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hi guys your the resident gurus ---so heres the deal -a tech saw pix of my amp, its a 74 dr103 , yeah they[ps caps] have the bubble on tops of em.. this amp sounds killer[heaven knows its magic mojo as is!! my guy said im cooking the partridges by leaving the dead caps in there and they will eventually kill
em, ill do the job , but am wondering if its gonna sound ..even better ? or omg not as good .. cause i think thats asking to much , and should i the stock 16 +32 or go for the 32 +32 kit ? also im a novice , i can solder question is can a novice do this correctly and safely? also someone told me that hiwatts auto drain the caps at shutdown , is that true..., dont wanna find out in the er that the answer was no thanks guys lemme know cause the vhr has the kits in stock now

I would say "Yes".

Replacing Caps is analogous to changing the battery in a car. Cap replacement every 12-15 years is pretty standard.

Will it sound worse? Only if you make a mistake.

Will it sound the same? Maybe

Will it sound better? Most likely.

Either the 32+32 or 16+32 kit will work perfectly. If in doubt, put in the same values that came in it originally. I have used both and both are excellent.

Hylight HIWATT caps do automatically discharge over an hour or so. To be really safe. Unplug the mains the night before you plan to perform the cap job.

Yeah, what Dr.Hiwatt said .

As I understand their role, filter caps store and release electricity to keep the circuit running smoothly. Peaks and valleys are not good - especially for vintage components. Fresh caps are more capable of conditioning and controlling the juice. Don't get them confused with the signal caps, which more directly impact tone.

You might notice less hiss with the new caps. Your amp will certainly appreciate the steady flow of POWER .

Dr.Hiwatt was kind enough to perform a cap-ectomy on one of my Hiwatts while I watched. I'm confident I could do the next job, though it might not look as tidy. Take photos of each cap, be patient and meticulous and replace one at a time.

Dave

well waiting for you guys to respond , i resorted to playin my marshall mk2 jmp 100watt from 1974, good amp for solo work but it is ahhh FOR SALE , sorry after playin a hiwatt for a month there aint no goin backto a marshall , its like a toy now , anybody wanna trade a 504 for her i would take almost any condition honestly i was using her for my lead tone till i dialed in my hiwatt for lead , a keeley blu dot modded tube screamer took me over4 the edge in that department , but dimed she dont need it either DAVE REEVES!!!!! HOPE YA CAN STILL HEAR YOUR AMPS ill order the kit right now as there are 2 left.... and thanks guys

ANY HIWATT GUYS IN NYC ??

1) If you're gigging with it regularly, yes, replace the caps, as it will make the amp more reliable.

2) There must be some Hiwatters in NYC, lol. I'm down near Philly myself...

--mark

thanks guys i ordered the kit this a m ill let cha know when im done carl