• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

72'-73' Kustom SideWinder Tuck N' Roll Restoration Project

Mrd34d

Mrd34d

Guest
Aug 28, 2015
83
20
Windsor
#1
While I've got that little japanese bass head waiting to be 3-pronged, I came across a old dude on kijiji (canada), who literally had 3 barns worth of vintage gear. Everything from Traynor Monobloc 2x15 cabs, 15" single cabs, fender band master heads, PA bins, stage lighting, mixing boards; EVERYTHING.

Anyway his asking price for much of it was high...except the Kustom Sidewinder sitting off to the side...completely dead...50 bucks CAD...Obviously I bought it. It's in VERY rough shape. Hell, there's spiders living inside of it.

Point of all this? This is gonna be a restoration project for me, and I'm gonna try to document the whole thing.

The goal is to do a total tear down, complete clean out, and rebuild her into a functional head unit. I'm gonna try to save the upholstery as well, and hopefully repurpose it for the new head cabinet structure.

I believe it's a 72'-73'. 75 watts. The tuck&rolled upholstery is in decent shape, save for the bottom.

The casters are hiding inside of the cabinet, it has no speaker, and as far as I can tell the Handle is missing...though it may be hiding inside somewhere.

Anyways, here's some pics. It's 12:30 here, and the wife's sleep...so I'll have to wait till tomorrow before I rip into it.

image.jpg
image.jpg
image.jpg
 
#3
Yep those odd opamps are obsolete, I'm not even sure NTE sells anything to replace them now. IIRC they have external frequency compensation, and could be replaced with modern ones with some minor tweaking (removal of the external frequency compensation).

Hopefully the blue pushbutton switch works. That and the opamps are the two components not available today.
 
#4
nashvillebill said:
Yep those odd opamps are obsolete, I'm not even sure NTE sells anything to replace them now. IIRC they have external frequency compensation, and could be replaced with modern ones with some minor tweaking (removal of the external frequency compensation).

Hopefully the blue pushbutton switch works. That and the opamps are the two components not available today.
Click to expand...


Yaaaa I just checked the switch, and it's a no go. I haven't pulled the thing apart yet, but I'm anxious to. I'll futz around with the switch, and if I can get it going. Maybe it's just jammed up from sitting for 20 years. The guy I got it from acquired it a long time ago, and just stuck it in the corner. Its never worked for him.

I'm putting a list together of things I'm gonna need to start cleaning it out. So far I've got:

Automotive vinyl upholstery cleaner
Electronics/electrical cleaner
Rubbing alcohol
Can of compressed air
Q-tips
Soft toothbrush
Vacuum


Anything I'm missing or should change?
 
#6
Got the amp out, cleaned it up pretty good. I wish I had taken a picture, but there was actually an old nest sitting right on top of the power amp. Once I got it all cleared out and vacuumed, I immediately saw the problem...

image.jpg


My theory is that the nest was already in there when I guy I bought it from got it. He most likely plugged it in, not knowing about the nest and POOF.

image.jpg


Other than this and the non-functional licon switch, I can't see any other issues so far.

Here's some other pics I took of the whole amp, schematics on the inside of the chassis cover and the reverb tank.

image.jpg

image.jpg

image.jpg

image.jpg

image.jpg
 
#8
nashvillebill said:
I hate to be a pessimist, but I believe you'll find shorted output devices. Don't forget to check the drivers too.
Click to expand...

There's a local repair shop that offers free estimates. I think at this point, taking it there would be a smart move. It'll give me a good idea of what I'm against.
also, I've taken the licon switch out....and it confuses me. It does not look at all like a switch; just a simple pilot light.

image.jpg
image.jpg
 
#12
Or maybe the polarity switch is the power switch? I've owned lots of old amps...but nothing like this...so my first reaction would be to the typically obvious switch on the front. I think the only other amp I ever owned that had a 3 way toggle for power was a Traynor Bass Master back in the mid 90s
 
#14
Having owned an old kusom from those years, let me suggest you either replace the guts of the amp with something stealthy / modern or spend very little $$ - it just not going to sound that good.

Me, I'd *love* to have an old thrashed kustom I could have re-done in sparkle blue with modern electronics / good driver. That won't make up for the pressboard construction, but it will at least have a chance to sound good and it will, without doubt, look cool.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mrd34d
#15
SanDiegoHarry said:
Having owned an old kusom from those years, let me suggest you either replace the guts of the amp with something stealthy / modern or spend very little $$ - it just not going to sound that good.

Me, I'd *love* to have an old thrashed kustom I could have re-done in sparkle blue with modern electronics / good driver. That won't make up for the pressboard construction, but it will at least have a chance to sound good and it will, without doubt, look cool.
Click to expand...

Did you ever get the chance to run through a different speaker/cab?

My plan was to use it as a head to drive my bass cab; a hughes & kettner BC210... Plus whatever else I pick up later to accompany it like a 4x10
 
#19
nashvillebill said:
That cap should be replaced with a Class XY cap. Look in your last picture, at the bottom there appears to be a bridge rectifier. The yellow-black wire doesn't appear to have any solder on it, for that matter the other connections don't look too great either.
Click to expand...

On the vintagekustoms forums, they suggested removing the cap entirely, replacing the white & black wires with the white & black from a three prong, then connecting the green ground to the chassis for this particular amp. Would that be wrong?
 
#20
Well, not wrong necessarily, but many people do not realize that a capacitor is made expressly for this application, and that having that capacitor can help eliminate noise on the AC line. IEC sockets are available that have these caps already built-in, used for critical applications such as medical gear, test equipment, etc. They are designed so they won't shock someone if they fail.

I subscribed to the "remove the death cap entirely" philosophy for a long time until I became better versed in capacitor usage.
 
  • Like
Reactions: B-string, Stealth Fighter and Mrd34d

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back