I once owned one of these and if was my favorite for gigs, but recorded with a Jet. I just discovered your channel and am enjoying it very much, thanks for sharing.
Good stuff. I have a VT-40 in desperate need of service and can’t find tech on island (Oahu) who will service it. We used to have a wonderful tech (Mr. Edgar 🙏) who knew how to wrangle with these old Ampeg (and just about anything else), but sadly he is gone 10 years now. Would love to send this thing to you or someone like you. In the meantime, I will watch your vids and learn what I can. You really are providing a wonderful service to the community. Thanks 🤙
Nice. I had one in the early 80's when I was 14. In hindsight, I'm glad it was hard to take apart, because I would have gotten shocked. That was one loud amp. I hope you are able to successfully perform the maintenance. Best.
@@qua7771 Thanks. Yes, I am truly afraid of the beast. It packs a wallop and I don’t know enough to be sure I’ve properly discharged all components. Hopefully I will find someone to service it. Aloha 🤙
@@Damaraja I sold min in the 80's but I do work on my other amps now. The key is to know your circuit, and where the high voltages are. Discharging caps isn't hard, but by all means, if you have doubts let tech take it on. I recall the amp being extremely heavy, like a lot of amps of that era. I was 14 years old toting that amp around. It was built like a tank though.
@@qua7771 Thank you for your notes. Yes, this is by far the heaviest combo I own. Such a beast. I am currently learning the basics of circuitry and components via effects pedals and breadboarding experiments, but I aim to expand into amp territory soon. When I do, I will consult the schematic and see what’s going on with the VT-40 circuit. An initial goal is to clone my Oliver Sound amp heads and perhaps repair the VT-40. Wish me luck! Thanks again 🤙
@@Damaraja All you really have to do is discharge the filter capacitors, which are likely to need replacing if they haven't been already. Then measure voltage on anything you plan to touch. Best of luck.
Thanks a lot for that Gemini series. It helped me a lot in restoring mine. I totally liked the bright cap mod, so I implemented it. I also did cool reverb tone pot mod. The original is very nice, but sometimes too bright for certain music styles. I just put a 0.022 cap + A50K pot in parallel with the 0.005 cap at the recovery tube (grid to cathode). Fully CW I get the original reverb tone and CCW it can go to a nice dark jazz tone without losing too much reverb volume and/or decay. It was a bit of a challenge to find a proper place to install the pot in the front panel. I had previously installed the Fliptop trem bug. But then I had to redo the wiring, trem bug and reverb ton pot, all shielded to get rid of the predictable tickling noise from the trem. It's still there but very faint, unnoticeable. That was very fun to work on this amp. It became my favorite one to play. So versatile. It also takes any pedal very well.
I am grateful for this series of videos of this '66 Ampeg Gemini 1. I actually have a chassis from one of these amps, that one day, I want to restore. Your videos are excellent, helpful and informative in their execution and portrayal of what to do and look for in restoration of guitar amps. I appreciate you take the time and effort to make these videos, while running your business. Thanks, for what you're doing, Mike in BC, Canada
When I was working on a ‘63 Reverberocket R-12-Rb, I discovered that on V1, they’d wired what was supposed to be on pins 1-2-3 (per the schematic and voltage chart) on pins 5-6-7.
Good stuff, Ground issues on Ampegs drive me nuts, would love to hear more of your thoughts on how to clean them up. Have watched all your Grounding videos but no love yet.
Hey Lyle! Do you mind sharing the part # of the Hayco strain relief that you like? I've tried some that were a little tight ID, but I'd love to know what you found. Thanks!
Solid state or tube rectifier on that thing? And if tube, is that 100uf filter problematic? I’ve heard not to go over about 40uf with a tube rectifier, so just curious and interested to learn! Thx for doing these videos - love the channel, esp the vintage restorations!
The schematics in the owner's manuals are worthless. I have seen .003s in place of .03s in blonde & brown era Fender amps too. I bought a time capsule closet queen Ampeg Gemini II transitional amp at an estate sale. It has all the original paperwork with it, including the schematic which was (maybe) for a Gemini I. The 1969 Ampeg repair manual is closer than the 1968. I would have been 1 or 2 years old when those were issued. My uncle was 62 or 63 when those came in the mail to his shop.
The Cornell Dubilier "greenie" caps were mylar film...and by all accounts I've read, seem to hold up pretty well over time. They were discontinued because they contained PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) The yellow Cornell Dubilier WMF caps are also mylar film foil caps, which are still in production.
Perhaps a tough question but in your experience, what are the most well thought out amps you have come across. I’m confident that your designs are sound and well thought out. Other than yours?
A total schooling on vintage amps, the people who built vintage amps and reality versus mythical legend. It should be obligatory that all purchasers of valve amps spend a few days at the Psionic School Of Amplifier Reality.
