Dangers in fiddling about with amp guts.

Hey there gals & guys. I read an article recently concerning the dangers of voltage from capacitors in an amp discharging and electrocuting someone while they were trying to clean an amp's insides. I recently bought an amp that is a few years old and the pots in it are crackly and in need of a cleaning. I'm also thinking that the input jack may need replaced as it doesn't click or hold my gitty cable at all. Can I resolder the input jack without getting dead? I'll be working on the amp tomorrow. Worried about getting zapped while soldering in replacement input jack to amp, am i just scared of capacitors? What say ye?

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Replies

  • It is a Johnson standard 15 from 2001.

    I can identify capacitors, I just wanted to see what y'all had to say.

    I am glad you mentioned bending the end of the input lead, sounds much easier than soldering a new one.

    Hopefully that will stick my cable a bit better.
    Between that and a good cleaning of the potentiometers I think I should be able to eliminate the noise problems and get this little monster to sing.

    Thanks for the knowledge gang.

    Now it's time for me to head down to the basement.
  • Yes, the jack doesn't have high voltage on it (or should I say shouldn't if the amp is working properly otherwise). You don't get "zapped" when touching your input cable on the guitar end do you (bare metal parts, no guitar connected)?  If it's an open type jack, you can just bend the contacts around for better contact. If you are not comfortable, at least read a book on the subject, or take it to a technician.  It's kind of hard to teach electrical safety on a forum.  Do you know what the caps are by looking inside?  You can make a cap discharge tool.....google is also your friend.

  • what kind of amp? we talking transistor or valve?

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