HELP! My amp is behaving strangely… Can it be fixed?

[waltschwarzkopf]

Re: HELP! My amp is behaving strangely… Can it be fixed?

BREAKING NEWS!!!

Hi guys, I haven’t given up on my old friend yet. I brought some tools and other components home and I think I’ve managed to track down the problem.

Hear me out:

If I connect my phone to the CD input, it sounds great. I control the volume from the phone and there is no hum or annoying pitch. Which means that the speaker works.

If I connect the phone to the guitar input it also works AND I can change the volume, gain and EQ settings from the amp. Which means that the amp controls work too!

If I connect my guitars (all of them passive) to the amp input, no sound comes out (hence the thread). BUT if I connect the guitar to an amp app on my phone and then the phone to the guitar input, it works!! And all the controls too.

I wouldn’t like to run the amp like that, because it’s a bit annoying with all the cables. But it makes me think that the Voltage from the guitar is too low to drive the amp, as the phone output does drive it well. Since the output of the guitars is the same as always, it must be something between the guitar input and the amp itself.

Could be a loose connector somewhere? The OC amp?

Come on guys! I’m really close on this one and I know that the problem is simple and there is still live in the old amp.


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[Dave Locher]

Re: HELP! My amp is behaving strangely… Can it be fixed?

Are you using the same cables to connect your guitars to your phone that you use to connect them to your amp?
It sure sounds like a bad cable to me.

[waltschwarzkopf]

Re: HELP! My amp is behaving strangely… Can it be fixed?

Are you using the same cables to connect your guitars to your phone that you use to connect them to your amp?
It sure sounds like a bad cable to me.

I checked the cable when the problem first occurred. I checked the cable visually and its fine, I also measured resistance and continuity on the tip and jacket and it’s also fine. I don’t have another cable, but I will try hooking up the guitar directly with the wires I use for measuring and if I still don’t get good results I’ll buy or borrow a cable just to try.


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[devastone]

Re: HELP! My amp is behaving strangely… Can it be fixed?

Definitely sounds like a bad cable, might be worth buying a new one, never hurts to have an extra or two around.

Other than that, you might try taking a soldering iron and reflowing the solder joints on the PCB, sometimes they get intermittent.

[esandes]

Re: HELP! My amp is behaving strangely… Can it be fixed?

Walter I think your relentless Malmsteen-like shredding and power chording made your amp give up its ghost. Shell out some of those franks for something better than a beginners amp.

[waltschwarzkopf]

Re: HELP! My amp is behaving strangely… Can it be fixed?

Definitely sounds like a bad cable, might be worth buying a new one, never hurts to have an extra or two around.

Other than that, you might try taking a soldering iron and reflowing the solder joints on the PCB, sometimes they get intermittent.

I will buy a couple of cables to have a spare one in case something like this happens again. About the PCB solder joints, I honestly hadn't thought about it, I will see if the problem persists with the new cable and do that.

Walter I think your relentless Malmsteen-like shredding and power chording made your amp give up its ghost. Shell out some of those franks for something better than a beginners amp.

I had my mind on a Fender Bassbreaker 007 combo or maybe just the head and use what is left of the Marshall as a cabinet.

[esandes]

Re: HELP! My amp is behaving strangely… Can it be fixed?

The problem with your Marshall is the toy sized speaker. You can actually get amazing tone by hooking up a small combo to a cab loaded with 12" speakers. Try a 12" speaker.

[waltschwarzkopf]

Re: HELP! My amp is behaving strangely… Can it be fixed?

The problem with your Marshall is the toy sized speaker. You can actually get amazing tone by hooking up a small combo to a cab loaded with 12" speakers. Try a 12" speaker.

Interesting what you say. I have actually considered buying a larger speaked and fitting it to the amp, but I'm not sure it a 10/12 incher will fit into a 8" combo box.

[waltschwarzkopf]

Re: HELP! My amp is behaving strangely… Can it be fixed?

Hi guys,

I'm glad to tell you (but a bit embarrassed) that it seems that the problem was the cable after all. I borrowed one and it worked, I played it continuously for close to one hour and no problems arose. I'll keep on testing it and see it everything is still ok.

Thanks a lot for your help.

[Mincer]

Re: HELP! My amp is behaving strangely… Can it be fixed?

Hey, that's better than needing a whole new amp. I am happy it was something simple.