Can a broken tube cause your amp to smoke?

[BigAlTheBird]

What's up?
So I put everything together on the Falcon just now (first time I've seen it) and fired it up (almost literally) and it started to smoke pretty immediately. The tubes were lighting up, but it smoked. So I unplugged it, and waited a few minutes. Then I check the tubes, and one of the covered ones that I couldn't see was busted (no glass - glass completely gone).
So can the tube cause the amp to smoke, or is there something else going on? The eBay seller has perfect feedback, and he said it worked perfectly when he shipped it, and I believe him. So what's going on here?

Also, Golden if you read this, which way do the speaker wires hook up? I've got a yellow and a blue wire, so which sides do they go on?
Thanks!

 

[Blue_Fingers_Jay]

Re: Can a broken tube cause your amp to smoke?

Falcon amp...
ebay...
From what i saw here you get some great deals..
Serves you right the amp smokes!
Just joking dude.
Hope it's just the busted tube.

 

[Rich_S]

Re: Can a broken tube cause your amp to smoke?

Sounds like your perfect feedback seller shipped it with the tubes in. NO. NO. NO.

Amps should always be shipped with the tubes pulled and wrapped in such a way that the amp can't squash them.

Usually, they fall out first, THEN get turned to little shards. It's unusual that it broke in the socket. Chances are if it got smashed, it was also jostled hard enough to short some of the guts together. That probably caused something inside the amp to burn up - resistor or cap.

It might still work with a good tube, but you're better off opening it up and looking for burned-up looking things on or around the socket that had the bad tube in it. Post pics if you need help identifying the bodies.

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: Can a broken tube cause your amp to smoke?

Smoke? Yes. it may also carouse with loose women and stay out past midnight.

You've been warned.

 

[kmcguitars]

Re: Can a broken tube cause your amp to smoke?

Open her up and take some good pics and post em'. (You didn't mention if it's a power or pre tube?) Either way if the tube broke and internally arced it could have caused a number of of different problems that simply replacing the tube won't help. My shot in the dark guess? You fried a heater wire. DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING IN THE AMP! Use a wood chop stick or a pencil (without a metal eraser ban)

 

[BigAlTheBird]

Re: Can a broken tube cause your amp to smoke?

I've known not to ever touch the ch***is of tube amps, but thanks for the warnings. I appreciate it! When handling the amps, I always wear gloves, unplug it and let it sit for 15 or so minutes before I work. I also only use one hand, and rubber handled screwdrivers. Anything else I need to do?

This was a pre amp tube, one of the ones in the casing. I don't know how it broke. He did take out the power amp tubes, and wrapped them. So I don't know what happened. I'm going to open it up, and if you can see it in pics, then I should be able to see the problem. So I'm gonna open it and see what I can see before I come asking for help again. I'm guessing it's just a resistor, that's what I originally thought. I know they smoke when they get fryed by too much current. *sigh*

Silly situation! I was so looking forward to this. Anyways, thanks for the help, and I'll get back to you all.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Can a broken tube cause your amp to smoke?

I've known not to ever touch the ch***is of tube amps, but thanks for the warnings. I appreciate it! When handling the amps, I always wear gloves, unplug it and let it sit for 15 or so minutes before I work. I also only use one hand, and rubber handled screwdrivers. Anything else I need to do?

This was a pre amp tube, one of the ones in the casing. I don't know how it broke. He did take out the power amp tubes, and wrapped them. So I don't know what happened. I'm going to open it up, and if you can see it in pics, then I should be able to see the problem. So I'm gonna open it and see what I can see before I come asking for help again. I'm guessing it's just a resistor, that's what I originally thought. I know they smoke when they get fryed by too much current. *sigh*

Silly situation! I was so looking forward to this. Anyways, thanks for the help, and I'll get back to you all.

poking around amps always makes me nervous... dam Caps can store electricity for many days after you unplug an amp

 

[BigAlTheBird]

Re: Can a broken tube cause your amp to smoke?

Anything else I should do Who? I gotta get this fixed.

 

[greco]

Re: Can a broken tube cause your amp to smoke?

If you are going to do the repairs yourself, you should learn how to discharge/drain the caps. There was a thread about this recently, I'll see if I can find the link.

Found it:

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=108453

Dave

 

[Kosh Naranek]

Re: Can a broken tube cause your amp to smoke?

Tubes are known to break during shipment. I've read of guitarists on the road complaining that the tubes in their amps often get broken. They're fragile.

Your amp probably was working fine when the seller shipped it. Your seller just didn't realize it's safer to remove tubes during shipment.

I hope it's just the tube. Do what kmcguitars suggested though and see if anything else is burned up. I wish you luck.

 

[BigAlTheBird]

Re: Can a broken tube cause your amp to smoke?

If you are going to do the repairs yourself, you should learn how to discharge/drain the caps. There was a thread about this recently, I'll see if I can find the link.

Found it:

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=108453

Dave

So where can I get the resistors (really high ohms) in that link? Radio Shack? And thank you for posting it! I'm being really sure to be careful, electronics scare me in a way.

Tubes are known to break during shipment. I've read of guitarists on the road complaining that the tubes in their amps often get broken. They're fragile.

Your amp probably was working fine when the seller shipped it. Your seller just didn't realize it's safer to remove tubes during shipment.

I hope it's just the tube. Do what kmcguitars suggested though and see if anything else is burned up. I wish you luck.

I'm hoping so! I'm gonna get a new tube this week, plug it in and see what happens. I really don't wanna open the whole thing up.

 

[ginormous]

Re: Can a broken tube cause your amp to smoke?

Hijack: On my old gig, the house 8-channel mixer amp fried like KFC. Reason -- the club owner had let so much dust accumulate in the boxer fan opening the sucker overheated, and poof! No mo' show.

The Delta blues man I was supporting ran home to get his 1st-gen early '70s Peavey 4-ch mixer amp. 20 mins. later, we were playing 'til 1 AM.

 

[greco]

Re: Can a broken tube cause your amp to smoke?

So where can I get the resistors (really high ohms) in that link? Radio Shack? And thank you for posting it! I'm being really sure to be careful, electronics scare me in a way.

Read about the light bulb method...easy to make and no problems finding the parts.

If you are not comfortable (very reasonable fears)....take it to a tech.

Dave

 

[BigAlTheBird]

Re: Can a broken tube cause your amp to smoke?

Read about the light bulb method...easy to make and no problems finding the parts.

If you are not comfortable (very reasonable fears)....take it to a tech.

Dave

I'm comfortable, because I am extremely careful and respectful around these things. I'm not going to hurt myself.

That said, I have a healthy respect for the amounts of current running through these, and I want to make sure to arm myself with as much knowledge going in.

But thank you very much, I will use that method. We've got an old lamp around here somewhere.