Home >> Collecting >> Other Collecting

How to Restore Vintage Music Equipment

Any musician will tell you that having the right sound makes all the difference. Vintage music equipment, such as the 70's amplifier or the 60's keyboard, gives an authentic sound you're just not able to duplicate with today's equipment. Here's how to restore vintage music equipment so you can get that authentic vintage sound.

Things You'll Need

Denatured alcohol
Mild abrasive sponge
Contact cleaner
Replacement parts

Instructions

- 1
  Take it apart and examine your equipment for rust, broken parts and damaged wires. Be sure to have a line of replacement parts just in case you cannot fix the parts. You will most likely need to replace things such as paper capacitors.
- 2
  Check all connections to make sure they are solid. Identify and replace the source of any loose connectors.
- 3
  Examine all metal for rust and corrosion. Clean these parts with denatured alcohol and a mild abrasive sponge. Be sure the sponge has no chemicals in it. Use only 100 percent alcohol and a chemical free applicator.
- 4
  Remove knobs and switch covers to reveal the metal underneath these items. Check knobs and switches for free movement, rust and corrosion.
- 5
  Spray contact cleaner on all the knobs and switches. This leaves a thin coating of a mildly conductive material. After you spray on the contact cleaner, turn the knob or flip the switch a couple of times to work the solution.
- 6
  Reassemble the music equipment and test for any more crackling, buzzing and fadeout. Troubleshoot by moving all knobs and switches as well as inserting cables.

Other Collecting