of new wire with solder and heatshrink to give it some slack, but figured I'd try it as-is. If it continues to be a problem and I have to work more on the preamp, I'll probably at least do that.
