Cap Break In

[FMmark]

Might be a dumb question, but when people talk about "re-capping" an amp, do they mean replacing the blue cans as well as the caps on the board? Do the caps really get worn out after 30 years?

On the site that sells some very popular caps, there is some info about break in, something like 100 hours before they sound "right" - has anybody been able to tell the difference after 100 hours or is the change just too gradual to notice?

My friend put a bagful of those caps in his JCM800 and we were discussing how best to "break them in." 100 hours is a LONG time to wait for the ultimate tone! He suggested that since the caps physically change over the break in period that we make sure that they get "skinned" in the right way. He came up with the idea of endlessly looping "Eruption" (sans drum hits at the beginning of course!) from a line out of a computer right into the amp and sending the output to a speaker load for two weeks or so. Those caps might as well be getting broken in while yer at work ya know? That way the caps get "broken in" by getting used to the ultimate tone we all love. Maybe some of that sound would get burned in to the caps! Very funny and "yeah right" at first, but the fuzzy logic is just eatin' away at us!

Mark

[Billy Batz]

All the electrolytics age and go bad. That includes the filter cans and the on board bias filters and cathode resistors.

People have talked about different ways to break them in and it does make a very noticable difference but bottum line, the best way to do it is to play thtough the amp a lot and the sound of the caps un-broken in isnt really bad at all. Just enjoy it and before you know it theyll settle in nicely. I may be wrong but I dont think the volume of the power section has anything to do with it. It seems to me you could put some quick PPIV type master in or just jump the two output couplers, opposite the plates, and it will cancel the sound out. Then plug a large signal in the input and let it play. Maybe Im wrong.

[Guitarcrazy]

Might be a dumb question, but when people talk about "re-capping" an amp, do they mean replacing the blue cans as well as the caps on the board? Do the caps really get worn out after 30 years?

On the site that sells some very popular caps, there is some info about break in, something like 100 hours before they sound "right" - has anybody been able to tell the difference after 100 hours or is the change just too gradual to notice?

My friend put a bagful of those caps in his JCM800 and we were discussing how best to "break them in." 100 hours is a LONG time to wait for the ultimate tone! He suggested that since the caps physically change over the break in period that we make sure that they get "skinned" in the right way. He came up with the idea of endlessly looping "Eruption" (sans drum hits at the beginning of course!) from a line out of a computer right into the amp and sending the output to a speaker load for two weeks or so. Those caps might as well be getting broken in while yer at work ya know? That way the caps get "broken in" by getting used to the ultimate tone we all love. Maybe some of that sound would get burned in to the caps! Very funny and "yeah right" at first, but the fuzzy logic is just eatin' away at us!

Mark

Like Dan has said above, they don't sound that bad even before they're broken in. What I've noticed with mine, is that as you play ... they smooth out (even while they're breaking in). Mine still aren't totally broken in (probably 15 hours on them), but that's going to be fixed in a few weeks. I've got a Weber Mass on order ... hopefully get it next week (then it's time for the torture test )

Mine is a '88 reissue, and I still have the original cap can's.

DonM

[bob barcus]

Hi,when ever I have new caps put in I would use a variac to "form"caps. But first I soak them in EVH pee(thats MoJo)then break'm in,Like a new Harley-D you drive it for 200 mi, under 35mph.or you will always have problems Like a virgin,you don't just start bang'n away,you ease in.