Older int. amps
 

Today I finished restoring a JVC JA-S11G integrated amp. Beautiful sound. I did the
switches, knobs, Omron relay, the lot.
The switches were a beast though. Plastic covers them from end to end so I had to
prye them open and cleaned them _*thoroughly*_ and they now all sound like new.
Gawd I wish audio equipment still sound like the 70s but they don't and they break
much sooner than these aging.
I couldn't get the relays to work properly, they kept needing a certain amount of
volume to actually put sound through them. So I did what I usualy do. I heated the
component using a 40W Weller pistol, and after I cooked each pin from the underside I
let it cool and then went on to the next, on the 4 pin where the sound has to go. It
works like a charm now. Sometimes a little brute force when no one is looking does
wonders.

Also an Akai AM-35 went through some cleaning on selectors only and was vacuum
cleaned (a first for 14 years of service). Boy did it need that. I had dust in there
from my old room at my parents.... nostalgia almost got the better of me... ;)

My oldest amp is an integrated NAD 3140 with busted phono input has had severe
problems selecting record and playback inputs the last 10-15 years, and has since
1989 been one doorstop close to getting the royal exile from my place, but a can of
videohead cleaner from www.studiosupplies.com and half an hour on the tower of power
took care of that.

I cleaned some faceplates and a lot of knobs and buttons on this two day tour through
past aquisitions, and apart from busting me fingers the hard work paid off.
It will take me a long time to go and buy something new. I usually buy second hand
and if it isn't 15 years old it is not getting into my place without a very good
excuse.

My oldest hifi component was a recivers with tape deck of japanese origin called
Action X9 or something, it was the most shortlived component I have ever had, it wore
down past useable condition from normal use in 4 years.

My open reel decks and cassettes are next on the cleaning list.

-breiler