Caps?

robgilmo

I often read about hifi amps and degrading caps, is it the same with guitar amps? Im not talking about exotic audiophile caps, but would a 20 odd year old amp benefit from a recap?

Modulus_Amps

it is the power supply filter caps that dry up, some techs would replace them after 20 years, other would leave them if they are still working fine.

the other type are coupling caps and generally you don't replace coupling caps unless they are leaking or are junk to start with.

ICBM

As Modulus_Amps said - electrolytic caps at between roughly 20 to 40 years old, depending if there's any sign of trouble or if you just want to be cautious. (Main filter caps, bias supply caps and cathode caps.) Signal coupling caps only if they've failed or in the fairly rare case that they're a type with known age-related decay, eg the black Hunts caps in some vintage British amps (WEM in particular).