I wouldn't use anything more aggressive than a mild dish soap mixed with warm water, wipe down with a cloth. glass cleaner is too strong IMHO, although sixties fender tolex will probably hold up to it. you can soak knobs in a mild soap water mix and clean with an old tooth brush.
for the grill cloth, I'd use a soft brush (like a small 1" paint brush used for trim) together with a vacuum to get the dust. Beyond that, you risk altering the original patina, in which case, if the stains or fade bother you, rip it off and recover it.
I do the same soft brush and vacuum trick inside the amp. you can brush dust and debris free of all the electric components without damaging them. If you are worried about the white oxide on the steel chassis, unless it heavy and flaking, it isn't hurting anything. If you have a lot of oxidation on the components and eyelets, that might be a different story. a picture will help.
If you are going to flip the amp, I'd leave it as-is and let the next person decide if it should be original or "restored".
my take on vintage amps is to treat them like antiques, and preserve them as-is aesthetically. "restoring" to new condition forever removes the possibility of it being an original, or a survivor. The vintage and antique automobile scene is beginning to move in this direction. Some day the Duesenberg, pre-A 356, or Impala that was never restored, repainted, or re-upholstered will be appreciated by onlookers 10X in comparison a "restored" example. Even today, some muscle cars are on their 2nd or 3rd "restoration". How many will they go through in the course of the next 50 years?
Amps are a little different. We want them to be safe, and we want them to sound good too. an old, unrestored Lafayette might have a steering wheel shimmy or a brake squeak, and we'd still smile while driving it. A noisy or squeaky amp will only get a frown and get turned off...
As for smelly amps:
the first thing step in combating musty odors is to get the amp in direct sunlight. On the back porch, in the driveway, or better yet, on dry green grass with the chassis removed, and both cabinet and chassis get the sun's rays. UV rays kill bacteria and fungi (mold, mildew, etc).
for cigarette smoke, here's a trick that I can't explain, but it works. I've used it with success on both cars that belonged to smokers, and gear that came out of a smoker's house. banana peels and frito corn chips. On dish, in the floorboard of a car for a week or two,, changing out the peels and chips every few days. For the amp, same thing only with a big garbage bag enclosing the two...
Topic: Cleaning ideas for 66 Vibrolux Consignment shop find (Read 3078 times)