Should I service an old Delta Blues amp?

[Jacksom]

After 20 years I’ve taken up the guitar again.

I thought I’d try something new to my acoustic guitars so I bought a used AS93 semi hollow and a used Peavey Delta Blues 115.

Apart from having painful finger tips, I’ve been wondering whether the Delta Blues, build in 2008, gigged professionally and then stored more recently, needs a ‘service’ (for the want of a better term).
I’m new to electric guitars and amps, and although I have a good grounding in electronics (no pun...). I don’t know much about valves and in particular guitar amps.

So apart from practicing with it some more, would a 12 year old amp benefit from a trip to a repair/maintenance shop?

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with it - to my untrained ears, and it doesn’t have that weird oscillating noise some of them have, but how about replacing the power supply capacitors, biasing the power valves, even upgrading the preamp valves for less noise?
(Less hiss would be nice!)

I’m not looking to spend money for the sake of it, but I do want the amp to be giving me the best it can, for its age. And I intend to keep it.

Your comments and advice would be appreciated

[JamesPaul]

After 20 years I’ve taken up the guitar again.

I thought I’d try something new to my acoustic guitars so I bought a used AS93 semi hollow and a used Peavey Delta Blues 115.

Apart from having painful finger tips, I’ve been wondering whether the Delta Blues, build in 2008, gigged professionally and then stored more recently, needs a ‘service’ (for the want of a better term).
I’m new to electric guitars and amps, and although I have a good grounding in electronics (no pun...). I don’t know much about valves and in particular guitar amps.

So apart from practicing with it some more, would a 12 year old amp benefit from a trip to a repair/maintenance shop?

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with it - to my untrained ears, and it doesn’t have that weird oscillating noise some of them have, but how about replacing the power supply capacitors, biasing the power valves, even upgrading the preamp valves for less noise?
(Less hiss would be nice!)

I’m not looking to spend money for the sake of it, but I do want the amp to be giving me the best it can, for its age. And I intend to keep it.

Your comments and advice would be appreciated

Congratulations on getting your DB115 and coming back to guitar after 20 years!

I would first spray some Deoxit on a plug, and plug/unplug it a few times in every jack on your DB115. Respray the plug before each jack.

With the valve age being unknown, I would replace V3 thru V7 valves. EL84s tend to get worked relatively hard in these amps and if I replace my power valves I replace my phase inverter. When you replace the valves, spray some Deoxit on the pins and wiggle, in a slight circular motion, the valves in/out of the sockets a couple times.

If you still find it noisy, replace V1 and V2.

If you find any scratchy pots, you may as well spray all of the pots with Deoxit and turn them a few times.

If you are not hearing 50/60 cycle hum, I would be in no hurry to replace the power supply caps. I own several Classics from the 90's and their caps are fine. The modern electrolytic caps are more robust than the old paper in oil caps.

Finally, unless it has been modified, you cannot bias the power valves. They bias themselves.

Others here will likely have a different approach, but I have purchased 5 used Classics over the years and this has always worked for me.

[Pappy B]

After cleaning as JamesPaul said, play it awhile. Capacitors need energized periodically to perform at peak. after being used a few times you may notice an improvement. I've also had good luck with cleaning jacks and pots of equipment that has been in storage for a while.