DeadKoby Messages: 35 Registered: August 2017 Location: Cleveland, OH
Member
I just wanted to thank everyone for the tech info here.
Having never owned or worked on a Kustom before, I bought a 200 B1, and the bright channel had fizzy airplane noise all the time unless the volume was at zero.
Without having to bother anyone, I read through the info, and used the 2n5088 Transistor, as well as replacing 1 out of tolerance capacitor. We're back in business. Lots of gain, minimal noise, maximum rock.
I fix things on YouTube (including this one), my channel is the same as my username on this board.
DeadKoby Messages: 35 Registered: August 2017 Location: Cleveland, OH
Member
My surprise was the lack of Aluminum Electrolytic capacitors. That's usually the first thing one looks at on any vintage piece.
I tested almost all the tantalums on that preamp board and only one failed my tolerance standard. It likely would have still worked. Being from a vacuum tube background, this one was a new leaf, but overall it wasn't bad to work on at all. The Solid State gear I see often is Peavey. Most of the Peavey gear from the 70's early 80's inspired our mantra... "what survives nuclear fallout?? Cockroaches and vintage Peavey"..
I could add Vintage Kustom to that list.
As a bass amp, It's got a nice big sound, and plenty of gain. Funny that I have been playing a Ric 4003 through it, and that seems to be a very popular combination.
I didn't actively go seeking for this amp... but I saw it on Craigslist, and the owner was a reasonable dude. I don't think I'll become a high volume collector, but I certainly won't pass these up when a deal comes around.
Now that I've studied the works of it, I'm confident in my ability to repair them.
Kustom was a very well made amp by the time the K200B series came out. With each new series the product was upgraded, fixing faults with the earlier designs. The chassis' got thicker and the parts got better. All of the earlier amps had aluminum electrolytics in the signal paths.
If you compare the schematics of the K200B series amps with older Peavey models, you will see a similarity in the designs. Hartley Peavey has reportedly said that Bud Ross and Kustom amps were part of the inspiration for the early designs.
DeadKoby Messages: 35 Registered: August 2017 Location: Cleveland, OH
Member
One sort of tech question.... The power swtich has a On-Off-On configuration... I didn't look at it in any depth. Does it "flip" the hot and common on the two prong cord like the "ground" switch did on old school tube amps?
I considered putting a 3 prong on it, but the extra long cord is pretty nice, and I don't have one that long in my pile of stuff.
stevem Messages: 4742 Registered: June 2004 Location: NY
Senior Member
Yes, it flips the grounding cap from hot to neutral just like you have been use to on old tube gear.
When I do the cable swap a buy a 10 ft black extension cord of the same gauge and just cut the female end off.
It really helps to have the proper pair of Heyco type pliers to deal with that bushing, but a big Ass needle nose plier can get it done also.
On many of my Kustoms I have kept the old stock grounding set up as once you swap over there is no way to get rid of the buzz.
The original power cords were vacuum cleaner cords, so a few of the guys here buy modern 3-wire cords from carpet steam cleaners or vacuum cleaner supply houses to have the same long cord with the three wire safety.
If the cord is too short, they don't even reach the floor when the head sits on top of of a 3-15 cabinet.
pleat Messages: 1452 Registered: June 2004 Location: Belding, Mi
Senior Member
When I replace the two wire AC cable with the three wire AC Cable, I reverse wrap the new cable. I start with the male plug between the two cord wraps, and wind the length of the cable until I have enough left to make it into the amp's switch. Doing this will insure that once the change is made the male plug will end up between the cord wraps, rather than having the plug end up at one of the cord wraps.
stevem Messages: 4742 Registered: June 2004 Location: NY
Senior Member
Accually your cab with the silver thread in the grill and the non slant front makes it a little younger then the head as in it being no older then 1971.
It's all looking real sweet though so enjoy!
DeadKoby Messages: 35 Registered: August 2017 Location: Cleveland, OH
Member
After the in-shop surgery, it's sounding great, and it's been used across my new record for Bass. It's pretty easy to record it... plug it in, turn it up, stick mics in front of it... it sounds just right.