NCVKBAD

eSGEe

eSGEe

Ferengi Ambassador of Trade
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NEW CLEAN VINTAGE KUSTOM BASS AMP DAY

before and afters--- FY&I fabreeeze is awesome----- ARMOUR ALL----WILD CHERRY SCENTED!!! is good chit too.

IT appears this amp was ACTUALLY blue sparkle originally
YEARS of FUNK this truly was not cleaned since Carter was in Office. (not exaggerating)
kustom clean1.jpg
According to this I believe this to be a 1970 roughly August production
http://www.vintagekustom.com/FUDforum/pdf.php?th=2115&rid=0&S=454342cbd8498704deba8766e2730840

kustom clean 6.jpg
YUK............ewh...........nasty
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Above shows the original BLUE VS green faded funk
Also below where I ripped out the (at one time) pink insulation exposing water exposed wood--- several dead water bugs--- I think a part of a finger.......maybe a small rat....not sure./...
Kustom clean3.jpg
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DON--- you Fargin BASTAGE! (and Ray--- ) I just realized BOTH you BASTAGES suggested this option --DON used pictures --- Im more of a VISUAL sort of learner and dont read much --er uhm--) but certainly the idea was STELLAR!!! The soap(laundry soup actually) and water---while WET VACUUMING simultaneously -- and then a good dose of armour all brought that grille fabric right back!
MR Clean majic Eraser solves the baffling baffle funk.......
AInt she purdy ;)

And here she is nestled into the new cubby created for her.....
man this thing is low ---low low --- the rumble is amazing the AIR that passes through the baffles just turning it ON is QUITE exciting!!!

Happy camper for DAMN sure.

OH and DON---- you are TOTALLY FRIGGIN TO BLAME--- well you and DRUMOID ---who sent me the C.L. link!!!!----FYI--- thanks GUYS!!!!!!!!!
kustom clean7.jpg
 
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The original color was probably “Cascade”. It was their blue/green tealish fairly rare color...not the same as the blue sparkle, that was much more common.
When the clear coat on the vinyl goes yellow on the cascades they turn green like that.
When the clear coat on the vinyl goes yellow on the blue sparkles they turn tealish.
It’s amazing how well these things clean up. It’s also amazing how well some of these things have survived. Most of the capacitors are tantalum, and last a looong time. The only electrolytic caps are the two giant, mil spec, 60s, computer caps...also made to last.
If it hasn’t been played for a long time, just run it fairly often for a while, and things should settle well.
DO NOT HIT THE INPUT WITH A DRIVEN/OVERDRIVEN SIGNAL. a lot of people don’t realize these were designed before the days of active bass preamp/eq systems, and they end up popping the first transistor in the preamp(which is of course difficult to find an exact replacement for).

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Oh.....and seriously.....congrats you lucky sumbiotch!
That’s one sweet boom box pillow you’ve scored!
Good job on the clean up!
Now all you have to do is maintain. Hit the vinyl with a damp cloth occasionally, and an ArmorAll treatment, maybe once a year...dust the grill cloth now and then...
 
THANKS for that -- I have 2 ACTIVE basses at present though one will soon be returned to proper passive glory-----I will keep the Dean John Entwhistle Sig., beastie AWAY from the Kustom ---I use NO effect pedals with my bass.......clean low and LOUD thats the way--- I go for vibration and feel more than SOUND really ;)
 
ALSO compliments of thatbastarddon ....
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That be mine lower right corner ...... SADLY the ALtec Lansing speaker is BYE BYE --- probably fell pray to the flood waters------ which would have been JUST high enough to touch the speaker paper.........

A Marlboro Sound Works 15" is in there now and well --- sounds AWESOME ......
 
eSGEe said:
THANKS for that -- I have 2 ACTIVE basses at present though one will soon be returned to proper passive glory-----I will keep the Dean John Entwhistle Sig., beastie AWAY from the Kustom ---I use NO effect pedals with my bass.......clean low and LOUD thats the way--- I go for vibration and feel more than SOUND really ;)
Click to expand...

You can get away with active(I do), you just have to be conscious of the signal strength you’re feeding it. I can’t use any active eq boost on my Washburn bass. If I run a pedal in front I am careful to set it no higher than unity volume, unlike when you hit a tube preamp with a higher than unity signal. If I remember correctly you can test by pulling the instrument cable out of the input jack, clipping a volt-meter on the cable end, and checking to verify that the signal is less than 1 volt hitting the preamp.(edit: not something I’ve bothered to do, just something I read)
 
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Bring bug spray and rum ...you'll do fine :)

How long ya staying perhaps a MOTM with guest Mindless could be arranged?!
 
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