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#1
05-29-2018, 09:56 PM
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Cleaning old Fender amps
Any suggestions for making the Tolex on an old Fender amp look all shiny and new?
I've got a 50 year old Super Reverb that's suffered through decades of smoke, beer and whisky that I'm trying to clean up. I've used Lexol leather cleaner and some Dawn, but the dirt in the cracks is really hard to make go away. Not too keen on putting any petroleum based products like WD40 on it. Help! I need somebody.
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Acoustic: Taylor 314ce Taylor Mini-e Koa Plus Maton EBG808 Alvarez AP66SB Yamaha LL16R A.R.E. Fishman Loudbox Mini Electric: 1966 Fender Super Reverb 2016 Fender Champion 40 1969 Fender Thinline Tele 2015 Epiphone ES-339 Pro 2016 Fender MIA American Standard Strat 2019 Fender MIM Roadhouse Strat 
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#2
05-29-2018, 10:15 PM
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Don’t use any more Lexol on it - that is designed for leather.
Go to your local auto shop and look for auto detailing products. Meguiars makes a detailing spray that is great. Don’t use products that promise to guard against UV - they will usually just add to the white residue deep in the cracks and crevices of the Tolex. If you are still dealing with the crusty stuff on your ol’ amp, just use (very) dilute Dawn and a damp cloth. Don’t soak it in - a lil’ at a time is the way to go so you don’t saturate the edges of the Tolex and make it curl at the seams. Enjoy that amp! P.S. If you’ve never done it, I’d suggest getting the power caps checked out. Very few of those old caps are still good - many will be leaking their guts. It’s worth taking that amp to a tech to recap it, and at least verify the output bias - I’d likely replace the tubes as well as the carbon comp resistors in the preamp (especially if you are hearing some white noise).
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Go for the Tone, George
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#3
05-30-2018, 04:50 AM
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when i get cheap pawn shops amps, i use -mean green- and a soft scrub brush, after its clean i use stp- son of a gun- after its done, it shines like new
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Fender GDC 200 S Telecaster-(build) Squier 51 Fender Strat Partscaster Ibanez SR400 EQM bass
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#4
05-30-2018, 04:53 AM
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Yep, a brush does the crevices.
Bob
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"It is said, 'Go not to the elves for counsel for they will say both no and yes.' " Frodo Baggins to Gildor Inglorion, The Fellowship of the Ring THE MUSICIAN'S ROOM (my website)
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#5
05-30-2018, 07:16 AM
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If a 68 Fender amp had never been recapped, it would be a miracle!
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Mike My music: https://mikebirchmusic.bandcamp.com 2020 Taylor 324ceBE 2017 Taylor 114ce-N 2012 Taylor 310ce 2011 Fender CD140SCE Ibanez 12 string a/e 73(?) Epiphone 6830E 6 string 72 Fender Telecaster Epiphone Dot Studio Epiphone LP Jr Chinese Strat clone Kala baritone ukulele Seagull 'Merlin' Washburn Mandolin Luna 'tatoo' a/e ukulele antique banjolin Squire J bass
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#6
05-30-2018, 07:42 AM
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Speaking of miracles, I just had a friend’s Black Face Princeton Reverb serviced. At 52 years old, the original tubes and caps were in fine shape. The tech found the broken solder joint and fixed that. Sounds great.
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rubber Chicken Plastic lobster Jiminy Cricket.
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#7
05-30-2018, 08:51 AM
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Quote:
Quote:
Still has the original tubes/caps/pots/input jacks... Ampeg guru Dennis Kager gave it a clean bill of health a couple of years ago - said it was one of the first ones he worked on when he joined the company - just needed to be upgraded to a 3-prong grounded plug... Still works 100%, still looks 100% (guys in Dennis' shop thought it was a reissue until he set them straight), still sounds 100%, still use it for occasional practice... Buy good stuff, treat it right, and it'll last you a lifetime... 
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"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased)
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#8
05-30-2018, 09:52 AM
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i use black shoe polish on my 66 deluxe reverb, 75 champ and 76 vibrochamp. works real well. you may want to check the ingredients if you wish.
play music!
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2014 Martin 00015M 2009 Martin 0015M 2008 Martin HD28 2007 Martin 000-18GE 2006 Taylor 712 2006 Fender Parlor GDP100 1978 Fender F65 1968 Gibson B25-12N Various Electrics
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#9
05-30-2018, 11:14 AM
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Quote:
__________________
Acoustic: Taylor 314ce Taylor Mini-e Koa Plus Maton EBG808 Alvarez AP66SB Yamaha LL16R A.R.E. Fishman Loudbox Mini Electric: 1966 Fender Super Reverb 2016 Fender Champion 40 1969 Fender Thinline Tele 2015 Epiphone ES-339 Pro 2016 Fender MIA American Standard Strat 2019 Fender MIM Roadhouse Strat
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#10
06-01-2018, 04:10 PM
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Murphy's Oil Soap in warm water and a firm bristled brush will remove the dirt and is gentle on the Tolex. Just mix it per the label directions, and gently scrub in a circular motion. Then wipe off the moisture and let dry.
Once clean, I rub in a very thin coat of Vaseline, then use a clean cloth and elbow grease to remove all the excess after it sits a few minutes. True Tolex is very similar to tires in composition, so the Vaseline is perfectly fine as a dressing for it. The pics are an old Marshall cab I used this technique on during a repair.  
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"You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great." -Zig Ziglar Acoustics 2013 Guild F30 Standard 2012 Yamaha LL16 2007 Seagull S12 1991 Yairi DY 50 Electrics Epiphone Les Paul Standard Fender Am. Standard Telecaster Gibson ES-335 Gibson Firebird
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#11
06-01-2018, 06:22 PM
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Windex
Clean with Windex finish with armor-all
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"My opinion is worth every penny you paid for it." "If you try to play like someone else, Who will play like you". Quote from Johnny Gimble The only musician I have to impress today is the musician I was yesterday. No tubes, No capos, No Problems.
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#12
06-02-2018, 08:19 PM
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Quote:
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Acoustic: Taylor 314ce Taylor Mini-e Koa Plus Maton EBG808 Alvarez AP66SB Yamaha LL16R A.R.E. Fishman Loudbox Mini Electric: 1966 Fender Super Reverb 2016 Fender Champion 40 1969 Fender Thinline Tele 2015 Epiphone ES-339 Pro 2016 Fender MIA American Standard Strat 2019 Fender MIM Roadhouse Strat
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#13
06-03-2018, 10:36 AM
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so what did you end up cleaning and polish it with?
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Fender GDC 200 S Telecaster-(build) Squier 51 Fender Strat Partscaster Ibanez SR400 EQM bass
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#15
06-03-2018, 01:35 PM
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i dont know about the petro based ideas, tolex is some kind of vinyl anyway i think, i was curious about the armor-all thread, which i dont care for as much as STP, so i did a web search of armor all verses stp son of a gun, the stp is more preferred, but, not always available everywhere, tell you truth though, nothing will actually work right unless its super clean before you use it
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Fender GDC 200 S Telecaster-(build) Squier 51 Fender Strat Partscaster Ibanez SR400 EQM bass
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