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UPDATE: My amp is acting up

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  • #1

    UPDATE: My amp is acting up

    I'm thinking it has to be the tubes, but could it be a fuse as well?

    I jammed last night with just the other guitarist from my band. My tone was horrendous. Like sososomething said, with tubes one day your tone is good the other it sounds like crap. Well last night my amp sounded like it was farting.

    I wanted to try out my new pedals Box of Rock and OCD. SO I set my amp to clean. The clean was lifeless and sterile. Not chimmy at all. I toss on the pedal and it literally sounds like my amp was farting. Compressed, fizzy and thin. No matter how I eq'd the pedals, it sounded so bad.

    When the pedal wasn't engaged, I literally had no bass. Even with bass on full, prescence dialed back, highs held back, no bass.

    I really need you help.

    I'm getting married in 2 weeks, then going on my honeymoon for a week and when I get back my band individually has a lot going n in Sept, so it's the perfect time to have my amp in the shop.
    Originally posted by grumptruck
    No I think James and Dave have that covered. You are obviously rocking way to hard.
    Originally posted by Gear Used
    PRS CE 22 (Custom 5 / 59)
    Gibson Les Paul (Screaming Demon / Pearly Gates)
    Mesa Stiletto Ace
    Gurus 5015
    Mesa Widebody 1X12
    Pedalboard
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: UPDATE: My amp is acting up

    I know it's not the pedals either, bc they sound fantastic through his Legacy.
    Originally posted by grumptruck
    No I think James and Dave have that covered. You are obviously rocking way to hard.
    Originally posted by Gear Used
    PRS CE 22 (Custom 5 / 59)
    Gibson Les Paul (Screaming Demon / Pearly Gates)
    Mesa Stiletto Ace
    Gurus 5015
    Mesa Widebody 1X12
    Pedalboard

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: UPDATE: My amp is acting up

      Tubes, tubes, tubes. Probably power but could be any really.

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: UPDATE: My amp is acting up

        Originally posted by kjrocks View Post
        Tubes, tubes, tubes. Probably power but could be any really.
        I bought ap used, so I really don't know the last time the guy changed the tubes or how much of a beating he put on them, so I am thinking about swapping em soon.

        My VHT came stock with this set up.

        2 Matched Sovtek KT88s
        V1: Sovtek 12AX7WB
        V2: Shuguang 12Ax7
        V3: Shuguang 12Ax7
        V4 (driver) Shuguang 12Ax7


        I heard for Pre's V1 is vital and most important. In terms of my amp, what does V4/driver/PI control?
        Originally posted by grumptruck
        No I think James and Dave have that covered. You are obviously rocking way to hard.
        Originally posted by Gear Used
        PRS CE 22 (Custom 5 / 59)
        Gibson Les Paul (Screaming Demon / Pearly Gates)
        Mesa Stiletto Ace
        Gurus 5015
        Mesa Widebody 1X12
        Pedalboard

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: UPDATE: My amp is acting up

          The PI can be very important also. What it does is in a push pull type amp it splits the signal since one tube will be on the positive side and one will be on the negative. Think in terms of a sine wave. The positive is anything above the mid line the negative is anything below. The PI splits the signal into negative and positive feeding the power amp so it can do its push pull thing. I think thats clear as mud. But either way it can pay to have a nice tube in the PI slot. It isnt as picky as to the brand but one that has good gain and the sides of the tube are balanced.

          That being said power tubes fail much more often than preamp tubes. I would get 1 new 12AX7 and just plug it into the slots and see if that cures your ills if it doesnt then start looking to your power tubes. It might be something else but this is the most likely culprit.
          "It keeps you fit - the alcohol, nasty women, sweat on stage, bad food - it's all very good for you." -Bon Scott

          "Let me put it this way: the 5150 will treat
          you better than any girlfriend, because it screams louder, it's easier to pick up, and it shuts up when you take your plug out." -Rip Glitter

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: UPDATE: My amp is acting up

            If your up for some reading theres a PDF http://www.guitaramplifierblueprinti...seinverter.pdf

            It was written by Myles Rose who works for groove tubes not every agrees with his ideas but he is very knowledgeable.
            "It keeps you fit - the alcohol, nasty women, sweat on stage, bad food - it's all very good for you." -Bon Scott

            "Let me put it this way: the 5150 will treat
            you better than any girlfriend, because it screams louder, it's easier to pick up, and it shuts up when you take your plug out." -Rip Glitter

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: UPDATE: My amp is acting up

              tubes are always the first thing to check. Just buy a full new set. Even if it turns out it is something else, at least you will always have a spare set for gigs.
              "Technique is really the elimination of the unneccessary ... it is a constant effort to avoid any personal impediment or obstacle to acheive the smooth flow of energy and intent"
              Yehudi Menuhin

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: UPDATE: My amp is acting up

                Originally posted by gibson175 View Post
                tubes are always the first thing to check. Just buy a full new set. Even if it turns out it is something else, at least you will always have a spare set for gigs.
                Yup, there's a plus side. And you should always have a spare with you when at gigs out of town.
                "The amp has been making a lot of noise and acting funky, perhaps it may be aware of the amount of rock it's about to be punished with" ~GearMannDude
                "30 days of dating doesn't seem like cheating. It seems like legitimate playing the field, and you happened to catch a pop fly..." ~Aceman
                "If all else fails, wank, fall asleep, come back to it the next day." ~GuitarStv
                "The crowd has no perception of tone...only timing and flow." ~Glassman

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: UPDATE: My amp is acting up

                  Originally posted by Markk View Post
                  Yup, there's a plus side. And you should always have a spare with you when at gigs out of town.

                  I dont 100% agree here. Depending on your amp or your luck getting a close enough match what are you going to do when your spare set needs biased? Yes i realize some guys do this on their own but most dont and it certaintly isnt something you want to be doing on a bar room pool table 15 minutes before your suppose to be on. If the show is that important you really need to have a whole backup amp.

                  Now you might be lucky and have a cathode biased amp and it doesnt matter or alternatively you can buy multiple tube sets with the same rating so you know that you can plug and play (which is what I do... i did the aforementioned scenario of biasing an amp on a pool table cant say it was something I would wish to repeat)

                  Having spares is a good idea but it may not be as simple as you make it sound.
                  "It keeps you fit - the alcohol, nasty women, sweat on stage, bad food - it's all very good for you." -Bon Scott

                  "Let me put it this way: the 5150 will treat
                  you better than any girlfriend, because it screams louder, it's easier to pick up, and it shuts up when you take your plug out." -Rip Glitter

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: UPDATE: My amp is acting up

                    Originally posted by Edgecrusher View Post
                    I dont 100% agree here. Depending on your amp or your luck getting a close enough match what are you going to do when your spare set needs biased? Yes i realize some guys do this on their own but most dont and it certaintly isnt something you want to be doing on a bar room pool table 15 minutes before your suppose to be on. If the show is that important you really need to have a whole backup amp.

                    Now you might be lucky and have a cathode biased amp and it doesnt matter or alternatively you can buy multiple tube sets with the same rating so you know that you can plug and play (which is what I do... i did the aforementioned scenario of biasing an amp on a pool table cant say it was something I would wish to repeat)

                    Having spares is a good idea but it may not be as simple as you make it sound.
                    Well, coming from a TSL601, biasing is a piece of cake Easy 10 minute job. I carry extra tubes, some alligator clips, and a multimeter.

                    I can understand some amps wouldn't have the same luxury. But would a few hours play on some 'unbiased' backup tubes really be that dangerous? You'd either run them hot and decrease life, or run them low and possibly get flabby tone, but you'd have sound. Hmmm, i'll start another thread on this, don't want to hijack.
                    "The amp has been making a lot of noise and acting funky, perhaps it may be aware of the amount of rock it's about to be punished with" ~GearMannDude
                    "30 days of dating doesn't seem like cheating. It seems like legitimate playing the field, and you happened to catch a pop fly..." ~Aceman
                    "If all else fails, wank, fall asleep, come back to it the next day." ~GuitarStv
                    "The crowd has no perception of tone...only timing and flow." ~Glassman

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: UPDATE: My amp is acting up

                      Maybe the amp needs a time out.
                      Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:13; 10:9-10

                      Teknon Theou
                      https://youtube.com/channel/UCo848I2...e4jKB5DNZ4Y7hs
                      Complaining that there are hypocrites in church is like complaining that fat people use the gym. Where else would you have them be?

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