Properly discharging 1961 A100 prior to tonewheel recap. (not amp)

[Guest]

Hi All,
My A100 has been unplugged for over a month, and I'm going to replace the small capacitors atop the TG. Despite being unplugged and old, I still don't trust it not to zap me.

Is there a documented method to discharge each of the 40-ish capacitors prior to desoldering and replacing? I've googled 'hammond recap discharge' and the only conversations I find are from people updating the amps.

Many thanks for any opinions you can offer!

-j

[David Anderson]

It's good to be cautious, but the TG capacitors are never charged to begin with. That's why there are no conversations on the topic. It's a bit like expecting your garden hose to turn into python and attack you.

The concept only applies to the much larger value electrolytic capacitors in the power supplies, but even here, the preamp and power amp in the A-100 will self-discharge their power supplies in a few minutes via resistor networks inside the amp.

[Sweet Pete]

Welcome to the forum! Always good to ask questions where safety is concerned.
Those caps will have drifted for sure,most people recap the big electrolytics in the amps first to hear the organ with no power supply hum,
before they shotgun the TWG caps.

A lot of Hammond rookies with big plans end up throwing money at an otherwise fine instrument.
More than half of them play other instruments....every so often a keyboardist/organist.
The ratio of guitarist to keyboardist is about 30/1. Just attend a jam session to confirm this!

Eventually I will change the amp e-caps on mine.Have not changed anything in over twenty years!
Organ sounds great to me,a little hum at first startup,been the same all this time without getting worse.
The last thing I would do is alter the tone of the generator if it is a '63 with cardboard genny caps!

I'll wager that many restored organs still sit around unplayed for months at a time.
Had the instruments been played regularly,like mine,there would be no 'atrophy' causing these issues!

There are WAY more Hammonds still around working good,than people who know how to play them.
This is a fact,not an opinion!