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Topic: Cleaning old brown amps |
Eric Reeves
From:
Washington, USA
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Posted 19 Jul 2021 8:36 pm |
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I found a vintage Oahu 390k on the side of the road yesterday for $40. Very clean for the age, but a bit of 70 year old grime on there. How do y'all clean old fabric covered brown Era Gibson amps and the like? What will be gentle enough on the grillclothe to not damage the design? Any tips are much appreciate. I think I practically stole this thing, although I won't plug it in until my amp tech runs through it. All appears to be original and in tact. I'll try to get pics up soon!
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1966 EMMONS S-10 Bolt On Push-Pull |
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Eric Philippsen
From:
Central Florida USA
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Posted 20 Jul 2021 3:57 am
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The bad news……
The problem with genuine tweed and cloth-covering is that it is fabric and made with some percentage of cotton. Applying any cleaner will never fully remove any stains and grime that have accumulated over the decades. Additionally, there’s the danger that saturating it with any liquid will loosen or detach the covering from a cabinet since water-soluble hide glue was used back then. Stained grill cloth can have an even worse reaction because of the possibility of shrinkage.
The kinda’ good news…..
All hope is not lost. One can 1) first use compressed air (set at low psi) to remove surface dirt particles and then 2) gently wipe the covering with a damp cloth. Start at a place that is not in full view, such as on the bottom or bottom rear panel. Work slow and use clean cloths. |
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Bill A. Moore
From:
Silver City, New Mexico, USA
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Posted 20 Jul 2021 12:03 pm
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| I've had good luck with windex on grill cloth. Spray the cloth while vacuuming, the cloth isn't stressed, and the windex lifts a lot of the dust and grime. |
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Brad Sarno
From:
St. Louis, MO USA
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Posted 20 Jul 2021 2:44 pm
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That "Awesome" spray cleaner, the yellow liquid in a spray bottle you find at the dollar stores, that's a very serious grime remover.
B |
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Richard Lotspeich
From:
North Georgia
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Posted 20 Jul 2021 3:27 pm
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"LA's Totally Awesome" cleaner works crazy good on gutters too. Just saying.  (not joking)
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Dick Lotspeich
Last edited by Richard Lotspeich on 21 Jul 2021 2:20 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Karl Paulsen
From:
Chicago
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Jerry Kippola
From:
UP Michigan, USA
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Posted 21 Jul 2021 3:50 pm
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| Most of those old cloth coverings were glued on w/ hide glue, so u don't want to get it real wet, makes for a real mess. |
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