# Selling value..before and after cap job



## ed2000 (Feb 16, 2007)

I have 3 tube amps, one from the mid 60's and two from the 70's, that may need to be sold this year. They all have low 120 cycle hum and it appears the power caps are all original. Could I recover my parts cost when I sell them, realizing a better functioning amp commands a higher price. Or would it be just an easier sale if they have minimal hum. The amps are a YBA 1, Garnet Lil Rock and a VibroChamp.


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## Aerostoon (Oct 9, 2013)

Are you going to recap the amp yourself. If yes, I would definitely do it. I'm not sure what they are worth, but vintage tube amps are in demand.


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## StevieMac (Mar 4, 2006)

Aerostoon said:


> Are you going to recap the amp yourself. If yes, I would definitely do it.


This is the critical factor IMO. Assuming you know what you're doing "under the hood" of an amp, then it's really just your parts cost you'd need to recover...which seems achievable on small amps like those you listed. Presumably they'll perform better after the work so I'd expect potential buyers to be more interested (amp sounds better and cap job lowers expected maintenance cost). I can't speak for others but, when I'm checking out an amp in need of servicing (e.g. hums loudly), I consider it to be in "as-is" condition and value it accordingly because the risk of unknown service costs would then rest with me. With all of that said, there's still no warranty with vintage stuff so a "clean bill of health" doesn't guarantee that something else won't go in the near future. 

Bottom line though: The smaller the amp (fewer parts), the better your chances of recovering recap costs.


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## dcole (Oct 8, 2008)

I think you need to consider the hum level. If its a normal hum, I wouldn't bother with a cap job and sell them as all original. Saves you the hassle and I don't think your average person considers much of a difference between an amp with original caps vs one with a cap job. 

When I started doing amp repair, I learned about electrolytics and their short life span. Having said that, I have a 1948 Gibson amp in the basement, all original parts that has a normal hum level. The caps in those are almost 70 years old but electrolytics supposedly only have a life span of 10 years? Its a crap shoot, like tires on your cars. You can run them over their mileage but you risk something going wrong if they blow.


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## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

To answer your question: Possibly. It depends on the market value of the amp. If you're talking about a '63 Vibroverb at $4000+ dollars, installing caps isn't going to really impact the final price. Conversely, installing caps in a Traynor YBA-1 may. Either way, my philosophy is caps are a necessary replacement in most instances and at the very least, shouldn't impact the price of the amp. Charging more for the cap service probably won't fly in all cases however, from a buyer standpoint, they may see it as less risky a buy and be willing to pay a little extra.


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## LydianGuitars (Apr 18, 2013)

nonreverb said:


> To answer your question: Possibly. It depends on the market value of the amp. If you're talking about a '63 Vibroverb at $4000+ dollars, installing caps isn't going to really impact the final price. Conversely, installing caps in a Traynor YBA-1 may. Either way, my philosophy is caps are a necessary replacement in most instances and at the very least, shouldn't impact the price of the amp. Charging more for the cap service probably won't fly in all cases however, from a buyer standpoint, they may see it as less risky a buy and be willing to pay a little extra.


Completely agree. 

Personally, if I buy an amp that is 15yrs old or more, I know that it will need the electrolytics to be updated and factor that into the price. I just bought a 28 yr old Peavey bass amp and I test drove it before buying it but when I got home, the first thing I did was to take it apart to clean it up and start on a proper cap job for it. Dried up electrolytics can cause a lot of trouble. I'm going to spend about $100 in caps alone (those peaveys with EQ has a LOT of caps).

Depending on the amp, refurbishing it may or may not be worth it if you're just trying to sell. If that Peavey had been sold with the cap job done at a cost of probably 200.00 with labour, that 200 would have made the amp too expensive. If you do the cap job on a Marshall 2203, then the investment is easier to recoup.


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