When to recap?


I have a McIntosh MC 2200 amp. Production to the best of my knowledge is the mid to late 70s. I love the sound of this amp, and it will be a keeper for me for quite some time.

This is one of the oldest pieces of gear I own. So my question is, should I consider taking it in to get all the capacitors replaced? My fear is neglecting to do that, and then it will cost me all that much more. (Plus I'll be out of an amp the entire time it will be repaired)

Is this fear unfounded? Again, I plan to keep this amp for quite sometime. Thanks in advance for any suggestions and advice.
brad34695

Showing 2 responses by lowrider57

Caps should be replaced. Why?...it's from the 1970s and even if it was treated with kid gloves, it's time to change them. And if it was in storage, the caps may have dried out.
You can look for yourself; see if any caps are leaking or dry and brittle.

Also, it should be bench tested by a pro and set-up to spec. I'll wager you'll need a few other parts replaced or tweaked; eg: resisters, solder joints, power suppy. After that, you'll have years of enjoyable use.