I'm not as familiar with the Charger as I am with the plexi's and the metal fronts. If you describe the boards maybe we can figure out what it's similar to. Any board PC numbers?
I did just see a Commander and internally it is basically a single channel combo version of a metal front 150 head. Maybe your's is similar and is basically a metal front 150.
As for the filter caps, upping the capacitance to 4500mF can only be an improvement over the original 2500's, especially in a bass amp.
stevem Messages: 4733 Registered: June 2004 Location: NY
Senior Member
I have never seen the inside of this model, but if they use choke (another transformer) after the bridge rectifiers, than I do not think upping the cap values will give much of a preformance increse.
eltumi Messages: 26 Registered: April 2008 Location: Raleigh, NC
Junior Member
stevem wrote on Thu, 24 April 2008 12:42
I have never seen the inside of this model, but if they use choke (another transformer) after the bridge rectifiers, than I do not think upping the cap values will give much of a preformance increse.
It has the choke after the bridge. I have a picture of it that I would post, if I could.
stevem Messages: 4733 Registered: June 2004 Location: NY
Senior Member
Thats what I figured, its made just like a one channel K150 model.
If you are playing it loud enough that it starts to clip, than upping the filter values will help a tad towards having more clean head room.
stevem Messages: 4733 Registered: June 2004 Location: NY
Senior Member
Yea, thats how much the big can type caps cost, but you do not have to get that type. For less than 5 bucks you can get the same or larger values in smaller radial or axial types, just stay away from illinois brand, as they are made in twiwan and they suck,.
I use the radial 10,000 mfd types in a couple of my amps. I just heat shrink insulate both leads, than heat shrink the whole cap in some larger shrink, and silicone glue that to the bottom of the amp or the side of the original caps.
C4ster Messages: 686 Registered: June 2001 Location: Mukwonago, WI (Milwaukee...
Senior Member
First off, if you need to replace the caps anyway, $18 isn't much. If you don't want to change them, don't but remember that caps will and do dry out after 30 years or so, especially if it hasn't been used for a number of years. When I decide to change it usually goes with a cord replacement and cleaning. Then I replace them just because. These amps rarely die. The new owner doesn't like the underlying hiss that is a Kustom trademark so they try to quiet it down with new transistors. Then replace the caps and do a complete detail cleaning and restore it as close to original as you want.
Conrad