Should I replace the wiring on my vintage amp with cloth wire or keep original?

[Eric45]

I’m trying to decide if I should keep my vintage amplifier’s original cloth-covered wiring or replace it all. The insulation is still intact but feels pretty brittle in spots, and I’m worried about long-term reliability even though everything works fine now.

[BenjaminXM]

I kept my vintage amp's cloth-covered wiring original for years. It did feel brittle in a few spots, but it never failed during normal use. When I finally opened it up, the shop adviser suggested replacing the worst cracked sections since brittle insulation can crack and cause arcing later. If yours shows real cracking or flaky insulation, I’d lean toward swapping those sections rather than a full rewire.

[StephenJ]

I did a partial replacement on a similar amp. The suspicious brittle patches around a couple of run were swapped, and the rest stayed as is. It still sounds the same to me, and I sleep a little better now.

[AlexanderT]

Maybe you’re worrying about the wrong thing. Are you sure brittle insulation is the real problem, or could aging caps or a weak power supply be the bottleneck?

[StevenG]

I once left it alone and later found a crack in the insulation when I moved the chassis; after that I accepted that old wiring hides risks, and I kept a closer watch. Small things add up.