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Post by georgeharter on May 11, 2011 20:07:34 GMT -5
Just got hold of a nice old short scale bass, a "DEGAS" hahahah. Nice old Japanese thing. It is about a 1970 build and the Varitone still works, sorta. So, I need new capacitors to redo it. First, I can't read values printed on the caps and I am ignorant of how to measure a dead cap!!! [There is a 5way rotary with an original chicken head]
Now that I think on this it is a bigger project than thought it would be. Should I pull the old rotary switch and dump that too? Where do I start on reconstructing the circuit as it came from the plant? Or, is it better to rework the controls just with "dead reckoning".
Read the Varitone posts and am now more confused than ever!
Any directions<<< Most Graciously Accepted>>> I would like to play this guy soon!
george
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Post by newey on May 11, 2011 23:23:57 GMT -5
GH= You're up to 8 posts but I'm not sure anone has appropriately welcomed you. So, Hello and Welcome to G-Nutz2! I trust that you will admit that this is a curious statement.  Some photos might help spark someone to decipher these values. Measuring caps requires an LCR meter, not something you'd want to buy for a one-time check. And, if they are in fact "dead", presumably they'd wouldn't measure anything. But it is not clear that the caps are in fact the problem. Assuming that they are, however, there is probably little value in trying to rewire it according to some unknown stock specs; our dead reckoning is likely to be as good or better than whatever the factory came up with. Since vintage value would not seem to be an issue with a "Degas", I'd say you can safely rewire to your heart's content. You can, and should, check the rotary switch for proper functioning prior to any rewiring. But I doubt the switch is the cause of your problems. So, some well-focused photos may shed some light on things. That's fine, but some patience in sorting out the problems may be needed. |
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Post by georgeharter on May 12, 2011 0:10:25 GMT -5
Thank you so much. I will have some clear bench space quickly and now just need to find a camera (single guys don't need cameras often). When I get a new guitar I get jumpy and anxious wanting to test it out!
Your point is well taken on cap values, so I'll keep up reading on the site and find out where to begin and then develop a capacitor series for this particular bass!
george
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Post by georgeharter on May 12, 2011 0:12:21 GMT -5
Oh, I meant that I only get tone change on two positions of the Varitone... Simply guessed at bad caps.
ggg
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Post by newey on May 12, 2011 6:58:32 GMT -5
Bad connections are more likely than bad caps. Have you visually inspected it yet?
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