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K200 capacitors? [message #1530] Fri, 24 May 2002 08:27 Anonymous I'm doing some maintenance on my stuff. When I opened up the K200 head I found the 2 main capacitors installed horizontally and wrapped with tape. Someone obviously repaired it wrong. The caps are: Mallory CGS752U075V5L, 7500MFD, 75VDC, MAX SURGE 65VDC, POS+85C, 8933. They are 6in. tall, 2in. diameter cylinders and light blue. Everything else in the head seems to be original. Are these the correct caps for the approx. 1966 K200. There is an aluminum clamp that goes around the cap and mounts to the chassis. One is missing. Are these the correct caps for this amp? I don't think they are because if they were vertically installed they wouldn't fit with the reverb tank. The tank clearance is only 5 1/4in. from top to bottom. Does anyone know? Report message to a moderator

Re: K200 capacitors? [message #1531 is a reply to message #1530] Fri, 24 May 2002 10:46 Anonymous The K200's used 4500 mfd @ 50VDC as stock values. I think you are correct that someone replaced them. A higher capacitance value (4500-7500) with all solid state amps is not a bad thing (Kustoms seem too low anyway - probably an economic at the time choice), and neither is the higher voltage rating (50-75) which provides additional surge protection (rare, but it does happen). The caps are mounted vertical as stock, and it sounds like you are correct - due to the physical size difference, a horizontal mounting was kludged. I'm assuming you are going to replace them... get something close to the stock physical size, and remember you can go higher in both capacitance and voltage ratings... just don't go lower. Improvements in electrolytics over the years has resulted in higher capacitance and voltage ratings available in smaller packages... the older stuff used to be huge for really pitiful values! I can't remember the physical size of the stock caps, and I don't have an amp apart right now to check. Anyone out there have their amp apart? Report message to a moderator

Re: K200 capacitors? [message #1533 is a reply to message #1531] Fri, 24 May 2002 14:39 ET Messages: 146 Registered: October 2000 Location: Charlotte NC Senior Member right on with your reply and I wanted to jump in and urge the larger cap values for the replacement myself.. I"ve had my amp tech put higher value caps in my little SC100 rigs and they do make a diff...bolder, bit more headroom.. I can only imagine that there would be even more diff for bass players. I think Bud was going for stability in design above all else on his rigs...there are several nice mods to be made to the kustoms to hop em up, but I leave that to my amp tech. Report message to a moderator

Re: K200 capacitors? [message #1534 is a reply to message #1533] Fri, 24 May 2002 17:14 Anonymous Thanks again for the advice. I wasn't planning on replacing them but since I have it apart I will. Any suggestions as far as manufacturers? Report message to a moderator

Re: K200 capacitors? [message #1535 is a reply to message #1534] Fri, 24 May 2002 17:28 Anonymous A few years back I acquired a K200B-4 that had magnificent tone.....I looked inside to see what I could see and I found the filter caps had been replaced.....( I am not a tech and that was an obvious difference) the new ones were slightly larger than a "D" battery and were tied to the old caps with plastic "cable ties" Sorry....I do not know the values or the manufacturer....Foxy owns the amp now...but there was a definite difference! Fatter tone! I have wondered what we would come up with if we totally rebuilt a K200 with modern components......any thoughts?????? BC Report message to a moderator

Re: K200 capacitors? [message #1538 is a reply to message #1535] Fri, 24 May 2002 22:26 KustomBlues Messages: 490 Registered: June 2001 Location: Michigan Senior Member I think Gary Hull has been working on that!!! I know that he took my 250-1 head and put it back to new specs, and made it very strong and it does not have any noisy problems. He replaced all the resistors with metal film 10% ones, and all kinds of good stuff. He is a real Kustom genious. Are there any other good repair techs in this group??? Report message to a moderator

Re: K200 capacitors? [message #1544 is a reply to message #1538] Sun, 26 May 2002 16:06 Anonymous On my K250 they are 4500 mfd and measure 2-7/16 inch diameter by 3-1/8 inch tall... I am planning tho replace them with 10,000 mfd from Mouser as soon as I finish a few other projects. All electrolytics capacitors degrade over time, that is why many of us change them even though the original caps have not "failed" catastrophically. Report message to a moderator

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