shear625 Messages: 7 Registered: August 2006 Location: Kansas City, MO
Junior Member
Greetings. Saw a K200A- ? ia a local pawn shop for $99.00. I pet it on the tuck and roll Smooth black vinyl and it followed me home. I say Smudge because the model number is smudged and I can't make out the last character. I've been reading this excellent forum for 3 days now and I'm guessing it's a K200A-4 because it has Reverb, Trem/Vibe, Selective Boost and Harmonic clipper. Says "By Ross" Serial number 21269 that puts it around Jan - June 1968 when I was 9 years old. Thanks again forum info! I've repaired / matained my own collection on vintage Transistor amps including a VOX Westminister, Acoustic 150 combo and Peavy Musician 400. This is my first Kustom and it rocks!! No foot switch so I had to alligator clip the pins on the cannon jack on back (Thanks again) to check out the effects and she is fully functional. I opened it up to blow the dust out and give it a good look. What a well built box! Doesn't look like there have been any mods or repairs. I did discover to my horror that the single fuse by the power switch had been wrapped with tin foil. It was a 3A (Blown) and I put in a 5A closed it back up Jacked it to a 4X12 Celestion Cab and wailed away till the wee hours. To much fun. Sorry I'll get to the point.
I saw a disscussion about Knobs back in 2000 and 2001 and I need 4 to bring her face back to beautiful. Any one still have these for sale? (Please)
I guessed at the fuse size what should the real rating be?
I See Scematics for the K200B for sale but the Power Amp section is different? Right? Where can I get a schematic for the K200A-4?Or would I be able to make do with the B schem? There is a little switching noise then the Trem/Vibe is turned up. Pops at the peak of the ramp, probably a cap making it nonliniear or something.
I'm getting the parts to make a foot switch mod (the switch not the head) but if Any one has a line on a original..... I'm willin
Paul:
Welcome to the board. Be careful how you pet that tuck n' roll, some of the colors may bite!
I have absolutely no answers to your questions, but that has never stopped me from spouting off before, so here goes. There have to date, been no sightings of official schematics for 200A series amps. From what I've seen, the pre-amps are closer to the Frankenstein heads than the B-Series, but the power amps are closer to the B-Series than the Frank heads. I know there was an earlier discussion about these, and someone (Jack, I think) found that there was a 200B schematic that was close enough to be helpful. Check some of the past postings.
stevem Messages: 4733 Registered: June 2004 Location: NY
Senior Member
Hello, and welcome to our wonderfull sickness, or maybe I should just speak for myself.In reguards to your questions, the K200 model has a circuit breaker on each side of the on/off swt so you have a B model.
The B model 200s want a 4 ohm load so even if your 4 -12 cab can be set to 8 ohms your down about 30 watts of output.
The ticking of the tremolo is most likly a bad cap and will sooner or later get worst but it will not take out any transistors. I forget the fuse value for that model off the top of my head so I will have to get back to you on that.
Sometimes there are folks on this site that have knobs, I think its been said that rickenbacker guitars still use the original type knob.Raido shack and other supplyers carry a very close replacement so if you change all of them its hard to tell and they are cheaper.
Every now and then original foot switches show up on ebay or antique electronics has a good bunch of replacements that you can rewire.
You can get schematics for the amp on this site. The plexi front panels on these amps where labeled from the rear so chances are good your panel is just badly scratched, they can be sanded with progresivly finer wet or dry type sandpaper and then plastic buffed back out.If the center front 200 markings have worn off you can remove the panel, sand what ever black paint that may still be their off, get some adhesive labels to put on and then re- spray the back of the panel gloss black.
shear625 Messages: 7 Registered: August 2006 Location: Kansas City, MO
Junior Member
Thanks for the fast reply. Those RS Knobs do look close. Unless I hear from someone here that wants to part with some I'll get 'em.
The smudge is on the back Metal plate that has the Model # stamped on it. I can make out the K200A (I thought) but the rest is blured so I don't know the series. Based on what I learned here it is a -4. You say the K200B's have the fuse holder and the K200A's have circuit breakers. Hmm... I'll give it another look. I'll also ID the Board numbers inside before I order schematics.
Thanks for the tip but the front panel graphics are in real good shape. The Black vinyl is in great shape too. Just one little cigerette burn on top that didn't go very deep at all. But heck Its the sound I love.
shear625 Messages: 7 Registered: August 2006 Location: Kansas City, MO
Junior Member
Only got the head. The plate rivited to the back panel that says:
Kustom
Chanute Kansas
Model K200A (Smudge)
Serial No. 21269
The front plexy glass over metal only says "Kustom" Under the power switch and 'By Ross Inc.' Under the red pilot light between the input jacks. It dosn't have the <<200>> like Iv'e seen on the ebay units.
Took some pictures of it. I'll find a place to post them.
P
shear625 Messages: 7 Registered: August 2006 Location: Kansas City, MO
Junior Member
So What is it?
Unscrewed the boards today and got the numbers off. This is what's in there.
PC102 2 of these. Preamp
PC302A / PC302B Reverb / Tremlo/Vib
PC402A / PC402B Selective Boost / Harmonic Clipper
PC502 ? Next to power amp connected to a single 36892 trans
PC602 ? Next to Power anp Connected to a single 36892 trans
PC702 Power Amp
Has fuse holder next to power switch and a Red Pilot Light lens.
No Circuit Breakers. Has two Thermal devices mounted to the botom plate next to the 36892's. One in a clip connected to the PC702 Power amp and One between the power switch and the Power Transformer.
From reading here Kustom switched from A to B around the time the serial number indicated it was built. Jan - June 1968
Could this be some in-between model after they changed from Circuit breakers to a Fuse but before calling it a 'B' ?
Any who, What's my best shot of getting schematics for these boards?
stevem Messages: 4733 Registered: June 2004 Location: NY
Senior Member
I am not 100 % sure, but I think the k400a-4 schematics that you can order from this site are what you need. The only difference should be the dual output stages and the stereo or mono switch.
Maybe one of the other guys here can confirm this?
stevem Messages: 4733 Registered: June 2004 Location: NY
Senior Member
After looking at my k400b schematics on over the weekend I would say that the k400a does have the board layouts you need since all the boards in the k400b are the same numbers as in the k200B amps.
Kustom would not have made a different serise of boards just for the 400 model.